Revolving around the last seven days of Jesus' life, Judas and Jesus' other friends and disciples experience miracles and religious reservations as the San Hedron decide that the followers have gone too far and it's time for Jesus to be destroyed. Through betrayal and conspiracy, the priests and followers turned on him and sent him to be crucified.
In this new production, unlike the colorful 2000 version, the set is very plain as the producers and director decided that they wanted to focus on the spirituality aspect of this show. The mono color of the set, minus the two backdrops, allowed the audience to focus on the story itself.
Golden Globe nominee, Ted Neeley and Grammy winning artist, Corey Glover, led an amazing cast in this timeless piece of art. Corey Glover, currently playing Judas is best known as being in the band Living Colour. Singing such famous songs as "Heaven on Their Minds" and "Damned For All Time", the role of Judas has high expectations. Even though his singing was above par, the new arrangement for "Heaven" was not fitting for this production. I honestly felt that the song had been written as a piece for Living Colour. For making his theatrical debut, this critic would have to agree that this role is very fitting for him. The only problem was that the music itself did not fit in with the general idea of the show.
Ted Neeley, known for performing the same role in the movie of Jesus Christ Superstar, did not disappoint his fans. Throughout his memorable numbers, Neeley remained his original self and continued to have a great time playing a role that he continuously loves performing. In his demanding pieces, including "The Temple", "The Last Supper" and "Gethsemane", Ted did not let his years of playing this role show, and blew audiences away with the flawless falsetto and the outstanding emotion that flows out of him. The last sight of Ted Neeley will leave the audience speechless. If you don't know what happens, here is a hint, look at the headline.The only two people that really disappointed me in this show were Nate Aylworth, who played Peter and Aaron Fuksa, who played King Herod. Peter was a great actor until the second act, when he sang "Could We Start Again, Please?" I did not feel that he was able to support himself when he sang solo. When the duets came in the song, the harmony was beautiful, but he seemed to lose it when he sang on his own. When it comes to King Herod and Aaron, I don't believe that I can fully blame him. The director, unfortunately, took the Herod scene from 2000 and put it in this show. The costumes were completely shocking and the choreography did not match the rest of the flow. It just seemed to be stuck in there for no apparent reason, except for the song originally being in the show.
Additional recognition belongs to Tiffini Dodson, in her role of Mary Magdalene and to Darrel R. Whitney for his role of Caiaphas. Amazing vocal talent was displayed by both of these actors. Darrel had the perfect Bass voice for his role of Caiaphas, while Tiffini sang one of the most famous Webber number, "I Don't Know How to Love Him."
Be sure to catch this show in a town near you, as you will not be disappointed.
1 comment:
I saw this show yesterday in San Antonio, Texas, and, as this reviewer says, Ted Neeley's voice and emotion did not disappoint. I'm not a particular fan of the tenor voice or of falsetto, but this man's exquisite voice is the exception. His piercing high notes are like an ice pick dipped in acid dipped in honey. He could slice through steel with that razor, and the steel would thank him. Herod was good but too over the top for the overall mood of this setting. There is supposed to be a contrast between Herod's decadence and Jesus' dignity, and that comes out in the film, but was lost here. Judas was outstanding. No more need be said there. Mary M. also good, but I wanted her to be more troubled and conflicted about her feelings for Jesus. A good show, and thanks for the opportunity to comment.
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