Jesus Christ Superstar is a musical that holds a special place in the hearts of Australians. After an ill-fated Broadway run in the 1971, the production made its way in 1972 to Australia where, under new direction and staging, it thrived, giving rise to one of the most loved musicals of the megamusical era. Then, in the early 90s, the musical reached new heights in this country when a production featuring John Farnham, Kate Cebrano and Jon Stevens hit the stage. Now, the production returns to Australia, with a cast led by contemporary musicians, Michael Paynter and Mahalia Barnes as well as established theatre performer Javon King. 

With such a history in this country and such a star-studded cast, this production had a serious reputation to live up to and from the outset, it did so, with a sterling rendition of “Heaven on our Minds” by King as Judas to kick off the show. Using the Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre’s staging, the production was brash and bold from the outset, with the fiery cross being the focal centrepiece of the set. The onstage band is a unique feature of this musical and was well-received on opening night, adding an intensity to the action.

The musical is fast-paced, spanning only two hours (inclusive of an intermission), which means that it can be tough to follow everything happening on stage at times. Thankfully, this was an incredibly skilful cast who signposted the action very well and made sure that the storyline (although obviously well-known) was easily accessible. 

And then there was the singing. Without intending hyperbole, it was mind-blowing. Javon King was a superb Judas, bringing incredible range and theatricality to the role with vocal runs up there with the very best in the business. He provided an excellent character foil to Michael Paynter as Jesus and their vocal riffing throughout the performance was sublime. Mahalia Barnes displayed typically beautiful vocals as Mary Magdalene, with her rendition of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” being an early highlight (although she was noticeably behind the beat for most of the song). Reuben Kaye also provided a much-needed bit of comic relief in an otherwise dark musical. 

But it was Paynter who stole the show. His rendition of Gethsemane was up there with the very best. It was powerful but subtle and really showed the pain of the character. And his control in his upper register was something to behold. He received a lengthy standing ovation at the conclusion of the number (and a brief one during the number as well) and this was richly deserved. His performance of this song alone was well worth the price of admission. 

As a brief side note, I struggle to understand why current productions of Jesus Christ Superstar position Jesus with a guitar in Gethsemane. Although it was handled well by Paynter and at least thrown away with some effect during the song, it really does nothing to add to the intensity of the number and indeed, has the potential to distract from the dramatic apex. The Broadway tour, which I saw in Washington last year (which paled in comparison quality-wise to this production) did the same thing and it just doesn’t make sense. 

Some of the effects in this production were also very well done, even though the set design itself was quite simple. The use of glitter during the peaks of the action in the second act was clever and added some colour to the otherwise dim-lit set. The choreography was also strong, with the ensemble doing well to contribute to the claustrophobic and mob-like feeling. 

The musical is quite dark underneath the surface and the performers handled the intensity of the ending quite well. The transition from the end of the show to bows was quite abrupt but necessarily so, given the material with which the show had to work. The applause that the entire cast, but especially the three leads, received was reflective of the awe and amazement felt by the audience after witnessing the performance. 

This is probably the best musical production to hit Sydney since the turn of the decade. The vocals in this cast were absolutely extraordinary and the staging, ensemble and band absolutely backed up the main show brilliantly. If there was ever a production to see in Sydney this is the one. It is a masterful display of musical theatre at its finest and is absolutely world-class in its execution. A must-watch. 

Rating: ★★★★★

Jesus Christ Superstar plays at the Capitol Theatre until 26^th January, 2025. For more information, click here.

All photo credits: Jeff Busby