I admit it - I adore the original concept album of Jesus Christ Superstar. I've been listening to it forever. I even watch the movie if I catch it on tv. I just like it. The propulsion of the rock music, alongside a story I've been told for years, catches my ear just right. However, I've only seen the musical staged twice before now - I have a friend that directed an fantastic production at a community theater many years ago, and I saw the DREADFUL Broadway revival in 2000. Blech. Though I was just looking at ibdb and noticed that it had some great people in it, but the way I remember it is the direction was particularly bad, and the young man who played Jesus wasn't quite up to snuff.
Anyway, that leads me to this afternoon. I still don't think this production compares, on the whole, to my friend's production, but I enjoyed this one quite a bit anyway. AND, you'll be happy to know, I have a new boyfriend. I'm starting to think that I should have some sort of ceremony, kind of like the Gypsy Robe tradition at Broadway opening nights, to coronate my new boyfriends... ;)
I have to admit I was a little nervous during the Overture. I got excited hearing the electric guitar whale out the first few notes. Then, when the curtain rose, I saw the metallic erector-set set, just like the sets director Des McAnuff used in Tommy, Jersey Boys and The Farnsworth Invention. Well, I guess if you know something, stick with it. Sigh. Sarcasm. Then there were actors running back and forth, doing really goofy choreography while they were being chased by Storm Trooper-looking police, I thought "oh no, it's going to be bad like last time." But once New Boyfriend Josh Young propelled onto the stage to sing "Heaven on their Minds," all was right with the world. I thought he was fantastic - with charisma and a terrific singing voice, he put the conflict of Judas before us in a compelling way. His acting was just as good as his voice. And, well, let's just say he looked good in the spandex while delivering a thrilling version of "Superstar" in the second act.
Though there was nothing particularly interesting in McAnuff's direction, I did like how he focused on telling the story. Not on vocal pyrotechnics, but in crystal clear diction of lyrics and conveying emotion. I enjoyed that. In fact, I heard a few lyrics I never really 'got' before and they illuminated new sections of the story for me. Which is kinda fun, since everyone basically knows our story here.
I found Paul Nolan as Jesus a little one-note. Yes, he is rather written that way, but just adopting a beatific look throughout the first act is a little monotonous to watch. But, he did come alive (as it were) in the second act, and his "Gethsemane" was powerhouse. The gal playing Mary Magdalene was a weak link, to me. I think the actress sort of decided she was going to play Mary as a tough girl, so she slouched and stomped around, and sang in a tough ballsy way, which didn't really work for me, especially in her love songs. I thought the guy playing Simon Zealotes was terrific, and I liked the voices of Caiaphas and Annas. There was an understudy for King Herod - I liked his look very much, but didn't really enjoy his rich, spoiled, whiny take on his song. But I greatly enjoyed Tom Hewitt (a longtime favorite) as Pontius Pilate - he found a nice balance between fear, power and snake-oil charm. And he looked ever so fine in his purple velvet suit.
I think the production strains to play up a sexual love triangle between Jesus, Judas and Mary Magdalene and it doesn't quite work, mainly because there's no sexual heat from anyone but Judas. He can't be a triangle by himself, though he is pretty hot. And if I have to see black leather costumes used as a metaphor for mean people, I'm going to vomit. What a cliche. The hip hop choreography didn't work for me and I really didn't enjoy all the projections. Having a ticker tell me what day it is and how far we were from Passover just annoyed me. BUT, I did enjoy how they were used at the very end, with more and more text coming faster and faster, and then it was projected across the stage, to show that Jesus has not been forgotten - there are still millions of words written about him every day. So that use of the projections was effective to me. The rest of the projections? Not so much.
The last scenes of the show, starting with "Superstar" through the end, were quite stirring. The crucifixion was staged very well and the way McAnuff chose to end the show was quietly moving. Thankfully, the show didn't end the way it began for me. :) I say if you like the music of Jesus Christ Superstar, you should see this production. It's not perfect, but the storytelling is clear and confident, the score is beautifully sung and Josh Young's Judas is a terrific center. I hope to see him on stage again VERY soon.
This Friday starts Summer Fridays! Hooray!! I'm hoping to be able to stick to my "lunch at a Food Network chef's restaurant/museum pairing" idea. So, for the first week, I'm toying with trying Geoffrey Zakarian's Lamb's Club restaurant for lunch, then heading over to the International Center of Photography - they're having an exhibit on Civil War photography that looks interesting. I guess it depends on the budget. The Lamb's Club is not an inexpensive venture... Oh, and Saturday night is the next ballet in my subscription, La Bayadere. Starring uber-favorite David Hallberg. Whee!
**Five years ago, I saw ANOTHER boyfriend, Michael Cerveris, in LoveMusik; four years ago, I went with a pal to see David Grimm's Steve & Idi; two years ago, I suffered through Everyday Rapture; and last year, I had a grand evening with another pal at David Lindsay-Abaire's terrific Good People...
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