History YMMV / JekyllAndHyde

** "Confrontation" consists of Jekyll and Hyde in a heated argument. In many productions both are portrayed by the same actor, which demands either solid acting chops to pull off convincingly. As a result, sometimes the song is staged with one half of the actor having hair and makeup to look like Hyde, and the other made up normally to look like Jekyll. When they switch parts of the song, the actor turns so that either his left or right side is exposed to the audience - complete with lighting cues. The concept is already flawed - but in the hands of a bad actor, it is absolutely hilarious.

** "Confrontation" consists of Jekyll and Hyde in a heated argument. Since both are portrayed by the same actor, one half of the actor has hair and makeup to look like Hyde, and the other made up normally to look like Jekyll. When they switch parts of the song, the actor turns so that either his left or right side is exposed to the audience - complete with lighting cues. The concept is already flawed - but in the hands of a bad actor, it is absolutely hilarious.

* HilariousInHindsight: The surreal imagery and lyrics in "The World Has Gone Insane" call to mind the [[VideoGame/DrJekyllAndMrHyde infamous NES game]].

* WTHCastingAgency:
** Among the castings are theatre royalty [[Theatre/LesMiserables Colm Wilkinson]] and [[Theatre/ThePhantomOfTheOpera Steve Barton]], weird additions like Creator/DavidHasselhoff and [[Music/SkidRow Sebastian Bach]], and perhaps most infamously Takashi Kaga. And that's just for the character of Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde.
** Creator/DavidHasselhoff was the final Jekyll/Hyde in the show's Broadway run. One of the performances was videotaped and released on [=DVD=]. Some consider his performance to be NarmCharm of the purest kind, though it's clear that, skills aside, he certainly put his all into the role.
** Takeshi Kaga was actually quite well-known for starring in musicals in Japan prior to his Series/IronChef days -- he had also played [[Theatre/LesMiserables Jean Valjean]] and [[Music/JesusChristSuperstar Jesus]], among other roles.

* VillainBall: Of all the times for Hyde to reappear, he ends up doing it at Jekyll's ''wedding'' where he's endangering all the people (still alive) who are important to Jekyll. Even the embodiment of TheUnfettered should have enough self-awareness to know that wasn't going to end well for him.

** Lucy does get a handful of really good numbers as well, though since her original actress was [[CreatorsPet dating the writer]] it should be no surprise.

* BrokenBase: Later versions of the musical included a subplot about Jekyll's terminally ill father who becomes the catalyst for the creation of the potion. The base is fairly evenly split between those who like the addition and feel it creates more sympathy for Jekyll, and those who despise the addition for that very reason as they feel it undermines the intentional moral ambiguity of the character. The fact that the subplot has absolutely no basis in the source material just adds more fuel to the fire.

* FirstInstallmentWins: While each version of the show has its fans, most agree that the early pre-Broadway concept albums with Colm Wilkinson and especially the full album with Anthony Warlow are probably the best, for reasons ranging from the story focusing much more on the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde and all it represents rather than on the love triangle that dominates the later versions, Simon Stride being more fleshed out as a secondary antagonist, the orchestrations fitting the Gothic tone of the story as opposed to the more 90s pop/2000s rock orchestrations that appeared on Broadway, and the sheer amount of passion each performer brings to their roles (as well as Wilkinson and Warlow both having the singing and acting chops to pull off the switch between Jekyll and Hyde perfectly even without visuals).