Polly's Review 6/17/2000
Sebastian Bach in Jekyll & Hyde Saturday, June 17, 2000 ------- Planning the trip to NYC to see Jekyll & Hyde was a bit of a hassle, but worth it all when the lights first went up to see Bas on stage as Dr. Jekyll, woefully watching his father in a hospital bed. Then, as Jekyll pleas his case before the Governor's of the ward, his passion exudes from every pore of his body. Later, he's with his fiance', Emma and they share a moment of true love so deep, you know it's sappy, but every female out there wants a man like this. A tear wells up in the corner of my eye, and I can't distinguish if it's because of how well he is doing in the show, or the story of love unfolding. Onset the performance of `This is the Moment' and I am all smiles and very much in awe of the powerfulness Bas has in his voice (not that I didn't know it existed, but I'm sure not everyone in the theater did). As the transformation into Hyde occurs, I'm so captivated by his pain turning into euphoria that I forget he is supposed to be evil. I have such a feeling of pride and happiness (for him) that I forget about my smile in spite of the macabre scene that is taking place on the stage. I slowly convince myself that a smile is the wrong thing to have at this moment and although difficult to remove, I do so. The scene with Lucy (Dangerous Game) leaves you feeling as though you've just witnessed something you shouldn't see - a private naughty moment that you shouldn't watch, but can't turn away from..of course, with Bas being the assertive male, any female (probably even Ellen Degeneres) would love to be dominated by him after seeing this sexy scene. All in all, he is great as Hyde, but I think he proves himself better in his portrayal of Jekyll. Hyde is the fun character I, as a fan of his, could easily see him playing, but the fact that he can convey the emotion of Jekyll to the audience is even better. The last few scenes with him fighting to regain control as Jekyll are outstanding. He conveys that he both likes and dislikes being Hyde VERY well. When he fails at the end to push back Hyde, your heart sinks with Jekyll. For becoming evil on ones wedding day obviously takes away from the wholesomeness of such an event, and you feel his pain, but understand the need for Hyde to resurface. This theatrical production is as different from a typical Rogers & Hammerstein production as you can get. During the bows, he acknowledged his father and kids in the audience and was as much Bas as he is in a concert performance (minus some of the language). Then, when he came out the stage door, he took the time to greet all that waited, even with his family waiting. He went so far as to say that without his fans, he'd never be on Broadway and for that reason, he would sign whatever we had for him to sign. I don't remember his precise words, but he was very humble, especially for someone whose picture seems plastered on Broadway more than anyone else's, at least on 45th. He was just as nice as the other two times I've met him and seemed on top of the world. I hope I've succeeded in giving those who have yet to see him on Broadway (or may never see him) a bit of insight to his fantastic performance. In defense of some theatre snobs, I will say that he may not have the acting skills 100% (YET), but his ability to make you feel what his character feels surpasses 150%. If there's any way possible to see this show, do it!