By Kelly Waldron
Photos by Kevin Crowe, Assistant Professor of Theatre
The rock-opera retelling of Jesus Christ’s last days sold out Degenstein Theater on the closing night of Jesus Christ Superstar.
From Nov. 14 to Nov. 17, this sung-through musical left audiences with an unexpected perspective on a story familiar to many.
Director Erik Viker placed the plot of Jesus Christ Superstar in the year 2024, which, according to freshman Sadie Bartholomew, had never been done before.
Audiences followed Judas, played by senior Isaac Austin, through this rock musical that reinvented a traditional story and revealed new sides of familiar historical characters.
Viker said, “Jesus Christ Superstar confronts the three-way collision of religious belief, political power and celebrity status in thought-provoking and timely ways.”
By putting the story in perspective of 2024, it, “offers a modern perspective of one of the greatest stories of all time,” according to Austin.
Viker explained how the cast of this production has engaged with the story and many members, including Sadie Bartholomew, who portrayed Mary Magdalene, and Luke Rider, who played Pilate, had conducted research to fully understand their characters and alter the historical perception of them.
Understanding the sensitivity of their source material, the cast has opened to one another and created an environment of understanding so they could respectfully and enjoyably bring this story to life.
The cast, crew and orchestra tirelessly collaborated, “to create a truly hard-worked piece of art,” said Rider.
With classic rock performances, energetic choreography by Annie Sullivan and a relevant take on a classic story, Jesus Christ Superstar was a great way to close out the fall semester program.
“No matter what you believe in, the messages are still relevant, and everyone can learn or resonate with the story,” said Bartholomew.
Jesus Christ Superstar was performed Thursday, Nov. 14 through Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2:30 p.m. in Degenstein Theater.
The theater department’s next production will be the One-Act play festival in February of 2025.
