Cynthia Erivo, Adam Lambert & The Hollywood Bowl Offer a "Jesus Christ Superstar" for the Ages.
- Dan Ruth
- Aug 2
- 7 min read
Saturday, August 2nd, Los Angeles, CA
written by Entertainment Editor, Dan Ruth
Before I disparage myself or anyone else, no matter how many times you and I have seen Jesus Christ Superstar (herein referred to as JCS) I doubt anyone could rank themselves an expert on the show, but that’s how fans of this show see themselves, me included. Every new production of JCS manages to find some undiscovered theme, or cleverly crafted new portrayals of these historically unseen characters, all because Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score and Tim Rice’s lyrics give them the tools to do so, even though some productions fall short. Rock stars and Broadway stars join the rank and file of casts before them, taking on the larger roles of Judas, Christ, and Mary Magdalene, or busy themselves fitting into cameo rolls such as King Herod and Pontius Pilot. I’ve seen productions at my alma mater in Richmond, VA, I’ve seen productions at the Pantages and on Broadway. Back in New York City, I tended bar in a Hell’s Kitchen restaurant, full of JCS fans watching John Legend’s television portrayal, which owns my favorite JCS ending of all time. I can also recall being very disappointed back in 2014 when the roadshow of JCS starring John Lydon of The Sex Pistol’s fame as Herod was abruptly cancelled, and don’t get me started on the never-ending JCS rabbit hole on YouTube. I’ve been singing, humming, and living the score of this rock opera since I was a child and with every scratch that lay deep within the vinyl of my original cast album with Ian Gillian, Murray Head and Yvonne Elliman, there is a history of my countless hours spent with my hairbrush microphone, looking into the mirror, flipping my nonexistent long hair and screaming, “Allllright, I’ll Die!!!!” I’m sure elsewhere in the house, there was a sibling thinking, “well then, get on with it.” So, like you, if you’re still reading this, I may not be an expert, but I am a huge fan.
When it looked as though tickets for JCS at The Hollywood Bowl were going to be out of my fiscal reach, I somehow found a way to chalk it up to the fates. After all, it’s only starring Cynthia Erivo, Adam Lambert and Raúl Esparza, right? I would be okay. I would read about it online and see all the highlights on social media. Then late yesterday I heard a ruckus in the bathroom. I ran in to see what was going on. It was that kid with the hairbrush microphone screaming back in the mirror at me, “are you out of your f*cking mind? Find one, any one, get a ticket!” I immediately got on StubHub because least one forget, there are no bad seats and there is no bad sound at The Hollywood Bowl, and discovered that they had released more tickets. I clicked on a surprisingly reasonable seat, made the purchase and was out the door. Before I knew it, I was among the thousands of millions in line, waiting for access. As I was being frisked, I noticed the merch table and was reminded that JCS is indeed a rock show. After taking my seat, I looked across the congregation, to the Hollywood Cross in the distance, glowing in its ominous white light. I was so grateful to be counted among the lucky theatergoers, there to witness the raising of this rock and roll behemoth, which remains perhaps, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s most accessible and magnificent score.
The overture of JCS always raises the same goosebumps, the same sense of power, foreboding, and anticipation necessary to get this 55 year old giant off the ground, and when you’ve heard it played by a full orchestra, you will simply accept nothing less. Let’s be clear, this production of JCS is a “staged concert” performance, which perhaps references the use of hand-held microphones throughout, but make no mistake, this is a fully orchestrated, and fully staged production with effective lighting, rear screen projections and dynamic choreography throughout. Even with all its theatricality, the faithful have gathered for only two reasons, the score, and the voices. This production and its magnificent cast do not disappoint, and to this fan, last night was a JCS for the ages.
By now, we all know the brilliant Adam Lambert and the power of his rock tenor chops. Lambert is a perfect choice for the man who is to betray Christ, and in this production, his Judas is wrapped in silver sequins, rhinestones and an almost Alexander Haig “I’m in control here” quality, which separates him from many past portrayals that often rely on some empathy and "relative" good intentions to mask his deceit. Lambert’s Judas is not to be trifled with, and when he towers over Jesus, it smacks less of the end of a friendship and more of an out and out indictment. Cynthia Erivo’s Jesus is spellbinding. Draped in white and sporting their very personalized nose ring and long nails, they are otherworldly in comparison to the rest of the cast. They are separate in stature and appearance which is this production’s ace up its sleeve. Their voice is as enchanting as it is explosive, and the performance is simply mesmerizing. Their Jesus seems to float across the stage, fueled by an undeniable vulnerability and recognition that the end is near, which is extremely faithful to the timeline. To this Jesus, the game of high status/low status with Judas has worn thin, long before the curtain rises on Webber and Rice’s opera. Every nuance and every motion seem to silently scream that "the jig is up." Erivo’s Christ is no longer in control, trying desperately to find a way out, knowing full well that the cards are stacked against him. Oh, and if you’re even remotely curious, Cynthia Erivo’s gender bend seems to only add to him being “otherized” and an easier target for the culture and political vultures looming in this show.
The booming bass powerhouse voice of Zachary James’ Caiaphas is fittingly intimidating and down-right evil, as are the rest of the pharisees. In fact, one could make comparisons to our current congress, but I will stay in the world theatrical, which brings us to Tyrone Huntley, his high-energy Simon and a glorious rendition of "Simon Zealotes." This number, for my purposes only, serves as a JCS choral litmus test, with many productions underutilizing the harmonies available via Webber’s score, and Huntley and company pass with flying colors. Raul Esparza’s Pilot is an absolute sensation. His presence is commanding, as he arrogantly mocks, growls and saunters his way through his chambers, but even with that, his flamboyance hides a well of compassion which is deeper than expected, and there’s something haunting about his empathy, which seems to be lacking elsewhere on stage, save the character of Mary Magdalane, beautifully rendered by Phillipa Soo. Her Mary is quite timely, representing both a realism and a dying worldly optimism. She is an every-woman, a compassionate human, a relic. Her voice is rich, full of evocative passion, and her relationship with Jesus is tender and guarded. John Stamos as Herod delivers an enjoyable performance and is bound to add more and more as this show progresses throughout the weekend, considering he just stepped into the roll 48 hours before going on stage. My only wish was that he wasn’t wearing a wig, because, well, he’s always going to be John Stamos and Stamos will always be a badass “as is.” Bravo, John.
As you’ve probably gathered by now, both Lambert & Erivo simply destroy their numbers, with Lambert’s “Heaven on their Minds,” “Damned for All Time” and the title track leave the audience screaming for more. The evening however, belongs to Cynthia Erivo’s “Gethsemane,” which in turn, belongs to them. The song serves not only as the climax of the show, but as a manifestation of Erivo’s vocal prowess and their connection to the audience, as was apparent during last evening's show-stopping standing ovation. Erivo’s performance is an absolute payback for all the productions that cast a Jesus simply because he looks like the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus of western Christian fame, but cannot rise to the vocal occasion to land, let alone get through this, arguably Webber’s most difficult soliloquy song. Erivo nails “Gethsemane” so hard that future productions will find it difficult to pry it from their cross. Although the night is loaded with powerhouse performances, there exists one final word here, and that is the undeniably skilled hand of director/choreographer, Sergio Trujillo. Trujillo's direction has rollercoaster moments brimming with great intensity, paired with pin-drop moments of silence where his cast is wrapt in an air that is effortless, respectful and meticulously controlled. There’s nothing more powerful than being among thousands of people sitting in moments of intense silence, and last night's crowd fell hard, as if under the spell of Webber, Rice, Trujillo and his impeccable cast. How fitting that this event was witnessed in person by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber himself, who joined the cast at curtain call. Thank you Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, for your amazing score which opened the door for generations of fans who later fell in love not only with musicial theatre, but with rock and roll, heavy metal and electric jazz fusion.
I think I’m good for a long while, and can want for nothing else. I think that the kid in the mirror with the hairbrush microphone has met his match. This show is not to be missed, even if you have to sneak into a surrounding tree or hide in a bush, find your way to The Hollywood Bowl. Please arrive early if you want to take advantage of their butt cushions, they ran out very early. I didn’t really need one last night because I watched the entire show from the edge of my seat.
Jesus Christ Superstar continues through Sunday, August 3rd at 8pm. Directed & choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with musical direction by Stephen Oremus, Lighting design by Tyler Glover and costumes by Emilio Sosa.
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