I attended the preview of “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Saturday, March with great anticipation and ended up a little disappointed in the overall production. The show has merit and a couple of wonderful performances but the show overall left me a bit underwhelmed.
Let me begin with the staging which was nothing to write home about. The News ticker at the top of the stage was to my view poorly thought out and a sad distraction. A tool for pacing.. but a Time Square style news ticker??? Really???
Costume wise-everyone is in dark colors except. The crowd is in browns, the bad guys are in black and Jesus is in…. You guessed it- white-all white- all the time. I know this appears trite but it impacts the overall affect. Some of the costumes felt like they fell off the Star Wars or Planet of the Apes wardrobe truck. As for the overall chorography or lighting-nothing stands out.
The score is brilliant but dated which is to be expected. Nice mix of rock and R&B. The Hammond organ filled the theatre. What a great sound and tone. Brought back some great memories and I am sure more than a few people in their forties and fifties knew the score by heart, which is the elixir for the evening. The performers were good but a couple where worth noting…. Both Peter and Judas Iscariot were a very good. Herod was a great change of pace. Mary M was good but not exceptional. Jesus was clearly weary with his lot in life and was consumed with his fate. Great voice but at times his voice sounded like he fronted a heavy metal band in his younger days.
I am a Catholic but non-practicing. I found the lashing of Jesus Christ disturbing. Again, I am a bad Catholic but I don’t see the crucifixion or torture of Jesus Christ as musical theatre. I felt the 39 lashes to a great rock hook is surreal. Not sure how I was supposed to react to it? And the finale with Christ on the glitzy cross almost brought the audience to its feet. It was a bit too surreal for me.
My religious upbringing is very much apart of my overall view of the show. Felt at points sacrilegious. Or I was expecting something grander. It felt like there wasn’t a lot of investment in the overall product which means it’s a cash grab. Felt rushed too.
This show will open to mixed reviews but will do well…. The score is the thing. People remember and love the music and for that reason they will come to the theatre to experience it again. I don’t think the will remember the production though.