By David Vitrano

L’Observateur

RESERVE – St. John Theatre has been making some changes lately.

First there was the staging of the Living Christmas Tree, a cooperative effort with St. James Community Theatre. Other, smaller scale and more community-centered productions have followed, such as the one-woman show recently staged at the theater in recognition of Black History Month.

Also new this year are the fundraisers, held first at New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Co. and most recently at the Italian Pie.

Now in another first of sorts, the theater is resurrecting “Jekyll and Hyde,” the musical that first thrilled audiences in 2008.

“When we originally did ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ it was because it was different,” said Director Darryl Clement, who also helmed the first production. “It was a phenomenon beyond what we ever dreamed.”

There is a bit of a twist to this season’s production, however.

Re-imagined as a concert, the show this time will not only entertain, but it will raise much-needed funds for the small community theater.

“In the fall when we were planning a season, we thought maybe we should do a fundraiser,” said Clement.

The original plan was to do some sort of variety show, but as the board was planning the event, the thought of staging “Jekyll and Hyde, the Concert” was born. It did not hurt matters that two of the leads from the original production sit on the board.

The way this show will differ from the original production — and what enables it to be a fundraiser — is there are no costumes or sets for the show this time around. The actors will be dressed in formal attire — tuxedoes and gowns — and stage movements have been limited to what Clement calls “choralography,” actions designed to flow with the choral risers that are set up on the stage.

Everything else about the show, including all the songs and dialogue, remains intact.

“(The audience) is going to get the whole show minus sets and costumes,” said Clement.

He continued, “I don’t think they’re going to miss the scenery and the costumes because this show’s about the story and the music.”

He said he believes everyone in the audience, regardless of whether they have seen the show before or not, will feel the force of the show.

“Every time we get to the last scene, it’s still as exciting because it was written that way,” said Clement.

In some way, this new production may be even more powerful because the actors have been able to focus solely on the words and music. This time around also brings a little audience interaction, so those who go see the show may feel more like active participants and less like passive observers.

The three leads, Brent Torres as Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Jennifer DeLatte as Emma Carew and Courtney Andersen-Boe as Lucy Harris, have all returned for the show, and this fact has greatly lessened the burden on Clement.

“It’s amazing how much they remember,” he said.

It has also eased his nerves somewhat. While he usually feels opening-night jitters over whether the show will work or not, his fears this time are of a totally different nature.

“The only nervousness I have is the way we are presenting the show is uncharted territory,” he said.

And even that nervousness is seems overridden by a confidence not usually visible in the director a few days before opening night.

“We’re not reinventing the wheel,” he said. “Hopefully, it will turn out to be a nice fundraiser for the theater.”

“Jekyll and Hyde, the Concert,” opens Thursday, Feb. 17, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 20. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. except for the Sunday show, which is at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at Allied Express in LaPlace or at the theater box office 30 minutes before showtime.

For more information, visit www. stjohntheatre.org or call 985-536-6630.