![]() ![]() There’s little dramatic breathing space in the episodic scenes, and more interesting psychological texture in Judas or Pontius Pilate (an effectively contemplative Tom Hewitt) than in Jesus or Mary. Such weaknesses might be less the fault of the performers or director than the creators of the sung-through show, which began life as a 1969 concept album. seems merely a pretty groupie who’s handy with the massage oils. ![]() Nolan maintains a somber, introspective intensity, but reveals scant evidence of the charismatic power that galvanizes his disciples and threatens his enemies.Ĭhilina Kennedy’s Mary Magdalene is similarly beautiful but also a touch bland, underselling the emotion behind such pop hits as “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Could We Start Again Please.” McAnuff may have been wary of making the relationships too steamy, but Mary M. And like Young, he has the ample vocal range to do the songs justice, notably his tormented second-act soliloquy, “Gethsemane.” But the title figure has always seemed stifled under its symbolic weight in this show, and that hasn’t changed much. Rocking his cleavage-baring white robes, Paul Nolan’s Jesus certainly makes a sensual picture of noble suffering, with his honey-blonde locks and beard. The central triangle’s remaining two points are less magnetic. And given that this account of the final week in the life of Jesus of Nazareth is told from his betrayer’s point of view, it’s fitting that Young’s electrifying vocals and brooding presence dominate. The hit of last summer’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival, where McAnuff is artistic director, the production’s key onstage asset is its Judas Iscariot, Josh Young. (The show is one of two landmark Rice/Lloyd Webber collaborations returning to Broadway, ahead of Evita, which opens April 5.) That means this staging is likely to speak to ‘70s nostalgists (guilty as charged) as well as younger musical fans curious to know what the fuss was about. And McAnuff’s pedal-to-the-metal direction never precludes sincerity as it weighs the once-controversial man-or-Messiah question. ![]() But music director Rick Fox treats the rock-symphonic score and vocals with integrity appropriate to the era in which the material was born. and a wardrobe (courtesy of costumer Paul Tazewell) that ranges from period-nonspecific boho chic to trashy Vegas glitz. Superstar is not averse to present-day nods, starting with a digital rewind from 2012 to 33 A.D. The big difference separating them is that Godspell, which opened in November, continually apologizes for its origins, disguising its songs in fussy modernized orchestrations and vocal mannerisms, and heaping belabored jokey contemporary references onto every scene. Having revivals of the two iconic biblical rock musicals of the ‘70s reach Broadway in the same season allows for a useful comparison. STORY: ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Sets Broadway Return for 2012 Either way, it’s an entertaining guilty pleasure.Ĭritic's Notebook: 'Stranger Things: The First Shadow' Gives the Fanbase What They Want With Audacious Style Does the production make a great case for Andrew Lloyd Webberand Tim Rice’s epochal take on the Passion play? Probably better than most. Its fat, funky synthesizer sounds, folky guitars, wailing rock falsettos and hippified lyrics render it a 1970s pop-culture artifact – earnest but kitsch. But despite all its tricked-out technology, his Jesus Christ Superstar is firmly tethered to its roots. Matthias of Galilee/St.NEW YORK – Director Des McAnuff’s hyper-kinetic productions can give the impression that he never met a scaffold, an elevated catwalk, a video wall or a stadium-style lighting plot he didn’t love. Henrietta Iscariot/Sister Glenna: Maddie Eatonīartender/Sigmund Freud/Soldier: Matthew Sanguine Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis, author of Our Lady of 121st Street, the drama features musical theatre students in a straight play. SMTD Backstage: Internal Resources for Students & Employeesĭepartment of Musical Theatre Studio Productionīoasting a large, brazen cast of characters who speak in foul-mouthed street language, the play asks one of the most plaguing questions in the Christian ideology.Sustaining Excellence in the Performing Arts.Michigan Youth Performing Arts Pre-College Program.MPulse Summer Performing Arts Institutes.Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments. ![]()
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