Powerful ‘Superstar’ revival rocks center

Tom Titus

It started with a single song, a 45-rpm recording of the title track

in 1969. This led to a two-record album which sparked record sales.

Finally, in 1971, the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” opened on

Broadway while it was chalking up a record 3,358 performances in

London.

Three decades later, this powerful, confrontational musical by Tim

Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber is back and playing a week’s engagement

at the Orange County Performing Arts Center, its power and passion

firmly intact.

About all this production requires for maximum enjoyment are the

elevated subtitles offered by opera, since its musical accompaniment

often overcomes the vocalizing of even the strongest-lunged singers.

Even with this failing, however, “Superstar” is a super show.

While the time period, obviously, is 33 AD, this doesn’t constrain

director Kevin Moriarty in his choice of visual effects. The opening

scene of disciples fleeing from the authorities could be subtitled

“Star Wars” meets “West Side Story,” while the money changers Jesus

drives from the temple are modern-dress stockbrokers dealing against

a background of neon market reports.

The true power of “Superstar,” as it must, emanates from the

extraordinary performance of Eric Kunze in the title role. His Jesus

is not a placid, parable-preaching religious figure, but rather a

dynamic, often vitriolic character with serious misgivings about his

mission from God. Kunze delivers an exhausting portrayal,

particularly during his arrest, beating and crucifixion in the second

act.

Second billing goes to his betrayer, Judas, powerfully depicted by

Lawrence Clayton. While Clayton’s internal struggles are highly

impressive and his vocalizing is strong, he is the primary victim of

the aforementioned orchestral assault, with the result that only a

portion of his lyrics may be truly comprehended.

No such drawback exists with Mary Magdalene, however. Natalie Toro

elevates this role with her crisp diction and passionate

presentation. True, her musical accompaniment is softer, but the

sensual Toro renders a rich, haunting account of the show’s most

popular song, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” leaving no doubt that

“love” to her means more than respect and devotion.

Among the Roman hierarchy bent on eliminating this threat to their

authority, Lawson Skala is most impressive as Caiaphas, displaying a

robust voice, which descends to almost unreachable musical depths.

His deputy, Annas, richly played by Jeffrey Polk, is about half his

size and resembles a very un-comical “Mini Me” from the Austin Powers

flicks.

Stephen Breithaupt is excellent as a conflicted Pontius Pilate,

searching for some way to release this upstart Jesus. The trial

becomes a show, however, when a diminutive King Herod (Barry Dennen)

shuffles in for a little soft-shoe number -- a scene reminiscent of

the Elvis-like Pharaoh in another Webber-Rice musical, “Joseph and

the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

The throbbing keyboard and guitar music under the baton of Craig

Barna dominates the production, often at the expense of coherent

vocalizing. Dana Solimando’s choreography is crisp and strident.

Costume designer Roger Kirk opts for Nazi-era and futuristic storm

trooper regalia for the persecutors and ragged street duds for the

disciples.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a show that doesn’t often pass this

way, and this version only is in town through Sunday. It’s a

memorable musical epic regardless of one’s religious convictions.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.