\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
Before it was ever a Broadway show, the rock opera JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR started as a much-debated concept album.\u00a0 Written by two young, then-unknown Britishers\u2014Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/a> with the music and Tim Rice<\/a> with the lyrics\u2014the double album became a touchstone to my generation.\u00a0 But the modern-day puritans pooh-poohed it. They didn\u2019t trust that a rock score\u2014the \u201cdevil\u2019s music\u201d as some of them thought\u2014could rightfully carry the message of God; they wanted their religious music to be reverential with either gospel singers or country crooners leading the way.\u00a0<\/p>\n \ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR hit the zeitgeist jackpot when the newfound Jesus Movement emerged that same year (a sort of \u201cJesusmania\u201d to the young who turned away from drugs and found God).\u00a0 Blooming from the Sixties Flower Children, this movement reached its apex in 1970 with songs like \u201cSpirit in the Sky,\u201d \u201cPut Your Hand in the Hand\u201d and George Harrison<\/a>\u2019s Krishna-fueled \u201cMy Sweet Lord\u201d pushing their way through the crackle of AM radio.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Leading the way that year was JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, which spawned two hit singles (\u201cSuperstar\u201d and Helen Reddy<\/a>\u2019s version of \u201cI Don\u2019t Know How to Love Him\u201d).\u00a0<\/p>\n I remember when the album was first released days before my eighth birthday, and I overheard the heated arguments between my parents and my sisters about it.\u00a0 My mother thought any album with the words \u201cJesus Christ\u201d and \u201cSuperstar\u201d in the title had to be blasphemous, but she and my father did what any good parent would do before they would say yes or no to give us permission to \u00a0listen to it: They researched the work.\u00a0 They attended a performance of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR \u00a0(long before it hit Broadway) and came out so moved that not only did they give their okay for my siblings to buy the record, but they allowed my sisters to attend that performance the next week as well. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The album, which focuses on the last week of Christ\u2019s life, became an instant favorite of mine and I could actually perform a one-man show of it while in the third grade (probably still can).\u00a0 I danced to \u201cSimon Zealotes,\u201d wept through \u201cGethsemane,\u201d laughed in \u201cKing Herod\u2019s Song,\u201d and remained horrified and deeply saddened by\u00a0 the cruelty displayed in \u201cTrial Before Pilate\u201d where Jesus lost (but to Christians like myself, ultimately won).\u00a0<\/p>\n So, any company that puts on JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is worthy of a celebration from me, and that\u2019s certainly the case with the current production at the Carrollwood Cultural Center.\u00a0<\/p>\n It\u2019s 56 years after the album\u2019s debut, and yet the show is still controversial.\u00a0 Last year in Los Angeles, Cynthia Erivo<\/a> played Jesus to much applause and to some derision from patriarchal purists.\u00a0 The same holds true here with the casting of a strong black woman as Jesus in the Carrollwood Cultural Center\u2019s production.\u00a0 Patty Smithey, one of my favorite local performers, inhabits the part with pathos, ferocity, yearning, power and grace. But I\u2019m sure such casting ruffled the feathers of those who miss the point of the show (as well as the Bible) and want the person portraying Jesus to be boringly old-fashioned, cookie cutter, male and white.<\/p>\n Having a woman of color play the part universalizes the role, makes it more catholic (note the small c, not a capital C).\u00a0 People from all walks of life can identify with Christ\u2019s divinity, making the role more welcoming and, a word that will cause ire with a certain segment of our country, inclusive. With Ms. Smithey in the title role, the material elevates itself into something beyond another Ted Neeley<\/a> interpretation of JCS (not that there\u2019s anything wrong with that).\u00a0 It tuns this timeless show into a very timely one.<\/p>\n There are some moments in this production that may not sit well with people who like their gospels safe and easy to swallow: It\u2019s set in modern times, with cell phones recording Jesus\u2019 final days.\u00a0 The Roman Guards in this JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR are not your usual steel-armored Praetorian police. In this, they are dressed like ICE Agents, their faces covered in black masks.\u00a0<\/p>\n But this JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is also a lot of fun to watch.\u00a0 At the start, the famous Overture plays and the cast, with the villains leading the way, walk down the aisle like a rollicking Entrance Procession in church.\u00a0 The apostles interact with the audience, like we\u2019re at a party, which is appropriate for the early sections of the show.\u00a0 And then \u201cHeaven on Their Minds\u201d plays, led by the amazing Evan Lomba as Judas, and we are in for the fastest two hours of our lives.<\/p>\n This JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is a lot of things; boring isn\u2019t one of them.<\/p>\n Most of the cast are superlative.\u00a0 Evan Lomba\u2019s Judas is such a unique, fascinating interpretation of history\u2019s most misunderstood betrayer\u2014part camp, part emotional wreck, all Lomba.\u00a0 At times the role comes across like Joan Collins<\/a> meets the Spider Woman, and at others it\u2019s like a rock star from an Eighties hair band has joined the show.\u00a0 Lomba hits outrageous notes, riffs unlike anyone in this universe, and sings fast and furious.\u00a0 My only qualm is that in some of his softer moments, the music plays too loud and his mic is not at the level where it should be, and it\u2019s hard to hear.\u00a0<\/p>\n But Lomba, who also choreographs (it\u2019s a dance-heavy show), really gets to strut his stuff in \u201cSuperstar,\u201d which is like a gospelized Vegas floor show. It\u2019s the song Lomba was born to play, owning the stage so dynamically here that he could put Cher to shame. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Jessica Hill makes for a lovely Mary Magdalene, and her version of \u201cI Don\u2019t Know How to Love Him\u201d is phenomenally moving.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if I see the sense of the fallen woman in her interpretation, the former prostitute who Christ befriends and saves, but she\u2019s an incredibly strong presence.\u00a0<\/p>\n David Groomes is haunting and correctly doesn\u2019t overdo the villainy of Pontius Pilate.\u00a0 The key to the part, which Mr. Groomes grasps, is to humanize him, which makes his final fatal decision carry that much more weight.\u00a0 We are all like Pilate at one time or another in our own lives, making tough decisions, and hopefully we won\u2019t be so wishy-washy, lacking empathy and easily offended when handing a verdict. (Unfortunately, in this production, in Pilate’s most human moment\u2014\u201cPilate\u2019s Dream\u201d\u2014there was a mic explosion that immediately took us out of this haunting ode.) It\u2019s quite a journey the character takes, seeing Christ as a mere irritation and then later having him beaten and realizing that this is where history will always define him (as one of mankind\u2019s bad guys; no one aspires to be Pontius Pilate, at least I hope not).\u00a0 And Mr. Groomes\u2019 delivery of his very last word\u2014\u201cPuppet!\u201d\u2014is a doozy.<\/p>\n Jackson Stoe is quite talented, but we never feel the sense of command and power with his Caiaphas, the high priest. He seems to have the exact same expression\u2014dispassion verging on boredom\u2014throughout the show. Caiaphas is surrounded by other priests (including the always reliable Luis Graham and Crais Ruska) as well as two people playing Annas, his worm-like colleagues (well-played by Katie Castonguay and Erin Ruska). They come across as the Flotsam and Jetsam to Caiaphas\u2019 Ursula. Am I wrong to find it quite odd that the audience applauded and cheered the villains\u2019 big number, \u201cThis Jesus Must Die\u201d?<\/p>\n Topher Larkin\u2019s King Herod is a meta-hoot, dazzling and unapologetically campy. There was a technical glitch on the night I went, and thank God (literally) that it occurred during this number.\u00a0 Mr. Larkin takes the improv reigns and runs with it.\u00a0 And the song is a glittering, goofy villain romp, perfect for Mr. Larkin\u2019s joyously over-the-top performance.\u00a0 His improv abilities wound up saving the show; this is why I love live theatre. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Christian McLaurine works up quite a sweat as dance captain and is roaringly good in his version of my favorite song from the show, \u201cSimon Zealotes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n My pick for Best Apostle goes to Tavin Groomes as Peter, who is sensational in every moment of this production, not just onstage, but while roving through the audience.\u00a0 He\u2019s such a vibrant force, an energetic wonder, alive and full of constant verve.\u00a0<\/p>\n Andy Correa has a splendid moment as part of the jeering crowd who gets Jesus\u2019 blood literally on their hands. Devon Bittinger is a wondrous dancer, with her very own memorable pole-dancing routine in the temple, which has been turned into a strip bar and flea market (where sellers hawk Jesus merch like t-shirts and caps), much to Jesus\u2019 dismay. Jill Ricardo hovers around the set, separate from the action but always observing it; she is playing Jesus\u2019 mother, Mary, and it\u2019s an interesting addition to the story, very Catholic (with a capital C).\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n The ensemble is a motley crew of performers and lots of fun, including Jaylene Almodovar, Neil Bleiweiss, Ashley Buttafucco, Josh Eberhart (also responsible for the lighting design), Barb Gasper, Kelsey Lopez, James Madden, Kristin Nelson, Teresa Richardson, Victoria Tribble and a newcomer to our area\u2019s stages, Donovan Dykes.\u00a0<\/p>\n And then there\u2019s Patty Smithey. What can I say about her performance as Jesus?\u00a0 It hits all levels\u2014lighter than air at times and yet emotionally draining; tornado ferocious and then quietly caring; passionately strong and yet full of grace. Her chill-inducing \u201cGethsemane,\u201d the Act 2 showstopper, is a marvel that leaves you holding your breath; it\u2019s quite an emotional wallop.\u00a0 The song, certainly one of Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/a>\u2019s best, builds and builds until it hits its climactic moment, and the audience was left in tatters. We had just experienced something profound, moving, both deeply human and yet otherworldly. Ms. Smithey\u2019s work here was properly rewarded with a prolonged ovation that only stopped because we had to get to the rest of the show.\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The music is pre-recorded except for the guitarist, Dan Mockensturm, who rocks downstage right for the show’s duration. The music direction by the always-wonderful Latoya McCormick is strong, getting wonderful harmonies from her cast (when they weren\u2019t being undermined by mic issues). Josh Eberhart\u2019s lighting is effective (with lots of new lights and visual effects added to the CCC stage).\u00a0 Paul Berg\u2019s costumes are cooly contemporary, with the hooded Judean baddies donning sunglasses, looking like they are prepping for a Black Mass or auditioning for a new Men in Black flick.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are some minor problems with the production\u2014some messy choreo, some questionable moments.\u00a0 For example, Judas turns Jesus over to the authorities by kissing him (as written in the Bible), but he\u2019s supposed to do this as a pre-determined sign for the high priests to arrest Jesus; but in this version, there are no Romans or priests around and yet Judas still kisses the victim of his betrayal\u2026why?\u00a0 And at one moment, a high priest sings, \u201cJudas, thank you for this victim; stay awhile and you\u2019ll see him bleed.\u201d\u00a0 The problem?\u00a0 Judas is nowhere around the stage when this is mentioned (I looked and I could not find him; again, why?)\u00a0<\/p>\n But there\u2019s one main issue that cannot be pushed aside: The sound, especially the microphones.\u00a0 This is a show where its power was undermined by this.\u00a0 For example, in Mackley Fogarty\u2019s wonderful video of Jesus\u2019 arrest, the voices were not mixed properly and were very hard to hear, and the scene didn\u2019t have the force that it should have had if the voices meshed correctly.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure these mic issues will be ironed out as the show continues its run.<\/p>\n Director Paul Berg has guided a glorious production, sometimes flawed but always engaging.\u00a0 He has a vision that works in today\u2019s world, including having the apostles always dancing, always in motion, while the high priest villains stand solemnly still.\u00a0 His vision, especially at the end, turns this production into a sort of musical version of chicken soup for the soul that we need in this day and age.\u00a0<\/p>\n And Berg’s interpretation of the final moments of the production still haunts me.\u00a0 At the end, when Christ is put on trial and crucified, we see a split in crowds, a clear division, similar to the current split in our electorate.\u00a0 On one side are Jesus\u2019 empathetic chosen ones (Mary Magdalene, Peter, Simon, and Jesus\u2019 mother), mourning and crying and pleading; on the other, the taunting crowd who jeer and want to see this Jesus die, their cellphones gleefully capturing each detail of his pain. One side is pro-Jesus and deflated, seemingly defeated; the other are pro-Pilates and pro-Herods who join in a mob mentality and, cackling in celebration as someone is tortured and killed, lack all empathy and humanity.\u00a0<\/p>\n But then something miraculous happens.\u00a0 At the end, after Jesus\u2019 crucifixion, those jeering folks, the rabid crowd, slowly change and at the end, they join the mourners in kneeling before the cross while the show\u2019s final music, \u201cJohn Nineteen: Forty-One,\u201d plays. \u00a0One by one they kneel, and in an instance of sheer brilliance, even the guitarist joins in. \u00a0You\u2019ll find yourself wiping your eyes at the extreme power of this moment, one that I won\u2019t soon forget.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is what this finale meant to me: Everyone, including those who taunted and jeered Jesus and showed no compassion for our Lord, has the power to be redeemed.\u00a0 They can right a wrong; they can change the direction of their lives and of the world. And if they can change and find the right path, then maybe there\u2019s hope for everyone else.\u00a0 Maybe at long last there\u2019s hope for our shattered world.\u00a0<\/p>\n JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR at the Carrollwood Cultural Center runs thru March 22.\u00a0 Photo Credit: Chaz D Photography. \u00a0<\/p>\n Reader Reviews<\/p>\n To post a comment, you must register<\/a> and login<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfad NEW! Tampa Theatre Newsletter Get all the top news & discounts for Tampa & beyond. 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