Jesus Christ Superstar, the ground-breaking rock opera which reinvented musical theatre for the modern age, tells the story of the last week of Christ's life. The zeal with which Christ's followers are hailing him as the Son of God becomes a source of dismay to his disciple Judas Iscariot. Fearing that this tide of religious fervor will provoke brutal repression by the occupying Romans, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal.
This production opened at Canada's Stratford Shakespeare Festival and transferred to the La Jolla Playhouse for a run in 2011.
McAnuff deserves credit for an admirable job of pacing—the show flies by at a little less than two hours—and a talented cast displays an array of powerful rock voices. Paul Nolan’s Jesus reaches the heights of anguish and yearning without going overboard. Chilina Kennedy has a lovely, liquid tone that subtly imparts Mary Magdalene’s need for totally accepting Christ’s love and her reluctance to give up her old wanton ways, especially on the gentle “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.” Special kudos to understudy Jeremy Kushnier, who stepped into the pivotal role of Judas for an ailing Josh Young. Kushnier meets the difficult requirements of the demanding score while making Judas more than a hissable villain. He makes the decision to betray Jesus understandable if not sympathetic. The reliable Tom Hewitt makes for a formidable Pilate. As the high priest Caiaphas, Marcus Nance has a bass that flows like melted butter, while Lee Siegel, as Simon, and Mike Nadajewski, as Peter, have strong moments.
Like any good icon, Nolan’s Jesus exerts a pull that’s both spiritual and physical. [...] Without a strong underlying theme, the show feels like a busy patchwork of styles and references. [...] Hearing excellent singers deliver these tunes through powerful, crisp amplification is a primal thrill. Next time, McAnuff may even get the story right.
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