Jesus Christ Superstar Review by Natalie Anglesey

 

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

   THE LOWRY, SALFORD 21-25th MAY 2024

                                              Review by Natalie Anglesey



The first time I saw Jesus Christ Superstar was in the seventies when it opened in London. I’d been living and working abroad and, much as I’d loved it, I was looking forward to returning home and enjoying some West End Theatre. We paid a great deal of money to see this new, acclaimed production and it was worth every penny!

By the time the show closed in London after eight years, it had become the longest –running musical in West End history. After sold-out runs in the UK, as well as extensive tours, both at home and abroad, there's now the chance for you to enjoy this brand new Olivier Award-winning, re-imagined production, by Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. It certainly breathes new life into this familiar story which is at The Lowry in  Salford until Saturday. 

This well-loved story is given a new edge with live music played on stage throughout  highlighting the musicianship of the actors. It still retains the wonderful score by Emmy, GRAMMY, Oscar and Tony Award winners,  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Hit  songs include Superstar, Everything's Alright, and I Don’t Know How to Love Him. You should fight to get a ticket to see this modern dress production which is directed by Timothy Sheader with choreography by Drew McOnie. The set Design is by Tom Scutt, lighting design by Lee Curran, sound design by Nick Lidster and music supervision by Tom Deering.


If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s set against an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas, one of his disciples.  I’ve seen many of these different productions, and it's no wonder this global phenomenon has wowed audiences over the decades. 

Producer David Ian said: “I am thrilled to be taking this award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s much loved musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to The Lowry. Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre has created a fresh and bold new version of a beloved classic to thrill both longtime fans of the show and delight those seeing it for the very first time”.


This production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and the 2016 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, selling out two consecutive engagements in 2016 and 2017. This new production played a West End engagement at the Barbican in 2019 before returning to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in a concert version during the summer of 2020.


The cast includes charismatic performances from Ian McIntosh in the role of Jesus and Shem Omari James as Judas, while Hannah Richardson sings the role of Mary. They are joined on stage by Ryan O’Donnell as Pilate, Jad Habchi plays Caiaphas, Joshua Hawkins is Peter while Stephen Lewis-Johnston takes the role of Annas. There's also an excellent supporting cast.

The 2023-2024 UK Tour of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is produced by David Ian for Crossroads Live and Work Light Productions.  I urge you to see this stunning production which brought a standing ovation from an appreciative audience. You won’t regret it!

 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR  Tuesday 14th to Saturday 21st May 2024  https://thelowry.com



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

REVIEW of EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE AT THE LOWRY

Image
  EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE  AT THE LOWRY. Review by Natalie Anglesey   Yes indeed. Everybody is STILL Talking About Jamie, the hit musical which was warmly welcomed back to The Lowry last night. During its first visit the role of Jamie was played by Manchester's Layton Williams, who is soon to be seen on Strictly. Now there's a charismatic new star in the title role and when Ivano Turco is on stage it's difficult to notice anyone else. This new production will run at The Lowry from 7-17 th September launching its 2023-24 tour.   This critically acclaimed musical, brought standing ovations when it first arrived at The Lowry and has since proved a smash hit wherever it’s performed. Now, on its return, following a record-breaking three-year West End residency, a sold out UK & Ireland Tour and the Amazon studios award-winning film, the packed house responded equally enthusiastically. We are often told that sixteen is the age when all possibilities are within
Read more

Twelve Angry Men at The Lowry - Review by Natalie Anglesey

Image
  Twelve Angry Men The Lowry, Salford Review by Natalie Anglesey   Following previous record-breaking West End seasons, and a critically acclaimed tour in 2023, Bill Kenwright Ltd’s powerful production of  Twelve Angry Men  is at  The Lowry  this week until   2 nd  March 2024. Ever since the powerful fifties film starring Henry Fonda, which was nominated three times for Academy Awards, and since then, several stage productions over the years, this splendid court-room drama has never failed to impress me. Now there’s the chance for you to see Reginald Rose’s knife-edge courtroom drama at The Lowry all this week. The cast is now headed by  Jason Merrells  ( Casualty, Emmerdale )  taking over the role of Juror 8 from Patrick Duffy for the 2024 tour. He subtly holds  the whole production together. The cast also includes   Tristan Gemmill  ( Coronation Street, Casualty ),   Michael Greco  (EastEnders,   The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.) BenNealon  ( Soldier,Soldierand  Doctors)
Read more

The Osmonds - A New Musical next year!

Image
The Osmond's new musical is coming to Manchester!  M y best friend was an avid Osmond fan in her teens and she still is. Personally I've had the pleasure of interviewing Donny Osmond for @BBCRadioManchester and I also became a fan!  It's that kind of unfailing dedication that the Osmonds have held on to over the past 50 plus years.Now Osmondmania is returning to Manchester with a musical by Jay Osmond which tells the story of the brothers from Utah who were in the spotlight as children and went on to sell over 100 million records gaining a huge army of fans. From their star residency on The  Andy Williams  Show, to the arrival of Donny and Marie, The Osmonds lived a remarkable life recording chart topping albums, selling out vast arena concerts and making record breaking TV shows - until one bad decision cost them everything. Directed by  Shaun Kerrison  and choreographed by Olivier Award winning  Bill Deamer , this brand new musical features a chart topping list of anthe
Read more