A Review
By Aaron Riddle
Special to the Morning Star
Attending Jesus Christ Superstar was my first experience with the recently renovated Michigan Theater of Jackson. It did not disappoint. This historic structure once again shines as the beacon of culture in our community.
At the Michigan Theater, Steve Tucker and his dedicated team have created an almost surreal, yet warm and comfortable environment to experience the art of theater and live entertainment. Was all of their hard work and dedication aimed at bringing in large, expensive touring companies to bring entertainment to the community? Maybe. Do we need to always depend on bringing in those large and expensive touring groups in order to get the quality of entertainment we are expecting? Clearly not.
From the opening notes of the show it was obvious that we were witnessing professional musicians on the stage, local musicians at that. There were only five musicians creating the masterpiece that is Jesus Christ Superstar. That, in and of itself, was impressive. As a musician myself, I have longed to play guitar for this musical, and even reached out to offer my services, but once I noticed Michael Crupi on the stage as musical director and guitarist, I knew we were all in the safest hands imaginable, and why they didn’t need my services. Accompanied by Kelly Kidder, whose resume is longer than his rock and roll locks, along with Gary Martin of Five Second Rule on drums, the rhythm was impeccable. The keyboardist, Elena Beasley and second guitarist J.F. McRae were the unassuming heroes of the band, as somehow they were able to take on the enormity of the musical score and cover all of the necessary parts, leaving my musically discerning ear satisfied.
The first song was “Heaven on their minds,” which is one of my favorite vocal performances of the entire musical. When Larry Sumner, Jr. hit the stage, I instantly knew we were all in for an experience we wouldn’t forget. His delivery was magical. His presence was enthralling. You just couldn’t take your eyes off of him. Sumner was consistent throughout the entirety of the show and never left me wanting more. To top off an amazing performance by Sumner was the show-stopping “Superstar” moment that saw Larry, his mother Annissa Sumner, and his sisters Charisma and Carrington Sumner, all singing together, taking us to church. Do not miss an opportunity to witness the power of the Sumner family talent wherever they may perform!
The namesake of this musical was taken on by Brian Tucker. This role is demanding. The singing, the emotion, the acting, all must converge into the image of Jesus that we have grown accustomed to, but must also have an “edgy” feel, that shows his humanity and the indecisiveness and uncertainty that comes with being human. Watching Tucker embody that attitude and convey the message of this musical was beautiful. His quintessential moment is the song “Gethsemane” and he delivered. His singing, his passion for the role, his tenderness and attention to detail was on point. Ted Neely (who played Jesus in the movie) would be proud!
One of my favorite voices of the original “Jesus Christ Superstar” movie, is the part of Mary Magdelane. I was curious how this was going to be cast, as the voice is angelic, passionate and needs to express sorrow and desperation. As soon as she began singing her first line, it was clear that 18 year old Olivia Snabes was far beyond her years and was up to the task. Such beautiful tone and demeanor. Her moving rendition of “I don’t know how to love him,” was fantastic. Another mesmorizing performance.
The high priest, Caiaphas was played by Scott Miller. He and his minions were creepy and foreboding as expected, and hit all the marks. Although not a large role in this musical, they performed the parts perfectly and gave us our villains. The choice and color of their costumes made them stand out against the other characters in a way that let the audience know who to root against.
Watching local talent, Vic McDermott, play the part of Pontius Pilate was intense! I knew Vic had chops, as he is a veteran of stage plays, musicals, and is an amazing singer and musician, but he stands out in any production that he is a part of. This was no exception. He was spot on! He sinks into his roles with an unmatched conviction. The way he walked the stage was intimidating. He captured our attention every time he took the stage. Superb performance!
Jasun Pierpoint, playing King Herrod, was a welcome surprise. The part of Herrod is quirky and silly and fun (think Dom Deluise). Not a lot of local productions get the casting right. It takes a certain person to let go of their ego, and their self image, and go to that place that is King Herrod. It made me smile and laugh out loud! Such a great performance! Thank you for that.
Nicholas Berkemeier embodied the role of Simon the Zealot. Having known Nick for several years and watching his growth as both a guitarist and singer, it was refreshing to see him stretch out even further and take on acting. You could see the joy on his face as he sang his heart out and expertly completed his mission both as a solo vocalist as well as joining in with the ensemble choir.
Perhaps the biggest surprise to all of us who already knew the musical, or the cast, or were just familiar with our local talent, was the addition of Alyson Mayne. A recent transplant from New York, classically trained in opera and stage performance, Alyson was playing the part of Peter. Traditionally played by the opposite sex, it didn’t matter one bit. The performer and the performance were what mattered, and let me tell you, she opened our eyes to her talent immediately with her duet with Mary Magdalene on the song “Could we start again, please?” I looked around the theater and watched the faces in the audience. The reaction told me all I needed to know – we are proud to add Mayne to our local family of talent. A true “Broadway” performance!
The ensemble choir played their parts perfectly, providing the fanfare of Jesus’ celebrity status in their community, as well as eventually turning on him to appease Rome. At times their singing was a little quiet, but the intention and dedication to the dancing and singing was evident and they perfectly captured the dynamics and the essence of the crowd.
Overall, I was floored by the talent and dedication on display at the historic Michigan Theater of Jackson for Jesus Christ Superstar. I would venture to guess that this is the type of quality of programming we will be seeing from Steve Tucker and his staff. Kudos to all involved!
Bravo!
My only criticism of this local performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” has nothing to do with the casting, the directing, the musicians, the lighting, the sound, the venue, the staff, the acting, the singing, the costumes, the sets. No criticism there. My only complaint would be that the microphones on some of the performers would cut out sometimes. This is due to wireless interference. They transmit and receive using frequencies, like a radio station. Sometimes your radio station cuts out due to barriers or distance from the transmitter.
This is the same thing. Plus, sometimes the available units are just too close to the same channel, like when another radio station starts overlapping the one you are listening to. This isn’t anyone’s fault, but rather something that can be fixed with money. These units are very expensive, and you need close to 30 of them that are on their own frequency with no overlapping. Maybe more than 30.
So, maybe donate to the Michigan Theater. Keep supporting your amazing team of local talent!
Please also keep this in mind: If they were to pack up this group of people and go to another state to perform this musical, they would no longer be called local talent. They would be a professional touring company. Let that sink in. They are that good!
Sometimes, that’s the only difference.
Jackson, Michigan – we have the talent!
I too put in my offer to play guitar. I was hoping to do it one last time, for I’ve played this show more than most. That being said I will concur with Aaron it was a great show. All the things I used to criticize, choreography, singing, acting were moot. The cast nailed it on all counts, even with some of the technical issues, which happens, were dealt with. This is live theater after all. This cast in my book was probably one of the most talented I’ve ever seen here. My only question was, why was there no curtain call? I was there opening night and we, the audience, were confused at the end of the show. Again, I can’t say enough as to how enjoyable this was. Good job!!!…..