Back in the early seventies, if you grew up in a conservative town, the only exposure to Jesus Christ Superstar was through the original soundtrack album and it was a revelation. Here was a set of tunes with rock dynamics (that at times was even a little proggy). For the ears of those times, they easily transcended mere show tunes. These were proper songs, ones that actually had choruses and not just the endless banter of verse after verse after verse. They even featured overdriven electric guitar lines.
If you felt the need you had to venture into the big city to actually see the play. You also had to sidestep the religious right out front with the placards of denouncement and verbal noise upon entrance, my how times have changed. Blasphemy and box office have long since become good bedfellows and the Christ complex can be seen on rock stages around the globe. The one thing that still plays is the feeling of it being a rite of passage.
The audience on the night reflected this with an extremely wide range of looks from the extreme theatre peacocks to the jeans-clad grungesters and all points in between. The average age though was surprisingly elder. Come on parents this is a work the youngsters might actually like. The production was bombastic in the best way and the songs still hold up. This was however challenged slightly by a few problems with the audio production.
It took a song or two for the sound to come into focus and the vocals for a few cast members needed the extra clarity. Also when the Big Guy’s son gave the pipes a real workout, the volume became overwhelming and a bit shrill. It’s been a while since the last visit and the thought that the first half contained most of the banger songs came flooding back but by play’s end, it was still quite the experience. The exuberance of it all still makes one wonder why rock music hasn’t penetrated more thoroughly into the world of theatre.
Jesus Christ Superstar is currently playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane until 10 August 2025 – click here to get your tickets now!
Rob Hudson
www.jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com.au/
