Review Roundup: North Carolina Theatre's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

North Carolina Theatre, the region's premiere nonprofit professional regional theatre, presents Jesus Christ Superstar, playing this Easter, April 11-16 at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts.

Let's see what the critics had to say:

Jeffrey Kare, BroadwayWorld: With Aleks Pevec's very wise portrayal of Jesus, we the audience are able to identify with him much more than we would've if he was portrayed as God. We even feel for him as he's getting closer to his unfortunate fate in the end. The rest of ensemble features noteworthy highlights from Aaron C. Finley giving a strong performance as Judas Iscariot; Brennyn Lark giving a heartfelt performance as Mary Magdalene; and commanding appearances from Larry Alan Coke as Caiaphas and Kevin Earley as Pontius Pilate, respectively.

News Observer: The show's productions can vary widely, from rock concert to religious pageant, from wild exaggeration to stark solemnity. N.C. Theatre's concept mixes elements from all of the above, not always successfully. But the astounding vocal talent on display and the director's gripping staging of the second half ultimately make NCT's version a must-see.

Triangle A&E: NCT guest director Eric Woodall, a North Carolina native who has served as resident director of the Broadway, Vegas, and touring productions of Mamma Mia!, recently directed NCT productions of mega-musicals Billy Elliot and Mary Poppins. His latest endeavor runs at rock-concert pace, packing tons of material into under two hours. This production's attention to pacing, and the emotional impact of its many power ballads, make it an obvious crowd-pleaser. Moreover, this homegrown Triangle production is just as good as any of the Broadway mega-tours sliding through the Durham Performing Arts Center.

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