Presented by: Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre
Reviewed: 26 September, 2024
Jesus Christ Superstar is arguably one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s better works. First staged in 1971, it follows the story of the last week of Jesus’ life in the lead up to his death, and features two of the most sought after male-identifying roles in any theatre production, that of Jesus and Judas. Taking on a show such as this is a very ambitious undertaking for any company — professional, educational or community, as it requires so many elements to work together perfectly.
Full disclosure, Jesus Christ Superstar is one of my guilty pleasures. I know the score inside out, I have seen countless productions of the show and the epic 1992 cast recording featuring John Farnham is in high rotation on my playlist. After a string of brilliant productions from the Elder Conservatorium Music Theatre program, I went in with very high expectations. For the most part, this production worked, but a few technical and staging choices did deter from the overall quality of the production.
The cast featured students from across first, second and third years of the Music Theatre degree at The University of Adelaide. The entire company of students should be commended for the work they have put in and there were some wonderful surprises that emerged from them.
Kaemon Wilcox as Caiaphas, Darcy Wain as Annas and the entire Priest ensemble were one of those wonderful surprises. Wilcox’s voice delivered the bone rattling bass tones that Caiaphas needed, where Wain’s top end packed the punch needed for Annas. The majority of Annas’ vocal part requires a performer who delivers absolute accuracy in their vocal entries and Wain did not disappoint. I for one was left wanting more from Wilcox, Wain and the Priest ensemble — what a sound, and what a performance.
Another two delightful surprises were Natalia Sóares as Simon (The Zealot) and Brendan Tomlins as Peter. Sóares’ interpretation of Simon and the number Simon Zealotes was phenomenal. Her voice and vocal control was sensational and allowed her to shape this number brilliantly. Tomlin delivered a wonderful Peter, especially during the scene where Peter denies knowing Jesus. His duet with Mary, Could We Start Again, Please? was stunning. It is such an underrated piece and Tomlin, along with Alana Iannace (Mary Magdalene) was thoughtful and well delivered.
Alana Iannace was magical as Mary Magdalene. Mary can be a bit of a nothing role if not played correctly, but Iannace found a wonderful depth to it. Her voice and vocal interpretation of I Don’t Know How To Love Him lifted this number and her grief and anguish during the trial before Pilate and then at Jesus’ death was believable.
Sascha Debney-Matiszik’s performance as Pontius Pilate was probably one of the strongest performances in this production. He brought depth of character to the role and brought some wonderful light and shade to the number Pilate’s Dream. The growth of character through Trial Before Pilate and 39 Lashes was excellent.
The characters of Jesus and Judas are the driving force behind any production of Jesus Christ Superstar. The vocal demand on anyone who takes on these two roles is huge. Oliver John certainly has the vocal chops to tackle the role of Jesus. His top end soared through the score with ease. A few staging and direction choices did at times jar the character’s development, however. It would be interesting to see John reprise this role in a few years as he develops his stage craft further. Ben Jones as Judas captures the anger and frustration needed in the role perfectly. He had great stage presence and you were drawn to him whenever he was on stage. However, the vocal range of Judas, especially at the bottom end, did get the best of his opening night performance. The opening of Heaven On Their Minds lost the spite and aggression that that number needs.
The ensemble as a whole were excellent. Their characterisation throughout the production were wonderful, as was the overall vocal sound. However, at times their cutoffs and diction lacked the clarity that this score calls for. Whilst I understand this is a student production and featured students from across all three years of the Musical Theatre course, at times the stage felt overcrowded. This was especially notable during the more dance focused numbers where the execution of the choreography was lacking the finesse it needed.
A rock opera like Jesus Christ Superstar requires a spot-on audio design and delivery. Unfortunately on opening night, from where I was seated, this is one thing that let the production down. The balance between ensemble, leads and band kept changeing from one or the other being overbearing, settling down, then another area being too high in the mix. There were also many missed solo lines.
The set design by Simon Greer gave the show a highly effective grungy industrial feeling by the use of a towering scaffold, which was used brilliantly by the cast. Chris Snape’s lighting design gave the rock concert vibes that are needed. The lighting for the scene where Judas accepts the 30 pieces of silver is worth the ticket price alone.
The live band, tucked away in the wings, were tight and provided the wonderful soundscape this show needs. There were a few moments where the cast and the band didn’t quite seem to gel, but that is sometimes the risk of the band and MD being in a separate space.
Director George Torbay AM, Musical Director Paul Sinkinson and Choreographers Zoë Komazec and Alexander Kermond have produced a great showcase for the third years to show Adelaide what they have mastered during their Musical Theatre degree before they head out into the professional world of theatre.
For those who are still thinking of getting a ticket to one of the final performances of this production, it has sold out.
Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff
Photo credit: Greg Balcombe
Venue: Scott Theatre, University of Adelaide
Season: 26 – 29 September, 2024
Duration: 90mins (no intermission)
Tickets: season is sold out
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