Day 206: 7/25/13- "Jesus Christ Superstar" for the Feast of St. James

Day 206: 7/25/13- Jesus Christ Superstar for the Feast of St. James        
New Thing- Jesus Christ Superstar           
Inspiration: Sarah H., Jim Peck, St. James                       
Time: A few hours     
Bottom Line: What's the buzz? Tell me what's a-happening. 

All cast pictures courtesy of Muhlenberg College

Judas singing "Superstar"

Reflection: Tonight, I went to see the Muhlenberg College's production of Jesus Christ Superstar which was directed by my friend James Peck! I have seen JCS many times before but this was the best by far. I think what made it so good was that it embraced its musical side (even with it's silly moments like when the apostles sing, "Always hoped that I'd be an apostle, knew that I would make it is I tried. Then when we retire we can write the Gospels and they'll all talk about us when we die." That line gets me ever time.) but then helped it to reach believable depths that other productions cannot always achieve. 

One of the things that set this version apart was the choreography. The cast danced very intensely for most of the play when ever there were moments of extreme joy or pain. It was like watching the Gospel of Mark with its fast pace immediacy and urgency of Jesus' life and death. At the end, the cast danced at the foot of the cross in what was clearly a bodily representation of lament. Yet, then they took the same movements of the triumphant beginning when they were haling Jesus as the Messiah and changed them into the dramatic movement of what it must have felt like to feel that joy turn to defeat.  Well done!

Jim with the stars.

Jesus' arrest

Mary at the foot of the Cross