Review Roundup: What Did The Critics Think of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR At The Lyric Opera in Chicago?

The North American premiere of Timothy Sheader's explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar opened at Lyric April 27, with performances through May 20 (press opening April 28). Lyric is the only place to experience the grand scale of this acclaimed production in its first staging outside London.

The Lyric production features Heath Saunders (Jesus), Ryan Shaw (Judas), Jo Lampert (Mary Magdalene), Michael Cunio (Pilate), Mykal Kilgore (Simon Zealotes), Shaun Fleming (Herod), Joseph Anthony Byrd (Annas), Cavin Cornwall (Caiaphas) and Andrew Mueller (Peter), with a total of 48 cast members and 37 musicians, including members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The London performances comprised 11 musicians and 27 cast members. Cast members pictured have not been confirmed for the touring production of the show.

Three-time Olivier Award winner Timothy Sheader directs the North American premiere of his acclaimed 2016 production from Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre. Sheader is joined in Chicago by the original creative team, including conductor Tom Deering, Olivier Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie, Tony Award-nominated set & costume designer Tom Scutt, and Olivier Award-nominated lighting designer Lee Curran.

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this global blockbuster tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. As Christ's followers grow more fervent, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal. Filled with an exciting mix of musical styles that draw upon 1970s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, this contemporary imagining of the biblical tale features high-energy dance and powerful visual storytelling.

Let's see what the critics have to say!

Catey Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times: There are countless details Sheader uses to further the story and deepen the characters throughout. As the Apostles drunkenly croon through the Last Supper, they momentarily form a tableau that evokes Da Vinci's famous painting of the meal. When Judas prowls the stage after handing Jesus over to the Romans, he's carrying a microphone with a blood-red cord.

Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune: This is the most millennial-friendly "JCS" ever. Right from the start, "JCS" was a groundbreaker in terms of diverse casting, and this production both honors that history and spins it forward. Watching this young cast with its gray hoodies and scary eye shadow and self-performative and intimidating attitudes, I'll confess moments of nostalgia for the show's hippy-dippy, everything's-all-right, pastel-flowing, gentle-bearded, turned-on, tripped-out, boomer-friendly past, but that is not our present moment, dear reader, and this is the right kind of stylistic update.

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