Review: WHAT’S THE BUZZ? – ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2026 at Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Benjamin Maio Mackay, Saturday 6th June 2026.

There was an air of anticipation at the Festival Theatre last night as the cast of the 2024/2025 Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar reunited for a one-off concert and conversation called What’s The Buzz? as part of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. It was truly a tragedy that the show skipped Adelaide, I myself had the distinct pleasure to catch the musical interstate twice and I can assure you that it was worthy of the hype.

What’s the Buzz? reunited the nine leads of the show to reminisce about on stage mishaps, amusing stories of cast bonding and, of course, perform a number of the iconic songs from the show. Whilst the structure on occasion felt too loose and as though it needed a little more rehearsal, the charisma and charm of hosts Reuben Kaye and Mahalia Barnes did a lot of heavy lifting. The two not only have an excellent rapport with each other, but know how to have the crowd eating from the palm of their hand. They brought warmth, humour and made even the most abrupt of transitions seem smooth.

What was lovely to see within the show is the genuine affection that all the leads seem to have for each other, personally and professionally. There were such moments of joy throughout the night, it almost felt as if the audience had been invited to witness a cast party, rather than a concert performance.

Of course, the real star of the evening remains the score itself. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s iconic music has resonated with audiences globally for more than 50 years. The band, under the incredibly competent direction of Laura Tipoki, played it flawlessly. The two numbers that were just vocalist and piano were especially touching. Despite its age, the music continues to feel fresh, urgent, and thrilling. Tipoki’s musical direction honoured the original material, while embracing several thoughtful new arrangements, and also allowed cast members to shine in roles they either covered or didn’t play during the show's run. The choice to share songs between artists in ways the actual show didn’t allow rarely felt gimmicky; instead, they highlighted just how strong this company is.

The undeniable highlight came courtesy of Michael Paynter. His rendition of Gethsemane was nothing short of extraordinary, bringing the house to its feet not once, but twice. It was the sort of performance that reminds audiences why the song has become a benchmark for musical theatre performers. His vocal stamina is genuinely impressive. The ovations were entirely deserved.

There were memorable moments throughout the cast, Javon King’s Heaven on Their Minds, Mahlia Barnes’ I Don’t Know How to Love Him, and Reuben Kaye’s Herod’s Song, being three utter standouts. One particularly delightful surprise (to the audience and Reuben) came with the unexpected arrival of Elliot Baker midway through the performance. Credit must go to director and producer who had been covering in Baker's absence.

The evening’s weakness really was its pacing. I understand contractually they couldn’t present songs in order or back to back, but conversational sections sometimes lingered longer than necessary. I think trimming five minutes or so of banter would have helped maintain momentum, the audience did become restless at the 70 minute mark.

Still, these are minor criticisms in the context of an evening that succeeded because of its sincerity and the overwhelming talent on stage.

This concert served as a welcome reminder of just how spectacular the music of Jesus Christ Superstar is and how incredibly lucky we are to have such talent in the Australian musical theatre scene. Being a one night only endeavour, this won’t ever be recreated, and I don’t think you could, authentically. I do hope this cast finds future ways to collaborate, their chemistry and voices are stunning.

Adelaide Cabaret Festival continues its 2026 run over the next two weeks under the leadership of Reuben Kaye and it is shaping up to be a very good year indeed.

Photography, Claudio Raschella.