Today I saw
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Avon Theatre in Stratford, Ontario.
It was amazing. Some of the best staging and costuming I've ever seen, not to mention singing, dancing, acrobatics, and acting.
I saw this show in London, England in 1976. I knew the music; I didn't expect to be thrilled by it. But the show was so strong it was unforgettable; and I totally fell in love with that Jesus. For me, Jesus is usually a hard sell.
This show was just as strong, but it was the ensemble, the performances, and the stagecraft that were breathtaking: Jesus as played by Paul Nolan himself was less of a standout. More detached, more inner-directed, more vulnerable, less powerful in his presence.
It was Judas here, who was the stunning, tragic, memorable personality, mainly with the power of
Josh Young's voice and acting.
Chilina Kennedy put across a very sweet and lovely Mary Magdeline.
Both were superb productions; they just had different strengths.
I realized more this time than I did in the 1970s what an amazing achievement this musical is. A show about Jesus that is equally effective for Christians and non-Christians - and which has some rather remarkable music.
~ ~ ~
A few online clips:
And a few other clips of Josh Young:
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maaseru's comment about Josh Young: "If they take this version of
Jesus Christ Superstar to Broadway, he's going to be very famous very soon."
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