Jesus Christ Superstar was the first musical by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber to be produced on the professional stage. It opened on Broadway in 1971 and starred Ben Vereen (Judas), Jeff Fenholt (Jesus), Yvonne Elliman (Mary), Barry Dennen (Pilate), and Paul Ainsley (Herod). Despite some controversial reactions from religious groups, it was a huge success and ran for 720 performances. In 1973 it was made into a motion picture.
I have seen Jesus Christ Superstar performed in a community theatre, saw the movie and bought the album (yes, it was an album back then). It has some haunting songs in it like "I Don't Know How to Love Him" "Heaven on Their Minds" and "Superstar." This show has been popular since its introduction and has now been revised to a modern context. You won't see tie-dyed clothes or bellbottoms in the new version.
I was impressed with the set and costumesof this new production. Instead of the sand dunes of the movie, you see some ancient columns that change be changed with lighting and bars to reflect different scenes. The new costumes are right out of present day with a "Matrix" look of long, black coats andhatsfor theJewish leadersand jeans and tank tops for Jesus' followers. I overheard some people leaving the theatre commenting that they were confused about some of the scenes. As always: it's a good idea to check your playbill for scenes BEFORE the musical starts.
Eric Kunze as Jesus and Lawrence Clayton as Judas proved that they were good actors and great singers. Clayton's Judas was as dramatic as Ben Vereen's and left nothing missing in the role. On the night I went, Joan Almedilla stepped into the role of Mary Magdalene. She was beautiful and compassionate with a wonderful voice.
As the helicopter in "Miss Saigon" was a highlight of the show, in Jesus Christ Superstar, the cross is a "bright" spot in the production. It shines so bright that the entire auditorium is lit up! And, one of my favorite parts of the night was when Barry Dennen sang "King Herod's Song." He created the role of Pontius Pilate on Broadway and in the movie. He stole the show with his Herod role.
Jesus Christ Superstar retells the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. Instead of concentrating on the divinity of Jesus, the musical focuses on the complexity of the people involved and their humanity. Jesus Christ Superstar will be in Huntsville November 28-30, 2003. Tickets are available at the Von Baun Center Box Office or online at ticketmaster.com.
