rob30316 I saw this show twice on its pre-Broadway tour and while it may not have been Sondheim, it was solid, and it was a lot of fun. This version is a tragic mess. I'd heard that the Broadway version didn't compare to what it used to be, but I was shocked at how awful it became. The best numbers are either gone (Alive!) or missing their best parts (Lisa Carew) or given new arrangements that totally ruin the song (His Work and Nothing More). Yes, those are all songs from the first act - I'll force myself to watch the second at some point, maybe.Now the fun part...Hasselhof needs to be served a cease and desist against acting. He has a surprisingly strong voice, but his lack of acting ability trumps that. At best, when he's singing, he looks like he's struggling to remember his lines. When he talks...oh my God. It's painful.In a way, it's perfect that Hasselhof is in this. J & H was a very promising musical, if somewhat campy, until it hit New York. I have my suspicions that the producer and accountant were planning on flying to Rio when it failed on opening night.It's really, really, REALLY bad. Unless you thought the Broadway version was decent - even with David Hasselhof - avoid it at all costs.I don't think I've ever ranked a movie as a 1 before. It's that bad.

azure_sky While there are a few (and very far between) watchable moments in this show, by and large it is the most ghastly, amateurish production I have ever seen in my life. The stunning music is horribly overshadowed by wooden, stilted acting by the principle characters with few notable exceptions, and excruciatingly bad choreography draw the eye precisely where it is not supposed to go.The acting is painful, Hasselhoff unwatchable, though the direction and the choreography are what really doom what could otherwise have been an incredibly powerful show. And this is not mentioning the chronological anachronisms that pop up all over the place, from clothing not appropriate to the period all the way to accents from the wrong part of London! Pick this up if you are new to musical theater and are looking to expand your knowledge of musicals, but for those of you who know what you're looking at when you look at a show, look elsewhere.

aikido First let me say that I absolutely love the musical. The one I saw on B'way, starring Robert Evans (he was actually the understudy to Cuccioli at the time), Linda Eder, and Christiane Noll. I've seen many a B'way show, but was unprepared for this one. Absolutely blew me away........I own the Hasselhoff version only because I'm a sucker for anything connected with the show. But Hasselhoff is, well, just dreadful. And I like the guy. Hey, he tries, but he just can't pull it off. Like I said, no wonder the show closed while he was, for lack of a better word, 'starring' in it. Coleen Sexton and Andrea Rivette do a nice job, but they are no Eder/Noll. But again, they are fine.This version deserves MAYBE 4 stars. One for the concept, two for Sexton and Rivette, and one because I'm in a good mood having just listened to the The Complete Work for the gazzillionth time - Carolee Carmello does a great Lisa, Eder is, well, what can I say about someone who has one of the greatest voices ever recorded, and Anthony Warlow is just astonishing - would love to see him do it live........David should have stayed on the beach..............

gws-2 I nearly decided not to post my remarks because my reaction to this video is so similar to that of many other posters: It's a good show that is, alas, nearly ruined by the presence of the inadequate David Hasselhoff as Jekyl-Hyde. His singing is below average, his acting is atrocious, and he moves with all the grace of a water buffalo. Hasselhoff's weaknesses were made more noticeable than they might otherwise have been because the production was otherwise very good. The two female leads, Coleen Sexton, as Lucy, and Andrea Rivette, as Emma Carew, are excellent. Sexton and Rivette have one duet that was moving and beautifully sung. In fairness to Hasselhoff, I must confess that it seems to me that few actor singers have the talent to really pull off the dauntingly demanding Jekyl-Hyde role. Len Cariou or George Hearn could have done the job both dramatically and musically – 25 years ago. But these days, I don't know who could do it. I like this musical and would like to see it performed with someone in the title role who can really sing and act. I gave this video 6 out of 10, but I cannot really recommend it because Hasselfoff's presence makes it, on balance, not worth the candle.