Who knew that you could turn a strict and serious religion into a rock opera? I guess Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice! What a good job they did! Every song, even the ballads, had such catchy rhythms that I couldn’t help but try to sing along or sway to the 
melody.
The story is of Jesus Christ (Paul Nolan) during the week before he is crucified. It is supposedly told in the point of view of Judas (Josh Young), the betraying apostle. There are times where Judas sings to the audience alone, but overall it just feels like a usual story. The two main plot lines are those of Jesus’s followers (Hosanna is a song that shows their almost blind devotion) and those of the Rabbis of Jerusalem who are very against Jesus’s following (This Jesus Must Die).
One character that I missed was the Virgin Mary. I’m not very informed about the New Testament (which this story is obviously derived from), but I would have assumed that Mary had a part in the story of Jesus. Instead, the main Mary figure was Mary Magdalene (Chilina Kennedy). Who knew that on top of being a prostitute, she was also Jesus’s cousin!
One thing I really enjoyed about the rock opera, besides the music, the voices, the sharp dance moves that made me want to dance along, and the like, was that it really sparked intellectual discussion. As I’m really interested in all types of history, I really wanted to know the real story behind the rock! Good thing I had my dad there to explain all the history!
The end of the show had Jesus dying on the cross. It was very emotional for many people, especially the Christians in the theatre. The girl in front of us was in tears during the scene, and even Mom was choking up! I thought the staging and lighting were just really dramatic and really brought out the emotion in all scenes.
GREAT performance!
Jesus Christ Superstar
Neil Simon Theatre
June 29, 2012
Marina B. Nebro
