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JEKYLL & HYDE
This incredible musical production offers a perfect fusion of book and lyric, expertly
crafted by Leslie Bricusse with music by Frank Wildhorn. The Plymouth Theatre show is
enthralling,
not an easy accomplishment given the dark tale of Dr. Henry Jekyll's desperate
attempt to win approval to use an experimental drug on his father, an
institutionalized mental patient. Turned down by the hospital board, the desperate
Jekyll uses himself as a human guinea pig, resulting in his transformation into the
revenge seeking Mr. Hyde.
The exhausting, demanding, dual role is performing to perfection by Robert Cuccioli.
His electrifying performance garnered him the 1997 Drama Desk Award, Outer
Critics Circle Award and a Tony Award nomination for Best Actor in a Musical.
He consistently delivers a consummate performance.
Linda Eder portrays Lucy, the main attraction at The Red Rat where women
come with a price tag. Linda received the 1997 Theatre World Award as well as
Best Actress Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award nominations for the
performance, which marked her Broadway debut in the role she created. She has
honed the part to perfection and deserves every standing ovation.
Christiane Noll
 |
Christiane Noll also made her Broadway debut in the role of Emma Carew, Jekyll's
fiance, delivering a flawless performance.
Robert Cuccioli, Linda Eder, and Christiane Noll have their names above the title, a
status they deserve. Incredible performances by amazingly talented performers
who take a dark tale, project it in such an empathic light that the audience is held
transfixed.
The show opened April 18, l997. A little over a year later I revisted the production
only to discover that I was going to see a stand-in.
The role of Emma was to be performed by Christiane Noll's understudy,
Rebecca Spencer. An understudy taking over a lead role can mean an off the mark
performance, triggering a domino effect for the entire cast. It doesn't matter how
well rehearsed, the nature of an understudy taking over that one show lends itself to
the possibility of disappointment. A bad understudy can ruin any show. A mediocre
understudy can turn a great show into an average production. Rebecca Spencer as
Emma kept the quality of the performance and permitted the show to retain it's
exhaulted status. Rebecca blended so beautifully into the lead character that I don't
think the vast majority of the audience realized she was the understudy. If she
wondered how she was being accepted, the roar of the crowd and her deserved
standing ovation should have belayed her fears.
Robert Cuccioli
 |
I was impressed that none of the other actors have dulled in their performance.
Cuccioli's intentness and energy level is awesome. All of the stars continue to hold
their emotional edge, delivering a performance that captivates.
Jekyll & Hyde is an original Broadway musical which contains not one, but three
musical numbers which deserve to be classics. Leslie Bricusse is a creative genius.
Elected to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1989 his accomplishments have been
rewarded with nominations for 10 Academy Awards, eight Grammys and four
Tonys, including Jekyll & Hyde. In this show he teamed with Frank Wildhorn,
who composed the score for another Broadway show which I loved, this year's
offering The Scarlet Pimpernel, becoming the first American composer in 30
years to have two original musicals opening in the same year and running
simultaneously on Broadway.
In Jekyll & Hyde their composition of This Is The Moment is showstopping.
Joining that incredible song in deserving classic longevity are Once Upon A
Dream and Someone Like You. This is a musical production where, despite the dark
theme of the Robert Louis Stevenson novella, you leave the theatre humming the
songs. A week later you'll still remember the music and lyrics. That's what a
musical production is suppose to do and Jekyll & Hyde lives up to the highest
expectations. If you haven't seen the production, go see it. If you have, go see it
again. The second time isn't a second hand let down. Rather, it's an opportunity to
again be engulfed in creative perfection.
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RUN LIKE THE WIND
Mesquite, Nevada is about an hour's drive from Las Vegas, heading towards the
Utah border. It is in that small town that the Mesquite City Council, experiencing a
testosterone rush, voted ole 3-2 to host America's first ever "Running of the Bulls"
on July 11th.
Patterned after the famous Pamplona, Spain seven day event immortalized in 1926 by Ernest
Hemmingway's The Sun Also Rises, the Nevada version will feature 12 bulls - weighing
about 1,000 pounds each - hoofing it a quarter mile down Mesquite Boulevard. They'll be
chasing an anticipated 1,000 men who will pay $50 each for the possibility of getting their family
jewels skewered. If the guy finds himself hooked on the horns of that dilemma, not even
Viagra will work.
Phil Immordino, the event's promoter, anticipates 10,000 spectators will line the
streets. Concerts and a golf tournament are also planned for Bull Run week-end.
The bulls will snort off at the Casa-Blanca hotel-casino, pass under the skywalk at
Si Redd's Oasis resort and come to a stomping halt in the Oasis parking lot.
Applications forms, including mandatory waivers that free the city of any liability,
can be obtained by calling (602) 420-1175.
SWEET CHARITY
BILLY CRYSTAL, WHOOPI GOLDBERG, and ROBIN
WILLIAMS host Comic Relief 8 on Sunday, June l4, Radio City
Music Hall, New York. All proceeds to go Comic Relief. Concert tickets $65 to $200. Benefit
tickets begin at $600.
TIME ON HER HANDS
Supermodel Cindy Crawford was forced to postpone her honeymoon to Randy
Gerber, fly to Las Vegas and hock Omega watches. A year ago Jean-Claude Biver,
a board member of the Swiss watch company said that Crawford serves as a
spokeswoman for the company, except in the United States. That's because the
beauty was in the final year of another contract which prohibited her from endorsing
the watch. Omega officials were watching the hands of their famed timepieces until
that contract expired and Cindy could tout the benefits and pleasures of owning an
Omega product.
CINDY CRAWFORD
 |
The Cindy Constellation was previewed at Omega's booth at a May, l997 jewelry
trade show in Las Vegas. That timepiece boasted a case and bracelet of 18-karat
gold and steel with a bezel set with diamonds. A mother-of-pearl face was adorned
with 12 diamonds.
"We are working very closely on the endorsement with Cindy Crawford," Biver said adding, "She
will begin promoting Omega products in the United States sometime next year." That "sometimes
next year" - meaning when she got free of the previous contract - snuck up on Cindy and took
place while she was at an exclusive resort in the Bahamas being married. The honeymoon was
interrupted so that Cindy could fly to Las Vegas for the l998 jewelry show. There
she proudly showed off the Omega timepiece on her fashionably beautiful arm.
Asked why she wasn't on her honeymoon she gave a big sigh and replied, "I made a
promise and I'm keeping my commitment." Translation: Omega is paying her big
bucks and they have a contract which doesn't contain a honeymoon loophole.
THE JELLO IS ALWAYS
RED
The Jello Is Always Red is
a new three-person musical revue of the cabaret songs of Clark Gesner, best known for the book,
music and lyrics of You're A Good Man Charlie Brown, one of the longest-running hits in
Off-Broadway history.
The show is an assortment of musical numbers and scenes that
present
Gesner's uniquely off-kilter view of the world. Some of the songs include; There Is Always
Some More Toothpaste in the Tube, The Peanut Butter Affair, Where Do All the Chickens Come
From and the title song.
Performances at The Theatre at Saint Peter's Church in the Citicorp
Centre, through June 28.
OTHER PEOPLE'S
MONEY
SANDY GALLIN who has
managed the careers of Dolly Parton, Michael Jackson and Mariah Carey and produced such films
as Father of the Bride, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has signed a seven year deal
with Mirage Hotels, Inc. Las Vegas.
As chairman and chief executive officer of Mirage
Entertainment & Sports, Inc. Gallin promises to transform the entertainment policy of the resorts
into something more than Siegfried & Roy and Cirque du Soleil.
While those entertainment offerings will remain in place, additions could include an 18,000 seat
arena constructed behind the Mirage Hotel and more involvement in the production of
movies and TV shows.
ON THE CORNER OF SINATRA
AND SCOOBY-DOOBY-DO DRIVE
The Clark County (Las Vegas)Vegas Commission voted to name a $40 million road being constructed along the east side of Interstate
15 as Frank Sinatra Drive.
The four-lane road won't be completed until 2000, will have three
exits from I-15 providing back entrance access to resorts from Mandalay Bay to Caesars
Palace.
LAUGH A LOT
AN EVENING WITH BOB NEWHART with special guest Joy Behar in performances as part of the 6th Annual
Toyota Comedy Festival - Friday, Carnegie Hall. Tickets $30-$55.
COMEDY CENTRAL will be in Las Vegas June 20-28, at the Flamingo Hilton, filming Viva Variety, a comedy-variety show for
their network.
THIS AND THAT
CY COLEMAN'S The Life
closed Sunday after 465 performances
THE WONDERFULLY TACKY
Tony n' Tina's Wedding, which can be enjoyed in New York at St. John's Church
followed by an equally tacky reception at Vinnie's, will hopefully transport into just as tacky a
production in Las Vegas at the Riviera Hotel Aug. 29th and 30th
SPEEDWAY JUNKIE a movie
starring Darryl Hannah began filming in Las Vegas June 8th.
TICKETS SOLD at Theatre
Development Fund's TKTS Same Day Discount Theatre Ticket Booth since 1973: 32.9 million.
Next column June 15, l998.
Copyright: June 8, 1998. All Rights Reserved. Reviews,
Interviews, Commentary,
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