‘Superstar’ Aging, But Spectacular
Maybe they should call this one “Jesus Christ Superstar - The Second Coming.”
This national touring production, which hits the Opera House on Tuesday and Wednesday, is the same show that hit Spokane on Dec. 26 for two shows.
And that, in terms of quality, is a good thing. It’s impossible to imagine a better production of this Andrew Lloyd Webber warhorse.
Demand was so high last winter, they immediately booked three new dates for this summer. (The third show was canceled due to routing problems).
The stars will once again be Ted Neeley as Jesus and Carl Anderson as Judas. They are the two guys, a bit longer in the tooth, who played the same parts in the 1973 movie version. Syreeta Wright will again be playing Mary Magdalene.
Anderson, especially, is outstanding. He is a strong singer and a forceful presence as Judas. He is actually more important to the success of this show than Neeley.
However, a lot of Spokane theatergoers will be much more anxious to see Neeley, since he had to miss the matinee show last winter because of illness. An understudy took his place, and many were disappointed. Let’s hope Neeley’s in good health this time.
Actually, the stars of this production are the director, the set designer and the lighting designer. The lighting will remind you more of a rock concert than a Broadway show. Here’s just one example: When Jesus is crucified, the cross suddenly begins to sparkle. Lights explode from within. Suddenly, as the cross ascends into heaven, it glows in a golden light.
It borders on Las Vegas-style garishness, but it works.
Then there is the temple scene. From the back of the stage rises an inflatable image of Jesus, as big as a Macy’s Parade balloon. (Jesus, appalled at the commercialism, punctures it with a knife).
The staging is also endlessly creative. The funny “King Herod’s Song” is performed with alarming campy decadence. King Herod is played as a flaming drag queen, with an undercurrent of evil.
Neeley is the driving force behind this revival, and it has been successful beyond Neeley’s, and nearly everyone else’s, dreams. It started as a three-month tour, but the demand was so strong, it is now past the 20-month mark. It is booked well into 1995. It was 1993’s most lucrative touring show, beating such moneymaking machines as “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera.”
However, “Jesus Christ Superstar” is not to everyone’s taste. This early Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice collaboration portrays the last days of Christ as if he were a flower-power guru. The show’s hippie-dippie grooviness and trivializing lyrics have not weathered the decades well.
Still, if you are one of the many avid fans of this show, you’ll never see a more spectacular and theatrical production.
Preview “Jesus Christ Superstar,” Tuesday, 8 p.m. and Wednesday, 8 p.m., at the Spokane Opera House. Tickets: $39.50 and $34.50, available through all G&B Select-aSeat outlets, or by calling 325-SEAT or 1-800-325-SEAT.