I was there last night...it was the Gypsy Performance, so the house was extremely enthusiastic and very supportive...a little over supportive if you ask me.
I have to begin by saying that I was highly disappointed in Des's direction...It was monotonous and droll. I understand that this show is supposed to be high-energy, but there are other ways of acheiving that than having the ensemble run around pointlessly for the entire show. The one thing that irks me most is Mary's big moment, 'I Don't Know How To Love Him'. It was very well sung (more about the cast below), but it took place all the way downstage and she was confined to a space that was about 4 x 6. It was supposed to be her big moment and the direction made it seem so unimportant.
In the same vein, the lighting was just horrendous. It felt as if the cues were behind the entire show, with blaring spotlights and random light changes happening (mix that with all the running around, and you make the audience dizzy). However, the projections were a saving grace. I really enjoyed most of the chosen images, they complimented the vision nicely, which rarely happens anymore. Costumes were also great (especially Tom Hewitt's purple jacket).
The cast did the best they could under the circumstances listed above. I was familiar with Josh Young's work before, and went in with low expectations...and he really didn't exceed them I'm sorry to say. He cracked at least 5 times on HUGE notes and you could visibly see him getting upset about it (and he didn't need anything else distracting him from attempting to "act").
Chilina Kennedy was quite stiff as Mary--she sung well and moved great (would have loved to see her in WSS at Stratford). However she didn't exude...well, anything. She was simply along for the ride and was basically playing a girl...not a real character.
Paul Nolan was the best part of the show hands down. Though Judas should really steal the show (IMO) I found that Paul was the standout of the three leads. His voice floated, with no flubs, and his "Gethsemane" was a real treat to watch.
Other notable standouts were Marcus Nance (Caiaphas) who has an incredible voice, as well as Lee Siegel (Simon) who absolutely KILLED "Simon Zealotes" / "Poor Jerusalem".
And as mentioned above, the ensemble was VERY young and attractive with a some great voices. However, they are incredibly misguided and come off very amateur with the choreography.
Quite honestly, this felt like a solid regional production, and had I seen it in such a context I would have been impressed--however, this is not up to Broadway standards.
Updated On: 3/6/12 at 10:06 AM
