Interview: G. Frank Meekins and Jarrett Koski talk Jesus Christ Superstar on the Eve of Opening Night

Jesus Christ Superstar opens tomorrow night (Friday, March 31 at 8:00 PM) at the New Tampa Players' home stage at University Area CDC. We sat down with G. Frank Meekins, Director and Musical Director, and Jarrett W. Koski, Choreographer and actor playing the part of Peter, to find out what they bring to this much-beloved rock opera.

Why do you do musical theatre?

Meekins: I was always in band and chorus in school, and one day my high school's drama director asked if I wanted to turn pages for the pianist/conductor of the school production of The Boyfriend. I did, and I saw magic. All the elements of a show coming together still amazes me. I love to be part of the magic.

Koski: Love of musical theatre has been in my family since my earliest memories. I'm happiest on stage or on a musical production creative team-or both! Musical theatre shows me new places and experiences and, ultimately, new aspects of myself.

What attracts you to Jesus Christ Superstar?

Koski: I've been in love with the brilliance of the music and the storytelling for a long time. Growing up, my father and I would sing the score every summer on the drive to North Carolina. My favorite memory is my father singing Jesus Christ's song "Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say)."

Meekins: From my first production of Superstar, it affected me in some way I can't explain. I'm not overtly religious. The first time I was music director for this show, I was just hooked.

Superstar has a long Broadway, screen, touring, and community theatre history. Is there room to say anything new?

Koski: Always. The themes in Jesus Christ Superstar really are timeless, so you can set the show in any time period (and it has been set in many!) or interpret it in light of current events and tell the story a new way.

Meekins: If you love live theatre, you know the magic of a show coming together is always a unique and unrepeatable experience. Even if you've seen Jesus Christ Superstar before, you haven't seen this show, and you won't want to miss it.

How has your vision for the show evolved working with this cast?

Meekins: A director always starts with a vision, but I treat my projects as collaborations. I encourage the actors to take risks and make choices. If they work, great. If not, we'll try something else.

I have an open dialogue with the actors and I value their take on the characters and their relationships to each other, why they react a particular way, what it all reveals about the character. The actors also take my direction, and living in that version of the character brings them new insights, and around we go again!

What makes choreography so important to Jesus Christ Superstar?

Koski: As a rock opera, the show is sometimes staged with little to no choreography, so I guess not everyone agrees that it is important! To me, choreography is an essential part of how we tell the story. For example, I use three dancers to visually present Judas' inner turmoil. If I've done my job right, there's something in the lyrics, the music, or the characters developed by the actors that provides the reason for every dance sequence.

Dance also reaches the actors on a visceral level. Dance can succeed or fail based on the emotion the actors bring to it, but it can also help them to form their emotions and create the character.

Is Jesus Christ Superstar a religious experience?

Meekins: Superstar is a musical experience. There are images and characters well known to Christians and anyone familiar with the gospels, but the story is imaginatively told from the perspective of Judas, and everything looks a bit different from there.

Who is your ideal audience member?

Meekins: Can I say, "Anyone who pays for a ticket?"

Koski: Yes! Especially an open-minded person willing to let the production take you on a journey. If a story-telling event with an amazing rock opera score sounds good to you, you're in the right auditorium.

Performance dates and times for Jesus Christ Superstar are Friday, March 31 at 8PM, Saturday, April 1 at 2PM and 8PM, Sunday, April 2 at 2PM, Friday, April 7 at 8PM, Saturday, April 8 at 2PM and 8PM, and Sunday, April 9 at 2PM. Ticket prices are $25 dollars for adults, $23 dollars for students/senior, and $20 for groups of 10 or more. Bring a box of cereal to donate to Metropolitan Ministries' food pantry and receive $1 off your ticket at the door. All performances are at University Area CDC at 14013 N. 22nd Street, Tampa, FL 33613. For more information about New Tampa Players and Jesus Christ Superstar, go to www.newtampaplayers.org or @NewTampaPlayers on Facebook.

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