I want to buy a foreign album of Jekyll/Hyde and I'm wondering what is the best? Ones that sound interesting are the Bremen CD and Madrid highlights. Anyone with experience that could help?
*edit* Now that I have the Bremen CD and Madrid Highlights, now I have set my sights on the Vienna Highlights and Japanese album. :D
*edit* I bought the Vienna and Japanese CD's. Now I'm hoping to buy the Czech recording and the Korean CD.
*edit* I have got the Czech, Korean Highlights, & the Staatz. Now all I need is the Hungarian, & Complete Korean!
*edit* I got in the Complete Korean! Now I only need the Hungarian!
*edit*
Just got the Hungarian! I have all the official recordings!

Personally I really like the Korean Cast. The orchestra is really beautiful on the majority of the songs and the cast is quite good too.

Vienna is also decent and has Thomas Borchert (Dracula in the Graz production) as Jekyll/Hyde.

I like the spanish highlights recording :lol:

as German CD´s:
Bremen with Ethan Freeman and Lyn Liechty
here

Wien with Thomas Borchert and Eva Maria Marold
snippets here


totally another advice: the Hungarian recording Mindhalalig Musical with songs from different musicals in Hungarian language
I think that´s a really good recording with Rudolph

I didn't know Lyn Liechty was in J & H! I love her as Mina in the Graz Dracula.

Borchert is an OK J/H, but I think he makes a much better Count Dracula.

Also, if you can find it-- there's an AWESOME Spanish demo of Jekyll & Hyde with Carlos Marín. He's a member of the international pop-opera group Il Divo.

If you don't understand Spanish, then yes the Spanish album is nice...if you do, I wouldn't advise...you would have to hear those lyrics...and they aren't that good IMO.

I would definitly advise you to buy the Bremen wich has Ethan Freeman and Lyn Liechty, OR the Hungarian CD wich has some wonderfull orchestrations (though, no "I need to know")

Thanks guys! I think I'll buy the Bremen CD. Hopefully I'll enjoy it. I've heard good things about it.

I think they're alright. In songs like "This Is The Moment," the song isn't weighed down by an abundance of consenants like the English version either.

Well yes, while in terms of melody they may sound better, I ment the lyrics themselfs. I find the most of them just a bit forced and some of them go a bit too far when it comes to the actuall meaning of the song. "This is the moment" is a good example. The song ends with Jekyll saying "Today is the day to be God"...well as far as I understand the character of Jekyll in the book and in the musical, Jekyll has no intention whatsoever of being God. He's actually accused of playing God by the Governors...what's the idea of making him give reason to the Governors? Either he want's to face the prejudice towards his work or he is really mad like the Governors say and then yes, they were right. ;)

Well, as you know-- the show itself has very few similarities to Robert Louis Stevenson's short novel. BUT, if you listen to the English lyrics of "I Need To Know," you'll find references to God in there as well.

"Dear God, guide me. Show me how to succeed. With your wisdom inside me, Henry Jekyll will follow wherever you lead."

In some productions, Jekyll is doing his experiments to find a cure for his father. In others, like the concept recording with Warlow, I think he is more so doing it because he feels as if he is God's tool on Earth.

Exactly but none goes so far as puting Jekyll saying he will BE God. And the Spanish does. Jekyll asks for guidance, for God to help him. I think he's always very aware that there is a supreme power over him. Even in Warlows version, I don't think Jekyll wants to replace God...

I do see where you're coming from, but I prefer to see Jekyll as a rather deranged man. I hate productions that try to make him seem like he's a completely pleasant fellow who is doing his experiments to save the world with no ulterior motives. In the ideal version, he IS playing God (IMO). He sees himself as the messiah in some form. BUT, that's just my opinion and there isn't a ton of evidence to back that up.

I do think Jekyll is a obcessed man. I honestly like the idea of him researching obcessivly to help his father, though I don't like the idea of his father beeing ill. I would prefer to have his father killed by some guy and Jekyll becoming traumatized and therefore obcessed with the erradication of Evil from earth. I think it would not only give him a strong reason for his researches, but would also explain is obcession. But I wouldn't go as far in his crazyness as puting him wanting to play God.

That WOULD make sense. However, in my mind, he's simply one of the greatest scientists in the world who makes a discovery that ultimately drives him into obsession. When he realizes the power he has, I think he does develop a God-complex. But, no one respects his work or believes his theories will work, so he decides to experiment on himself to prove them wrong.

Essentially, Edward Hyde is just the result of heightened anger that Jekyll already felt before the experiment. This is evident by his choice of murder victims. Hyde isn't a seperate "evil" personality (as Jekyll intended)-- he's just Jekyll on steroids. That's why I LOVE Warlow's Jekyll. He keeps a similar "bite" to his sound that is only amplified when he becomes Hyde.

The father element weakens it. I always think of The Hoff and the corny lines before "Lost in the Darkness". Steve Cuden's concept was much better, opening and closing the show with Utterson on trial for "the murder of Henry Jekyll". The father element Disneyfies it for me.

One more thing, does anyone know where I can buy the Hungarian CD? I want to buy that recording. You can see clips on Youtube and hear some from the CD here: http://jhmusical.van.hu/

I haven't seen the CD for sale in quite some time at Soundofmusic.de but http://www.dresscircle.co.uk/product.asp?StockID=24969 has it ;)

Wait a minute, where can I buy the Madrid CD?
(By the way, thanks for the link.)

Your welcome
As for the Madrid that one will be more hard to find. I bought mine a couple of years ago in a store in Madrid, but I searched the biggest Musical stores online and none appears to have it anymore, so I don't know if its out of print. :unsure:

I bet it is. But amazon has two copies for used. Bad side is they are at $45.00 :angry: When I get some money, I'm going to buy one. Because when they are gone, well, I bet I'll never get a copy. :(

Thats too bad. Another Madrid CD question, does this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raSGOIlbkO0 resemble the Confrontation on the Madrid CD or not?

On the CD Raphael sounds better IMO ;)

I bet. Anyway, any other foreign recordings worth tracking down?

Hmm those I would really recomend are:

- Bremen
- Vienna
- Hungarian
- Korean
- Madrid (if you forget the lyrics)

I'll explain why not the others:

- Czech -> although it sounds good, they abuse a bit on the echoes...and it becomes boring after a wile...

- Japanese -> its a boring recording. None of the songs stands out particulary. It also follows the B'way script (except it has girls of the night instead of Good 'n Evil)

- Swedish -> The recording is lovely, but it's WAY to small for the actual price. If you can find it in a promotion I would advise you then to buy. It also only has the "romantic" songs, so no "Alive", no "The World has gone insane" and the most weird of all, no "Confrontation"

- Staatz Cast - Already said everyting about it.

Thanks for that. I have already made a note to buy the Swedish recording LAST. I take it that the good ones can be bought at Sound of Music? With the exception of Madrid and Hungarian. I've heard the Czech "Konfrontace" and it was alright but I've heard better. Japanese never actually appealed to me.

You're welcome. And yes normaly they are all available at soundofmusic-shop.de or at Dresscircle ;)

Which Korean CD is better.

There's just one, the difference is that you have available a Highlights and a Complete CD. Now depends on how much money you want to spend and what do you prefer, a Highlights or a Complete :D

Oh really? I never knew that. :lol: I always thought that it was recorded twice with the same cast. lol! Anyway, my Bremen CD came today, and I'm going to listen to it now!

Well its recorded twice yes, the Highlights first and the Complete after, but it sounds basicly the same to me... :P

Actually, is is two different casts, it's just the same theater company. The first CD was done with the original Korean cast of the show (2004), and the second was released in 2006, with the cast from their third season. I've had a bit of difficulty keeping track of the Korean cast members, but I believe the following breakdown is correct:

First CD:
Jekyll: Cho Seung-wu
Lucy: Choi Jung-won
Emma: Kim So-hyun

Second CD:
Jekyll - Cho Seung-wu
1st Lucy - Lee Young-Mi
2nd Lucy - Kim Sun-young
Emma - Lee Hye-kyung

Comparing the songlists, it looks like the "Complete" recording only actually adds the numbers "Streak of Madness" and "Lucy's Death." Then it has several bonus tracks, to include both of their Lucy's singing all of her numbers.

I haven't listened to them intensively enough myself, to say which I prefer better... either is a high quality recording of the show, though.

I was really convinced it was the same cast, though then again since I don't understand a word of what they are saying the girls voices seemed all the same.

I don't agree with the quality, I think that the "Complete" is an amazing record, better than the OBC for example, specially when it comes to songs like Alive were the OBC laks power...

The Complete Korean intrigues me, is it worth it?

I recomend Czech, Hungarian and Vienna recordings.

And Japaneese one does NOT follow Broadway script. It has long Alive, Bring On The Men, tour version of Murders, Who I Am in the second act ans Confrontation begins with "It's over now..."

I recommend the Complete Korean Recoring as well. Beautiful orchestrations and exceptional voices overall.

Except that there is no trace whatsoever of "I need to know" wich to me is what really differes the Broadway version from the Complete work...Because those other songs aren't that relevant, apart of course from "Alive", but then again I prefer the song cuted in two. ;)

I also prefered Alive cut in two. Don't ask me why but I just prefer that. Anyway, the Bremen CD is awesome! Very happy I bought it! On other news, I'm going on a trip and I will not be back until July 20th - ish. Well, buh-bye! B)

I'm back!

Last week-end I saw Ethan Freeman (the Jekyll from the Bremen CD) as Collorrdo in Levay/Kunze´s Mozart. :lol:
I love his voice and he`s live much better, than on the CD because, he´s a good actor too and you can hear the emotions

Really? Neat. I envy you. :lol:

Yay! I bought the Madrid Highlights!