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July 18, 2008
Jesus has divine moments
Despite its faults, TUTS production has many highlights.
CYNTHIA RAMSAY
There are two great things about the musical Jesus Christ Superstar – the music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and the lyrics by Tim Rice. Both are challenging, yet, when played and sung well, the result is beautiful and exhilarating. While the Theatre Under the Stars production falls short of the mark, it doesn't miss it entirely, and there are some definite highlights to the show now playing at the Stanley Park's Malkin Bowl.
The first highlight is, thankfully, Mat Baker as Jesus. While he plays the part a little stiffly, is much too clean shaven and has been costumed in a ridiculous-looking wig, he can sing – and Jesus Christ Superstar is pretty much all music, hardly any dialogue, so this is of the utmost importance.
Webber and Rice tell the story of the last days of Jesus' life in a rock opera format. The music came out in 1970, with musical productions to follow, so it has a 1970s aura. The costumes are simple: flower-children garb for Jesus and his followers, military attire for the occupying Romans and dark robes for the Jewish priests who want Jesus put to death.
The musical starts with Judas, played by Adam Charles, worrying that Jesus is starting to believe the rumors circulating among his followers that he is God and that the religious and political authorities are beginning to focus their attention on Jesus' activities. Judas also disapproves of Jesus' liaison with Mary Magdalene. For these and other motives, Judas ultimately betrays Jesus, gets him arrested and killed. In fact, Jesus Christ Superstar is almost more about Judas than Jesus, which is why it is unfortunate that TUTS couldn't have gotten a stronger singer/actor to portray this character. Charles makes a worthy attempt of a very demanding role and he reaches all of the high notes, but he always looks like he is physically trying to launch into them, acting almost every scene with fists clenched, arms held slightly to the back, body stretched upwards.
If Judas was Jesus' right hand man, Mary Magdalene was the woman by his side, and she is played well by Tamara Vishniakoff, whose warm voice is indeed comforting in "Everything's Alright." Later, she sings what is a difficult number, "I Don't Know How to Love Him," with the requisite mix of longing and confusion, although some of her lower notes/words get lost.
Other powerful singers are Brandyn Eddy, as one of the priests, Annas – while he doesn't get to sing much, when he gets the chance, he is fabulous, and he is a welcome break from poor Stefan Winfield, who just cannot reach the low bass notes required of the role of the high priest, Caiaphus. And, while Doug Thoms as Pilate blasts through "Pilate's Dream," which should be sung with intensity rather than volume, he more than makes up for it in "Trial before Pilate/The 39 Lashes." Here, Thoms' strength is needed and he cements this number as one of the best of this production, especially with the imaginative choreography in which the 39 lashes to Christ are "given" by dancers who rotate behind a chained and haggard Jesus – as each dancer passes, he or she smears "blood" on Jesus' body and torn shirt or does a kick or hitting motion to which Jesus reacts as if he really were hit. It is very effective.
Finally, Andrew Byerlay as the bejewelled gangsta King Herod almost steals the show. He adds some nice dramatic touches to the glitzy, toe-tapping song in which Herod asks Jesus to prove his divinity by performing a miracle, such as turning water into wine or walking across the king's swimming pool.
Such noteworthy performances – and others, such as Franki Floro among the dancers (she also stood out in her enthusiasm and focus earlier this year in the chorus of High School Muiscal) – make the weaker parts even more frustrating, especially since some of them could have been avoided. For example, Baker, as Jesus, does an admirable job of the song "Gethsemane," which deals with Jesus' doubts about his role on earth and what he must do. Baker aces the transitions in the song, from sadness to anger and then ultimate acceptance of Jesus' grisly fate. However, Gillian Barber's direction is over-the-top, with Jesus ending up in a mess of tears, rather than in renewed, albeit sombre, resolve.
The choreography by Troy McLaughlin is at times compelling, but uneven, and music director Douglas Macaulay misses a few key elements. One of the most glaring has to do with the song "Could We Start Again Please?" It is one of the most lovely pieces in the musical and the Peter and Mary duet section is done very well by Tyson Coady and Vishniakoff, but, as those melodic notes still linger, the enjoyment is broken by Coady's inability (both times on opening night) to reach the high note on the word "halt" – surely the note could have been lowered to another in the chord, or another actor on stage could have sung that line.
All that being said, Jesus Christ Superstar is worth seeing. The music is gorgeous, the story emotionally compelling. If that's not enough, there are two members of the Jewish community in the cast, apostles Amanda Buckingham and Doran Satanove, whom it would be good support. They seem to be having fun up there on the stage and, in the end, that's what a night out should be. All nitpicking aside, TUTS' Jesus Christ Superstar delivers that at least.
Jesus Christ Superstar opened July 9 and will close Aug. 16. It alternates nights with Annie Get Your Gun, which opened July 10 and closes Aug. 15. Tickets are $29 to $36 and can be purchased from www.ticketstonight.ca or by calling 604-684-2787.
Next week, the Jewish Independent reviews Annie Get Your Gun.
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