my first thougt when i heard that the musical is gonna be a movie was Damn, i wanted to make that movie!!!!. next thougt, oh crap what are they gonna do to my precius musical, I have so many ideas of how i wanted it to be if it was me, and have allready written allot of things down, just don't mind all the spelling errors i do not really speak english, so I just like to share my vision for such a movie if it was me who was involved in the making. and I would also like to hear other people visions for fun, many people is doomed to disagree with what i'm about to write.

the very first thing i would do is to take away all the father illness concept, it's just a way to justified Jekyll and remove focus, one thing i don't like is that every damn time Jekyll and hyde is Filmatiside they try to Justified dr Jekyll, he is never justified in the book, and I see absolutly no need to Justified him on film, lets just cut to the chase. secondly i would dare to do something thats have never been done in a jekyll and hyde movie before, I would let Jekyll and Hyde be played på two different actors, very daring i know, but this is my dream vision there's never gonna happen so don't you worry. also for the cast i would cast people who can both sing and act, I kinda woulden't care if they are famous or not, if they just fit to their parts, great singing means allot to me, and i am choking in things like sweeney todd the movie where the actors ain't singers no matter how great and actor they are, I refuse to belive that it is not possible to cast people there are both great actors and singers.
I would try to keep the focus at Jekyll and Hyde as much as possible, and remove a little focus from Emma and Lucy, still I would like them the have the same amount of focus, it would be so easy to give Lucy allot of focus and Emma almost non, and then Emma would appeir as a really annoying character, as she sometime does in the shows, wich really is a pity cause her character is great. That would mean that i proberbly would cut songs like Sympathy, and just leave her with that one song called Someone like you, because it's my personal fave song of the musical, and let it drive as a reprise the place where she is supposed to sing a new life and other songs. i,m sorry but many songs will have to go in that movie, no matter who's gonna make it.
as for the casting, I would cast Emma and Jekyll so they looked around late 20 early 30, Emma possible a little younger, while Lucy shut appear to be very young like 16 or something. Hyde i would simply go after him being scary and having a great singing voice.
the two ensemble songs there are in the show, Facade and Murder, many people would proberbly not make them, but I love good ensemble songs, and i'm sure they would make some great scenes for the chinema, I would not make the ensemble dance or anything, but it could still be great with Cameras movements around in a old london, where scared people talk together, Facade could also sorta show how the rich people really are as slimy as the rest of them. and i woulden't dare not to make the small sequences in murder, where Hyde is killing of people, and jekyll is loosing his senses bit by bit. also all the small reprises of Facade would be a must for me.
the tone in the film shut just be really really dark and gothick like, but not Burton like, that would differently ruin it, even thoug i love his style, only the scenes in the upper society shut be so bright that it's clear that it is a facade, and it's doomed to crack, there could also be a kind of evolution throug the movie, so the rich society would seem less and less bright, untill it's at the same stade as the slim of london.

the order i would make the Scenes

Opening scene: Facade! showing how people are living their life pretending to be good people, but really all are slimy bastards, both rich class and poor class, i could be made a very funny scene

scene 2: Jekylls introduktion at his engagement part (see cut right to the chase) he tells about his good and evil projekt and the people are mocking him (jekylls plea rewritten) Emma gets introduced when she calm the people down, Jekyll and Emma goes outh to breaf some air (I must go on, Take me as I am)

scene 3: (Facade reprise) Jekyll and his freinds are entering the red rat, While Lucy is Good and evil, and then you know the story Lucy talks breifly to Jekyll and he give her is card

scene 4: In jekylls lab (This is the momment(it would be a crime not to have it in the movie, even thoug it slow things down)) (Transformation)

scene 5: Hyde is running around East end singin Alive, scene ending with he slams the door to Lucy's bed room open

Scene 6: Dialog between Utterson and poole at Jekylls house, where Utterson ekspress his worries about Jekyll, Jekyll intefere they sing His work and nothing more (I love that song so very much) and Jekyll give the letters to Utterson with the ekplanation that they are to oppened in case of his dissapeiring or dead.

scene 7: Lucy comes to Jekylls home searching for help, she tells that a man called hyde hit her, Jekyll treats her, she sings someone like as he treats her and she walks home.

scene 8: (Murder) Hyde is killing if the upper class of London, and Jekyll is loosing his mind

scene 9: Emma comes to see Jekyll, she sneek in in his Lab, he comes in, they have a fight emma calm him down ( once upon a dream) Henry feels the transformations and beg her to leave, so she does, and he tranforms.

scene 10: Hyde runs directly over to Lucy (dangerouse game)

Scene 11: when Hyde return to the Lab surprise Utterson him, Utterson commands to see Jekyll, so Hyde takes the drug and returns to jekyll, Jekyll sends Utterson to lucy with an Letter, Utterson leaves Jekyll sings the way back)

scene 12: Utterson at Lucy, he gives the letter to her, it contains monny and instruktions to leave london with the first train, Utterson leaves, Lucy begins to pack ( a new life) Hyde enters and kills her (someone like you reprise)

scene 13: Jekyll in his Lab (confrontation) just imagine how great that scene can become on the screen, i am really imagining Jekyll standing in front at hyde speaking with him, or it would be something like at first he is talking to the mirror, where he is Jekyll outside the mirror, and hyde is inside the mirror, and then Hyde will appear outside the mirror, that would be the whole movie worth to see.

scene 14: facade reprise

scene 15: the wedding, and where Jekyll tranforms and hyde is killed, and he die in the arms of Emma, and Emma sings the ending, (you are free now, you are with me now, and will always be) I always loved that ending :lol: .


people would might think of me as an idiot now, making such a long post, but i just wanted to share my vision, and hey i could might be lucky that someone involved with the movie would read it, and use some ideas from it ;)

oh damn i wanna be involved in that movie, why og why am i just a snotty teenager trapped in a small country wahhh. i'm gonna leave for england very soon now! (I just dream on)

I don't have time to analyze your exact thoughts, but I always thought "Jekyll & Hyde: Resurrection" was an indication of the kind of sound I was expecting. Listen to parts of that album and you can see "the movie in your mind" (woops, wrong musical.) I think this, done right, -- combining the good aspects of "Chicago" and "Sweeney Todd" with the guts and gore of the "Saw" franchise -- would make one of the best movie-musicals since "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". At least it would be cult. I also think "The Scarlet Pimpernel" could make a brilliant picture.

EDIT: Darren Lynn Bousman, who directed the latest "Saw" movies and the upcoming "Repo: The Genetic Opera", should consider this. Him or Quentin Tarantino (I still remember Juggler's wholly awesome "April Fools Day" prank.)

I think it could both turn out to be a damn good movie, or just gonna suck, it depends on so much. same thing with the scarlet pimpernel, my highest hope is just that the man in the director chair is gonna be one who really cares for the musical, many good books and musicals have been ruined because the people behind the movie didn't really care that much.
It worries me that it's the studio who wanna make the movie, and not a director who came to the studio with the idea. that is always a bad sign

The very first time I heard "Jekyll & Hyde: The Complete Work" was like seeing "Nightmare on Elm Street" or "Child's Play". It felt like a movie to me. It's cinematic in ways, over-the-top, in that it would make a fascinating horror movie-musical. I don't think it should be treated as any less. It shouldn't be dumbed down or turned into a vanity project like Joel Schumacher's "The Phantom of the Opera". At this stage, all I care about is that they keep this man, and everyone involved with "The Phantom of the Opera", away from this project. Far away.

PS. I had high hopes for "The Phantom". Think of how terrifying that would have been...
Why would they hire Joel after "Batman & Robin" which is the most excruciating film I've ever seen.

how funny, my eksperience were very much the same as you descripe, cause my first meeting with Jekyll and hyde were also just to listen to the CD and imagine the hole thing in my head. I know my movie inside out, it were almost a dissapointing to accually see it on stage (almost it was one of the greatest eksperiences ever)



my greates dissapointment in Phantom was the cast of Gerard as Phantom. the rest of the movie is nice, but does not compare to the show.
and I just use to pretend that Batman and Robin never existed, that both makes life eaisier for Joel schumacker, Tim burton (who left so good stuff to build on), Batman himself and me ;)

I heard "Jekyll & Hyde: The Complete Work" after I saw "The Pagemaster". I became sort of fascinated with the story and I got given the CD (It was actually a highlights album of "The Complete Work". It was only issued down here and I still have 2 copies.) I was blown away by it. I didn't think musical theatre could be this extreme. I've shown "Transformation", "Confrontation" and "The Wedding Reception" to friends and their reactions were priceless. I can't even explain it, LMAO.
But from the first note to the last, with the exception of a few pop songs, I thought it could be a movie.

I was disappointed with the stage-show, although I've never seen it done professionally, so I acknowledge the stage-show as an interpretation. "The Complete Work" is almost the definitive. The movie will reach people as one singular vision. That's why it's so important to the fans. Plus the story is an established "brand".

Re: Schumacher, I think his designs are phenomenal. I love the art design on the Batman films and "The Phantom of the Opera". I don't like everything else. "Batman & Robin" is excruciating.

Also, Tim Burton would have directed "Batman Forever", known as "Batman 3", in which Robin Williams would play The Riddler and Catwoman would return.

it's funny how many people there already have been inspired by the musical in that way, i have accually seen many attemps from fans to storyboard scenes from the musical and put them together with a record. it's just such a strong musical.
I feel lucky that i saw it with a magnificent Danish actor and singer in the lead called Jesper lundgår. and he accually gave me the chills when he sang This is the momment, and if someone is giving me the chills with a song they must be good, I am a pretty trained singer, and have therefore gained the abillity that there is almost nothing in singing that can impress me anymore, and suddenly not on records, i have to see them life. that is kinda sad thoug :(
music in genneral on the other hand, is another matter :)


Robin williams as the riddler 0_o it sounds weird, but somewhat cool

Musically, "Jekyll & Hyde" is amazing. Lyrically and book-wise, it's not so amazing. Sure, the lyrics are serviceable but compare them to Leslie's other work and lyrics from older musicals. I think they could have been more exciting and daring (considering the subject matter.)

I'd always been familiar with "The Complete Work". When I saw the show, whatever version it might have been, I didn't like the script at all. Sure, it was serviceable and it did everything it said in the synopsis, but that's all. It wasn't like "My Fair Lady" and "Gypsy", after listening to the recordings for years, and seeing an intricately constructed book and storyline complimented by the songs. I know I shouldn't compare but I was expecting something a lot more dense. They say it's better in Europe. The staging is definitely better (They toned it down on Broadway but it became a thrill-ride in Europe.)

"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is my idea of a neat combination of Frank's lush and eclectic music and Nan Knighton's intelligent and emotive book and lyrics. I wish they would write more. I like Jack, but no one beats Nan.

PS. See "One Hour Photo" with Robin Williams and think back to "Batman Returns" with The Penguin and Catwoman. Do you see what I mean? How cool it would have been?

Honestly, if I were making the movie I agree with the first user. Don't worry about Jekyll's father or defanetly not in the beginning anyway. I'd open it with Facade (with the little cool intro music before it from Broadway when it said "Jekyll & Hyde" on screen) and then show Jekyll going to the board meeting. I'd probably get rid of the Facade reprise before the engagement party. Follow it completely that way until after Alive with the Broadway version, with No One Knows Who I Am before Good & Evil while Jekyll is in the Red Rat.

Then during Alive I'd have Hyde go back to the Red Rat with Lucy onstage singing "Bring on the Men" this time. And then actually show Hyde hit Lucy in one way or another. And then skip to a SHORTEr or revised "His Work & Nothing More," just because I don't really like that song anyway (ahaha). Then have Emma standing in Jekyll's house singing "If You Only Knew," and then she leaves and he arrives later and then of course Lucy yadahydah.

The Second Act (or the second part to the movie) would be pretty similar than the other versions (that never really changed?). I would defanetly have "Girls of the Night" in there somewhere though.

Clearly, I love Lucy's songs!

I would include "The World Has Gone Insane" in that list, wouldn't you?
Imagine what they would do with that, cinematically.

I made this LiveJournal post back in February, listing actors who might possibly be considered for each of the main roles. A disclaimer: Just because I've listed an actor, it doesn't mean I'd necessarily want him/her in that role, or even in the film at all. I also listed some possible pros and cons for each actor. Feel free to let me know if there are any more people you can think of, or if I got any of my information wrong in the 'pros and cons' parts. :D

I shall post my thoughts on which scenes I'd want in the film (and what order I'd want them in) soon ;)

I don't even know some of the songs you are talking about, the world have gone insane.... i like the title.
I know girls of the night, and bring on the men, and honestly i think Lucy shut only be allowed to have one bar song, and then i would personally pick Good and evil, cause that song pretty much represent what the show is about, even thoug bring on the men is a good song.

The girls of the night, that scene could be soooo beautifull and sad in chinema, but i would personally cut it, because it takes time and remove focus.

damn im starting to look forward to this movie

I disagree about Jekyll/Hyde being played by two different actors. I just think that the wonderful thing about this role is that it is played by one actor alone. It has much more of a powerful impact personally.

I do agree that they should take away the motive of Jekyll's father being ill. I never understood why that was needed at all. I wanted to bounce my head against the wall when I heard the Hoff say in the musical version that he has become a monster only so his father could be saved from his insanity... as touching as that is, it is NOT wha this famed story is about! Jekyll gets himself into this situation because of mere curiosity. Just curiosity! Hence the use of the song, 'I Need To Know.' That alone is his only motive in both the novel and in the great 1932 film adaptation with Fredric March. It reminds me of the story of Adam and Eve, where humanity's curiosity and temptation of knowledge is the result of their downfall, like Jekyll. The idea that Jekyll so desperately wants to push the boundaries of a religious society and seek the answer to duality in man has always been a fascinating angle alone in my opinion. I guess the Broadway folk underestimate their audiences...

In the film version (which I really hope they don't butcher!), I hope that these songs remain (in this order) -

Prologue

I Need To Know

Facade

Bitch Bitch Bitch - I suppose it could be taken out... but it is amusing!

Take Me As I Am - Script wise, the dialogue should emphasise more on the romance and strong relationship between them before this song begins... I found that this was a little bit lost in the Broadway version

Emma's Reasons - The name, Emma sounds more Victorian than Lisa... also keep the Simon Stride dynamic in there, he's an interesting villain

Board of Governers - Dum dum DUM! Great intense scene! Would be great on screen!

Bring On The Men - I really like Good and Evil, but using it could result in the theme being rammed down the throats of the audience too much. Bring On The Men fits Lucy's character more as well.

Lucy Meets Jekyll - Could be dialogue... I actually like the film adaptations where Jekyll takes Lucy to her room, evoking a stronger tension between them, and making it more understandable as to why Hyde comes after her as Jekyll is attracted to her.

This is the Moment

Transformation

Lucy Meets Hyde - They could do this in dialogue, but I just feel that they need to have this scene, leading up to the fight in the bar and then going into Alive. I don't like the way it goes straight to Alive in the Broadway version and cuts out the meeting between Lucy and Hyde because I think it's a really important element of the story.

Alive - Long version

His Work and Nothing More

Sympathy Tenderness

Someone Like You

Alive (Reprise)

Murder Murder

Streak of Madness

In His Eyes

Dangerous Game

No One Must Ever Know/Way Back

A New Life

Sympathy Tenderness Reprise

Confrontation

Wedding Finale - I love the 1994 version of this!

What do you think of this structure? I've thought about The World Has Gone Insane and Once Upon A Dream, but they're hard to place...

I must say again that all this long songs from the CW CD are wonderful onstage but takes too much time in the movie. Stage version (I mean Europian ones with all those missed scenes) is near two and a half hours.

So I nearly agree with the last variant of the script, but I would place Lisa's Reason (I love this name more) before Take Me As I Am and better with whole Engagemet scene. And it should be only Way Back, not No One Must Ever Know.

I see it like this:

Ouverture
Lost In The Darkness or I Need To Know (but if the last one, then without Jekyll's father at all - it's too long story)
Board of Governors (Broarway version, a bit shorter then CW's one)
Facade (CW version)
Bitch (if it's possible)
Engagement Party (complete, with Lisa's Reason inside)
Take Me As I Am
Bring On the Men (NO Good & Evil I beg you!)
Lucy Meets Jekyll
This Is The Moment (shortened or cut at all, and kill me then!)
Transformation
Girls Of The Night (shortened)
Lucy Meets Hyde
Alive (short one)
His Work (shortened; cut all those final repeats)
Sympathy (may be cut)
Someone Like You
no Alive Reprise, Bishop's killing should be included into the beginning of Murder, Murder
Once Upon A Dream
Streak Of Madness
In His Eyes (shortened and kill me again)
No One Knows Who I Am
Dangerous Game
Way Back
A New Life (shortened and kill me one more time)
Sympathy Reprise (may be cut)
Confrontation (CW or first tour version)
Letting Go (Spanish version, may be cut)
The Wedding Reception (First tour version)

And finally I'm sure it must be one actor who plays Jekyll & Hyde.

Shorten or cut "This is the Moment," ... the show's biggest anthem!? Wait until the other fans get at that. I could see however maybe only ONE stanza from "A New Life," but the show's practically third/fourth most known song? I couldn't see them cutting/altering either of them too much.

And considering that Wildhorn & Briscusse just wrote the song "If You Only Knew," I'm almost positive it will be in it. It'd be like "You Must Love Me" with EVITA...so they could potentially get the Oscar for Best Original Song.

Considering that most of the stage shows are 2hrs 20 - 40 minutes, including a 15-20 intermission, potential to start late, scene changes, etc....The movie could easily take many additions from the many stage versions becuase of the 15-20 minutes it gains without an intermission!

Here's my song list:

Facade
Board of Governors
Facade (Reprise I)
Engagement Party (whether or whether not Emma's Reason is in there I don't really care too much)
I Must Go On
Take Me as I Am
Letting Go (Full CW version, but with the "end music" of the Broadway version..if that makes sense)
Facade Reprise (II) .. (I Love the drum beats in it or whatever they are AHAH)
No One Knows Who I Am (Short..sorry!)
Good & Evil
Jekyll Meets Lucy (CW version! and have Lucy be mildly literite!)
Now There is no Choice (shortened or cut..but the next needs some sort of intro!)
This is the Moment (Broadway version)
Transformation/Alive (Shortened)
Bring on the Men
Lucy Meets Hyde (CW Version)/Attack on Lucy (it would be brief)
Some sort of transition here to the next scene
If You Only Knew (Emma in Jekyll's lab/house/pondering?!)
Sympathy, Tenderness
Someone Like You
Alive (Reprise)/Killing of the Bishop
Mass (and have Jekyll have to run out or something to show his changing)
Murder, Murder
Once Upon a Dream (Emma)
The Way Back
Letting Go (reprise)(A SHORT SHORT reprise of Emma in her house before bed AHAH)
In His Eyes
Girls of the Night
Dangerous Game
Some sort of Spider reprise of "Good & Evil" or Facade (III) just because of the need for a transition and to get Lucy off the screen for 2 second haha
No One Must Ever Know
A New Life
Sympathy, Tenderness (Reprise) (I've heard some poeple say they'd like a SOMEONE LIKE YOU Reprise here..but I can't imagine it)
Confrontation
--6 months later--
Wedding (with Emma's dad killing Jekyll the way that Utterson does on stage....because honestly there is no part of Utterson in my version clearly)

Thoughts?

I never understand why Moment is the main song of the show. There's nothing about the story in it and actually any character in any different show could sing it. I always think that Confrontation and Facade must me main and first. But unfortunately they are even often missed on cast albums.

And I surely don't like If You Only Knew. It's good but just doesn't go with both Emma's (Lisa's) character and the whole story.

And one more thing. There are some songs which have no even instrumental reprises in the show. Sometimes in seems like they are parts of something different. Story should be not only in words but in music too.

And of course Utterson and Stride must have important parts, and I would be glad to have no Spider.

Yeah I'm not really sure why whoever decided that "This is the Moment" made it that way..although it is a great song. The lyrics are entirely general and were written around the time that Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" came out which is suprising to me! Especially since both Briscusse & Wildhorn have written stuff for her?!

And another song that is suprisingly the second most recognized song, "Someone Like You". Again, completely generic and could be used for anything.

Well maybe it's that that makes the show so great. That in some way we can relate to it? :P

And 'Facade' should defanetly be considered the show's "theme" so to say..considering the entire Jekyll part of the story could be summed up in thhat.

I'd say stick with Stride in a minor part, but John is most likely unnecessary. I love the spider! ( :rolleyes: )

is still see the problem, that in all of your versions there is to many songs, the greatest task for the person who is going to make this movie is really cutting out allot and allot of songs, and it must be so damn difficult because there are so many versions with so many great songs, the problem is just that it's gonne be a movie, and 120 minutes it's absolut maximum time it must last, and iven for a musical movie the optimal time is only around 90 minutes, to many songs is boring in a movie no matter how beautifull the movie is made and how great the songs are, a undeniable prof is, as an eksample, Burtons sweeney todd, it's a relative short movie, with few songs for a musical, and many of the songs there is in it is cut shorter then the original stage place, yet many people who have seen it finds it very very boring (I don't, I love it, even thoug the actors are no singers) but thats the fact, and thats probably going to be the fact with jekyll and hyde kinda no matter what.

Amen to that, and if you wanna hear something even worse that almost made me bounch my head into the wall.... i saw an interview with Hasselhoff abouth that preformance and he said that the most importing thing for him to show with his character is his love to his father, and his inocents in just wanting his father being healthy again, iven make the dangerouse eksperimentes with himself knowing how dangerous it is, because he love his father so much, for thats what the show is all about, it's a nice little love story......

No it bloody hell freaking is not!!! it's about the coruption of mankind the little nead facade we all are wearing and that beast inside us that really would just like to kill of all the people we really don't like, and dr Jekyll is just a really curios, young minded doctor, who dosen' think to much about the consecvenses of his eksperiments, dumhead...

I searched a bit on youtube and accually found the interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woQLmultF_E

And just so people dosen't gonna hate him to much, heres another, but this time really really nice interview that made my opinion of hoff allot better http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woQLmultF_E

I think they will most likely shorten the film by using mostly solos only. Ensemble things are cinematically difficult, especially with everyone wandering around the streets (a la Facade/Murder Murder) - the director will either have to suspend the reality entirely with these numbers, or risk people laughing at it, because it would look a bit odd on screen.

I think the film could really work with the edgy, Resurrection style Solos. Please, without The World Has Gone Insane. I find that song utterly ridiculous.

What I imagine is gothic, gory and sexy - they'll need to cast a handsome Jekyll/Hyde and two sexy women for Lucy/Emma, no doubt they'll be bursting out of their corsets. It needs to be heavily styled to appeal to a broader audience. Lots of people won't want to watch a Victorian Musical - if the creative team make it sexy and the music more rocky, it could become a huge cult thing.

I can kind of see they tried to lean that way with Resurrection, with songs leading really well into each other, that kind of thing works so well on screen. AGH! I can just imagine it being so sexy!

I know this is a long shot but see "The Muppet Christmas Carol" for some well-staged ensemble numbers. They could film them like that.

Well, thats one of the few things we have in common.

I always liked that movie. I was just annoyed they only put 'The Love Is Gone' on the 4:3 version on VHS and DVD and not in the widescreen version.

That scene always drove home a side of Ebenezer that was not so prelavent in the original cut of the film. I mean we all know the story, there hasn't been a Western child for over a century now that hasn't read that book, or had it read to them at some point.

It is the best Christmas themed book that has ever been written and I'm surprised it took The Muppets of all people to actually do a great job of translating it to the screen. Most other versions lay on the sap and forget the core of the story. It isn't so much about happy endings as it is someone being given redemption, not only to others but to themselves. And that even the most outwardly mean person has it in them to be a good man. It wasn't Christmas that saved Scrooge, it just took Christmas to show him what deep down he must already have known... that he's only human.

Musically I love the film too. Of all of Disney's movies that have been turned into stage and Ice shows, I believe this is the one that should have been done on stage, but never was. This is because the story, and the way its told, the way it portrays Scrooge, is quite mature. The music is so thematic and powerful at points (particularly in 'Marley and Marley', 'It feels like Christmas', and the incidental music with the ghost of christmas future) that it is as good as anything that the West End and Broadway have ever done.

Given some reworking, it would make a great little stage-show for the kids and adults during Christmas time, a nice little production to mix pantomime with full-fledged musical.


Anywho... I'll stop ranting.

I'm sorry, I just really, really like that movie.


Flynn 24

Jim Henson Productions gives way to a whole load of possibilities in musical theatre. I've always wanted to see "Labyrinth" or "Dreamchild" as musicals, especially with David Bowie expanding on his score and creating a true theatrical experience.

Paul Williams wrote the songs for "The Muppet Christmas Carol", the same guy who composed the music for Brian DePalma's "Phantom of the Paradise". "Phantom of the Paradise" has 3 of my all-time favourite songs from a rock musical. I had no idea that the same person was responsible for "Phantom" and "Muppet Christmas Carol". "The Love Is Gone" is one of the most beautiful, eerie and tragic songs I've ever heard. I'm also a huge fan of Leslie Bricusse's version "Scrooge" with Albert Finney in the lead. See the movie. (It may have been a stage musical at one point.)

But, yes, I totally agree.

That evil, the ability to muder for gain, exists in all man is not the point of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at all.

Read the book and you will see it is not some misguided innocence that drives Jekyll to create his formula and unleash all the feeling he represses, knowingly or not.

It is curiosity. Thats it. Just plain curiosity.

He wants to know if it can be done. He sees the benefits to humanity in there, that evil be easier to control once seperate.

But true to Victorian England, Jekyll has those darker desires that we all feel at times, but rperesses them to the point where he doesn't know how to deal with them. So when they are suddenly thrust into the open by his formula, he cannot control them.

Its why Hyde takes on a grotesque, smallish appearance. That side to Jekyll's personality has been repressed so long it has never had time to grow and as such is small, but totally without fear or consequence.

Jekyll was NEVER innocent. Ever. Infact he LIKED being Hyde, liked the power and the pleasure it gave him to be trully free of the social restrictions he placed upon himself.

But he also knew that the cost of that pleasure, that freedom, was too great for him to allow it to happen.


Eventually I believe he commits suicide and I'll never understand why they just didn't end the musical like that.

Too dark?


Flynn 24

I might be mistaken, but couldn't the end of "The Complete Work" be interpreted as euthanasia?

The bottom video is the same as the first.

Also, I think the Broadway version of the show could easily be interpreted this way. I personally prefer the show without the subplot, and it was never well written enough to make much of an impact anyway (not that "J&H" really has a good script in any form, LOL).

But the subplot is present in the Broadway version, and even get its own song. I think any time one says that a work "is" or "isn't" "about" something, one is treading on ground that's very "fuzzy", and it just springs from personal interpretation/emotion.

Anyway, thanks for posting. :)

I wish Frank Wildhorn could come onto these boards so we could tell him our opinions :) Sadly that will probably never happen burt it would be so amazing to do that! I'd love it if he knew what we all thought about the subplot with Jekyll's father being completely unnecessary, about wanting to emphasise on Jekyll's curiosity and the songs we feel are important to reflect the characters and their relationships with one another.

I've started working on a screenplay for the film, and figured it would probably be best to see what fellow Jekkies thought of some of my ideas. Here are my thoughts on what songs/scenes could work cinematically, and some notes on specific aspects of each of them . . .

Prologue / "I Need to Know"
Use some of the orchestrations from the "Resurrection" recording in the prologue; particularly "Hyde's theme" on cello.

"Façade"
CW lyrics; have the first lines sung (in a rather condescending manner) by Stride as he evicts a family from an upper-class area. Also, have certain lines sung by one or more of the Governors.

Engagement Party / "Take Me As I Am"
Possibly include "Bitch, Bitch, Bitch"; I won't force it if there's too much already.

"Lisa Carew"
Emphasize that Stride really, sincerely cared for Lisa... but she was the only one he showed any compassion toward, and that, plus his overprotective and egotistical attitude, is what turned her off.

Board of Governors
Have Stride be goading Jekyll into his emotional outburst. Afterward, he takes Jekyll to the nightclub.

"Bring On the Men"
Include the middle bit from the CW ("I like to have a man for breakfast each day..."). Have Lucy walking among the men in the audience (and maybe even the pit orchestra) during that part and 'tempting' them.

Lucy Meets Jekyll
Possibly change some lines; include homages to "Good & Evil?" Afterward, Stride starts abusing Lucy.

"Now There Is No Choice"
Cut the line, "...To make the mark that only I can make." -- like in the Korean version.

"This Is the Moment"
Start with the CW intro to the song, but played on oboe rather than piano/strings. Cut the "This is the moment/My final test" verse; have Jekyll spend most of the second half of the song preparing the formula (rather than posing impressively like in the stage show). Possibly end the song with him injecting himself with the formula?

"Transformation"
Shorten drastically. Hyde first sees his own reflection in a small vial containing Jekyll's blood, and smashes it in his hand before exiting. End with "Hyde's theme" (as I like to call it) from the CW.

"Girls of the Night"
Shorten a bit. Have Lucy go outside at the end to ponder her future; change the ending chord so it meshes with the opening chords to . . .

"Alive"
Long version. Start with Hyde climbing up a cathedral, and then knocking the head off a gargoyle just before he starts singing. Add in a little bit of the dialogue from the CR’s "Lucy Meets Hyde" scene for the 'seduction' bit in the middle. Hyde's costume and accessories (the hat, cloak, and cane) are all stolen from random people; mostly street urchins who were soloists in "Facade."

"Streak of Madness" / "Your Work and Nothing More"
Shortened somewhat. Include the "Time to awaken..." bit from the Broadway version for Utterson, but otherwise, stick mainly to CW.

"Sympathy, Tenderness"
May not work if sung outright; possibly have it as a voiceover?

"Someone Like You"
Shortened somewhat. Lucy starts singing after she leaves Jekyll's house; begin with her literally looking through windows of neighboring houses, seeing the kind of life she might have had.

Death of the Bishop / "Alive" Reprise
Hyde lays the Bishop out in a 'crucifix' pose before lighting him on fire (using olive oil and a match), taking extra care to pour a generous amount of oil into the Bishop's mouth. Emphasize Hyde's sadism to the extreme here and in the next scene.

"Murder, Murder!"
Feature a bit of quick-cutting between the printing presses and the Londoners. Make the murders as artistically gory as possible; slightly above the Sweeney Todd film. Possibly include the decapitation of Lady Beaconsfield, and the 'train' bit from the German version for Lord Savage.

"Reflections" / "Once Upon a Dream"
Start with Jekyll writing his journal entry. Lisa interrupts, he snaps at her, she sings the solo (no trimming lines!), and he apologizes and goes back to his journal. Most of "Reflections" is spoken, but he sings from "And yet, I find it in my heart..."

"In His Eyes"
Not much needs to be changed from the stage versions here, although there's still the question of who gets which lines.

"The World Has Gone Insane"
Maybe, maybe not. It would be fantastic visually, but adds little (if anything) to the plot or character.

"No One Knows Who I Am"
I really do want to keep the whole CW version of this one . . . especially the verse that's almost always cut from the stage versions.

"Dangerous Game"
Lyrics would be similar to those on the "Resurrection" recording; half CW, half Broadway.

"The Way Back"
Start from "Could it be?/Have I really lost my way?" Have Jekyll shredding (or burning) all documents about the formula except the journal, which he keeps as a lesson to himself.

"A New Life"
Stride leaves Lucy's room before Utterson comes to deliver the letter. Shorten the song somewhat.

Lucy’s Death / "Sympathy, Tenderness" Reprise
Include the beat from the German version, where Lucy seems to realize it's Henry as she's dying.

"Once Upon a Dream" Reprise
Jekyll is at a makeshift grave for Lucy, and leaves a single, white rose.

"Confrontation"
Use the "It's over now..." intro. Jekyll takes a formula that will supposedly 'cure' him, and drinks a glass of wine to calm his nerves. Use reflections and camera tricks a lot when Hyde appears; make the audience wonder whether it's actually happening, or if Jekyll is hallucinating. Think of it looking kind of like the 'schizo' scenes in Lord of the Rings and the first Spider-Man film, but bigger.

Before the Wedding / "Letting Go"
Optional; I'd like to give Sir Danvers a bit more singing, but if it doesn't fit, I won't force it.

Wedding Scene
Sir Danvers and Stride are in the audience. Possibly use the audio of Linda Eder singing "Our Lord and Father..." from the Broadway version?

Wedding Reception
Hyde rips Stride's heart out, gives the "died of a broken heart" quip, then grabs Lisa and leaves the building while the others chase after him. He threatens her either at a street corner or on the second-floor landing of a building. Hyde and Jekyll battle, and finally, Jekyll commits suicide.

Jekyll’s Funeral / "Façade" Reprise
Sung by off-screen voices; lyrics and music style would be similar to the "Façade" reprise sung after Lucy's death in the stage version, but altered somewhat.

What do all of you think? :D

I actually like that.

Blending the good from all of the versions and meshing them.

My only issues are with shortening in any way shape or form the two most well known songs in the show, 'This is The Moment' and 'Someone Like You'.

These two must done as they were on the CW cd. They had them perfect then, and you don't tamper with what's right.

I would cut BITCH, BITCH, BITCH out entirely.

Severely shorten Facade and have mostly instrumental. Chorus numbers don't work well on screen, save for rare occasions like in THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Yu've cut out some important lines here and there... althjough I do like you having shades of 'Good and Evil' in there. It is a nice song, just not as appropriate or as kickass an introduction to Lucy as 'Bring on The Men'.


Why do people assume that audiences won't sit down for two and a half hours to watch a movie musical? If a musical is good enough and structured to fit the screen it could be Les Miserables long and people would watch it.


And Les Miserables better never be translated to a movie musical. You just can;t truncate that story without ruining it as an ensemble piece.


Flynn 19

My issue is to do with the emphasis on the Resurrection album. Personally, I was not particularly keen on the Resurrection album. To be honest it annoyed me a lot of the time :s

Hey again! In response to some of the questions, comments and concerns that have been posted . . .

The fact that "This Is the Moment" and "Someone Like You" are the show's most well-known songs is actually one of my reasons for wanting to trim them a bit, in order to emphasize the other (and imo, more interesting) songs that make up the rest of the show. In the case of TITM, I think any way you slice it, it's a repetitive song that's not overly important to the story -- time can be better-spent on other scenes that will help to progress the plot or develop the characters. And for "Someone Like You," I was actually just going to cut one of the reprises of the 'chorus' near the end -- I'd have it go from "To set me free/So I can soar!" straight to the key change and the final chorus. It seems a bit too 'pop single-ish' to reprise a chorus that isn't really expressing any new ideas.

And yeah, I wasn't overly fond of the "Resurrection" album. However, there were many aspects of the orchestrations that I liked, especially in the Prologue. But don't worry; I'm not planning to make the score super-rockish with lots of electric guitars and synth instruments, nor do I want the actors to sing the songs like "American Idol" contestants would. :lol: If I had my way, there would be no electric guitars anywhere in the film's orchestrations -- I have nothing against the instrument, but this show is one that really doesn't need them to make its point.

It'd be like the cutting out of an entire verse of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA.

That movie proved you don't cut down the best known songs, especially duets, for any other reason then runtime.

I was disappointed that they changed and cut down some of the songs in Sweeney Todd... though I do like that movie a lot.


I'm not saying what works on stage will work on screen, but you can't touch the two songs everyone in the world has heard... they will notice.

So you can cut down on thos pesky chorus numbers and Sweeney them into instrumentals, but keep everything in its CW iteration if you can help it. And for heaven sake please do not use the whole sick father story, its trie and useless.


Flynn 19

Yeah, I wasn't planning on using the storyline about his father -- I also think it's kind of pointless, and in a film, it would take a lot of the impact away from Jekyll's plight and Lucy's death. Besides, I immensely prefer "I Need to Know" to "Lost in the Darkness" in terms of the music and lyrics, anyway. :D

I think the ensemble numbers can actually be made to work... at least as well as "His Work and Nothing More" can. IMO, the reason why the Phantom film failed had nothing to do with cutting the title song, and everything to do with the casting and directing... hopefully, they'll keep Joel Schumacher as far away from this film as possible.

Emmy Rossum did just fine, and even Gerad Butler isn't the worst Phantom I've heard.


Schumacher was fine with sets and costumes and crafted a wonderful start with the old grainy postcard fottage turning into colour ala-The Wizard of Oz.

Where he failed was humanising the Phantom too much. Its quite fine to have him loking somewhat refined with the mask on, but the point of the show is that Erik is a genius, a magician, a poet, a musician and composer, an architect... that he uses these things to create an illusion of power, an illusion of mystiue and magic.

That mystic and magic should have been kept much like the stage production. And still; have Raoul hanged by the old indian rope trick... to discover that its held on by a thread.


Schumacher has a great eye for visuals, THE LOST BOYS proved that... infact the way he made up the Phantom's lair reminded my of that underground hang out for the vampires in The Lost Boys.

Its just he should be kept away from the script and story process.


If there was anyone I would trust to write Jekyll and Hyde for film it would be... Steven Moffat. After watching JEKYLL, and knowing he wrote literally every great episode of Doctor Who, including my favourite BLINK, he has the guts to go gritty in ways that Chris Nolan is currently doing to Batman, and keep the seriousness of the whole thing.




Still, I wouldn't cut down 'This Is The Moment', it is a fantastic song and audiences will remember it long after the credits have stopped rolling. And 'Someone Like You' and the full versions of 'Alive' are brilliant.

I never understood why Broadway felt the need for endless reprises, especially of FACADE which is jusy not good enough a song to be motif. The real motif musically is that theme that in CW runs through a lot of Jekyll's songs, most recognisably in 'No One Must Ever Know'.


I like 'Lost in The Darkness' as an introduction to the Confrontation, it works there. I think better than It's Over Now.


Flynn 19

I disagree that Emmy Russom and Gerard Butler were "not all bad". I've given a lot of people chances and I had to give up on that film half-way because of them.

We'll have disagree there my friend.

Are you sayong they should have used Sarah Brightman as Christine? Way too old to pull that off on screen anymore.


As I said, Gerard wasn't great, but he wasn't terrible either. I didn't want to rail-gun myself to death after hearing him so thats good.


Tristan

Yeah, I didn't think Gerard and Emmy were such great choices either. They didn't make me want to tear my ears off, but I wouldn't have cast them if I were directing... or I'd have at least waited 2 or 3 years for them to get really good. I agree that Sarah Brightman and also Michael Crawford were too old to play the roles in the film... but there have been many other great stage performers in POTO (some of whom I preferred to Michael and Sarah) who the filmmakers could have used. I'd have liked to see Kevin Gray and Amy Nuttall as the Phantom and Christine in the film, myself.

I think another film to bring up here is Sweeney Todd (which I personally adored, and I worship the stage show like you wouldn't believe). They almost completely cut out the "Ballad of Sweeney Todd," which is probably the best-known piece in the show for those who've listened to it at least once. They also cut a verse from "Not While I'm Around," which seems to be the song most often used for concerts and solo albums. (Josh Groban, Michael Ball, Bryn Terfel, Donny Osmond, and Vanessa Williams have all recorded or performed versions of it.)

And "Green Finch and Linnet Bird," the song most often used by young singers trying to get into music academy programs, was trimmed down, as was "A Little Priest," probably the most beloved song in the show for the fans. But did the movie stink because of that? Far from it. So I think trimming down TITM and SLY wouldn't sink the film as long as the rest of it was excellent. But that's just my 2 cents... I'll try it out in the screenplay I've been working on (which is most definitely not the one that the filmmakers will probably end up using), and we can see how it works. :D

Sweeney was an anomoly. They cut down and truncated what would have just come across as cheese in the film.

The stage comedy is hardly ever funny when on film, and I didn't laugh a single bit listening to or watching Sweeney Todd on stage.

What Burton did to it was successfully transfer the darker elements which are prelavent, but undermined by the comical aspects in the show. I like The Ballad of Sweeney Todd, but I can't think of a way that wouldn't have completely ruined any suspense for those who've not seen the stage show about who Sweeney is and what happens to him. Not to mention it just would not have worked on film, chorus numbers by and large almost never do unless you do something cheesy like Rogers and Hammerstein were famous for.

I think it was cut down a lot to keep it within a certain running time. Its almost half as long as the stage production. I would have liked some of the subplots with Anthony and Johanna to have been kept, as well as a little more with Turpin and The Beadle, but it really wasn't needed for the story they crafted on screen.

So unless they change Jekyll and Hyde, story wise and cut out plots (there are quite a few that can be trimmed without a backward glance... including the father aspect) the songs should remain as is.

I mean, its not as if they are that long. They can cut down the Board of Governer's scene as it just won't work on film as it does on stage. I do think Jekyll and the others who have solo's should be the ones who sing, with the exception HIS WORK AND NOTHING MORE.


Flynn 19

Well, guys, apparently Leslie Bricusse introduced the father motif. If he has anything to do with the screenplay, I suspect that the father motif will be featured. But I hope not :(

As for Sarah Brightman being too old for Christine? The movie should have been made when it was announced. Michael Crawford, Sarah Brightman and much of the original cast were expected to be involved with Joel Schumacher directing and WB presenting. That's the movie I wanted. When that fell through, I (kind of) knew my expectations would be shattered. Still, Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman would have been waaay better than Butler and Russom.