Jesus musical really was a superstar production
Last weekend saw the close of a stunning run of performances of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s critically-acclaimed Jesus Christ Superstar by Ad-Lib Theatre Arts.
The group put on the performances from each night between Wednesday and Saturday last week, where it finished with two performances on the same day.
The Biblical epic was retold in the beautiful setting of St Matthew’s Church, and is the first time the Tay Street church has put on such a large-scale event.
The apt and beautiful surroundings meant the group used a minimalist set to really showcase the beauty of the church.
The stand-out performance of the night came from Steven Hewitson who played Jesus Christ.
He stole the show with his portrayal of the main character, and stunned the audience with his rendition of Gethsemane.
His broad range and his ability to reach the top notes left the audience in awe of his stellar performance and cheering for more.
An equally impressive performance came from the strong vocal performance of bassist Gordon Mill as Caiaphas. His low register boomed out of the church pulpit in act one as he led the singing for This Jesus Must Die.
The main cast members carried the ensemble through the performance, with David Finlay as Judas Iscariot, Victoria Rice as Mary Magdalene and Ian Duguid as Peter.
The group produced a daring performance and really pushed the boundaries of the church setting, particularly Michael McMahon’s racy cabaret-style take on King Herod, which shocked and amazed the unsuspecting audience.
The audience were also visible moved to tears as the musical came to an end, with emotional scenes during The Trial Before Pilate and The Crucifixion, again led by an outstanding performance by Steven Hewitson as Jesus.
Ad-Lib also took on the challenge of Ad-Lib Theatre’s performers during rehearsals of Jesus Christ Superstar staging an actor-muso performance, with musical director Ian Duguid leading the cast members in playing the musical score themselves.
This took a different turn on musical directing from their normal performances where they normally hire a band to prop up the ensemble.
This daring move showed the ensemble’s full breadth of talent and showcased all the amateur group are able to achieve in a musical performance.
Overall Ad-Lib’s rendition of Jesus Christ Superstar was a stunning performance.
The group took up the challenging score with intensive rehearsals and the prospect of a new location paid off.