Blood red curtains hang over a marbled stage, obscured by a ghostly shroud befitting a gothic musical. As a haunting score plays and actors in Victorian-esque clothing enter the stage, University Theatre’s “Jekyll & Hyde” begins. “Jekyll & Hyde” is a musical adaptation of the 1886 novella, following Dr. Henry Jekyll as he uses himself as a test subject to attempt to separate good and evil. 

The production of “Jekyll & Hyde” involved over 120 students in the cast, crew and technical shops making up over 30 different majors. Danica Jackson, the director of “Jekyll & Hyde” and University Theatre’s assistant director of performance, said the lack of a theater major at NC State allows University Theatre to be a playground for students theatrically.

“University Theatre as a whole gives students that safe place to play and safe place to be themselves and really take big risks without it feeling like a big risk,” Jackson said. “And I think this production in particular, you know, we’ve done some really interesting exploration in movement. We’ve done some really interesting exploration in choreography, … just being able to showcase the true extreme talent that our students have. And again, none of them being theater majors, they’re doing it for the love of storytelling, the love of each other.”

“Jekyll & Hyde” is an intense show not only in subject matter but in its music and songs. There are 42 different musical numbers brought to life by a 17 piece orchestra, featuring four NC State student musicians. Yi Chen is a second year doctoral student in electrical engineering who worked on the production as associate music director and as a keyboard player.

“There’s barely any time where there’s dialogue without music,” Chen said. “This has some of the most music I’ve seen in the show.”

Chen said working with University Theatre felt like working with experts.

“It’s been really awesome because University Theatre is kind of like a faculty-run thing,” Chen said. “Just the caliber of the work, both on the cast and the crew side, but also kind of on the tech side, it almost feels like a professional production piece.”

The technical elements of the production shined, often literally, under the bright stage lights. The set, costuming and light production were polished and incorporated details that, with a careful eye, added depth to the show.

“Make sure you’re paying attention to all the little details that are happening around the set and happening around the costuming because there’s a whole lot of detail that is going into every single aspect of this,” Jackson said. “And pay attention to the mirror that is being held up to you and to society, and ask yourself those same questions that are being asked of Dr. Jekyll.”

With six solos and many of the most demanding numbers in the second act, Jackson Lods’ performance as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde was phenomenal, and his singing only became stronger over the show. 

Madeline Core, playing Lucy Harris, was another stand-out performance. Her powerful yet tender ballads provided a fantastic juxtaposition to Lods’ dramatic solos as Jekyll and Hyde, and she gave a deep emotional core to the character.

From a story perspective, the first act is significantly stronger than the second. While the actors did well in the second half, the storyline was frustrating at times. The scenes where Lods plays both Jekyll and Hyde are the most fun part of act two, but the script loses its grounding in reality as time goes on.

With high caliber acting, directing and technical direction, University Theatre’s “Jekyll & Hyde” is well worth seeing over its four-day run time. Even when the story drags at parts, it’s easy to overlook with an attractive stage picture and a talented cast.

“Jekyll & Hyde” will run from Feb. 15 to 17, at 7:30 pm each night, and will have a matinee performance Feb. 18 at 2:00 p.m. The performance on Friday, Feb. 16, will feature a talkback after the show, where audience members can ask questions of the cast and production team. Tickets for the performances can be purchased online. 

University Theatre’s next production, “Ada and the Engine,” will begin showings in early April.