To say that Jesus Christ Superstar must be the story of one or the other of the two leads is admittedly the limited opinion of one critic; but to say that this production lacks that character direction needed to inspire sympathy is the right of any audience member. To exercise that or not becomes a question of what we demand of theater.
More promising are the design aspects of this production, which are strong. The costume design by Valerie de Charette '01 is attractive and appropriate. The versatile, oddly-colored sets of Brittain Bright '00 accommodate the cast with ease and economy while still providing for some interesting effects. The light design, credited to Mimi Asnes '01 and David Corlette, sometimes lacks subtlety and does less than it might to clarify some of the focus problems created by the staging, but it beautifully captures the flashy and spectacular nature of this musical. Jack Steadman '00, while plagued with technical problems, delivers an ambitious sound design. These elements coalesce to create a stunning climax seldom seen on the mainstage.
Superstar's choreography (by James Carmichael '01) is a mixed bag. Though it is occasionally interesting and almost always active, repetition (such as the repeated use of numerous backup dancers waving their arms rhythmically behind a solo singer) tends to weaken it. In addition to its ability to entertain, dance in musical theater should be a form of expression on par with acting and music. Carmichael frequently neglects this. In this piece, much of the dancing is generic, as if it were derived from a little-known early 1980's workout video called "Sweatin' to the Messiah."
Ultimately, this Superstar abuses the talent of many of the people involved, undermining their work with direction that fails to transcend a simple staged reading. And although there are numerous opportunities for the production to overcome some of its weaknesses, the thick fog on stage during the show's opening moments seems to roll into the audience and remain there until the final curtain falls.