Review: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Presented by Drag Daddy Productions and The Chicken Coop

Photo by Matthew Pruitt

Every once in awhile, a show comes around that manages to wedge its self in the center of a triple vin-diagram, overlapping in critical acclaim, commercial success, and the hardest to crack, overwhelmingly beloved by the theater community. I’d venture to say that Jesus Christ Superstar is one of those rare shows to land in the center of this hypothetical chart. The theatre community adores Jesus Christ Superstar as a musical, which is part of the reason it’s had such a long life and had continued to be produced for the better part of the last 50 years. 

With a story so epic in scope, and the score part grand 70s rock opera, part musical theatre, it’s easy to see the appeal of the show as one of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best and most lasting pieces for the stage. The story focuses on the last days of Jesus Christ before crucifixion, with our main characters being Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene. However, this new production (a partnership between Drag Daddy Productions and The Chicken Coop) turns the tale on its head with non- traditional casting and imagery relevant to our times. The show is open to bold and exciting swings, and I’m happy to report that bold and exciting are indeed two words I would use to describe this new production, even if the swings aren’t always home runs. 

Our cast is led by local drag star Gilda Wabbit as Jesus, local theatre favorite Myranda Thomas as Judas, and Drag Daddy alumnus William Nickles as Mary Magdalene. Wabbit is vocally impressive as our Jesus, her voice is layered and complex, and her performance really comes to life when she gets to sing her heart out, however one of the pitfalls of Jesus is that he often comes across as one of the less interesting characters in his own story (in my opinion, it’s the writing to fault), and Wabbit navigates this to the best of her abilities and turns in a solid overall performance, and once again proves she was made for the stage and is more than capable of leading a musical. Thomas’ Judas however is absolutely stunning. From the moment she walks onstage at the top of the show, the amount of pain and regret on her face lets the audience know we are about to be taken for a ride. Thomas’ vocals are on absolute fire, and the range of emotions she conveys thoughout the show’s runtime is near masterclass level. Nickles as Mary Magdalene does a fantastic job with the smallest of the three main roles. Nickles exudes sexiness and confidence when it’s called for, but can just as easily break your heart with his soaring falsetto in his more touching numbers. He and Wabbit have wonderful chemistry, Nickles presence only elevates every scene he’s in. 

With a cast this large and filled to the brim with local talent, it’s hard to give everyone the shoutouts they deserve, but it’s truly difficult to find a weak link, everyone is firing on all cylinders which I’m sure is partially thanks to great direction, but more in that later. Jason Cooper’s King Herod (a role he shares with Tony Lewis depending on performance) is a delight. The role while more of a cameo, is a wonderful showcase of Cooper’s talents as a singer and comedian, playing the king as petty and shady, he’s a hoot. Tony Smith shines as the devious and evil Caiaphas. His bass voice is  gorgeous and haunting, making it a great foil to a lot of the higher range vocals throughout the piece. Lyndsey Jayne Pennington as Pontus Pilate is an actor I've never seen prior, but her performance was phenomenal, vocally and dramatically on point for her limited but well utilized stage time. Finally I must shout out the Ethereals (Leigh Nieves, Veronica Riggs, Kimberly Roeten, and Celeste Vonderscmitt), a quartet of phenomenal dancers who almost never leave the stage and are always involved in the action. Their choreography was stunning and near flawlessly executed. 

The design elements of the production blend modern elements with the period setting to beautiful effect, and the direction by Tony Lewis has a fascinating and rich point of view that works for the most part. 

The almost sold out crowd at Art Sanctuary on Friday was instantly on their feet at curtain call to celebrate and praise this unique theatrical experience. As I said before, this production is both bold and exciting. It takes big swings and in return knocks several balls out of the park in what I surely to be a production that is buzzed about in the Louisville theatre community for years to come. 

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Playing Now - August 13th @ Art Sanctuary