by Michael LelloWeekender Editor
SCRANTON — The story of Jesus Christ has inspired selfless works by charitable people, holiday celebrations around the world and bloody murders by crusaders. To some people, the New Testament is the gospel truth. To others, it’s a compelling piece of literature.
“Jesus Christ Superstar” is the rare pop-culture occurrence that explores the humanity of Jesus, focusing less on his Messianic qualities than earthly aspects, like his self-doubt and his disciples’ greed and betrayal.
In the second of two shows in the Scranton Cultural Center’s Weinberg Theatre Sunday evening, Ted Neeley brilliantly portrayed Christ as a loving, flawed human, someone who saw the good in a prostitute but was troubled by the betrayal of two of his apostles and burdened by God’s plan for him. From his one-sided conversations with his father to the forceful, high notes he used to get his points across to his followers, Neeley, was, predictably, the star of the show. But that wasn’t without some standout performances by Benjamin Van Diepen as a conflicted Pontius Pilate, Sarah Hanlon as Mary Magdalene and comic relief by Andrew Hartley as a flamboyant King Herod.
With tight funk-rock strains played by the pit orchestra, the musical unfolded the familiar story without a stop in the action. From the jubilant “What’s The Buzz” to the haunting “This Jesus Must Die,” the songs were perfectly delivered and entertaining whether or not you’ve seen the theater production or the 1973 film.
With a simple set and few props, the focus was on the performances. The subtlety with which the ensemble cast reacted to Jesus was impeccable, and Neeley’s facial expressions and gestures were equally effective.
Standout scenes included Act I’s “The Temple,” in which the townspeople transform the holy site into a den of gambling, pimping and shady commerce; an angry Jesus casts them out, then has a dream that there are too many people for him to care for. Another emotional high point in Act I came thanks to John Twiford, who as Judas decides to take the high priests’ money to hand Jesus over to them. In Act II, a vulnerable Jesus ponders his future in the Garden of Gethsemane before Judas betrays him, and the hilarious Herod, surrounded by a gaggle of dancing girls, taunts Jesus, challenging him to walk across his swimming pool.
The Pilate character is well-developed — and arguably more resonant and three-dimensional than the biblical version of Pilate. During the “Trial by Pilate” scene, the Roman official regretfully sentences Jesus to crucifixion only after much imploring from the gallery. To Pilate, Jesus “has done no wrong.” “I need a crime,” he sings, calling the Jews hypocrites and noting that they hate him and the Roman government more than they hate Jesus. After soldiers whip Jesus 39 times, Pilate steps in and stops them. After giving him one last chance to defend himself, Pilate tells Jesus, “Die if you want to, you misguided martyr,” and washes his hands of the matter, figuratively and literally.
Neeley — who played the title role on Broadway and in the film — pulled off the crucifixion scene with tenderness, evoking pity from theatergoers as he took his final gasps. He ascended from the cross and out of view, suspended above the stage as a curtain emblazoned with the Christ shroud dropped. With Easter a few weeks away, the message was direct and powerful, but at that point it didn’t matter what religion — if any — you called your own.
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