For better or worse, the boisterous touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” — now spreading the gospel of Andrew Lloyd Webber at the Kennedy Center — doesn’t exactly treat Tim Rice’s lyrics like scripture.
By returning the 1971 musical to its rock opera roots and giving its characters guitars, hand mics and a skid-row edge, director Timothy Sheader seems more interested in a visceral retelling of Jesus’s final days than an intelligible one. In that regard, this Olivier Award-winning revival, which launched in London in 2016 before transferring stateside as a 50th anniversary tour, succeeds by augmenting Webber’s celebrated score with seat-shaking bass lines, sharp guitar riffs and kinetic choreography.
When Jesus’s followers collapse to the stage at the end of the rollicking “Simon Zealotes,” it’s no surprise to see every ensemble member’s chest heaving in exhaustion. This is a noisy show in which exhilaration trumps comprehension, unfolding over 90 minutes without an intermission. But the breakneck pace and bombastic arrangements come at the expense of narrative breathing room and lyrical clarity, veering the show’s emotional trajectory off course.
It doesn’t help that Aaron LaVigne plays Jesus as a brazen rock diva. Whether the talented performer is going his own way or simply honoring Sheader’s take on the character, this Messiah is so stone-faced and aloof that one wonders how he recruited followers at all. But LaVigne’s depiction does net more sympathy for Omar Lopez-Cepero’s tragic betrayer, Judas, whose resentful crooning stands out on the opener “Heaven on Their Minds.”
Although Jenna Rubaii plays Mary Magdalene with punk flair, her soothing renditions of the lullaby “Everything’s Alright” and the duet “Could We Start Again Please?” — sung with Tommy McDowell’s boyish disciple Peter — make for welcome respites. And Alvin Crawford brings bravado to the treacherous high priest Caiaphas, whose booming vocals are complemented by Tyce Green’s screeching accomplice Annas.
When it comes to the craft work, the production is impeccable. Tom Scutt’s inventive two-tiered set features wooden scaffolding and a massive cross that performers traverse like a balance beam. Scutt also is responsible for the costumes, which include the purposefully bland beiges of Jesus’s followers, the skinhead aesthetic of Tommy Sherlock’s Pilate and the applause-worthy golden gown donned by Paul Louis Lessard’s Herod.
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Lessard struts with glam-rock aplomb in “Herod’s Song,” which shows a more whimsical side of Drew McOnie’s high-octane choreography. In a clever flourish aided by Lee Curran’s striking lighting, McOnie frequently frames the ensemble in biblical tableaus that would be at home in the Sistine Chapel.
It is worth noting that audiences can see Jesus and Mary get a more inspired treatment some 20 miles up the road at Olney Theatre Center, where the world-premiere musical “A.D. 16” is packed with R&B earworms, a subversively funny book and, notably, audible lyrics. But this iteration of “Jesus Christ Superstar” does deliver the unabashed thrill of blasting early Webber showstoppers — such as the toe-tapping “What’s the Buzz” and the grandiose “Superstar” — into the audience’s eardrums. Even if newcomers won’t be converted into believers, “Jesus Christ Superstar” groupies should enjoy being along for the ride.
Jesus Christ Superstar, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Directed by Timothy Sheader. Choreography, Drew McOnie; music supervision, David Holcenberg; scenic design and costumes, Tom Scutt; lighting, Lee Curran; sound, Keith Caggiano and Nick Lidster. With Eric A. Lewis, Sarah Parker, Brian Golub, Garfield Hammonds and Darrell T. Joe. About 1½ hours. $45-$185. Through March 13 at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 202-467-4600. kennedy-center.org.
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