Moving ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Musical at Sunset Playhouse

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Photo by George Katsekes Jr.

Sunset Playouse ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

Sunset Playouse ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

These days, the far corners of Sunset Playhouse in Elm Grove are ringing with the words, “Hosanna, Heysanna, Sanna, Sanna, Ho.” The vibrant rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has come to town. The 1971 musical by Andrew Lloyd-Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice continues through May 5. 

Before you rush to the box office for tickets, please note that the show is basically sold out for its entire run.

This enthusiasm for a half century-old musical is a testament to the sturdiness of Superstar, which tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ. As seen here through the eyes of Judas, one of Christ’s 12 disciples, the narrative conveys the complexity of circumstances and emotions that surrounded Jesus Christ in his final days.

Those who weren’t around for the album’s debut in 1970 might remember the more recent live TV version in 2018. Singer/Composer John Legend starred as Jesus, with Playwright/Actor Sara Bareilles (Waitress) as Mary Magdalene and shock rock musician Alice Cooper, 76, as King Herod.

In the Sunset version, Joshua Pope impresses with his tenor voice as Jesus, playing off an animated Jesse Weinberg as Judas, Natalie E. Wikstrom as the loving Mary Magdalene, and Sean Patrick Lambie as Peter, another of Jesus’ disciples. While these names may not be familiar to regular Sunset Playhouse subscribers, the cast also features other, more well-known faces, including Nicholas Callan Haubner (as Pontius Pilate), Tom Flanagan (Caiaphas) and Bob Fuchs (King Herod). 

A cast of 25 actors fills the Sunset stage to the brim, with several platforms needed (set design by Katie Johnson) so the audience can see the entire cast at once. Thanks to the able direction of Tommy Lueck, the large group of actors skitter away so swiftly and discreetly that one can’t help but be impressed by the lack of an onstage traffic jam. 

Since Superstar debuted as an album in 1970 (amazingly, Lloyd-Webber was unable to raise enough funds to mount a stage production), the songs are still key to the musical’s enduring success. Tunes such as “Everything’s Alright,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)” and “Superstar” have proven their durability over the decades.

New North American ‘Superstar’ Tour Announced

In fact, the creative team that brought Superstar to prominence on both sides of the Atlantic is still making money off the project. A new North American tour is currently under way, with dates announced in the U.S. and Canada. (No Milwaukee dates have been set at this writing.) 

Considering that the historical ratio of Broadway hits to flops does not make this an advisable investment, the fact that this one show alone has been staged countless times over the past 50 years is truly an incredible accomplishment. 

And the names of Sir Andrew Lloyd-Webber and Sir Tim Rice continue to be attached to new shows, as well. In fact, as Superstar finds its voice in Elm Grove, Rice’s newest project, a musical version of From Here to Eternity, is playing at Skylight Music Theatre in the Third Ward. Sir Tim was even on hand for some rehearsals at Skylight and attended the show’s opening night.

One of the most interesting twists in Jesus Christ Superstar—Judas’ betrayal of Jesus—is cunningly captured in Jesse Weinberg’s nuanced performance. Dressed in biker gear, including a studded black denim vest, leather pants and boots (costumes by Lisa Quinn), Weinberg makes the most of his unsettling appearance. As Superstar begins, Judas is questioning Jesus’ actions and motives. 

Later, Judas understands all too well how history will view him as the ultimate bad guy. He accuses Jesus of making him the scapegoat of his life story. Weinberg even manages to evoke our sympathy as he sings about being “damned for all time.” Judas seems powerless to alter the path set down for him by Jesus, despite his better judgment.

In contrast to the all-black ensemble worn by Judas, Jesus is dressed in white. He wears a loose-fitting white top and pants, with white sneakers. The look of the show is decidedly contemporary, with most of the ensemble wearing street clothes. There are stunning exceptions, such as the flapper girls in red dresses who accompany Bob Fuchs in Herod’s production number.

With such a large cast, lighting designer Matt Carr could have used a spotlight or two to keep the audience’s attention on the main characters. However, his effective use or revolving lights and even a disco ball conveys the emotional sparkle required by some of the songs.

Choreographer Abby Rasmussen does a good job of incorporating dance skills from those of varying abilities. While all the production numbers feature dancing or some kind of stylized movement, most of the gems lie in smaller numbers that feature only a few, hand-picked dancers.

But Superstar is a music show, not a dance show. That fact is evident in the onstage orchestra, which perches, half-hidden by a curtain, on an upper corner. Music director Mark Mrozek has the task of navigating the musical’s tricky rock rhythms. 

Whether seeing Superstar for the first time, or the twentieth, one cannot help but be impressed by its youthful appeal. Some of the slang terms remain to this day. As the cast sings, “What’s the Buzz?” one can imagine the phrase as the precursor to some of today’s words, such as “buzzy” and “buzzworthy.” In the end, they all mean the same thing.      

Jesus Christ Superstar runs through May 5 in the Furlan Auditorium at Sunset Playhouse, 700 Wall St., Elm Grove. The show runs about 2 hours, 40 minutes with one intermission. For tickets, visit SunsetPlayhouse.com, or call the box office at 262-782-4430.