Matthew Murphy
It’s been fifty years since Jesus Christ Superstar first took to the stage after making its debut as a concept album in 1970, and since then it became a movie in 1973 and has been revived many times in the US and all over the world. The story, such as it is, tells the final weeks of the life of Jesus leading up to the crucifixion. And as the show was born out of a rock opera concept album, the story is told only through song. There is no dialogue so if you have a hard time with catching all of the storytelling lyrics, and don’t know the story of Jesus, you may be lost.
I have never seen the complete show to this point in time. I did see a revival, or part of one, in 1992 at a dress rehearsal, but an accident during the show injured an actor and the evening was halted. I like to joke that I didn’t know how it ended … but I think we all know how it ends. That show had sets and costumes and was a more traditional type of Broadway musical; this new version — which debuted in London in 2017 — was quite unexpected from the moment we walked in the door as the ushers alerted us that the show was 90 minutes with no intermission. An Andrew Lloyd Webber show that runs 90 minutes?! But I suppose that’s the result of the show coming from an album with a limited amount of space on two sides.
The next surprise was Tom Scutt’s set, a two story building of sorts with the orchestra taking up space on the second level of the two pieces of set. I like shows with lots of sets so I was already concerned this would be a little boring. The whole thing reminded me a bit of the set for Rent. And with the structure around the sides and back of the stage, there is also a large cross on the floor that’s used as a sort of catwalk for the actors. It’s interesting and it works with Lee Curran’s lighting design which at times is used to highlight whomever may be singing among a group as well as with a searchlight effect in a couple of scenes. What I wasn’t to thrilled about were the costumes. It’s hard to take a show that’s set in a specific historical era and try to make them still look of the era yet contemporary as well, and Scutt’s costumes for the show can best be described as ‘hipster athleisurewear’ — beige sweats, tanks and hoodies. There was one costume that stood out, Herod’s gold pleated balloon cape and leotard, and actor Paul Louis Lessard worked it for all it was worth. So production and costume design is functional but minimal.
Matthew Murphy
But all the better to highlight the cast. I love when large ensembles raise their voices together, and there are several times during the show that this happens, and it is wonderful. Unfortunately, some of the main players were struggling or just not charismatic enough, getting through the songs with ease but not setting the stage on fire. Even though the show is about Jesus, the real lead is Judas played by James Delisco Beeks, and he does set the stage on fire. Beeks has a powerful voice and really puts a lot of emotion into the role, particularly as he comes to grips with the betrayal of his friend. Beeks really does give a powerful performance.
On the other end of the spectrum is Jesus, Aaron La Vigne. Whether is choices or the director’s, La Vigne’s Jesus is not that charismatic, making you wonder exactly why all of these people are following him. The classic song ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ even has in the lyrics that he’s ‘just a man’. And when Pilate and Herod get their hooks into him, he just turns the proverbial other cheek. Yes, Jesus is supposed to be a sort of pacifist, but there’s still not a lot magnetic about him that would cause him to amass so many disciples. But La Vigne has a nice enough voice … until he has to hit one of those rock star high notes. Maybe it was an off night, but La Vigne struggled to hit that note and it was very noticeable.
And it was so noticeable because Tyce Green (the Roman Annas) does hit those rock star high notes, many times. I’d love to see him take on the role of Jesus because he was charismatic and magnetic and gave off an energy that made you focus on him, whether singing, doing some of the choreography/movement or simply standing still, always holding his left arm out away from his body. It was actually a bit unnerving so kudos to Green and choreographer Drew McOnie for creating this character (and in fairness, all of the Romans take this same stance when on stage but my eyes were always drawn to Green). And Alvin Crawford as Caiaphas has a deep, deep bass that’s also very threatening. So great job with the casting of the Romans … who are supposed to be threatening and unnerving!
Jenna Rubaii has a lovely voice and gives nice interpretations of Mary Magdalene’s classic songs ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ and ‘Everything’s Alright’. But, she just seemed to be walking through the part. I never felt the connection Mary has to Jesus that she’s always singing about, and the only time I got some real emotion from her was when she was chastising Peter for denying Jesus three times, just as they were told he would. Tommy Sherlock as Pilate also has a great voice, but again it was just like he was singing a song in concert. There was no emotion or threat to his vocals (and I was listening to the 1996 London cast recording to familiarize myself with the music and those people were selling it, so perhaps I’m just making unfair comparisons). As I mentioned, Paul Louis Lessard, who is part of the ensemble of disciples for the majority of the show, gets to steal the spotlight from everyone as the King who is queen, Herod. He’s got one solo, ‘King Herod’s Song’, and he makes the most of it, giving us a King Herod by way of Rocky Horror‘s Frank-N-Furter … a role I’d love to see Lessard take on.
Matthew Murphy
Drew McOnie’s choreography is interesting, very contemporary, reminding me of the work of Sonya Tayeh … who would not seem out of place in this show herself. It may not be traditional Broadway choreography, but I thought it was one of the highlights of the show. Director Timothy Sheader’s job here is to get people from one side of the stage to the next without tripping over the large cross, which ends up weighting a lot of the show to the left of the stage (from the audience’s perspective), with some cast members occasionally venturing to the second level with the orchestra. But the staging of the whipping and beating of Jesus leading up to the crucifixion is brutal (even if the lashing is accompanied by handfuls of glitter), and the crucifixion itself is quite harrowing thanks to La Vigne’s performance. I admit I got a little moist in the eyes. If there is a standout moment in the direction of the show, those final moments are showstoppers.
So … I really had mixed feelings about the show. On the one hand, some of the performances really didn’t connect and the costumes were questionable. On the other hand, I really did dig the choreography, the majority of the singing, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score. The music truly is classic but this version of the show may not be that highly regarded. Still, for all of my complaints, I’m glad I saw it, and I really did find it vibrant and exciting as a whole.
Jesus Christ Superstar runs through December 22 at Baltimore’s Hippodrome Theatre. Other cities on the schedule include Pittsburgh PA, Minneapolis MN, Buffalo NY, Hartford CT, Nashville TN, Providence RI, Washington DC, Durham NC, Miami FL, Greenville SC and Chicago IL. Visit the official Jesus Christ Superstar website for more information.
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