Jesus Christ Superstar

Broadway

Neil Simon Theatre

March 31, 2012 matinee

Currently playing at the Neil Simon Theatre is the 2012 revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock opera which depicts the final week of Jesus Christ’s life through the unique perspective of Judas Iscariot. Completely sung-through, Jesus Christ Superstar is a modern interpretation of the crucifixion boasting a powerful score with a 1970‘s “feel”. As rumors of a possible July 1st closing date surface, I’d like to briefly remind theatre-goers of all the wonderful aspects of this production, which opened on March 22, 2012. 

At the heart of this production is its powerful score, which demands the incredible vocal talent and range of Paul Nolan (Jesus) and Jeremy Kushnier (u/s Judas). If you want to be impressed by amazing vocals, look no further than these two talented men. 

Paul Nolan was perfectly cast as Jesus Christ. He portrayed Jesus with more intensity and uncertainty than I had expected, with a sense of calm and thoughtfulness that alternated with torture and conflict. When he was on stage, I temporarily believed that he was Jesus Christ. Why didn’t he receive a Tony nomination????

Jeremy Kushnier did a wonderful job of portraying the jealousy and conflict within Judas, and dare I say, made him more human to the audience. Between his stellar acting and insanely incredible vocals, I would have to say that Jeremy Kushnier is one of the best understudies I’ve ever seen perform. 

Chilina Kennedy was a quiet but strong presence on the stage as Mary Magdalene. Her sweet and simple voice was ideal for the 1970’s folk style songs, “Everything’s Alright” and “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”. I thought there was great emotional chemistry between her character and Paul Nolan’s Jesus. 

And while the score is generally upbeat and even comical at times (most notably in “King Herod’s Song” sung by the very funny Bruce Dow), the production succeeds at portraying the emotional gravity of the story.  During the crucifixion scene, the sniffling of a tearful audience could be heard throughout the theatre. At the conclusion of the show, audience members leapt to their feet, cheering “Bravo”, and giving a standing ovation.  

Jesus Christ Superstar is a must-see for all theatre fans. Get your tickets now! 

Tony Snubs!

Tony Awards night is rapidly approaching!  Are there any shows or actors that you feel should have been nominated but were not?  Tony nominations would not be complete without a few “snubs”! 

1.) Melissa van der Schyff as Blanche Barrow in the ill-fated new musical, Bonnie and Clyde. Her strong, emotional portrayal of Clyde’s God-fearing sister-in-law should have earned her a nomination for best featured actress in a musical. While the Tony committee may have forgotten about her heartfelt, comedic performance, I have not, and I hope you haven’t either! 

2.) Bonnie and Clyde for best new musical. Please refer to my blog entry from 1/22/12. http://standingovationsbroadwayblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/bonnie-clyde-broadway-schoenfeld.html 

Original, memorable, and witty, Bonnie and Clyde had everything you could want in a musical- beautiful music by Frank Wildhorn, a smart story-line, action-packed drama, and a talented group of Broadway actors- but this didn’t prevent the show from closing early due to poor ticket sales. 

I am happy that Bonnie and Clyde was not entirely forgotten- it did receive two nominations- one for best score (completely deserved) and another for best actress in a musical (Laura Osnes as Bonnie, also completely deserved). 

3.) Paul Nolan as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar.  Come on, he rocks the Neil Simon Theatre eight times per week as Jesus Christ, the ULTIMATE mammoth role, AND he does it really well. A Tony-nomination for best leading actor in a musical would have been well-deserved. 

4.) Bernadette Peters as Sally Durant Plummer in Follies. She has seven Tony nominations, two Tony Awards, and she will be receiving the Isabelle Stevenson Award at this year’s Tony Awards ceremony, but it doesn’t make this snub any less sad.  Only Bernadette Peters can find the emotional depth of an unstable character and have a nervous breakdown while singing a song like “Losing My Mind”. That’s all I have to say about that.  

5.) Raul Esparza as Jonas Nightingale in Leap of Faith. This man did not stop dancing, singing, or preaching during this two and a half hour musical.  ENERGY. He’s got it.  But it didn’t earn him a Tony nod.  

6.) Adam Chanler-Berat as Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher.  We all loved Adam Chanler-Berat in Next to Normal and the off-Broadway revival of Rent, but he really shows off his acting chops as Boy in Peter and the Starcatcher. This may be his best performance yet!  

7.) Elena Roger as Eva Peron in Evita.  Born in Argentina, there is something very authentic about this actress’ performance as the powerful, though unfortunate, first lady of Argentina. This omission is just a shame.