Bree Hunter Sprankle-Cox as Lucy Harris, John Matthew Riestenberg as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde & Katie McCarthy as Emma Carew.
This November, an epic struggle between good and evil comes to life on the stage of the Loveland Stage Company Theater in the sensational, JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical. This musical is based on the Robert Louis Stevenson novella “Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” and the 1941 Metro Goldwyn Mayer motion picture Jekyll and Hyde.
The story was conceived for the stage as a musical by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhorn, with book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse, and music by Frank Wildhorn. Their thrilling musical spectacle was first presented in Houston, Texas in 1990, shattering box office records for the Alley Theatre and extending its run twice. The musical made its Broadway debut on April 28, 1997, at the Plymouth Theatre. It ran for 1,543 performances, nearly four years, which made it the longest-running show in the history of the Plymouth Theatre. The thrilling score of pop rock hits helped mesmerize the audiences. The song “This is the Moment” has been performed over 1,000 times by numerous popular artists. “This is the Moment” has also been featured at mainstream events like the 1994 and 1996 Olympics, the Super Bowl, the World Series, several Miss America pageants, and the inauguration of President George W. Bush.
John Matthew Riestenberg, who performed in Shadowbox Live while living in Columbus the last several years, plays the split personalities of Dr. Jekyll. The women in love with Dr. Jekyll are played by Katie McCarthy as Emma Carew and Bree Hunter Sprankle-Cox as Lucy Harris. Katie McCarty was last seen in Loveland Stage Company’s Young Frankenstein and she won an ACT Orchid Award for her acting in 42nd Street. Bree Hunter Sprankle-Cox is a classically-trained soprano and music educator and also new to the Loveland Stage Company stage. In JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical, both women are unaware of their love’s dark secret. A devoted man of science, Henry Jekyll is driven to find a chemical breakthrough that can solve some of mankind’s most challenging medical dilemmas. Rebuffed by the powers that be, he decides to make himself the subject of his own experimental treatments, accidentally unleashing his inner demons, along with the man the world would come to fear as Mr. Hyde.
The supporting cast and ensemble consist of veteran actors of the Loveland Stage Company and some seasoned actors from neighboring community theatre groups. Visit the Loveland Stage Company’s web site to read the complete listing of supporting cast and ensemble.
The Loveland Stage Company’s JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical is being directed by Richard Lee Waldeck, who was seen recently in his ACT Orchid Award winning role of Lazar Wolf in Fiddler on the Roof. Richard has directed for the Dayton Jewish Community Center, Dayton Playhouse, Kettering Theatre Under the Stars, and First Frontier Inc. JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical is being co-produced by Becky Cole and Tom Cavano. Becky has been involved on and off stage in the Cincinnati region and in her hometown of Chicago since the age of four. This past spring, she won an OCTA award for her portrayal of Miriam Goldman in Milford Theatre Guilde’s Beau Jest. Tom has performed in several shows, directed three award winning productions and served on the board of the Loveland Stage Company. ACT Orchid Award winners Music and Vocal Director Jack Hasty and Choreographer Marjory Clegg are guiding the audio and visual interpretation of the musical lyrics and score for JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical.
Show Dates for JEKYLL AND HYDE The Musical are November 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, and 21, 2015 at 7:30 pm and November 8, 15, and 22, 2015 at 3:00 PM. Tickets at $18.00 each may be purchased on the Loveland Stage Company web site at www.lovelandstagecompany.org. For groups or special needs call 513-443-4LSC (4572). All performances are held at the Loveland Stage Company Theater at 111 2nd Street, Loveland, OH 45140.
Behind the Curtain Cincinnati 