REVIEW: 'Jesus Christ Superstar' is a rock extravanganza about finding your faith
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s award-winning Jesus Christ Superstar had its gala night premiere at the Solaire Theater last Wednesday, recounting the Passion of the Christ through an inspired combination of hard-hitting music and energetic performances. Co-presented by GMG Productions and UnionBank (following their previous successes with the likes of Hamilton, Six, and Dear Evan Hansen), this staging marks the latest iteration of the London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production that’s already toured Australia and the United States.
As the overture’s initial electric guitar riff cut through the darkness, a sense of rapturous anticipation came over the venue, the guitar solo’s anguished wail giving way to a frantic, brassy throughline, building up to a full-on rock arrangement that would have the audience on their feet in any other setting. By the time elements of the show’s signature refrain kicked in, the message was clear: Jesus Christ Superstar was here to rock.
The story opens with Jesus (Joshua Bess) and his followers, along with Mary Magdalene (Gab Pangilinan), arriving in Jerusalem, unaware of the fate that awaits them. Judas (Javon King) begins to question Jesus’ methods and relationship with Mary just as the Pharisees, under high priest Caiaphas (Grant Hodges), confer on how to rid themselves of the so-called King of the Jews. With Jesus’ influence reaching a breaking point, the Pharisees decide to have Jesus executed, collaborating with Judas to carry out their plan. While Jerusalem’s Roman administrator Pilate (Ethan Hardy Benson) initially refuses to be party to Jesus’ execution—opting for torture instead—he eventually assents to having him crucified. As Jesus meets his fate, Judas’ spirit laments if the events taking place were truly part of a grand design, or simply history taking its course.
Making its bow in 1970 as a concept album before opening on Broadway in 1971, Jesus Christ Superstar has entertained audiences across six decades for its nuanced, counterculture, altogether human take on the death of Jesus Christ. While canonical texts rarely explored the psychology and emotional states of Biblical figures, the play succeeds at expanding on the existing lore, adding much-welcome depth to a story many currently take for granted. While there is no Wicked-level retconning here, what we do have are reasonable extrapolations of what anyone in extraordinary circumstances might go through.
Indeed, regardless of one’s stance on Christian dogma, Jesus Christ Superstar is a thoroughly enjoyable character study, a deep dive on the psychology of power, faith, and the burden of expectations. While the need to present religious figures in the best possible light is certainly understandable, the decision to portray them here as actual, relatable human beings (with all the fallibilities that implies) is arguably more impactful than a straight retelling. Take, for instance, the 18 years of Jesus’ life that the Bible consciously omits, wherein He (presumably) engaged in precisely the sort of Human experience he was sent to Earth to absorb in the first place. Far from marginalizing the New Testament’s canonical content, such material would actually add both narrative context and emotional resonance to the Messiah’s ultimate decision to do good as a (flawed) mortal.
Musical soliloquies notwithstanding, the play further explores Jesus’ human side through its positioning of Mary Magdalene as His close female companion, to the point of including her in the Last Supper. Philippine stage veteran Gab Pangilinan makes for an excellent Magdalene, with her rendition of I Don’t Know How To Love Him driving home the difficulty of loving someone carrying the world’s sins on His shoulders. In the media conference preceding the show, Pangilinan revealed that she was initially intimidated by the short rehearsal period with her castmates, but there was no trace of insecurity to be found in the performance we saw.
While Pangilinan definitely did the Philippines proud, the show was anchored by powerhouse performances from Javon King as Judas, Grant Hodges as Caiaphas, and Ethan Hardy Benson as Pilate, with each effectively stealing the show at various points.
As the show’s secondary lead, Judas, King displayed exceptional vocal range and stage presence as a character questioning his faith. While fundamentalists may find a sympathetic presentation of Judas to be distasteful, King owns every moment he is on stage. At the same time, Hodges brought an infectious, almost cartoonishly-evil energy to Caiaphas, unforgettably realized here as an arena rock boyband frontman, complete with eyeliner-wearing minions. And, just when we thought things couldn’t get any better, we were blessed with Erich W. Shleck as a drop-dead fabulous glam rock Herod, who interrogates Jesus in true diva fashion.
Which, of course, brings us to the title character who, as played on opening night by Joshua Bess, unfortunately failed to match his co-stars verve or polish. The situation was lampshaded earlier in the day, when Bess himself told invited media that he was usually the understudy, ultimately manifesting with his Jesus lapsing into pitchy territory multiple times, in addition to his already lackluster performance. Where Jesus actors in previous adaptations projected inner turmoil, Bess’ take was more aloof than anything else. Granted, he did well with the physicality of the 39 lashes sequence and subsequent crucifixion, but there’s more to this part than just taking one’s shirt off. In any case, GMG Productions’ social media wound up announcing the arrival of their main Jesus (Luke Street) two days later, on May 7, so audience experiences may vary.
For this production, the sets and costumes by Olivier- and Tony Award-winner Tom Scutt eschew the 1973’s film version’s historical aesthetic in favor of a pseudo-industrial aesthetic that complements the pulsating soundtrack. At the same time, the stage is dominated by cross motifs, while the set itself is laid out in a way that allows for complex choreography that interacts with the environment. Paired with Drew McOnie’s Olivier-nominated choreography and (most of) the cast’s spirited performances, the overall result is an endlessly engaging piece of musical theater.
Minor caveats aside, this iteration of the iconic musical is a theatrical tour de force that simply must be experienced live; whether you’re looking for a boundary-pushing take on a well-known story, or just a great time at the theater, Jesus Christ Superstar has lost none of its power or potency over 55 years of showing people how it’s done.
Go see what the buzz is about—and prepare to be floored.
Jesus Christ Superstar is now playing at the Solaire Theater until May 31. Tickets are available at TicketWorld.
