Just in time for Halloween, Circle Players does JEKYLL & HYDE

Opening just in time for the Halloween season, Circle Players continues its 2010-11 season with a production of Frank Wildhorn and Leslie Bricusse's rarely performed musical thriller Jekyll and Hyde, running October 15-31 at Donelson's Keeton Theatre.

Jekyll and Hyde is described as "an evocative tale of the epic battle between good and evil," based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story about a brilliant doctor whose experiments with human personality create a murderous counterpart.

Convinced the cure for his father's mental illness lies in the separation of man's evil nature from his good, Dr. Henry Jekyll unwittingly unleashes his own dark side, wreaking havoc in the streets of late 19th century London as the savage, maniacal Edward Hyde.  

When director Tim Larson submitted this show to Circle Players, he was aware of why few theater companies are willing to tackle it. Larson had seen the Broadway production, which ran for 1,543 performances between 1997 and 2001 and won several major awards.

"It is such a demanding show, especially musically," Larson contends. "It's also very hard to find an actor who is able to physically pull off playing both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and making this transformation believable.".

Happily, Larson seems to have found his leading man in RandAl Cooper, an actor by night who works as a mechanical engineer at Nissan during the day. Cooper is a recent Nashville transplant from Memphis.

The musical is a loose adaptation of Stevenson's novel, adding a love story to make the dark story more palatable to theater audiences.Circle Players' cast of 27 will be accompanied by a live orchestra.

Larson said he is amazed at the vocal power of the entire ensemble: "It is one of the most challenging scores I've ever encountered, but the cast pulls it off beautifully." He said Wildhorn's music creates an effective contrast to the lyrics and book by Leslie Bricusse.

"We have this beautiful music within a show that is quite violent. There is blood and gore, no doubt, it's quite a dark show, but it's also very engaging and moving."

The set, designed by Michael Tajalle, will complement the theme of the show. During key scenes, when Dr. Jekyll transforms into murderous Mr. Hyde, the set, equipped with five large mirrors, will constantly move around, reflecting the idea that there is evil hidden behind a façade.

Jekyll and Hyde runs Friday, October 15 through Sunday, October 31, at the Larry Keaton Theatre on 108 Donelson Pike. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. There will be a special 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, October 30.

Tickets are $15 for adults, $12 for students and seniors ages 60 and up; children 6 and under attend free. All tickets are $10 on Thursdays. Group discounts are available. Tickets can be purchased online at www.circleplayers.net or by phone at (615)-332-7529. Individual tickets also will be on sale at the box office at the Keeton Theatre one hour before each performance.