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Charlotte Bronte's classic, Jane Eyre, has always been considered as a favorite among English Literature readers and fans. Despite the criticism of it being a template for the trend of romance novels in the like of Harlequin Romances, the piece has brought a great delight to readers everywhere. Simply revolving around the main character plain Jane Eyre, Bronte was able to use the pen to bring her sojourns, misfortune and even her stroke of good luck to all of us, making us sneer at John, smile at the absent-minded Mrs. Fairfax, hate the snobbish Miss Ingram and in the end, fall in love with the tough Mr. Edward Rochester.
Jane Eyre had its Canadian premiere at the Royal Alexandra Theater in Toronto, Ontario as an Ed Mirvish production in December 1996. With the book written by its director John Caird and music composed by Paul Gordon, the musical invites us to explore the world of Jane Eyre via the viewpoints of not herself as in the book but through a third person viewpoint as narrated and sang by the different characters in the musical. The variety in singing voices and intonations of the different actors made us more attentive in receiving the story as opposed through the viewpoint of a strict mundane Jane Eyre.
With a black background and simple props, the attention of the audience is much more focused on the performance of the actors and their sometime pantomimic actions, stimulating the audience's imagination and artistic creativity. This aspect of the show is greatly welcomed since the essence of the show will focus much more on the libretto and the music than special effects.
Beautiful, honey-voiced Marla Schaffel is one of the best female performers in the musical theater that I have ever heard and seen on stage. Her vocal artistry and interpretation of the Jane Eyre role captures the essence of the character. She does not let go of her diaphragm in giving the high notes (quite a few as I recall) and hits them beautifully. Her diction and phrasing captivated me to the end. Noticeable also is her command of the legato style, which is the smooth interconnection of notes, an indication of her understanding of music and technique. I am personally looking out for Schaffel and her endeavors. A CD of musical theater songs would be most welcomed and enjoyed. Her voice made me swoon and cry with every song she sang. Personally, if Marla does not do the role on or off Broadway, this musical will not be thoroughly enjoyed. In more decisive words, I have come to the conclusion Marla Schaffel IS Jane Eyre.
Anthony Crivello as the tough and strong Mr. Edward Rochester is absolutely convincing. With a beautiful tenor voice and strong manly feature, Crivello is a most excellent actor to play the role. He delivers the needed toughness and hidden tenderness that the character demands. There are competent actors/singers who can perform the Rochester role but Crivello is already a very good choice to keep for other big productions of the musical. Noticeable also of his performance is his continuous staccato singing of the role. The original cast recording showed him performing the songs in legato.
Notable performances were also brought by angelic voiced Angela Lockett singing the role of Helen Burns (Forgiveness, My Maker) , the girl who showed the meaning of compassion to Jane; coloratura soprano Elizabeth de Grazia, who played the role of Blanche Ingram as the scheming little vixen set to get the Rochester estate more than his heart and Mary Stout, who provided the comedy relief in her role as Mrs. Fairfax (A Slip Of A Girl) .
The music is captivating and spellbinding. The lyrics are intelligent and most thoughtful. Ranking it as my most favorite, I was immersed in the world of Jane and came out loving her world and the final happiness of her life, the union with Mr. Rochester. Being the romantic I was, I have never been so moved by a musical from start to finish.
To cite my most favorite song from the musical made me feel helpless for there are many beautiful melodies noteworthy to be mentioned. "Let Me Be Brave" tells of little Jane Eyre as she was made as a prisoner in the red room where she fears of the world and missed her good parents. "Painting Her Portrait" details the poor self-esteem that Jane feels for herself and wallows in self-pity because she has learnt that the man of her dreams, Mr. Rochester, is continuously enjoying the company of beautiful, rich Ms. Blanche Ingram. "Second Soul" is a delivery of the exchange of wits and a final outpour of the feelings that Jane and Rochester had for each other. The composers have been able to capture the essence of Bronte's words in this piece which I consider to be a climactic point. However, the ultimate climax of the musical was the last piece sung entitled "Brave Enough For Love". This is the song when Jane finally found Rochester, blind and injured after the fire at Thornfield Hall, and professes the ultimate loyalty and love that she has for him. Despite his efforts to turn her away, Rochester confesses that the passion he has for her is still there. And in the end, their marriage is finally consummated and they learn in the process that each one of them, as well as each one of us, have to be strong and 'brave enough for love' when it comes into our lives.
The musical Jane Eyre will be forever remembered by this author. It has brought a sense of delight and romanticism that I seldom seen in other musicals and operas. Despite the criticism that other well-known theater critics may have for the musical, I believe it is one of the best I have seen and enjoyed, more so than any other musical I watched for a long time. And I am certain I will feel that way... after all, aren't we all plain Jane Eyres at times ?
Alex Zamora

Taken from Theater Reviews
This review was written by guest reviewer Rachel Elizabeth, who previously reviewed "By Jeeves": Anyone who knows me knows that I am very partial to upbeat, feel-good musical comedies. Dramatic musicals have to work hard to find their way into my world, and a fair number have; generally though, with dramatic musicals, I have found it to be the case that all effort is put into a few main songs and the rest is rather mediocre. That is not the case with the new recording of "Jane Eyre"...not at all. There is nothing I hate more than being left with a cold feeling after hearing a song. Paul Gordon's music and lyrics are spectacular. He doesn't miss a beat; I was captivated for the entire 62 minutes. I was particularly moved by the sweet "My Maker". My other favorites are "Sceret Soul", "Second Self" and "Farewell, Good Angel". "Brave Enough for Love" seems to be the song that best conveys the theme of the show and makes a powerful ending. Anthony Crivello (Edward Rochester) and Marla Schaffel (Jane Eyre) are powerful. Mary Stout gives a wonderfully humorous performance as Mrs. Fairfax. The children are absolutely lovely. I give this recording all the thumbs up that I can. I don't hand out my praise easily, and this is a great credit to the the entire creative team and company. Under the direction of co-author John Caird (recently nominated for a Tony for 'Stanley') the show should be unbelieveable on stage, when it opens on Broadway this fall (theatre TBA). Jane Eyre is definitely on the top of my list of new shows to see next season!