HIGH EYEBROW ARCH – ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Dramatic Premise
All is not well amongst Jesus (Michael Paynter) and his followers.
One of his disciples, a man named Judas (Javon King), thinks the movement is heading in the wrong direction. He tells him so.
Others, in the meantime, are eager for Jesus to lead them, triumphantly, into Jerusalem.
Jesus questions whether his followers truly care for him or whether they are guided only by self-interest. He’s tired. And he’s despondent.
Only Mary Magdalene (Mahalia Barnes) appears to understand him. She urges him to rest. To let the earth turn without him. The tumultuous days which follow will take care of themselves.
By the time the story ends, one of Jesus’ followers will have betrayed him, another will have denied him and his own father will have forsaken him.
The Moment
Judas has had enough of Jesus’ human failings. He’s fed up. He’s losing the faith he once had in his leader.
Why is money being wasted on oils which sooth his agitated soul when that money could have been given to the poor?
Why can’t he control his own supporters? Is Jesus not the Messiah Judas once thought he was?
So, Judas seeks out Caiaphas (Elliot Baker), the High Priest of Israel. He knows that Caiaphas shares his concerns that a confrontation between Jesus’ follows and the occupying Romans can only end badly for the people of Jerusalem.
Whilst belting out Damned for All Time / Blood Money, Judas tries to rationalise the actions he feels compelled to take. Whilst he accepts thirty pieces of silver – which he’ll give to the poor – all Judas really wants is to avoid being damned for all time.
What My Eyebrows Told Me
My eyebrows were twitching in a High Arch more than I expected.
Jesus Christ Superstar has, of course, been part of my cultural consciousness for most of my life. I already knew a handful of the songs. And the underlying story was familiar from my days attending Sunday School as a child; although some of the nuances have become hazy with the passing of time.
But this production was a revelation!
The set design was terrific. All the performances were strong. But what struck me was the portrayal of Jesus as a human, with a human’s self-doubt and a human’s short temper. And it was those human foibles which drove the conflict with Judas and helped cast his betrayal in an almost sympathetic light.
Oh! And Reuben Kaye’s wonderfully camp performance of King Herod’s Song is spectacular and reason enough to see this show!
For more information on the National Tour of Jesus Christ Superstar:
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