Playing Both Good & Evil, Hero & Villain
5 Questions with DJ Shultz
Dr. Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde,
Jekyll & Hyde The Musical
by Alexa Giacomini, Member – Muni Board of
Managers
AG: Tell us a little about yourself…
DJS: I’m married to my
beautiful, supportive wife Karen with 2 awesome kids, Kinsley (8) and Kreston (4.)
I've been at Western
Oaks Baptist
Church
I enjoy spending time with my
family, performing/directing local theatre, and golfing when I can squeeze it
in. Unfortunately I'm also a long suffering Cubs fan.
AG: What's your Muni experience?
DJS: My first experience with the
Muni family was in 2002, when I played Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing
Technicolor Dreamcoat. I've also served as musical director for All
Shook Up and was most recently in Les Miserables, which was
performed last year.
The
best part of The Muni is the people. The Muni is a big family and it's all
heightened and intensified every summer as we spend countless hours
together; everyone working together toward a common goal of high quality
musical theatre.
AG: In Jekyll &
Hyde The Musical you get to portray both the hero and the villain,
sometimes switching between both in the middle of a scene. What do you see as
your greatest challenge in doing this realistically (without the assistance of
makeup/effects), and how will you prepare?
DJS: When I first
learned that Muni was doing Jekyll &
Hyde The Musical, I was pretty indifferent because I was not familiar with
the show. Once I listened to the music and started digging into the story, I
was really intrigued by the role and its many challenges.
I have
been classically trained in vocal performance and I believe that
foundation will be very important in this role. I've always had the God-given
ability to change/modify my voice /tone to whatever genre of music I was
singing. That will be critical to this role. Jekyll and Hyde not only switch in
the middle of a scene but at one point every two measures in the “Confrontation” song towards the end of
Act 2. It will also be a stretch/challenge for me in the acting realm. Definitely
the most challenging role I've played so far.
AG: Are there any themes from this show that speak to you
in particular, given your background in the ministry/church or otherwise?
DJS: Definitely, the
theme of good and evil is the central theme to this show. It's a question that
mankind has been dealing with since the beginning. We all are on a journey and
each of us has a choice on how we try and live our lives. It's not a stretch
for us to know what evil is. Mankind is fallen because of choices they made in
the garden of Eden but God provided a way for good to prevail by sending His
son, Jesus Christ. Good wins.
AG: Why should people come see Jekyll & Hyde The Musical?
DJS: The haunting yet
beautiful music itself is worth the ticket price. A talented cast, production
crew, and staff will give their all to bring this Tony-nominated musical to
life for the first time on the Muni stage.
