“Back in the early 1990s, not so long ago for some of us, fans of the deliciously campy Frank Wildhorn / Steve Cuden / Leslie Bricusse musical “Jekyll & Hyde” had a name they liked to call themselves: Jekkies.

So. Calling all Jekkies! Calling all Jekkies! Calling all those inclined to vacuum the house or make a lasagne while listening to “This Is the Moment,” “Someone Like You” or “A New Life.” Calling all those who consider Linda Eder the greatest cabaret singer of all time and who spend their days longing for a next-gen replacement.

Get thee to the Chopin Theatre for director Derek Van Barham's new production of the mother lode. You will not be disappointed.

Why? Three words: Ava Lane Stovall.  Well, that and a 15-piece orchestra stuffed into the intimate Chopin Theatre in Wicker Park. We're talking original orchestrations under the direction of Nick Sula, with the strings, the oboe, the whole power-ballad nine yards.

What a killer Lucy is Stovall: vocally thrilling, emotionally present and, along with her director, fully cognizant of the original purpose of this show, which was to showcase Eder's incredible voice with power ballads equal to the yacht rock classics that were dominating the pop charts at the time. (Eder became Wildhorn's wife for a time.) Stovall is spectacular.

None of this is to undermine either David Moreland, who is a decent Jekyll and Hyde, especially in the former persona, wherein he is more comfortable, or Emily McCormick, who is moving as Emma Carew. You'll likely recall that both the musical and the sci-fi Robert Louis Stevenson story on which it was based are a love triangle, as well as a meditation: the doctor is engaged to Emma but interested in the sex-worker Lucy and when he experiments on himself to see if the good and evil within a man can be separated into two halves, he finds that both Lucy and he pay a terrible price.

The musical, like its close relative, “The Phantom of the Opera,” is best not deconstructed much more than that, politically or thematically, but as an emotional song-delivery machine, it's one of Broadway's more notable populist-gothic hits. It's the kind of seductive show that drives theater people crazy over how audiences like it so much, but that doesn't change the fact that they like it so much.

“Jekyll & Hyde” always has been a sexy crowd-pleaser. I remember watching the great Chuck Wagner in the lead role in the boffo 1990s tour, fighting off the women in the front rows and lingering at the stage door.

Frankly, there are few things more exciting than watching the emergence of a young talent on the level of Stovall, especially in a show that she clearly knows showcases all that she can do and that is backing her up with the aforementioned 15-piece band. Though I was not there on opening night, her performances of the Big Two Ballads both stopped the show for cheering ovations, which is not something you see every day in too-cool-for-school Wicker Park, let me tell you. What a blast to experience them; it rather reminded me of watching Jessie Mueller at the Marriott Theatre just before she hit it big, or Christine Sherrill, now killing it on Broadway in “Mamma Mia.”

Van Barham has staged the show inside an operating theater, which has its pluses and minuses, but Brenda Didier is on hand to choreograph the writhing, gothic ensemble (Quinn Simmons offers an especially diverse slate of characters) in most entertaining fashion and, at the end of the night, what really matters here is that Van Barham has stocked his show with Singers with a capital “S.” Not only do they belt out those sticky Wildhorn hooks and melodies like they're trying to make the playlist at 93.9 LITE-FM, but they also add some very necessary vocal finesse. As much as one can here.

“Lurid, torrid and unabashedly florid, Kokandy Productions' “Jekyll & Hyde” is defined by bombastic, hair-tearing, chest-thumping emotions that make Greek tragedy look downright subtle.

Directed by Derek Van Barham, the 1990 musical (based on the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson) commits to the ultra-goth bodice-ripping monster mash with a passion to rival that of the egregiously misguided Dr. Henry Jekyll.

The story itself lacks a hero and its female characters have all the depth of blood spatter. But Kokandy's pyrotechnic vocals, lavish 15-piece orchestra and garish, ghoulish spectacle make it worthwhile.

The major problems with “Jekyll & Hyde” are intractably baked into Stevenson's novella. “Jekyll & Hyde” the musical does nothing to alleviate them. As in Stevenson's original, the musical (conceived by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, with a score by Wildhorn and book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse) centers on ostensible hero Dr. Henry Jekyll (David Moreland), a megalomaniac who believes with the blinkered fervor of a cultist that he's created a chemical procedure that can excise the “evil” fighting for dominance in all humans.

His discovery, Dr. Jekyll insists, can make humankind 100% peaceful, compassionate and good, exorcised of any “evil.” As a bonus, the chemical compound will also solve mental illness. It all sounds a bit lobotomy-adjacent, and Jekyll is clearly enamored with playing god.

The plot is as simple as the chord structures in Wildhorn's ultra-bombastic score: When the Board of Governors at Jekyll's hospital forbid him from testing his potion on humans, the doctor uses himself as a test subject. But instead of turning into a 100% good person, Jekyll unleashes Edward Hyde (also Moreland), a bloodthirsty Patrick Bateman/bargain-basement Sweeney Todd-type hellbent on murdering everyone on the Board of Governors, for a start.

As Jekyll loses control and Hyde takes over, the two-dimensional women in Jekyll's life are in peril. Scarlet-clad harlot-with-a-heart-of-gold Lucy Harris (Ava Lane Stovall) looks to Jekyll as her protector, only to have Hyde show up. Jekyll's fiance Emma Carew (Emily McCormick), meanwhile, weeps because her beloved has not left his laboratory in days, and alarming noises are coming from within.

Jekyll's first big moment comes with the massive soliloquy, “This is the Moment,” a multi-octave barn burner that hurtles from pianissimo to quadruple forte like a runaway freight train. Moreland nails it with the kind of ferocity that makes complete vocal rest between performances a stone-cold necessity. He's just getting started. His finale — in which Jekyll and Hyde trade off verses — demands meteoric energy. Moreland delivers that and then some.

Music director Nick Sula has the vocal pyrotechnics on blast throughout. Stovall channels a mix of Pan, Sally Rand and Aphrodite in “Bring on the Men,” an electrifying burlesque romp. With “A New Life,” standing alone on a stage in a pool of light, Stovall flat-out stops the show. With “Once Upon a Dream,” McCormick releases a clarion soprano that could fill a cathedral. 

“Jekyll” also benefits from Kevin Webb as Gabriel Utterson, Jekyll's best friend and a dapper gent right down to his silver manicure. Webb embodies the role like he was born to swan about in a swallowtail jacket, one of several dapper gentlemen's looks created by costume designer Rachel Sypniewski.

Van Barham makes “Jekyll and Hyde” look like a nightmarish wonderland. Syd Genco's makeup design has the ensemble in cadaverous silver-grays, a choice that strengthens the murky menace that stalks the story. G. “Max” Maxin IV's lighting bathes the stage in bloody reds and strobing whites, elevating the production into the most extra-genre of them all, Grand Guignol

Brenda Didier's choreography is prolific and diverse. At one point, the stage is filled with a crowd of waltzing ghosts; at another, the ensemble moves together like some kind of massive, mutant insect; at still others, the stage becomes a house of ill repute where the bump-and-grind is as celebratory as it is sexual.

“As Leslie Bricusse's lyric urges you In Kokandy Productions' stellar production of JEKYLL & HYDE, look behind the façade of The Chopin Theatre, past the lobby of eccentric odds and ends that define the space as “garage sale chic”.

You'll be glad you did. There, on the main stage that features a set that resembles a 19th Century surgical theater (scenic design by Sotirios Livaditis), with a 15 piece orchestra dressed in period surgical scrubs, you'll be treated to a Broadway-caliber production of the Frank Wilderhorn and Steve Cuden musical with books and lyrics by the late Bricuse. Store front theater productions often have to rely on a great amount of creativity and talent to bridge the gap between an artistic director's vision and the harsh financial reality that is non-Equity theater in this city.

It may very well just redefine what you think is possible from a non-Equity theater company, because this production could easily transfer to any of the lauded Broadway in Chicago houses and you'd be hard pressed to say this isn't a million dollar production. My jaw is still on the floor after this past weekend's official opening of the musical, which runs at the Chopin Theatre (1543 W. Division) through Dec. 21.

Vibrant, creative and imaginative, director Derek Van Barham's production, featuring music direction by Nick Sula and brilliant choreography by Brenda Didier just might be the best non-Equity Chicago production I have ever seen.

The show is a musical reworking of the novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, about a noble doctor who initially sets out to free humanity from its darker impulses via a chemical formula only to fall prey to his own hubris when he experiments on himself.

David Moreland has the daunting task of playing both Dr. Henry Jekyll and his darker personality Edward Hyde with only lighting effects and his acting chops to bring the illusion of two creatures inhabiting a single body and Moreland is more than up for the task, alternating a divine tenor voice with a gravely, angry baritone.

G “Max” Maxin IV's lighting design is a character in and of itself, illuminating the strength of the show and all it's singing and acting, particularly the show's famous second act scene in which Jekyll and Hyde argue with each other with both actor and lighting conjuring up a spellbinding and gripping moment.  

The two women in Jekyll/Hyde's life reflecting two distinct sides of Victorian London: wealth socialite Emma Carew and dance hall entertainer Lucy Harris. The former character usually is the weakest link in the show (the latter role was originally written for Linda Eder, Wildhorn's wife at the time). Ava Lane Stovall's Lucy has some of the show's best songs and moments, but Emily McCormick unearths some touching aspects to her Emma that elevates the character from just the fiancé that spends most of the show literally waiting in the wings. The pair's performance of second act duet “In His Eyes” shows that each actress is on equal footing and the moment is riveting as a result.   

Van Barham has also assembled an extraordinary ensemble cast, with a pair of Quinns both deserving shout outs. Quinn Kelch plays Jekyll's rival suitor Simon Stride as well as abusive tavern owner Spider that gives equal weight to the minor character. The casting makes sense, given both roles are technically entangled in the lives of both the women in Jekyll/Hyde's life. The other Quinn deserving of additional spotlight is Quinn Simmons, who plays Jekyll's caretaker Poole as well as one of the Lucy's fellow ladies of the night.

The ensemble all have exaggerated, Brechtian-style make up and hair (make up by Syd Genco and hair/wig design by Keith Ryan). The costuming by Rachel Sypniewski is mostly blacks with a few spots of appropriate red. There is an edgy undercurrent to all of Sypniewski's designs that reminds me immediately of Clive Barker (appropriate given the more ghoulish, penny dreadful aspects of the original story).

Perhaps the show's boldest statement is that gender is a façade. With all the current animosity aimed squarely at the Trans community both here and nationally (one of our most oppressed minority groups), the production double-casts ensemble talent from scene to scene, blurring the concepts of gender, leaving us to question if such constructs are merely –again, Bricusse's lyrics—society's mask/society's way.  

This is the kind of production that will be talked about for years. You owe it to yourself to see it. And probably more than just once”.

Kokandy Productions, over the years has become a talent magnet. It seems that young performers who come to Chicago seeking roles in area theaters, have added this company to be one where they will be found and if they are talented, will be cast. For many years I have always said that Theo Ubique had that magic, but watching what we have seen at Kokandy, it appears that they are also in that league, and as a theater-goer, I truly am thankful that this is the case. Their production of “Jekyll and Hyde” has moved up at the Chopin Theatre, being staged ( a fantastic job by Derek Van Barham) on the main stage on a set designed by  Sotorios Livaditas, allowing the audience to be involved with every character and to be able to watch the powerful David Moreland transform his dual personalities with no changes except his personality and his body movements. I am pretty sure I see a “Jeff” recomendation for him. 

In fact, I will go out on a limb to say that I believe this will be one of Kokandy's greatest number of nominations as from start to finish ( approx 2 1/2 hours including one intermission) the audience was enratptured and often mezmerized by what was presented on this stage. Kevin Webb, who has been a powerhouse in previous roles at Kokandy is once again a standout in his role of GabrielJohn Utterson, a lawyer , who works for Dr. Jekyll and is his confidant as he experiments as he attempts to discover cures for medical problems that he feels can be solved.

He is betrothed to Emma ( a delightful portrayal byEmily McCormick), but when he becomes Edward Hyde, his love is for Lucy Harris ( deftly handled by Ava Lane Stovall who has a magnificent vocal range). In other words , each of his personalities has its own life and neither of them know about his dark secret. This is not a typical musical where songs just appear, but rather one where the lyrics and the tone of the music assist with the story being told. Under the musical direction of Nick Sula and his orchestra ( much larger than a typical Kokandy production) this powerful ensemble brings the story to life with energy levels that will knock your socks off!

Quinn Kelch, Jon Parker Jackson, Ismael Garcia, Nathan Calaranan, Quinn Rigg, Gabby Sauceda-Koziol, and Quinn Simmons ( how often do you find three Quinn's in the same cast list?) All are terrific, as they play their roles ( some more than one).

The technical aspects of the production are also mind-boggling. The choreography by Brenda Didier, and the costumes ( Rachel Sypniewski) along with the sound ( Matt Reich) and lighting ( G. “Max” Maxim) are all perfect. Today's theater uses other types of movement a great deal and in this one, movement during transformation and other areas it of great importance. The intimacy Director, Kirsten Baity, and violence director, Charlie Baker did what one might call a masterful job and Syd Gencio's make-up along with Keith Ryan's hair and wig design completed the amazing picture painted by Van Barham. 

“The definitive metaphor for the duality of mankind, the torrid tale of Jekyll and Hyde has been familiar to lovers of literature for nearly 140 years. Adapted for the stage in 1990 by Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse, and Steve Cuden, Kokandy Productions brings the story to life once again in an absolutely stunning production—the first Chicago staging in over 15 years.

From its opening burst of thunder to its tragic finish, Jekyll & Hyde director Derek Van Barham and the immensely talented cast maintain a spellbinding hold on the audience. Though the staging is simple, Brenda Didier's choreography makes it a visual masterpiece, and the ensemble sets a tone of precise, measured horror, never missing a mark or opportunity to elevate the intensifying fear overtaking the streets of London in the wake of Edward Hyde's monstrous reign.

David Moreland, who portrays both titular characters, is magnificent: his Jekyll is a curious, foolhardy doctor whose urgency ultimately leads to his—and others'—demise. The brilliantly staged transformation scene, in which the entire ensemble lines up for a maddening slow burn, culminates in Moreland's anguished yet triumphant metamorphosis, marked by green-tinted lighting and a newfound grit in his voice.

While Robert Louis Stevenson's original 1886 Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde novella distinctly lacks any significant female characters, the musical prominently features both Emma Carew (Emily McCormick), Jekyll's fiancée, and Lucy Harris (Ava Lane Stovall), a dancer at the Red Rat who falls for Jekyll in the midst of being tormented by Hyde. Both actors are spectacular, with their depiction of these haunted women truly captivating and earning well-deserved extended applause.

Van Barham describes the production as “provocative, sexy, and scary as hell,” and it indeed delivers on a.ll those fronts. A 15-piece orchestra, supervised by music director Nick Sula, dramatically enhances the show, never distracting from the performers on stage but serving as a character in its own right. Sound design is by Matt Reich. Scenic deisgn is by Sotirios Livaditis with lighting by G “Max” Maxin IV. Costumes are by Rachel Sypniewski. Shelby Burgus is stage manager.

The story, based on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic novella, examines the medical phenomenon of dual personalities and the research of Jekyll, a highly regarded physician in 1888 London. Jekyll must defend his seven years of research before a skeptical Board of Governors of St. Jude's Hospital. His proposal is to divide a human subject's personality in two—one good, the other evil; “compassion and hate”—in an attempt to rid the world of evil. Provoked by Jekyll's arch nemesis, Simon Stride (Quinn Kelch), the Governors flatly reject the proposal with only Emma's father Sir Danvers Carew (Nathan Calaranan) abstaining. Incensed and bitter, Jekyll is left to explore other means to test his theory.

At the engagement party at Danvers' home, Emma confirms her devotion to the troubled Jekyll. Later, along the streets of London, he and his friend and lawyer, Gabriel John Utterson (Kevin Webb), visit The Red Rat, a brothel run by Spider, where Jekyll meets the ravishing Lucy who unsuccessfully plies her charms only to receive an earnest promise of assistance in the future from him. On the way home, Jekyll tells Utterson that his only course forward is to take the potion himself. Despite the consequences, Jekyll proceeds and the catastrophic result is the awakening of the merciless killer Edward Hyde who begins his deadly campaign of retribution.

 “JEKYLL & HYDE” was conceived for the stage by Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden with music by Wildwood and book and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse. The challenging piece is in expert hands here with an intriguing gothic aesthetic at work in the creative scenic design of Sotirios Livaditis, a multi-level chamber that serves the movement of the piece well and frames the orchestra upstage. Rachel Sypniewski's goth influenced costumes provide rich texture against the stark atmospheric lighting design of G “Max” Maxin IV. Matt Reich's sound work here is simply exceptional.