Venue: Capitol Theatre (Sydney NSW), from Nov 6, 2024 – Jan 26, 2025
Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics: Tim Rice
Director: Timothy Sheader
Cast: Elliott Baker, Mahalia Barnes, Reuben Kaye, Javon King, Peter Murphy, John O’Hara, Michael Paynter
Images by Jeff Busby
Theatre review
Originally an album of songs about the Passion, and one of the first rock operas to be written, Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice has travelled a long way from its conception in 1970. What had been deemed irreligious and controversial, has become unremarkable, due mainly to the steady rise of secularism over the decades.
The performative intensity and drama of God’s only son being killed by crucifixion, seems almost quaint in today’s climate. This iteration fuses the musical and concert formats, for a compact showcase of Lloyd Webber and Rice’s songs, as directed by Timothy Sheader, whose rendition feels entirely faithful to the work’s initial spirit. There may be nothing surprising about the production, but the lustre of its song writing seems to have persisted, especially with extraordinary musical direction by Laura Tipoki imbuing a timeless soul edge, that connects wonderfully our contemporary sensibilities to these half-century old tunes.
Performer Michael Paynter’s vocals prove a sensation for the role of Jesus, but it is Javon King as Judas who leaves the best impression, with both acting and singing abilities being a source of constant astonishment. Mahalia Barnes and Peter Murphy sing perfectly their respective parts for Mary and Pilate, but characterisations are lacking. Reuben Kaye appears as Herod for a single number, introducing a moment of camp that is certainly a highlight.
Aside from Herod’s costume which is unequivocally spectacular, production design by Tom Scutt is somewhat underwhelming, with a setting that creates awkwardly inconvenient divisions of space for the ensemble. Choreography by Drew McOnie too is often inelegant and overzealous, in a show we learn to be one that sounds much better than it looks. There is perhaps a satisfaction in discovering that the songs of Jesus Christ Superstar have, by and large, stood the test of time, but it is unclear whether any staging could live up to the power of its heyday.
Suzy Goes See 