Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, come one, come all to McCallum High School’s fall musical, Jekyll and Hyde, opening on Thursday, Sept. 19. 

The upcoming musical is a thrilling story set in London, 1885. It follows the main character, Henry Jekyll, a man with a dream of creating a chemical formula to separate the two halves of a human being: good and evil. When Jekyll can not find a subject to test his formula on, he decided to use it on himself, creating his alter ego: Edward Hyde.

“It’s a traditional battle between good and evil,” said dance ensemble member Evelyn Griffin. “It’s all about the extremes and kind of removing that grey area, and I just think a lot of people could relate it to society and what’s going on.” 

Unlike past musicals, Jekyll and Hyde features fewer large dance ensembles and focuses more on individual acting and singing.

“I chose [this musical] for McCallum because it is a show that showcases the leading performers,” theatre director Joshua Denning said. “There are two great roles for women, the songs are memorable, unique, and gorgeous, and it’s a title that has fascinated people for over a century.”

The amount of work put into these shows are at a professional level. The cast, crew, and directors have been working day and night to prepare the show for its opening Thursday night. Senior Sam Richter, who plays Sir Danvers Carew, states that he is shocked by the performance of lead actor and singer, senior Owen Scales.

“Owen is giving everything, every night at rehearsals,” Richter said. “It is some of the most amazing work I’ve ever seen. I think that when it opens tomorrow, people are going to be astounded because he is doing some incredible work.”

Along with the hardworking cast comes the crew. And with this year’s musical giving off such a different vibe, fans are excited to see what the designers have in store.

“The one thing besides the awesome acting are the sets,” sophomore Mac theatre fan Grace Nugent said. “The sets were the best part, it is well-done overall.”

Keeping the cast on track and making sure there is enough prep time for musicals can be a challenge, but it is a day on the job for the director, Denning, who has been rehearsing and performing since age 10. 

“I have essentially modeled those professional theatre practices at McCallum, adding more time to the rehearsal schedule to account for using younger performers that need a bit more,” Denning said.

After working hear since August fifth, the cast and crew are finishing up rehearsals and preparing for opening night. 

“It’s a really cool show,” Richter said. “There are really good [musical] tracks and some very talented singers. You’re going to hear some quality tunes!”