Jesus Christ Superstar – musical production review
Summary: Excellent and dramatic new production of a beloved musical that packs an absolute punch, and speaks to our modern moment!
5
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!
Jesus Christ Superstar – playing at the Princess Theatre, Spring Street, Melbourne.
Lyrics by Tim Rice. Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Starring Michael Paynter as Jesus Christ , Javon King as Judas Iscariot, Mahalia Barnes as Mary, Ruben Kaye as King Herod, Peter Murphy as Pilate, Eliot Baker as Caiaphas and John O’Hara as Annas.
Jesus Christ Superstar has an extensive and storied history in the world of musical theatre. With composers Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber initially unable to get a production up, the released it as an album, which generated so much interest it eventually received its Broadway debut in 1971. When it came to Australia the following year, the cream of Australian talent at that time – John English, Marcia Hines, Easybeats lead man Stevie Wright – brought it to a passionate Australian audience.
I first saw the production in 1992, when John Farnham, John Stevens and Kate Cerberano performed to ecstatic crowds at Rod Laver Arena. So how does this 2025 version, premiering at the Princess Theatre in Melbourne, stack up?
It was, for me, an incredibly raw and dramatic experience. The wall of sound that burst over the audience from the first minute, as electric guitars soared and swooped as an introduction to the show, was a mark of the production’s intent. This staging of Jesus Christ Superstar is passionate through and through. By the finale, the audience was completely rung out by the emotions on display, the strength of the vocal artistry, and the energy of the dancers on stage.
Taking inspiration from the Gospels, Jesus Christ Superstar covers the last days of Christ’s life, as he enters Jerusalem. Here he encounters Caiaphas, leader of the Pharisees, who fears that Christ’s teachings will so enrage the Roman rulers they will punish the Jews for allowing Him to undermine their rule. Thus begins the events that lead to Christ’s crucifixion.
The emotional heart of the production rests with Javon King as Judas Iscariot. For such a slight figure, King really packs an incredible punch, as his vocal performance can be intimate one minute, and the next hits you with the full range of his emotions. Indeed, his rendition of “Judas’ Death” where he realises the terrible mistake he has made in betraying Christ, was the highlight of the show for me. In that moment his performance is magnetic, and lingers long in the memory.
As I said earlier, Jesus Christ Superstar covers the last few days of Christ’s life – from entering Jerusalem, to the Last Supper, the betrayal in the Garden of Gethsemane, and Christ’s trial and execution. Carrying the load of this is Michael Paynter, who portrays Christ as a somewhat mysterious figure, yet with a core of strength that dwarfs all those around. Paynter, like King, really does command the stage. He demonstrates a lightness and breeziness at the start of the show, as Christ greets his followers in Jerusalem “Hosanna.” Paynter exudes the joy that Christ feels in that moment. Paynter’s ability as an actor/singer to segue from joy to anger to fear and finally acceptance demonstrates his full range. His singing performance of “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)” is masterful, as Christ finally breaks and accepts God’s will that He should die on the Cross as expiation of mankind’s sins.
Of the main trio, Mahalia Barnes as Mary Magdalene takes, by necessity, the lesser role. That said, her singing is on a par with the two other leads – she absolutely nails “Everything’s Alright (Reprise)” with its hope for the future. When Barnes then follows up with “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”, where she acknowledges her love for Christ and inability to express it to Him, you see a woman torn by her realisation that Christ may be beyond her reach. The production does see Mary sidelined towards the end, which is a pity, but that loss is more than made up with the sheer power of the finale.
All the supporting cast are very good, but I feel the need to point out several actors who captured the audience. Peter Murphy’s Pontius Pilate deftly shows the ambivalence of the Roman governor, who sees no evil in Christ and desperately doesn’t want to do what the Pharisees demand. His decision to wash his hands of Christ’s execution “Trial Before Pilate (Including The 39 Lashes)” is a powerful moment for the audience.
Eliot Baker’s scheming Caiaphas, with his rumbling voice and overweening dignity always drew the eye. And speaking of eye-catching – well, in a lighter scene, the appearance of Rueben Kaye as King Herod – all gold and glitter – was a hilarious, crowd pleasing turn that nicely sets up the finale of the show.
Choreographer Drew McConie successfully orchestrated a large ensemble around the stage; layering peculiar and imaginative steps against more complex energetic and powerful movements. Whether it be as disciples, merchants or soldiers the mob led by the outstanding Darcy Eagle master the choreography with passion and gusto. There is never a still moment on stage, as the dancers counterpoint the singers with their movements. One powerful moment, where the lepers overwhelm Christ with their pleas for healing, underscores the power of a well choreographed production.
And speaking of production – set and costume designer Tom Scutt has pulled out all the stops in creating an iconic look for the stage. The massive cross (which could be interpreted as the shadow cast by the cross on which Christ was crucified) dominating the centre of the stage not only is strongly symbolic, but does double and triple duty as a way for the cast to interact with each other. Whether they are making their appearance like a manic model on a catwalk (Herod) or dining at it as in The Last Supper, or simply clambering over it, the central motif of Jesus Christ Superstar casts a long, long shadow.
And whoever came up with the idea to have Judas dip his hands into silver, mixing the blood on his hands with the thirty pieces of silver paid to betray Christ, definitely earned their keep that day!
Overall, this production of Jesus Christ Superstar demonstrates again and again the immediacy and urgency that you can only experience with a live performance. No one put a foot wrong with this opening performance. King and Paynter are the beating heart of a wildly passionate production. The singing is some of the strongest I’ve experienced in many years of watching musical theatre, and is world class. The staging and choreography are very impressive, and made excellent use of the smaller stage. This opening performance showed that Australia can produce top flight singers and dancers, and demonstrates that Melbourne is the beating heart of the live performance scene in this country. Do yourself and favour and don’t miss Jesus Christ Superstar.
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