In His Eyes

Jekyll and Hyde CD cover^[1]

"In His Eyes" is a song performed in the musical Jekyll and Hyde, composed by Frank Wildhorn with lyrics by Frank Wildhorn, Leslie Bricusse and Steve Cuden. Jekyll and Hyde premiered on Broadway in 1997 and has since seen many subsequent international, as well as regional, productions. In 2013, the show was revived on Broadway. The song appeared in the Original Broadway production performed by Linda Eder and Christiane Noll.

Context

Jekyll and Hyde tells the story of a doctor, Jekyll, who, trying to find the basis of good and evil, develops an evil alter ego, Hyde. The song is sung by the two female leads, Lucy and Emma. Emma, Jekyll’s fiance, is a refined young woman who is reluctant to support her husband’s experiments fearing that he is becoming too involved in the process. Lucy is a prostitute at a gentlemen's club who becomes infatuated with the Hyde persona, eventually resulting in her death.^[2] While the two characters are very different, they both love the same man, albeit different personas within the same physicality. In this song, they lament about their separate desires for Jekyll/Hyde to see how much they love him and how their lives have been altered by the man and his experiments. Both women dream about their futures, with or without Jekyll/Hyde. They both, separately, come to the realization that their love for him is much too strong to ever truly break away. In mutual agreement, they recognize that when they look into the eyes of the man they love, they are filled with everything they need to continue on. The song ends with them fully believing that the love they have for Jekyll/Hyde enriches their lives and are committed to doing whatever they can for him.^[3]

Lucy was initially played by Linda Eder (Wildhorn’s wife, at the time of production) in the Houston World Premiere, 1st US Tour, and the Original Broadway show. Emma was initially played by Rebecca Spencer (character name of "Lisa") for the Houston World Premiere, and then Christiane Noll (character name of "Emma") 1st US Tour, and the Original Broadway show.

Musical analysis

The song is a ballad duet in which the two women sing, but never truly interact with each other. Emma, a soprano with a classically operatic timbre, begins by singing a solo verse, which Lucy, a mezzo-soprano, with a raspy, forward tone, then copies, with different lyrics but the same melody. The song ends with the two overlapping similar lyrics, but most staging requires that the two are singing in their own world, about their own feelings, unaware of the other, even though they are singing the same song, at the same time.

The song begins freely, with both women singing their verse rubato. As the two sing about not knowing where their future lies and other solemn wordings, the piece is in C-minor. Once they begin to ponder about how important Jekyll/Hyde is in their lives and how much they adore him, the piece modulates to B-flat major, creating a shift in musical feel to echo the shift lyrically. The song also quickens in tempo as the two women begin to make conclusions about their feelings and decisions about their actions.

Accompanied by Bass (Acoustic and Electric), Cello, Horn, Keyboard (x3), Percussion (x2), Reed 1 (Alto Flute & Flute), Reed 2 (English Horn & Oboe), Reed 3 (Alto Saxophone, Bass Clarinet, & Clarinet), Reed 4 (Bassoon, Contrabassoon), Trombone, Trumpet, Viola, Violin (x2).^[2] The character of Emma sings with notes ranging from Bb to Eb (2 octaves above), while Lucy sings with notes ranging from Bb to F (2 octaves above).^[4] While the two utilize a similar span of notes, the way in which they sing alters how these notes sound. As mentioned, the timbre differs between the two women, reflecting their pasts and, perhaps most importantly, their class status, with Emma being the daughter of a knighted man and Lucy being a prostitute in the local brothel, The Red Rat.

Textual analysis

The piece emphasizes the emotional states of Emma and Lucy and their overall feeling of longing. Emma is singing about losing elements of her husband as he is becoming Hyde and her inner struggle with his change and distance from her. Instead of angry, she seems more hurt and confused because she truly loves him. Lucy is singing about falling in love with a man that she does not understand.He has awakened a new side of her and she is fascinated with how someone like him could love someone like her, yet she is perplexed by him and unsure how they could have a real future together. Although the song does not advance the plot, it serves to further describe the emotions and feelings of the ladies, developing their characters and revealing their thoughts. By the end of the song, the audience is assured of both Emma and Lucy’s full devotion to Jekyll/Hyde. This song is easily and commonly excerpted due the vague nature of the lyrics. "In His Eyes" never uses specific names or places within the world of the play, and discusses a feeling and theme that is highly relatable, making the song a perfect stand-alone piece. Other than the Original Broadway Cast Recording, the song has been recorded by various artists such as Brandi Burkdhart and Kate Shindle, and Teal Wicks and Deborah Cox. Christiane Noll, who originated Emma on Broadway, has recorded various tracks with artists Christie LaVerdiere and Debbie Gravitte. "In His Eyes" has even been adapted into a solo piece for one voice and has been recorded as such by Mindy Jostyn, Elizabeth Harmetz, Emma Hunton, Casey Erin Clark, and others.

References