Exciting ‘Superstar’

These two characters treat each drama or musical as an amateur production attended solely by doting mums, aunts and grans, with a sprinkling of loyal sisters, brothers, friends and cousins who have no need of a cast list to know who is playing which part and, in alternating roles, when.

In the cast list of 61 only three entries link the names of the actors playing principal roles to the parts they are playing.

The four jab-jabs are, mercifully, identified as such and the two small children in the cast stand out due to their size alone. For the rest, except for the privileged few, it’s anyone’s guess who is playing Judas, Caiphas, Herod, Pontius Pilate, assorted apostles . . .

And having got that man-sized complaint off my chest, what of the ’06 new, improved production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice classic Rock Opera Jesus Christ Superstar?

For what it’s worth, my opinion is that anyone thinking of saving money to see the film version due to be shown later this month on a local TV Channel, is missing an exciting, live theatrical experience.

There’s no doubt the cast members have grown into their parts, rough edges have been smoothed out, the changes add to the dramatic impact.

My photograph of the new treatment of Herod before Pilate, compared with the file photo of the ’05 production gives some idea of one of the changes as the directors have dropped the “camp” approach entirely.

Another startling change is the “resurrection” of Judas dressed in a pure white version of Caiphas’ robes, the dark shades adding a suggestion of The King, Elvis Presley.

The lighting is much improved, too. One worried about Vanessa Bushe screeching like rock and roll singer — surely much more of that could damage her voice for the serious music that won her such high praise in the recent Music Festival?

One final nit must be picked by someone who doesn’t know the lyrics — apart from the inescapable “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” and the title piece itself — one had frequently to strain one’s ears to pick out the words as the twanging of electric guitars, the steelpan, drums et al overpowered the amplified voices of the singers.

The Baggase Company/Entertainment Factory production of Jesus Christ Superstar continues at the Queen’s Hall until Sunday.