Also, don't think that this is the difinitive recording of this show because half of the songs on this original concept album are either severly altered or completely writen out of the show in the other two recordings. In my opinion, this is a must simply because of the performances, though you also need the expensive pre-Broadway recording to get a true feel for the show (the way it is now). This CD contains some great love songs like "LOVE HAS COME OF AGE" and "TILL YOU CAME INTO MY LIFE" that are not on any other version of this show. They were completely cut from the show, and they are wonderful songs. But if you just want a CD to know the show better the way it is now, my opinion is to get the two CD pre-Broadway recording. It's close to thirty bucks, but at least you get a few extra songs on it that they cut out for the Broadway version to shorten the show's length.

If you like this show, you are also going to enjoy THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL, but only the concept album, NOT the Broadway cast! Chuck Waggoner, Linda Edler, Pueblo Bison & Dave Clemens make a wonderful cast. The Broadway cast doesn't even hold a candle to Chuck's ma! stery of "INTO THE FIRE" and the lead role in general. The only really good song on the Broadway cast is "FALCON IN THE DIVE" which isn't on the pre-recording.

Other shows I recommend: LES MISERABLES (with Colm Wilkinson of course), SWEENEY TODD (Sondheim's dark masterpiece) and CHILDREN OF EDEN (Stephen Schwartz's most recent musical with music as good, if not better than, his legendary shows GODSPELL or PIPPIN).

PS: Gossip trivia: Frank Wildhorn & Linda Edler are romantically involved (maybe even married)... Talk about old fashion casting! But hey, he got an amazing performer for the job, so who cares... other than lucky Frank.


not so good....   August 29, 1999
 8 out of 13 found this review helpful

I bought this because I really loved Colm Wilkinson in Les Miserables, all 3 recordings of it I've heard with him, and also enjoyed his Stage Heroes CD. I own the Complete Work of Jekyll & Hyde too, and it blows this one away. I don't even think it is that great, but I must say it is much better than this. LETTING GO is probably the one song on this that I like. I don't think Colm gives a very good performance of Jekyll/Hyde, he sounds like he's just singing another song. Linda Eder sounds good, but I don't think the songs are well written. So in short, buy the Complete Work if you want Jekyll & Hyde, or spend your money elsewhere if you don't.


For what it is, I think this works just fine...   April 8, 2003
 7 out of 10 found this review helpful

This is not the Broadway original cast version of the Jekyll and Hyde musical. It features Linda Eder, who later was on that stage, but this is the concept recording which helped convince investors to back the show. This disc was created around 1990, and the actual Broadway show opened a few years later. On this record, Linda sings not only the part she did on stage, but another female character's songs as well. I haven't seen the show or heard the original cast recording (which is two CD's I believe) but apparently on Broadway Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are roles sung by two different actors. Here you just get Colm Wilkinson handling the very different songs of the two personalities. I like Wilkinson and have both "Les Miserables" and his "Stage Heroes" CD's. Judging by many of the other reviews here, there are lots of people who do not care for Colm, or at least do not think he is well-suited for the Jekyll/Hyde role. They might be right, but this CD was designed to showcase the songs which were being considered for the final production. Not all of them made it to Broadway, but all of them sound quite good to me. I like Linda and Colm, separately and together. I found this disc at a bargain price, so perhaps I am less critical than those who paid full price. If you wish to have the Broadway musical version of this show in your collection, buy the proper item. However, if you want the outstanding voices of Eder and Wilkinson, singing some interesting and lovely tunes which just happen to fit the theme of the famous Robert Louis Stevenson tale, this product fills the bill admirably.