'Jesus Christ' lifts the spirits

If you think it’s a musical, you should update your rock opera vocabulary.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” prophesizes — in sweet, sweet melody — the final days of the son of God.

Not a sound was murmured without echoing vibration in the Department of Dramatic Art-sponsored Studio 3’s production of the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber opus.

Friday night’s sold-out crowd in Playmakers Theatre certainly demonstrates the show’s continuous appeal 34 years after the original was staged.

The show was first performed in 1971 and has become a cult classic within the United States and abroad — even though its critics proclaim that it is significantly out of date.

A guitar solo kicked off the event, which began 20 minutes late, while patrons were still filling out the seats.

Storming onto the back ledge of the stage, English major Kelly McCrann, as Judas Iscariot, floated the storyline, wearing rebellious black leather attire and spouting guilt-ridden power-ballad lyrics.

The simple set avoided disrupting scene changes but afforded little flare.

The ensemble, wrapped in modern garb suggesting a hippie influence, harmonized with the show’s tone and added necessary sparkle.

Star roles varied in vocal consistency. Voices to listen for were those of dramatic art majors Sarah Donnell (Pontius Pilate) and Julia Yarwood (Annas) and history major Bradley Phillis (Caiaphas).

Donnell’s she-devil performance awed the audience and was complete with garters, thigh-high black vinyl boots and a corset. Her fabulously enormous, crimped blonde ’fro complemented her powerful operatic vocal chords.

Yarwood and Phillis combined their efforts for booming numbers such as “Then We Are Decided” and “This Jesus Must Die.”

Music major Steven Lumpkin played the title role, which required him to control difficult musical pitches. Mary Magdalene was well- performed by dramatic art major Katherine Canipe.

The modest stage at Playmakers Theatre constricted the dance numbers, but nonetheless, the ensemble defied gravity, entertaining the crowd with jubilant, swinging limbs from scaffolding.

Roller skates and King Herod’s outrageous cocaine sniffing lightened the mood surrounding Jesus’ impending death in Act 2.

The pit orchestra positioned itself upstage underneath the back ledge and enhanced the performance with its intrinsic and seemingly flawless accompaniment.

The cast presented a unique portrait of the life of Jesus during the time from Palm Sunday to Easter with casual charm and a cohesive cast.

Raise it up for “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

Contact the A&E Editor at artsdesk@unc.edu.