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! 

Kristin Chenoweth on Tour

Boston Opera House

6/8/12

Last Friday night, I was very fortunate to see the incomparable Kristin Chenoweth perform at the Boston Opera House as part of her new 19-city concert tour, which will end on June 24th in her hometown of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Directed by Richard Jay-Alexander, this concert is more than a program of songs; rather, it is a two act show supported by the talents of three back-up singers: Chelsea Packard, Tyler Hanes, and Will Taylor. 

The Boston audience LOVED her from the minute she walked on stage with her Dunkin Donuts cup, truly in the spirit of New England. Instead of performing the expected roster of song choices, her song selection encompassed a broader range of musical styles and genres than the audience may have anticipated. In a sense, Kristin shared a different side of herself than simply that of her characters in Wicked and Glee. Don’t worry, she still sang Wicked and Glee... but she also sang a whole lot more including, opera, country, and Broadway, which showcased the broad range of talents she possesses. 

Kristin sang several songs previously unknown to me that I came to love after her performance. One such song was “My Coloring Book” for its clever and metaphorical lyrics. After some research, I discovered this was one of the first songs that Kander and Ebb wrote together.  


Here is a clip of Barbra Streisand's recording of "My Coloring Book". 

Kristin made her myriad of Wicked fans very happy by singing two selections from the popular musical (no pun intended). Kristin Chenoweth has probably sung “Popular” thousands of times by now, and as I sat in the Boston Opera House, I wondered if she is at all..... sick of it?  Well, one way to give the song some variety would be to sing it in a different language... which she did.  And she did it pretty impressively too.  All I can say is, Kristin’s performance of “Popular” on tour is my all time favorite performance of “Popular” ever. Hysterical. 

And if you know all the lyrics to “For Good”, you may get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to take the stage with Kristin Chenoweth and sing Elphaba’s part. 

Other favorite performances included: “I Will Always Love You” country style, “Maybe This Time” from Cabaret and Glee, and “Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again” from Phantom of the Opera. The end of the first act culminated with her rendition of “Bring Him Home” from Les Miserables, which was beautiful. She also sang several great songs from her newest album, “Some Lessons Learned”.  


   

As I left the Boston Opera House last Friday night, it occurred to me that Kristin Chenoweth is not hugely successful solely because of her vocal talent and comedic timing, but also because she is true to her unique self both as a performer and a person. She is a one-of-a-kind talent. If you want to be entertained, check out her concert tour before June 24th! 


         

Tony Awards Highlights- Best Tony Moments 2012

1.) Best surprise win: Michael McGrath, Best Featured Actor in a Musical, for Nice Work If You Can Get It 
While most of the speculation in this category surrounded Michael Cerveris and the Porgy and Bess men, no one expected that the comedic butler/bootlegger from Nice Work If You Can Get It would bring a Tony Award home! With that said, McGrath’s comical performance alone is worth the ticket price and his Tony Award is well-deserved simply for his genius comedic timing. 


 2.) Best presenter(s): Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin 
Who didn’t say, “awwww”, when the former Evita co-stars took the stage to announce in song the best revival of a musical? Charming. 


 3.) Best Dress: Celia Keenan-Bolger 
What I love about Celia’s beautiful, gold Monique Lhuillier dress is that it’s true to the color theme of her show. The set of Peter and the Starcatcher boasts a unique gold proscenium decorated with numerous gold objects such as forks, potato mashers, and garden tools... just to name a few. While her dress luckily didn’t have common household items sewn to it, the colors and embellished gold fabric are reminiscent of the show’s creativity! I don’t know if Celia did this purposely... but I liked it! 

4.) Best Performance: Leap of Faith 
After closing prematurely on May 13th, you have to give the cast of Leap of Faith credit for performing at the Tony Awards and killing it. Led by Raul Esparza, this energetic, upbeat, feel-good show had a lot to offer on Broadway and deserved a longer run. Well, now America can see what they’re missing.... and maybe this performance will pave the way for a tour in the future. 


 5.) Best Tony Speech: Steve Kazee, Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Once 
As Steve tearfully remembered his late mother, there was not a dry eye at any Tony Party. Everything about his speech- from his acknowledgement of his cast-mates and leading lady to his Arthur O’Shaughnessy quote to his remembrance of his mother to his sense of gratitude- was heartfelt and authentic. And it helps that he is SO deserving of this Tony Award. And the perfect end to his speech was Cristin Milioti giving him a standing ovation... 

In a close second is Audra McDonald, who told her daughter that, while tonight is a very special night, the best night of her life would always be the night she was born.