Prior to last weekend, I have never been a huge fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber/ Tim Rice 1970s era musical "Jesus Christ Superstar." For me, like much of ALW's work, "JCS" has a few good songs but the work as a whole lacks a compelling narrative.
So when it it was announced that "JCS" at the Hollywood Bowl would star Cynthia Erivo as the titular character and Adam Lambert as Judas, I was intrigued but still had reservations. I bought tickets the moment they went on sale, thinking I could always sell them if I decided not to travel to Los Angeles to attend the show. In the end, I decided to make a one day trip to LA incentivized by the announced cast and my fondness for memorable Hollywood Bowl concerts of the past.
To my surprise and delight, "JCS" at the Bowl proved to be the best thing I have ever seen at the Bowl, and provided what I am sure will be among my favorite theatrical productions of the year. The cast, orchestra, direction, sound, staging and lighting were all stellar. Adam Lambert was perfectly cast as Judas and Phillipa Soo was a pitch perfect Mary Magdalene. Really, the entire cast was great.
But what elevated the production way above all other versions of "JCS" I have seen is Cynthia Erivo's astounding performance as Jesus. I expected her vocal expertise with the score, but nothing prepared me for her masterful acting in a role that, as written, is easily eclipsed by Judas. In all prior "JCS" productions I have seen, Jesus is largely an enigma and the writing does not give him much room to reveal much of himself. This is where Ms. Erivo made a world of difference, as her fully inhabited acting revealed multitudes of pain and empathy in between the lines of sung dialogue. It was a performance that, much like her work as Celie in "The Color Purple," is one of the finest performances I have had the privilege of seeing in person.
After last weekend, I was converted and can now be counted as a full on admirer of the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar."
