[ssba]
Jesus Christ Superstar
Reviewed by Paul Birchall
DOMA Theatre Company at Met Theatre
Through March 22
A spirit of youthful rebellion suffuses director Marco Gomez’s delightfully earnest and powerful production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice tuner about the life of Christianity’s biggest star. Gomez is locally known for taking lavish Broadway shows and transposing them artfully to the intimate environs of his 99-seat theater stage, and here the consequent increase in personality and energy more than compensates for any loss of spectacle.
Lloyd Webber and Rice’s original musical — in which Jesus arrives in Jerusalem preaching love and rebellion, runs afoul of the government, is betrayed by Judas, and is crucified — was one of the great flagship pieces of the early hippie rock musical era, but subsequent producers have had their work cut out staging it so that it packs the same relevant punch.
Marco’s attempts to “update” the piece occasionally feel a little half-hearted: In “Heaven on Their Minds,” when Nate Parker’s TV host-charismatic Jesus first preaches to the populace, he’s greeted by a dancing set of chorines, wielding cell phone cameras. (Angela Todaro’s excellent ‘70s-go-go-style choreography makes what might be the first use of selfie sticks in a Biblical musical.) Later on, the demonic Pharisees puff on elongated vapes wrapped in rhinestone-covered staffs. As for Judas, Jeremy Saje’s excellent turn depicts him as a plaid-shirt wearing social activist, more union organizer than religious acolyte.
More appealing about Gomez’s production is how it is, for the most part, a genial, straightforward iteration of a beloved musical; it hits all its marks effectively, though without re-inventing the wheel, so to speak. Gomez wisely focuses on the idea of youth and how it is the young who drive rebellion and change. The intimate staging effectively crafts the work more as a piece of political theater than a religious story.
The cast’s fresh-faced enthusiasm is infectious — the boisterous and acrobatic chorus is particularly appealing — and the ensemble’s voices are nicely energetic and evocative. Musical director Chris Raymond hits the beats with a taut, almost military precision.
Parker portrays Jesus as an older brother type, mentoring Apostles who look like sophomores that have dropped out of college to follow him. He’s smooth and political, but it’s a veneer that cracks during his powerful rendition of “Gethsemene,” as he realizes his true identity and purpose. Renee Cohen’s turn as Mary Magdalene may lack the undercurrents of sadness found in other performances of the role, but her beautiful rendition of “I don’t know how to love him” possesses a beguiling innocence that’s irresistible. Saje’s angry Judas is compelling, particularly during his nicely cynical rendition of the show-stopping “Superstar.”
Elsewhere, the piece’s rock concert atmosphere is furthered by Christina Schwinn’s atmospheric lighting design, steeped with flashing lasers and disco lights that somehow bring to mind the distantly recalled ELO concerts from one’s youth. Ultimately, this is a production that has the feel of an old friend: Good performances, solid stagecraft, and tight direction. If the show is a little light in the innovation loafers, it is still a wonderful rendition of this proud rock musical.
DOMA Theatre Company at MET Theatre, 1089 N. Oxford Ave., E. Hlywd; Fri.-Sat., 8 p.m.; Sun. 7 p.m.; through March 22. (323) 802-9181, www.domatheatre.com.
