The musical that launched the careers of composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice and ushered in a new era in musical theater will open DOMA Theatre Company's 2015 season. Helmed by director Marco Gomez and musical director Chris Raymond, the duo behind DOMA productions of Dreamgirls (Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle and LA Weekly Awards, L.A. Times "Critic's Choice") and Young Frankenstein (L.A. Times "Critic's Choice," BroadwayWorld "Best of 2014"), Jesus Christ Superstar opens tonight, Feb. 13 for a 6-week run at the MET Theatre in Hollywood.
A ground-breaking rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age, Jesus Christ Superstar is the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth - told through the eyes of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. As Jesus' radical teachings become increasingly embraced by the populace and his fame approaches superstar status, the zeal with which his followers hail him as the Son of God becomes a source of dismay to Judas.
"We made Judas a type of Everyman," explained Rice in an interview. "He did not think of himself as a traitor. What Judas was worried about was that as Christ got bigger and bigger and more popular, people began switching their attentions from what he was saying to Christ himself. Judas was terrified. He reckoned that if the movement got too big, the Romans who were occupying Israel would come down and clobber them."
Jesus Christ Superstar began life as a concept album in 1970, topping the American pop charts - and igniting controversy with its bold rock 'n' roll score and epic story that questioned the divine nature of Christ. When the show was produced on Broadway in 1971 starring
Ben Vereen as Judas, it was nominated for five Tony Awards. In 1973,
Norman Jewison directed the feature film version. Jesus Christ Superstar was revived in London's West End in 1996, where it received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Revival, and again on Broadway in 2000, earning another Tony nomination. A 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival production was directed by
Des McAnuff, touring to the
La Jolla Playhouse before transferring to Broadway, where it was nominated for yet two more Tonys and two Drama Desk Awards. An arena tour conceived to play huge, 20,000-seat stadiums launched in England in 2012 before traveling to Australia. But the 2014 North American leg of the tour, which was to star
Brandon Boyd of rock band Incubus as Judas, Destiny's Child singer
Michelle Williams as Mary Magdalene, former 'N Sync singer
JC Chasez as Pontius Pilate and former Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd lead singer
John Lydon as King Herod, was canceled.
The DOMA Theatre Company production of Jesus Christ Superstar will feature a 23-member ensemble, including
Nate Parker as Jesus Christ;
Jeremy Saje as Judas;
Renee Cohen as Mary Magdelene; Kelly Brighton as Pontius Pilate;
Andrew Diego as Caiaphas;
Michelle Holmes as Annas;
Blair Grotbeck as Peter;
Graham Kurtz as Simon the Zealot; and
Venny Carranza as King Herod. Also in the cast are
Alex Allen;
Jackee Bianchi; Charlie Bostick;
Tym Brown;
Sandra Diana Cantu;
Kevin Corsini;
Kaitlyn Fajilan; Kendra M. Hill;
Allison Jakubowski;
Wesley Moran; Ashlie Paige;
Dekontee Tucrkile;
Lauren Tyni; and Anthony D. Willis. Set design is by
John Iacovelli; lighting design is by Jean-Yves Tessier; sound design is by
Julie Ferrin; costume design is by
Lauren Oppelt; choreography is by Angela Todaro; makeup is by Karen Sanchez; and props are by Hallie Baran. The production manager/production stage manager is Gabrieal Griego, and
Marco Gomez and Dolf Ramos produce for DOMA Theatre Company.
Jesus Christ Superstar runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 3 p.m. from Feb. 13 through March 22. Tickets range from $30-$34.99; seniors and students with ID pay only $20. The MET Theatre is located at 1089 N. Oxford Ave., Los Angeles CA 90029. For reservations, call
(323) 802-4990 or go to
www.domatheatre.com.
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