'Jekyll & Hyde' comes to Van Wezel in Sarasota

Frank Wildhorn is known, especially in this part of the country, for his musical "Wonderland: A New Alice," which had its first workshops and productions at Tampa's Straz Center for the Performing Arts, but ended up being one of the biggest Broadway flops in recent years. His "Bonnie and Clyde" had a pre-Broadway run at Asolo Repertory Theatre before it went to Broadway, where it closed in less than a month.

His biggest hit by far is "Jekyll & Hyde," which ran for almost four years on Broadway and has a legion of devoted fans all around the country. (The most avid of the fans call themselves "Jekkies.")

A non-Equity tour of "Jekyll & Hyde" is coming to the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall in Sarasota on Thursday. The schedule originally called for just the usual evening performance, but because of audience response a 2 p.m. matinee has been added.

Its, based, of course, on the Robert Louis Stevenson's "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," the classic story of a honorable and admired man whose evil side manifests itself and eventually begins to take over.

The show's best-known song is "This Is the Moment," which has been recorded by everyone from David Hasselhoff to Susan Boyle.

Details: March 5, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, 777 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Show times: 2 and 8 p.m. Tickets: $35-$80. Information: 941-953-3368, vanwezel.org.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published March 5, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "'Jekyll & Hyde' comes to Van Wezel in Sarasota."