If there were more than 10 people from any given religious sect willing to brave the Buffalo cold to picket outside performances at Shea's Performing Arts Center, maybe the fundamentalists need to rethink whether or not there's actually something to protest.
While their signs reminded theater-goers that the show featured a supposedly-blasphemous recounting of Christ's life, what they should have been protesting was the dismal performance given by former Skid Row vocalist Sebastian Bach. Bach's tenure as Christ has been rife with controversy, but most has revolved around his portrayal of a religious figure - instead of his inability to illicit sympathy from the audience.
Carl Anderson has been appearing in "Jesus Christ Superstar" for decades and it isn't until the curtain call that his age shows. He is lithe, quick, and capable of outstanding movement (or if he is not, it has been hidden with tricks of choreography), and he clearly knows his role inside and out. One has to applaud his continued ability to find a way to connect with Judas, undoubtedly the most intricately framed character in this tale.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" is one of Tim Rice's first collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, tracking the last few days of Jesus' life. This is what I've read, anyway. So booming was the sound system at Shea's that the only characters I could really understand were Mary Magdalene (Natalie Toro) and King Herod (Peter Kevoian).
Toro's performance was nothing short of breathtaking. Whereas Jesus' part was played in such a manner that made it nearly impossible to think of the son of God as anything other than a whiney, petulant egomaniac, Toro's voice was clear and sweet. Such songs as "Everything's Alright" were filled with emotion and care. When Toro sang, "Don't you know everything's alright/everything's fine," audience members could let themselves be carried away by the words and forget the troubles of the world outside the theater. Sadly, her part was rather limited - almost a token feminine presence in a story where the real drama occurred between the men in power.
Other than Toro, the real delight in the touring production is in the less prominent parts and the technical accomplishments of the crew.
The physical prowess of the dancers becomes apparent from the moment one extremely fit dancer leaps up to grasp the overhanging bridge, pulling himself up to the second level of the of Peter J. Davidson's set. Hello, upper body strength!
Standout numbers include the instrumental piece leading into "Everything's Alright (Reprise)," during which Bach shows promise as far as silent performances are concerned. The effect of the garbed lepers advancing on Jesus, begging him to cure their ailments, is chilling.
During the second act, "King Herod's Song" lights up the stage with Vegas-style bulbs and sequin-bedecked dancers in fishtail dresses. Herod is played for laughs, and he gets them, but there is also a strange menace in the way Kevoian insists Jesus provide him with proof of his divinity.
The concept behind Director Kevin Moriarty's show seems to be a modernizing of the ancient tale. While the basic parts of the crucifixion are held in place (the crown of thorns, the cross itself), at first, the musical looks almost futuristic. Some of the apostles are seen first as graffiti-artists-cum-guerilla-soldiers, dressed in camouflaged army fatigues and tank tops, while others look like they could have walked straight out of a Toronto rave. It's an effective method of making this 30-year old drama resonate with today's audiences.
