{"id":5849,"date":"2013-04-24T10:26:05","date_gmt":"2013-04-24T17:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/?p=5849"},"modified":"2015-08-11T12:28:06","modified_gmt":"2015-08-11T19:28:06","slug":"jesus-christ-superstar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/forallevents.com\/reviews\/jesus-christ-superstar\/","title":{"rendered":"“Jesus Christ Superstar” – City College of SF"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

1970 album cover for the American musical production.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The theatre arts department of City College of San Francisco has done it again,\u00a0 in fact, it exceeds its previous productions with\u00a0 Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice’s iconic rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar.”\u00a0\u00a0 It literally rocks the house!<\/p>\n

Director and choreographer Deborah Shaw and musical director Michael Shahani, worked closely with set designer Patrick Toebe and lighting designer Jeffrey Kelly to create what Shaw described as a “steam punk” atmosphere, enhanced by George Georges sound design of clanking metal and hissing steam.\u00a0 A metal scaffolding makes up the many-leveled set, backed by what appears to be a wall of thick, heavy, frayed ropes descending from the flies behind a scrim against which an array of psychedelic lights play, often changing colors and pulsing in time to tunes like “What’s the Buzz.”\u00a0\u00a0 Shahani’s orchestra can barely be seen behind the scrim, but it’s certainly heard.<\/p>\n

The large cast of close to three dozen actors, singers and or dancers consists of students, alumni, and other Bay Area talent.\u00a0 They are outfitted in Ralph Hoy’s inventive costumes.\u00a0 He and his staff: Sarah Moss, Julie Wong, Tatiana Prue, and Steve Murray, gives the production a certain 1930s Brechtian look.\u00a0 Characters such as the Soul Girls, Dancers, and Prostitutes wear short-skirts and blouses of colorful netting with flared sleeves, and low-cut, form-fitting, leather-like and metal studded vests, in the “Xena, Warrior Princess” mode.\u00a0 Their feet are shod in thick-soled, black, stomper boots fastened with metal buckles.\u00a0 The Three Angels’ (Natalie Ayala, Kasia Kransnopolska and Holly Labus, who also double as Prostitutes) costumes are augmented with black wings.\u00a0 The apostles and chorus wear outfits of early 20th century laborers.<\/p>\n

After the Overture, black-bearded David Peterson as Judas Iscariot enters, singing “Heaven on Their Minds.”\u00a0 He wears a long, brown duster over pants and vest;\u00a0 his long hair in dreads, eyes rimmed in black.\u00a0 The amazing Peterson is electric, charismatic and passionate, yet, at the same time he allows Judas’s vulnerability and confusion to surface, so that you almost feel sorry for the guy for selling out Jesus.\u00a0 Peterson’s\u00a0 voice,\u00a0 like rough velvet, is strong and full of emotion.<\/p>\n

Jesus (Zachary Bukarev-Padlo)\u00a0 is not the robed, long-haired, bearded sandal-wearing\u00a0 ethereal being we’re used to seeing, but a sweet-faced guy with a neat goatee and short blonde, wavy hair.\u00a0 He wears a khaki shirt, jodhpurs, boots, and a strange skewed plaid vest with an over the shoulder strap.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Bukarev-Padlo’s tortured delivery allows us to experience his dilemma as he questions himself and his fate.\u00a0 Unasked for demands made on him prove too much.<\/p>\n

Jenneviere Villegas plays a red-headed Mary Magdalene.\u00a0 You hear the sweet, plaintive keening of unrequited love\u00a0 in her voice as she sings, “I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”\u00a0 Like David Peterson, Villegas, too, shows her vulnerability to and confusion about her feelings for Jesus.<\/p>\n

Pilate is played by Ron McCan whose physical disability serves to enhance his role.\u00a0 He pushes himself from his “throne”\/electric chair, moves purposefully across the stage wearing a kind of crown and embroidered robe, singing, “Pilate’s Dream” in which he meets Jesus, singing words that tell of his\u00a0 guilt for what he’s about to do to him, which he overcomes with his arrogance.<\/p>\n

The entire production is remarkable, though some scenes stand out:\u00a0 One lively scene is of Jesus destroying the temple where drugs are sold, and pimps tout their prostitutes, as the chorus sings, “Temple”;\u00a0 another- gut-wrenching and dramatic-\u00a0 is that of lepers costumed in off-white pants and extended sleeved shirts resembling straightjackets, crawling, pulling themselves across the stage, moaning as they confront Jesus, grabbing at him, beseeching him to heal them.\u00a0 Overwhelmed, he tells them to “heal themselves.”<\/p>\n

Act 1 ends with Judas, priests Annas (Kevin Hurlbut), and Caiaphas (David Richardson), and the chorus singing the rousing, “Damned for All Time\/Blood Money,” and Judas accepts his 30 pieces of silver.<\/p>\n

Priests seem always to be dressed in long black gowns.\u00a0 Ralph Hoy gets around this\u00a0 stereotype by outfitting them with multi-lensed eyewear that looks like something out of “The Matrix” (or an optometrist’s office), which are not only inventive, but extraordinary and effectively sinister.<\/p>\n

Outstanding actors are David Richardson as\u00a0 Caiaphas, the head priest.\u00a0 Richardson intones in his basso profundo, singing with Annas the above number, and with other priests (Joey Alvarado, David Herrera, and Jack Landseadel) “This Jesus Must Die,” and more.\u00a0\u00a0 Pablo Soriano gives a believable performance as the wide-eyed, intimidated, burdened apostle, Peter, who denies Jesus in “Peter’s Denial” in a scene with Maid by the Fire (Elizabeth Castaneda), Mary, and old man, and a soldier. \u00a0 Another is Spencer Peterson as Herod, playing the king as only Spencer Peterson can: as a heavily made up, top-hatted, flamboyant gay dude in tights and a huge brown leather cod-piece straight out of an early Roman comedy.\u00a0 He dances, prances, and jumps around the cabaret-like set singing, “King Herod’s Song (Try it and See)” with the dancing girls, prostitutes and chorus.<\/p>\n

After Judas’s suicide (Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, and the Chorus sing the dirge, “Judas ‘s Death”), he appares to Jesus as a vision in a tuxedo- jacket open revealing his bare chest- black bow tie, and red suspenders.\u00a0 He, the Soul Girls, Dancers, and Angels dance and sing “Superstar.” \u00a0\u00a0 Brilliant!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The staging of Jesus’ crucifixion (“The Crucifixion,” Jesus, Mary, the ‘apostles), is beautiful.\u00a0 Enhanced by Kelly’s lighting-\u00a0 light beams fan out behind Jesus like searchlights,\u00a0 he appears in silhouette, arms out-stretched.<\/p>\n

Each actor, including priests, Herod, Pilate, and the apostles play more than one role.\u00a0 Exceptions are Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, and Caiaphas.\u00a0\u00a0 That said, each sprechstimme<\/em>-singing\u00a0 or singing actor is believable in his or her role.<\/p>\n

One problem with a large cast is ensuring that everyone is invested in the story and its principles.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 An audience is aware when this doesn’t happen; it feels it; something is off.\u00a0 I didn’t sense this at all.\u00a0 Each actor gives his or her all to make\u00a0 “Jesus Christ Superstar” a success.\u00a0 The singing and acting in this production is some of the best I’ve seen in a musical.<\/p>\n

April 26-28 are its final performances, so\u00a0 don’t miss it.<\/p>\n

Diego Rivera Theatre on the City College of SF campus, Gennessee @ Judson, or Phelan and Judson. Go to City College of SF website, click on index, scroll down to\u00a0 Theatre Arts Department current productions for more information.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

1970 album cover for the American musical production.   The theatre arts department of City College of San Francisco has done it again,\u00a0 in fact, it exceeds its previous productions…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":124,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"yasr_overall_rating":0,"yasr_post_is_review":"","yasr_auto_insert_disabled":"","yasr_review_type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[837],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5849","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-joe-cillo"},"yasr_visitor_votes":{"stars_attributes":{"read_only":true,"span_bottom":"