JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Where: Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St.
When: Jan. 2-7
Tickets: $161 from the Royal McPherson box office (250-386-6121) or rmts.bc.ca
A celebration fêting a 50-year run is a party worth having, no matter the benefactor. What’s more, it gives all involved the opportunity to take stock of what has transpired — to marvel at five decades of consistent activity, above all else.
In the theatre world, a golden jubilee is an extraordinary, nearly unthinkable achievement. Today’s arts-and-culture world, where everything from financing to audience appreciation varies wildly, is far from merciful; even top-notch productions can reach unceremonious ends. But not Jesus Christ Superstar. The hugely popular Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice collaboration has been a fixture of the arts and culture firmament since 1970, when it premiered as a concept album. The success of that album begat a hit stage musical in 1971 and an Academy Award-nominated film adaptation and soundtrack of the same name in 1973.
The latter production, and best-known version of Jesus Christ Superstar, is the template for the 50th anniversary spectacle stopping at the Royal Theatre next week. Broadway in Victoria (which brought the Tony Award-winning musical Come From Away to town for two weeks in May) is promoting the upcoming production, a large-scale version of which has not been staged in Victoria since 2010, when Ted Neeley, who starred as Jesus Christ in Norman Jewison’s silver screen favourite, was still with the national touring production.
Over the years, iterations of Jesus Christ Superstar have featured everyone from Deep Purple singer Ian Gillan to R&B star John Legend in the title role, but the reception rarely differs. Jesus Christ Superstar is both critic- and recession-proof, and at various points has set records for being one of the longest-running productions in theatrical history. It’s a pop culture phenomenon, with legs even today.
New York-based newcomer Jack Hopewell stars as Jesus Christ for this production from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in London, and has drawn raves for his performance. Not far behind is Elvie Ellis, who plays Judas Iscariot, an apostle whose concern for and consternation about Jesus supplies much of the drama.
For all the attention paid to the role of Jesus, the unofficial star has always been the character of Judas. He is the moral/amoral compass of Jesus Christ Superstar, and it is his love of the title character that drives the narrative. When the relationship turns sour, and he allows others with ulterior motives to corrupt him, Judas becomes the show’s anger-ridden antagonist.
“Obviously, Jesus has the huge part in the show,” Ellis said during an interview from Oklahoma City, where he spent much of the Christmas break. “But coming into it, I definitely felt the pressure.”
Though the production was built around what fans call the “Brown Album,” named after the colour of the album cover of the 1970 U.S. soundtrack release, the version of Jesus Christ Superstar headed to Victoria is slightly updated. For starters, Ellis said, it runs for 90 minutes, with no intermission.
The wardrobe has also been tweaked. “Our costuming is … interesting,” he said with a laugh. “We all have on leisure wear, if you will. It looks like we just walked out of a Lululemon.”
Ellis said he constantly hears about Hopewell’s sneakers — there in place of sandals — and the lead actor’s man-bun, which remains tightly wound for the early portion of the performance. “Little things like that have been updated, but when it comes to the storytelling and the music, we haven’t changed much. The only song that isn’t in the show is Could We Start Again, Please, because it wasn’t part of the original concept album. That’s the only difference.”
The costuming becomes less of a focus as the show progresses, with Hopewell’s wardrobe devolving the most. By the end of the performance, longtime fans will barely notice the changes, Ellis said. “Throughout the show he sheds layers until he starts to look like the traditional Jesus we have seen painted in pictures, with robes and things like that.”
The production, with Olivier Award-winning direction and choreography by Tim Sheader and Drew McOnie, has been off the road for the past month, which allowed the New York-based Ellis, 32, time to visit family during a sojourn in Oklahoma City, his hometown. The tour resumes Jan. 2 in Victoria, with the first of eight performances at the Royal Theatre through Jan. 7. Ellis joined the tour in October 2022, and will remain with his castmates until this particular run wraps in May.
He first came to know about Jesus Christ Superstar after seeing the film Along Came Polly, a forgettable 2004 comedy staring Ben Stiller and Jennifer Aniston whose plot featured a high school performance of the oft-mimicked rock opera. Years later, Ellis was involved with a theatre production during his sophomore year at the University of Oklahoma, which featured a performance of Superstar, the unofficial theme song of Jesus Christ Superstar, in a musical revue.
“I remember being in awe of my classmate, who sang the Judas vocals on Superstar while doing backflips across the stage,” he recalled, laughing at the memory. “I thought, ‘That is insane. I’ll never be able to do that.’ ”
He has played Judas in over 300 performances in the years since, and while the role has become second nature to him, the physical toll never dips in intensity. “Usually by the end of the [production] week we all look like we’ve been crucified,” he said. “But we’ve been on break for a couple of weeks, so we’ll all be excited and full of energy in Victoria.”
