It's time for my review of Jesus Christ Superstar - The Concert.Jesus Christ Superstar recounts the last days of Jesus Christ from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. As Jesus' following increases, Judas begins to worry that Jesus is falling for his own hype, forgetting the principles of his teachings and growing too close to the prostitute Mary Magdalene. After Jesus has an outburst in a temple, Judas turns on him.
After UK Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced that live performances could re-start whilst adhering to social distancing, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre took it upon themselves to meet the challenge, and declared they would be putting together a new production of Jesus Christ Superstar. It was an extremely ambitious project in these uncertain times, and all of those involved were venturing into uncharted territory. Nothing like this had ever been done before, and the stakes were very high indeed. I am thrilled to report that the hard work has more than paid off, and it was a night at the theatre I am unlikely to forget anytime soon; I was honestly blown away. More so than anything, it was great to be back in a West End theatre. There really is quite nothing like it, and I am delighted at how far we have come. Hopefully this will pave the way for a return to normalcy within the near future.
The musical score of Jesus Christ Superstar is a collaboration, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. A number of years ago I stated that the score of Jesus Christ Superstar is my favourite of Lloyd Webber's works; that statement is still true to this very day, and I continue to stand by it. Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers of all time, and he's truly in his element in this remarkable rock opera. Both the music and the lyrics are very easy to connect with on a personal level; in their own way, they are both uniquely powerful. The score is also bolstered by a very talented orchestra, who were beyond phenomenal. It was among the strongest live orchestras I have ever seen, and each of them were extraordinarily talented. In particular a special mention must be given to tenor saxophonist Howard McGill, whose solo in 'Damned for All Time' was spellbinding.
For this particular production, the roles of Jesus, Judas and Mary have been double-cast in order to allow for maximum flexibility in relation to scheduling or illness. At the performance I attended, the leads were as follows: Pepe Nufrio as Jesus, Ricardo Afonso as Judas and Maimuna Memon as Mary. In the role fo Jesus, Pepe Nufrio's vocals were genuinely astounding. To simply refer to him as vocally talented would not do his performance justice; his voice was a true powerhouse. The infamous 'Gethsemane' is among the most vocally demanding songs of all time, and yet his rendition was faultless. Ricardo Afonso, as Judas, was equally as mesmerising. Judas Iscrariot is arguably one of the best musical theatre roles ever written, meaning it requires the most talented of both actors and singer. Afonso more than lives up to the expectation, giving a performance that was well and truly spellbinding. Beyond this, his portrayal also proved to be very moving, making Judas's tragic demise all the more heartbreaking. Maimuna Memon, as Mary, was also excellent. Memon delivers a good characterisation, convincingly conveying the character's warmth and empathy. Additionally, she too had an outstanding voice, and one that was reminiscent of singer-songwriter Adele.
The choreography of this production, by Drew McOnie, had the added challenge of generating large dance numbers whilst still adhering to social distancing. It would have by no means been an easy feat, and yet it's still masterful. The large ensemble of dancers were incredible talented, and flawlessly in synch with one another. Additionally, the lighting design by Lee Curran was also dazzling, and proved particularly effective in a night-time environment. The lighting used to convey the tragic nature of certain events was particularly compelling, and really helped to add to the production's overall tone.
Now for my final verdict on Jesus Christ Superstar - The Concert. I give Jesus Christ Superstar - The Concert...
I am honoured to have had the chance to see this production. I thank all of those that have made this production possible, and hopefully this will mark a new beginning in the theatre industry. As Mary Magdalene says, "Could we start again, please?".
Think it should have got a higher rating? Agree with my rating? Think it should have got a lower rating? If so comment below.
Thanks for reading!
-The Basic Theatre Reviewer
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