‘You don’t see standing ovations mid-song very often’: This Jesus Christ Superstar is unmissable

MUSICAL THEATRE
Jesus Christ Superstar ★★★★★
By Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Princess Theatre, until June 22

Originally staged outdoors in Regent’s Park London, this powerhouse production of Jesus Christ Superstar has the energy and passion of a rock concert.

Mahalia Barnes as Mary Magdalene and Michael Paynter as Jesus in the Melbourne production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

You don’t see standing ovations mid-song very often, but the showstopping vocals had the opening night audience on their feet more than once before curtain call. Devotees of musical theatre seemed to experience almost religious fervour, and the cast performs with such infectious conviction, even agnostics are likely to be converted to the cause.

Jesus Christ Superstar attracts the biggest names on the Australian music scene. I first saw it as a teenager in the 1992 revival with John Farnham and Kate Ceberano, 20 years after its Australian premiere starring Marcia Hines, Jon English, and John Paul Young.

This tour is equal in stature to those legendary events, and it’ll be a particular blessing for true believers whose faith was shaken by sitting through Millsy as the Messiah at The Production Company in 2017 – a minor heresy, best forgotten.

Michael Paynter starts low-key – giving us an unassuming hipster Jesus, distinguished only by a baseball cap and jeans from his crowd of Gen Z followers, who initially run around in cotton hoodies and loose-fitting gym gear.

That seems an odd costume choice for the people of Judaea – it looks more apt for Fame than Jesus Christ Superstar – but it’s a practical decision. Contemporary dance plays a major role in this production, and if the high-octane, highly gestural choreography sometimes feels a bit extra, stealing focus from the drama, it works brilliantly in crowd scenes to evoke everything from religious ecstasy to the ugliness of angry mobs.

You don’t often see a standing ovation mid-song but the crowd at Jesus Christ Superstar got to their feet multiple times. Credit: Luis Enrique Ascui

Paynter undergoes a twin transformation into rock star and Messiah. Vocal extremity lifts the anguish and doubt of faith heavenwards – Paynter’s extraordinary range will give you goosebumps – and the visual design effectively fuses the iconography of musical celebrity and the Christian religion.

There’s a cruciform raised stage, a mic stand becomes a cross to bear, Jesus is glitter bombed as he’s tortured, and his betrayer Judas (Javon King) even hangs himself from a microphone cord.

King is a manic vocal match for Paynter – he unleashes adrenalised tirades spiked with fury and tormented love; a falsetto reprise of I Don’t Know How to Love Him exposes the thwarted homoeroticism in his relationship with Jesus.

His manic ornamentation stands in marked contrast to the smooth soulfulness of Mahalia Barnes’ Mary Magdalene, who holds the entire auditorium captivated in plaintive moments of tranquility and emotional clarity.

Reuben Kaye’s Herod dials camp decadence up to 11.Credit: Jeff Busby

As the autocratic Herod, Reuben Kaye dials camp decadence up to 11, bringing lethal comic sparkle to a drag cabaret number, while Peter Murphy invests the qualms and foreboding of Pilate – Jesus’ reluctant executioner – with a classic light rock sound.

It’s a Jesus Christ Superstar lifted by the dynamism and talent of the supporting ensemble. There really is no weak link onstage, and the aesthetic and interpretation feel lightly updated for the 21st century, without compromising the spirit of the musical. Don’t miss out.
Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead

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