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Jekyill & Hyde The Musical – a treat to behold!




Centre Dufferin District High School presented several showings of Jekyll & Hyde, The Musical and on the night of their last performance, in short, they have outdone themselves! Whatever they choose to do next will have to strive to reach the standards set by this quality of skill, talent and level of professionalism rarely exhibited in a high school level performance.

Originally titled, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a novella by Robert Louis Stevenson published in 1886, this musical was conceived for the stage by Steve Cuden and Frank Wildhor. CDDHS was able to present the musical through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI) and all authorized performance materials were also supplied by MTI which added to the calibre and quality of the excellent Broadway presentation and execution of the brilliantly performed musical scores, lead by Pit Band Conductor Heidi VanDerWal.

A perfectly cast crew, Dr. Henry Jekyll/ Mr. Edward Hyde played by Gurkirat Sidhu was more than believable and sometimes frightening as he convincingly portrayed the two characters flawlessly. A first time actor, Sidhu confessed he had to grow his hair out for the part, and fortunately for the audience, there was no shortage of his new found acting talent or voice. Lead female singer and Jekyll's fiancé, Emma Carew, played by Rachel Winter, sang exquisitely as did her talented rival Lucy Harris, played by Haley Schofield, the character who had captured the heart of Jekyll's nemesis, Mr. Hyde.

Costume and set design can be described as overwhelmingly beautiful and accurate for the genre, attractive and often stunning, transporting the audience into the fictitious historical world set in England in the 1800's.

Choreography quite simply and eloquently flowed across the stage, as the large number of backup never skipped a beat and managed beautifully.

“The production team is so proud of the students who made Jekyll & Hyde such a rich and rewarding experience for everyone. Many came to this show with limited acting, singing, dancing experience, yet their talents flowered over five months of rehearsal and shone bright in the performances. The Arts are alive and well at Centre Dufferin! Being involved in a show like this brings the school community together like no other culminating activity – it is a sign of a healthy school and of a visible reminder of what public education can deliver,” commented C.D.D.H.S teacher and producer of the show, Neil Orford.

Even with a $30,000 budget, a show of this calibre required the help of 14 local community corporate sponsors, costume design by Helen Frazer with help from partner theatre companies OMT & Dundalk Little Theatre, LA Pool&Spa, (Jekyll's top coat), set and slides created by students, renovations to the school, the purchasing of Broadway Rights, and all in order to support the 34 actors, 15 pit band members, 17 crew members, nine community volunteers, and 28 staff members who volunteered as chaperones coming together to produce the masterpiece. Quite a feat!

Absolutely everyone involved gave 110 per cent according to Orford and the audience agreed! And what does the future hold for this talented team of actors and singers? Neil Orford had this to say, “As always we will take some time now to evaluate the success of Jekyll and Hyde before we commit to any next steps, but the community can rest assured that we WILL be back with another show in the near future!”

A promise the community will undoubtedly hold him to! Jekyll &Hyde, The Musical, was a treat to behold!

By Alex Sher

(L to R) C.D.D.H.S Teacher, Rob Scott, as Sir Danvers Carew, performed brilliantly in the School's production of Jekyll &Hyde the Musical, along- side lead C.D.D.H.S student and first time performer, Gurkirat Sidhu, who played the complex and frightening Dr. Henry Jekyll and nemesis, Mr. Edward Hyde. Sidhu seamlessly blended the roles flawlessly.

(L to R) C.D.D.H.S Teacher, Rob Scott, as Sir Danvers Carew, performed brilliantly in the School's production of Jekyll &Hyde the Musical, along- side lead C.D.D.H.S student and first time performer, Gurkirat Sidhu, who played the complex and frightening Dr. Henry Jekyll and nemesis, Mr. Edward Hyde. Sidhu seamlessly blended the roles flawlessly.
Post date: 2014-05-07 14:58:47
Post date GMT: 2014-05-07 18:58:47
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