'Jekyll & Hyde' to thrill campus

After spending four years on Broadway, the musical "Jekyll & Hyde" has taken to the road. It arrives at the IU Auditorium tonight at 8, with a second show Saturday at 8 p.m.\nTickets for the show are still available. They cost $30, $40 or $50, and a 50 percent student discount is available. They can be purchased at the Auditorium box office and at Ticketmaster locations.\n"We loved the show. That's why we brought it to Bloomington," said Bryan Rives, general manager of the Auditorium. "We asked our subscribers and a cross-section of the community what they wanted this season, and that's how we chose." \nThe modern musical retells Robert Louis Stevenson's tale of a doctor who devises a potion that splits his personality in two. Born from the science and intelligence of Henry Jekyll is the misshapen and evil Edward Hyde (Guy LeMonnier plays the doctor and his counterpart). The show is set in Victorian London in 1885. \n"Jekyll & Hyde" explores the complex dual nature of humanity and pits one man against himself. The classic tale of good and evil has inspired nearly 30 film and theatrical adaptations.\nDoug Booher, the facility and events manager at the Auditorium, said the show promises to be as impressive visually as it is musically.\n"This is a fantastic show with vibrant sets and surroundings," Booher said. \nSome aspects of the show are challenging for the Auditorium and the stage crew, especially the pyrotechnic effects.\n"It's a chance to work with technology we don't normally see around here," he said.\nThe musical has enjoyed a growing popularity during its run, although reviews have been mixed. It has even spawned a fan group, dubbed "Jekkies," who communicate via the Internet.\nThe play boasts an experienced creative team. Leslie Bricusse, who wrote the lyrics, has worked on such musicals as "Victor/Victoria" and "Sherlock Holmes." Frank Wildhorn has found fame composing music for hits like "The Civil War." Director David Warren's credits include "Holiday," "Summer and Smoke," and "My Marriage to Ernest Borgnine." The cast includes Shani Lynn Nielson, Miss Indiana in 1996.