Northern Michigan University Theatre and Dance will present its adaptation of the iconic rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice produced for the professional stage more than 50 years ago. Show dates are Thursday-Saturday, April 10-12 and 17-19 in Forest Roberts Theatre.
The story of the last week of Jesus' life is told entirely through song. While based loosely on historical accounts from the Bible, co-directors Paul Truckey and Keli Crawford-Truckey say the themes addressed through depictions of the characters' personal relationships and struggles are timeless, and relevant to diverse audiences.
“Obviously the rock-and-roll music is awesome, and presents the Passion of the Christ in more of a modern context, but the play really strikes a chord because it focuses on the humanness of Jesus–the temptations he faced, for example–not his divinity,” said Paul. “Some people called it blasphemy when it first came out. But they changed their minds when they saw the show because they could connect with the human part of who this person was, as well as others. [Pontius] Pilate is typically thought of as this evil character, but there's more than meets the eye. He gets swayed by the crowds turning on Jesus and his own fears, but he actually has a very tender moment when he goes down to Jesus and says, ‘Look, just talk to me.'”
“People immediately associate the name Judas with traitor, but the play sympathizes a bit more with his struggle,” Keli added. “He's constantly weighing and battling his conscience over what he thinks is right. That's a daily human trial. Many in the crowd are the same way. They're incredibly devout, then they're incredibly fickle and turn on Jesus. Internal turmoil and relationship issues are things we all deal with as part of the human experience.”
Rather than the standard setting of Jerusalem, Northern's production takes place in a “desolate, dry desert wasteland that was once Las Vegas,” Keli's home city. She was inspired by the similarities she discovered in the song lyrics and storyline.
“I think it's boring when it's kept the way it's always been done with Mary wearing Birkenstocks and a sundress in the desert,” she said. “I started thinking of the Mojave Desert near Vegas. And then I listened to the lyrics closely, and there's a lot of rolling of the dice, risk-taking and gambling terms. [The high priests] Caiaphas and Annas kind of reminded me of the people in the little bubble in the ceiling at casinos, monitoring all the tables below to make sure no one's cheating and they're profiting. There are parallels everywhere. So it's a different approach to this production, but it's fun.”
Cast members include Marquette native and Forest Roberts Theatre veteran John Thomson as Judas, Asa Naigus as Jesus and Hannah Johnson as Mary Magdalene.
“I think people are going to be stunned by the amount of talent in this production,” Paul said. “The cast has been wonderful to work with. They've been really innovative and collaborative, helping us to create special moments on stage. It demonstrates the reality of the whole new level we're operating at now, with the BFA in musical theater program. It's a real pleasure to be part of it.”
Please note that “Jesus Christ Superstar” is meant for mature audiences. Show times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, April 10-12 and 17-19, with a 1 p.m. “pay as you may” Theatre for All sensory friendly matinee on April 12, and an additional 1 p.m. matinee on April 19. Tickets are $25 for the general public; $22 for NMU employees, seniors and military; $15 for youth; and $5 for NMU students. They can be purchased at https://nmu.universitytickets.com/.