Jesus Christ Superstar at the Peace Center
Three understudies took to the Peace Center stage for opening night of Jesus Christ Superstar, but other than astute attendees who’d memorized the program and noticed that a few advertised players were absent, there was practically every reason to think that the production was putting its best cast forward.
As such, Eric A. Lewis (Judas), Garfield Hammonds (Pilate), and Erick Patrick (Simon) deserve foremost kudos for ably blending into the ensemble, though their fellow actors and the team around them likewise warrant praise for creating an atmosphere where this level of plug-and-play can be enacted with minimal hitches.
The 50th Anniversary Tour of the beloved Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber musical is indeed operating on that elevated plane, albeit with a few flaws in this performance, likely stemming from the understudies’ promotions and/or the sound crew’s unfamiliarity with their vocal stylings.
While each word that headliners Aaron LaVigne (Jesus, though if the program had him listed as Macklemore, I’d have believed it), Jenna Rubaii (Mary), and Paul Louis Lessard (Herod, complete with the expected creative reveal) ring out crisp and clear, that’s unfortunately not the case for Lewis, Hammonds, and Patrick. Each understudy gives his all and exudes palpable presence — especially Lewis, extraordinarily comfortable as the show’s co-lead — but all three also happen to be tenors, and their enunciations are frequently lost in the sound mix with the rip-roaring rock band under the direction of principal keyboardist Shawn Gough.
The semi-muddied experience puts those familiar with the iconic material in the uncomfortable situation of knowing that novices in the audience are missing a decent chunk of lyrical storytelling that’s likely to hamper their appreciation of the carefully-crafted songs. Nevertheless, actions indeed speak louder than words in Jesus Christ Superstar, and in tandem with the discernible lyrics, the visuals should allow everyone in the crowd to comprehend what’s happening on a basic level.
Aiding matters is an appealing, scaffolding-rich production design with the band upstairs and the cast — including the talented singers and dancers in the chorus — primarily sticking to the stage level. Accompanying it is a large inverted cross that serves as a de facto red carpet and entryway for such supporting figures as Caiaphas (the delightfully imposing Alvin Crawford) and his four priests, whose scepters brilliantly transform into microphones when turned 180 degrees.
Though the fairly minimalist set leaves perhaps a little too much to the imagination when the scene shifts to the temple and Herod’s pool — and too much heavy lifting to Rice’s lyrics, which eventually ID both locations — the cross’ ability to believably transform into the table for The Last Supper and the road on which Jesus is whipped to a bloody pulp is impressive.
Similar praise goes to the show’s intermission-free nature — a rarity at the Peace Center — and director Timothy Sheader’s blunt handling of violence. Regardless of one’s religious beliefs, it’s harrowing to witness a human mauled and suffer live on stage, even if it’s “just” acting, and both LaVigne’s committed performance through the searing climax and the work of his co-stars will not soon be forgotten.
Jesus Christ Superstar runs through May 1 at the Peace Center. For details and tickets, visit peacecenter.org.
(Photos by Matthew Murphy)
