Jesus Christ... Superstar?
Rating: 3
Jesus Christ Superstar
The Theatre in the Park
I have been going to Theatre in the park for many years and I have seen many productions; and over the years I have witnessed some very solid shows and some shows that were not quite there. For me this one falls into the latter category. My biggest issue with this particular production is the lack of focus, there seems to be a lot of ideas swimming around that cloud the intent of the show. What I got from the show was that we were in a modern world where things like twitter and facebook exist along with cell phones and other such technology; and these things were helping in gathering followers and spreading the word of "JC". The idea of updating a show to a modern setting is fine and has been done with many shows. My problem with this one is that while updating the time period we lost almost all of the inherent religious qualities of the script. If this was intentional then it was a success. My prime example is the BZ Watts character. The idea of a narrator in this show is almost a little redundant, it seems the only purpose of this character was to drive home the idea that we are in a modern era. That said I think that most of the performances were solid and the show overall is enjoyable.
The director, Phil Kinen, who has been working out at theatre in the park for years; some of his previous shows are Cats, Cinderella, Fiddler, Annie, Footloose - just to name a few off the top of my head. Every time I hear that he is directing one the shows I know that I am in for a ride. Of the directors that come through TTIP, Phil seems to have the most unique perspective. Wrapping Cinderella in bubble wrap... enough said. I think that this show fits his more unique styling better than, say, Cinderella but once again I feel the lack of focus may rest on his concept. While stage pictures and blocking were solid - as I expect from Phil; some of my favorite stage pictures were the times that Judas was standing from the second level of the scenery watching the action onstage, simple but extremely effective. His choice to change the script is a bold move. Anytime a director adds an entire character I get a little weary. In this case I am not sure if it was successful. Overall, Phil has created a complex and interesting show with some great collaborations and an extreme amount of bold choices. Kudos, Phil, it may have not been my taste but you can always tell that there is an amazing amount of intense thought and work that goes into the choices that are made. The show is energetic and vivid.
Jesus, Sam Dowling, was not bad in this daunting role. It has to be very difficult to play Jesus Christ. Vocally, he is very talented. There were some pitchy moments but overall technically very good. My biggest problem with this portrayal was the lack of emotional depth. There seemed to be a lack of connection between Jesus and his purpose. The whole idea of trying to save these people is a powerful motivation but it did not come off as important or urgent and I felt it could have. This also plays into the lack of physicality that could help display this tumultuous emotion. Strong performance but could have kicked it up several notches.
Judas, Eric Morris, for me was the highlight of the evening. Morris was able to convey every ounce of contempt and regret through intense vocal prowess and spot on physicality. Vocally he is top notch, from a clean and beautiful tone to the ceiling scraping notes that are required of the role. At every moment, Morris, was interesting to watch onstage. There is often a lack of intensity with actors at TTIP; this was not the case with Morris. I think this was big step for him as well, he was last seen as the youngest brother is Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. Keep it up and I look forward to your future roles.
Mary Magdalene, Whitney Armstrong, was delightful. She brought a certain softness to the show that I was in desperate need of. Her moments of quiet contemplation through "I don't know how to love him" were simple and elegant. My main problem with this role in general is that there is not a hint of prostitute here but this is the same throughout every production I have seen of this musical. She did a lovely job.
Simon, Adam MacAdoo, who was last seen in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers as the Lead did a decent job here. MacAdoo was extremely energetic as Simon and got the stage rocking with "Power and Glory". Vocally, MacAdoo seemed to struggle with some of the higher notes but got the message through with his character choices and physicality.
Peter, Tim Yamnitz, had several moments that were solid and well done. An intense and beautiful song "Could we start again" that was filled with nice harmonies (and by the way a powerful a capella moment!) Then there were other moments that were not so connected. Such as when Peter denies Jesus, there was a huge lack of sincerity.
Pilate, Nathan Johnson, did an excellent job as the man that put Jesus to death. Strong and contemplative to Aggressive and pleading. There were several strong character choices that really came through when he was struggling to get Jesus to save himself. A very nice job overall.
King Herod, Bob Kohler, did a nice job of capturing the "Jerry Springer"-esque performance. The character was fun and demeaning. Solid vocal performance wrapped in committed physicality. Fun to watch!
Caiaphas, Rob Hallifax, was appropriate for this role and delivered a solid performance. The ominous character was portrayed with unflinching grit and without a hint of remorse. Well done.
Annas, Debbie Blinn, who was the real mastermind behind the operation to kill Jesus, did an excellent job overall. Solid vocals and clear intent made this performance a delight. The really interesting part was the death of Judas - did we want the audience to feel sorry for him? A big departure from the script but Blinn pulled it off successfully.
BZ Watts, here is my biggest problem with the show. By the way this has nothing to do with the actress. She did a beautiful job as the squeaky and overly perky narrator. Quality performance. That said, for me, this was the big disconnect in the show. Beside the fact that it was strange but the moments she came out on stage were often in the middle of something important happening onstage and was a huge distraction. I would have like to have seen this actor in another role, and this character removed.
Sound for this show was a small issue for me, the overall balance, to me, was off. There seemed to be moments where the orchestra was quiet when it needed to be loud and in your face and there also were moments that the vocals were too soft to hear what was going on. It's hard to put my finger on but it seemed that the balance was all over the place throughout the show. I have heard better at the park.
Russell Langdon is back for his third season at TTIP and this was quite the way to kick it off. The lighting for this show, no matter what production, is always very important. With a mix of concert and theatrical techniques, Langdon has done a beautiful job. The use of color and focus throughout propelled the show into dramatic emotional spaces. At almost every moment in the show you knew where you needed to be looking because of the lighting composition. Langdon has been able to create large production numbers with big sweeping strokes as well as small quiet moments with some simple nuance. There were some issues I had, though. The main issue was the use of audience blinders. They were effective because, along with myself, I witnessed many other audience members flinch and turn away from the stage. The lighting should never cause the audience to miss something onstage. Other than that I thought the crucifixion was interesting and well executed. Well done - I look forward to Annie
Glen Anderson is back for his second season as scenic designer with a very simple scenic design. Truss towers and fabric arches encompass almost the entire design. This simple and effective set allows for many levels and business for the actors to work through. I am not a huge fan of symmetry in scenic design but this works alright. I did, however, enjoy the twelve towers and their metaphorical implications.
Costumes were an interesting mix of modern. It seemed to span from the 1960s to today but I think it worked for the most part, I always feel sorry for the actors who have to wear heavy clothing such as denim jackets and coats when it is 90 degrees outside. But overall it looked good.
read the review at KC Stage
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