“Jesus Christ Superstar” crosses the divine divide between God and man.
Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber in 1970 created a rock opera that cuts to the core of religion and popular culture. It’s an intoxicating blend of amplified guitars, strobe lights, and gyrating dancers that reveal biblical themes of love, betrayal, sacrifice and redemption.
Broadway’s Alex Santoriello directs and stars in an emotionally gripping and spiritually-frenzied version of the musical at Savannah Center.
It opened Monday to a pair of sold out performances and runs through Thursday. Nearly 5,000 tickets are expected to be sold for the six performances produced by KC Productions and Pro-Am Performing Arts.
Santoriello’s Judas is consumed by jealousy and self-loathing. Dawn DiNome’s Mary Magdalene is a gentle spirit coming to terms with a love she doesn’t understand. Gary DeLena’s Jesus, is a forlorn figure who knows the cost of human betrayal and divine intervention.
https://youtu.be/R6PUn_wvk14
These are only three of the remarkable performances in well-rounded cast that brought spirit and intensity to “Superstar.” The list includes: Tim Casey as Pilate, Alex Scopino, Caiapahs; Jim Kitzler, Peter, and Vince Morris as Simon. Gary Chubeck played Herod and Susan Bartlett: Annas.
They were helped by a 10-piece, live, orchestra directed by Jill Marrese.
Judas, though, is the center of this musical. Santoriello plays him as the true-believer gone mad because he can’t be his own star. Like a back-up singer in the rock band, Judas wants to be in front.
Near the final scene, Santoriello – who lives in The Villages — has an emotional meltdown on stage filled with rage and regret and so real you could feel a noose around his psyche.
Laurie Scheben’s stunning choreography adds power to Judas’ plight. The stage darkens as do the costumes, when Judas sinks into black despair. Eventually, a chorus of executioners beckons him to the rope that awaits the man who betrayed Jesus. Dawn DiNome was luminous as Mary Magdalene.
She sang the signature song, “I Don’t Know How To Love Him,” with a wounded-grace and heartfelt bewilderment.
There other performers will play Mary in during the next three days: Mary Jo Vitale (Tuesday), Sue Schuler (Wednesday) and Kathleen Kane (Thursday).
DeLena is best known as a stand-up comic out of New York City, but has played Jesus in “Superstar’ before. He brought an inner peace and deep sincerity to the role.
Santoriello and many of the cast really picked up the intensity on the blistering rocker, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” near the end of the show. They were all dressed in white outfits and gave the rollicking number a Vegas twist.
DeLena had the dramatic moment of the night during the final moments on the cross. After his head bowed, the stage darkened and the crowd was consumed in contemplative silence.
Then the cast came out for bows.
Over four decades have passed since “Jesus Christ Superstar” debuted on Broadway. But the essence of the musical remains. It’s filled with passion and a story that never grows old.
“I could really feel it tonight,” Santoriello said after the show. “We’ve been rehearsing, but tonight I could really feel the character and the show.”
“This musical has so much gravitas,” DeLena said. “You could feel it on stage and I think the people felt it in the audience.”
The spirit of this musical, like the story it tells, lives on.