"Director Livingston has created some powerful images onstage."
"...the energy and immediacy of Livingston's staging and some splendid performances evoke surprisingly strong emotional resonance."
Edge Los Angeles by Obed Medina
"Jesus Christ Superstar works. It is fast paced, but not too quick to get us through the musical numbers. The band backstage is excellent..."
"Whatever
your religious orientation, or lack thereof, you may well feel the tears welling
up during Charles'
sensitive portrayal of the humble Nazarene whose sublime sacrifice proved
deathless."
L. A. Weekly by Lovell Estell III
"The costumes and set are simple, yet effective, and Livingston has efficiently managed his sizable cast on the small stage."
"BOY ABOUT TOWN" and "The Sonny Bozeman Show"
"FABULOUS!"
"Kudos to Livingston and his able ensemble for injecting currency into this poignant production [who] brand their characterizations with uniqueness, intensity, and urgency. These are also the qualities that best describe this incarnation of Superstar."
A TV monitor is tuned to “JNN” where an anchorperson
announces news of possible terrorists on the loose,
the detention of political leaders, etc. Onstage, a
violinist and electric guitarist play the easily
recognizable opening notes of a classic rock opera and
are joined by men and women of various ages, races,
and sexual orientations, one of whom carries a sign
which reads “Troops Out Now.” This is clearly a Jesus
Christ Superstar for the 21st century.
Derek Charles Livingston writes in his director’s note
that “my government approves of spying on its
citizens, uses questionable witnesses and evidence to
detain people, offers too many accused unfair trials,
labels dissenters and critics as unpatriotic and
terrorists (or at least terrorist sympathizers); and
my government not only tortures the unindicted, it
defends the practice.” The parallels between today’s
world and the world in which Jesus Christ preached his
words of peace and justice are inescapable, and
Livingston’s production for the Attic Theatre Ensemble
is appropriately contemporary.
This is the first time I have seen Jesus Christ
Superstar. I must confess that I’m not a fan of Andrew
Lloyd Webber’s music for the piece or of Tim Rice’s
lyrics, which affects my emotional reaction to JCSS,
especially in the wake of the power that is the
similarly themed Corpus Christi. Though Jesus Christ
Superstar itself will never top a list of my favorite
shows, the Attic’s production has been put together
with talent and imagination.
In the (super)starring role, handsome Scott Charles
looks like someone you might see any day on Venice
Beach and acts and sings this difficult role with
power and charisma and an amazing high wail of a
voice. Charles excels particularly in “Gethsemane,”
singing out a heartbreaking “Why should I die?” as
three disciples sleep behind him, and, not
surprisingly, in “Crucifixion.”
As Judas, Blanche Ramirez demonstrates a rock soprano
capable of standing up the huge demands of the role.
Her “How did you let things get so out of hand” to
Jesus in “The Last Supper” is a standout as is her
reprise of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” which
precedes Judas’ suicide by hanging. This is fine
work, intense and emotional.
Jennifer Blake is a lovely Mary Magdalene, and gets to
perform arguably the show’s most famous song “I Don’t
Know How To Love Him.” Pamela Taylor is particularly
good as Pontius Pilate, singing and acting the part
with great force. Talented Steve Owsley is a Texas
two-stepping King Herod, dressed in military khaki and
cowboy hat, and pirouetting for each of the 40 lashes
administered to Christ.
As in most 99-seat musicals with large casts, not all
the performers are quite up to the vocal demands of
the score, but they are a talented and committed
ensemble: Ali Deyer, Rochelle Firestone, Jayne Han,
Matthew Herrmann, Lara Crystin Hughes, Dawn Medina,
John Szura, Chris Turner, and Dane Whitlock. Eric
Jorgenson, recently in the Attic’s Say You Love Satan,
shows an unexpected talent here as the onstage
violinist/apostle.
Director Livingston has created some powerful images
onstage. Actors in furs and spangles sell their wares
and defile the temple until Jesus arrives with a cry
of “Sinners!” Jesus heals the infirm, all of them
dressed in black and reaching out to him like rabid
fans. The disciples sport a dozen different styles of
sunglasses for The Last Supper. The crowd screams out
“Crucify him!” with fingers pointed menacingly at
Christ.
Richard Berent does fine work as musical director as
do the offstage band, and it is refreshing to hear
unamplified voices in the Attic’s small space.
Livingston’s set design is simple, using several
moving panels for scene changes. Brandon Baruch’s
lighting is particularly effective at setting the mood
for each scene.
Though it comes a bit too late for the Easter season,
Lloyd Webber fans will welcome the chance to see one
of his earliest and still most famous works.
BackstageWest
Jesus Christ Superstar
April 02, 2008
By Les Spindle
It's an odd -- but welcome -- experience to view this 1971
rock opera in a bare-bones staging. The original Broadway production and
subsequent tours have thrived on the gaudy spectacle that became Andrew Lloyd
Webber's trademark. Originating as a concept album, the sung-through show by
Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics) had a controversial premiere run, due to
its cheeky irreverence, but in recent years, the piece has generally been
perceived as a kicky curiosity. Director Derek Charles Livingston's concept
suggests an Iraq War context. That isn't a startlingly new approach because the
original production reflected the 1970s era of make-love-not-war hippies, and
recent touring revivals have incorporated military imagery.
Depicting the last few days in the life of Christ, the narrative introduces the
oppressed apostles -- men and women of varying ages, some in military attire,
some in civilian wear -- who are exultant at the arrival of their savior in
Jerusalem. But trouble is brewing in the form of the skeptical Judas (played by
female actor Blanche Ramirez) and the ruthless high priest Caiaphas (cleverly
characterized by John Szura as an ominous military leader sporting dark
glasses). The action progresses to the Last Supper and the harrowing torture and
Crucifixion.
In what seems like a nod to director John Doyle's techniques, Eric Jorgenson
appears as an apostle and an onstage violinist. His sweet music greatly enhances
musical director Richard Berent's effort, which also includes fine backstage
musicians. Scott Charles is superb as the multifaceted Christ; his expressions
of fear, compassion, anger, and other human emotions are eloquent and
heart-rending, and he boasts a formidable singing voice. Ramirez is fiery and
powerful as Jesus' morally conflicted betrayer. Matthew Herrmann stands out as a
passionate Simon Zealotes, and he sings beautifully. Steve Owsley, who plays
King Herod, is an accomplished actor-singer, but Livingston's revisionist slant
on what is usually a high-camp character -- here a bullying cowboy in a military
uniform -- dilutes the song's ironic comic potency. This entertaining revival is
hampered somewhat by uneven singing, but the energy and immediacy of
Livingston's staging and some splendid performances evoke surprisingly strong
emotional resonance.
Edge
Los Angeles
Jesus Christ Superstar
by Obed Medina
EDGE Contributor
Thursday Apr 3, 2008
For Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera, Jesus
Christ Superstar, to work effectively on stage, it needs a damn good
Jesus to carry the show and to pick up any of the stragglers along the way,
which might otherwise struggle through this production. I’ve seen long-term
Jesus, Ted Neely, on stage in the past in this role, and I have to say, I
wasn’t very much impressed (I’m not a fan of the half talk/half sing
performances some actors pass off in musicals-especially when they are supposed
to be singing!) Luckily, director Derek Charles Livingston has found Jesus in
Scott Charles.
Intentionally anachronistic in style, "Superstar" juxtaposes the
political state of Jesus’ time with our own. It chronicles the last seven days
of Christ from his arrival in Jerusalem, the religious unrest caused by his
preaching, his mass appeal, his betrayal by Judas, the trial before Pontius
Pilate, and his ultimate crucifixion. It is also told through the point of view
of Judas, a much more sympathetic figure in this musical than he’s ever been
portrayed. Webber’s intent was to present Jesus, not as a deity or religious
icon, but a mortal man.
This production, at the Attic Theatre, takes advantage of the built-in anomalies
in the script and adds a few interesting ones I haven’t seen before: A
prologue involving a wiretapping conspiracy, the use of a monitor that unfolds
the back story in CNN-style reporting. This quickly gives way to the overture
featuring a dueling violinist and electric guitar player invoking an almost rock
concert quality. The other major addition is the cross-gender casting of Judas
(Blanche Ramirez) and Pontius Pilate (Pamela Taylor).
Though all of these ideas keep this musical fresh, only the last truly makes an
impact on this production as a whole. Taylor’s Pilate (more suited for Judas,
I think) is on par with that of Charles’ Jesus -- especially in the second
Act’s dramatic confrontation at the trial. Mary Magdalene (Jennifer Blake) is
demure and effective as the one-sided love interest in this story. Ramirez’s
Judas, on the other hand, lacks the dramatic arc required, but her singing voice
Livingston manages to make good use of the small stage, and I wonder if size has
compromised what may well have been a fluid performance. At times, the
performers struggle with the choreography. Ironically, the quieter pieces of the
musical ("I Don’t Know How to Love Him," "Gethsemane")
give this show its momentum, while the up tempo numbers which require much of
the cast to be on stage, slow it down.
Despite these flaws, this "Jesus Christ Superstar" works. It is fast
paced, but not too quick to get us through the musical numbers. The band
backstage is excellent, and Eric Jorgenson as the Apostle and violinist on stage
in key emotional moments in the show adds a touching quality. Derek Charles
Livingston saw a parallel in this musical to our own lives in America today,
thirty-seven years after it first premiered, by infusing it with government
conspiracies and a multi-ethnic cast that embraces all sexual orientations.
Ultimately, it is the director’s vision that ties it all together and keeps it
new.
L. A. Times
If anyone could scale down Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1971 rock opera,
"Jesus Christ Superstar," to
a small theater, that person would be Derek Charles Livingston, the director
whose past shows include the
Ovation-winning "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" and the delightful
"HMS Pinafore," both at the Celebration.
Livingston is a proven theatrical practitioner known for his rigorously
inventive work in small theater.
And with the help of musical director Richard Berent and associate musical
director Brian O'Halloran, he
has done a Herculean task in transforming "Superstar" to the Attic
Theatre's sub-99 seat space.
Yet some works defy diminution, and although the Attic acoustic production is
crisply executed, it is
intermittently unwieldy, largely by virtue of its limited budget and cramped
quarters. Also, certain
efforts to "update" this already updated story of the Passion seem
cursory.
Part of this putative revisionism includes casting women in roles traditionally
played by men. Pamela
Taylor is a prepossessing Pontius Pilate, but the dynamic yet miscast Blanche
Ramirez proves problematic
as Judas Iscariot. Those fond of the score may find Ramirez's vaulting soprano
tones jarring, not to
mention at odds with Judas' tortured, virile villainy.
Livingston is more successful in linking the narrative about the eponymous
"Prince of Peace" to the current
antiwar movement -- a timely innovation, complete with televised "news
reports" direct from Jerusalem, that
seems particularly apt. Backed by a terrific ensemble, Jennifer Blake is
pure-voiced and purely touching as
Mary Magdalene. However, the bulwark of the production is Scott Charles'
virtuosically wrenching Jesus.
Whatever your religious orientation, or lack thereof, you may well feel the
tears welling up during Charles'
sensitive portrayal of the humble Nazarene whose sublime sacrifice proved
deathless.
LA WEEKLY
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Playing the modern
revolutionary, miracle worker and rabble-rouser,
Jesus, Scott Charles is delightfully charismatic, and his rendition of
"Gethsemane" is flawless and deeply
moving...
In sharp contrast, the live accompaniment by Kevin Fosmark, Durand Stewart and
Eric Jorgensen, on guitar,
drums and violin, is stellar. Director Derek Charles Livingston employs a TV
monitor to aid the narrative,
but the onscreen print is difficult to discern. The costumes and set are simple,
yet effective, and
Livingston has efficiently managed his sizable cast on the small stage.
Reviewed by Lovell Estell III
"BOY ABOUT
TOWN" and "The Sonny Bozeman Show"
...made our way to The Attic Theatre. Now I have seen
Jesus Christ SuperStar before and when I saw the size
of the small theatre I thought there is no way that
they will make this larger then life show fit in here!
Well folks Boy About Town had no reason to worry.
Derek Charles Livingston took what he had & not only
made it work but made it work well! I remember my
father taking me to see shows on Broadway back in NYC
& being so far away from the people up there singing &
dancing. I would want to jump outta me seat & touch
them (my parents had clues to the Boy I would become).
Well with the actors exiting down the middle of the
audience & numbers that include a fabulous "singing
street walker" taking up residence in the seat next to
us I had my childhood dream answered. She both touched
me & as well as moved me.
Everyone knows the story...if you don't just read the
book. But what really stood out for me was how the
Rice/Weber masterpiece that was penned in 1971 is spot
on for the world we are living in today! Every number
spoke to any news piece you find anytime you flip on
the cable TV. The fact that King Herod was played so
well, by Steve Owsley, as a cowboy boot wearing,
country dancing fool was not lost on anyone sitting
around me.
While everyone was great 2 of the cast grabbed my
ear/eye. I know all of you have been watching
something and out of the corner of your eye you spot
someone truly kicking ass...Well Dane Whitlock & Ali
Deyer jumped out at me...no really they jumped off the
stage and MADE you hear them. And hear them both I
did!~ FABULOUS!
Though the gospels tell us of the apostle doubting Thomas; for the sake of
drama, it is actually more interesting to contemplate Judas, not so much as a
betrayer of Jesus than as a person who also had doubts about the divinity of
Christ as well as the inchoate Christian movement. What's more, it is a
challenge to the conscience to be asked to re-consider Judas as a sympathetic
character. Nonetheless, this is what Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber did in
their 1970 collaborative sensation, Jesus Christ Superstar. Recently
there's been news of the possibility of an extant Gospel According to Judas, but
Rice and Webber were onto that notion way back in the 20th century. And though
this alternative take on the passion play garnered more than its fair share of
controversy, diatribes, and demonstrations, back in the day, it also propelled
to new heights a genre of musical theater now known as Popera, or Rock Opera.
Further, the furor over Superstar's radical retelling of the Christ story
has subsided over the decades. Many mainstream church groups now regularly stage
the show. Currently on the local boards, however, we have the Attic Theatre's
energetic re-envisioning of the passion of Christ. Not only does Judas maintain
a rather rational, if often emotive, voice as the central antagonist here; he,
in this incarnation, happens to be a soprano-singing she. Surprisingly, this
character tweak works well (Blanch Ramirez is in so many ways cast against type
as Judas; nevertheless, the performer lends to the character her unmitigated
effort, occasionally at the expense of nuance.) Moreover, Pontius Pilate is
portrayed enthusiastically and emphatically by an actress. (Pamela Taylor as
Pilate is one amongst many top-caliber performers in Superstar.)
Intriguingly, director Derek Charles Livingston has transported the entire
scenario of holy devotion and sacrifice to the present day. We witness
"televised" reports regarding turmoil in the Middle-East. An imperial
invader is occupying the "fertile crescent." There's homegrown
opposition to the heavily fortified military that enforces the occupation.
Factions are formed; insurgency is in the air and on the minds of both the
occupiers and the occupied. A resistance leader has risen (no pun intended). He
is called Jesus, and he has an influential following. The ruling religious
faction is threatened by this man and his fellow travelers. Soon the foreign
conquerors are also at odds with Jesus and his band of unapologetic upstarts. As
Rice and Webber's original conceit was influenced by the tumult of the
1960s--including the Vietnam War protests and the Civil Rights
Movement--Livingston fuses this Superstarto the textures of the 21st
century. One way to account for the enduring success of what some have coined
"The Greatest Story Ever Told," is that it holds meaning and
inspiration that can be projected into and onto any era of human activity. Kudos
to Livingston and his able ensemble for injecting currency into this poignant
production. From Herod-- sporting a George Bush-in-a-flight-suit look, and
delivering his harangue in King Herod's Song (a vicious and delicious rendering
by Steve Owsley) to the Judas' Death number, portrayed as a torture scene from
Abu Ghraib--this Superstar is as relevant as it is resonant. With simple
orchestrations (Richard Berent gives musical direction) that enliven the
memorable Rice/Webber score, we see a Jesus that is as human as he is humane (a
pleasantly translucent Scott Charles), as well as a beautifully self-conscious
Mary Magdalene (Jennifer Blake's rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love
Him" sounds lovely, and she looks simply radiant). Chris Turner as Annas;
John Szura as Caiaphas; and Dane Whitlock as Peter brand their characterizations
with uniqueness, intensity, and urgency. These are also the qualities that best
describe this incarnation of Superstar.