Michael K. Lee offers a mesmerizing portrayal of Judas in Village Theatre's production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Photo by Jay Koh. Courtesy of Village Theatre.

 

Andrew Lloyd Webber is responsible for some of the most memorable musicals ever to grace a Broadway-or off-Broadway-stage. Among all those unforgettable shows, which include "Phantom of the Opera," "Evita," "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" and "Cats," the story behind "Jesus Christ Superstar" is certainly the most dramatic, and the Village Theatre's production, currently running at the Everett Performing Arts Center, takes full advantage of that drama.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" is a rock opera, which is different from a run-of-the-mill musical in that all the dialogue is sung. The artistic staff at Village Theatre made a decision to stage the story of Jesus' last seven days in a post-modern urban setting, filled with chain link fences, crumbling buildings and piles of stony rubble in the streets, and to cast the roles of Jesus, Judas and the apostles with young adults.

Not only that--the actors who portray Jesus and Judas, Michael K. Lee and Aaron C. Finley, actually play BOTH roles, alternating their characters in subsequent performances.

On opening night, July 8, Finley tackled the role of Jesus while Lee embodied Judas Iscariot. Both men delivered tremendously emotional performances with vocal perfection and impeccable acting. It seems that the dual casting has allowed the two principals to develop an incredibly strong bond with both sides of the story, creating a depth of empathy and conflict that seemed intensely real.

In particular, Finley's moving performance of "Gethsemane" captured the essence of Jesus' very human struggles with doubt and faith.

As Mary Magdalene, Jennifer Paz struck all the right chords, being peacemaker, protector, lover and friend with equal force. Her rendition of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" was ethereal and never sappy.

The entire cast turned in stellar performances, including Eric Polani Jensen as the self-serving Caiaphas, Greg Stone as Pontius Pilate, and Brandon Whitehead as the dissolute King Herod.

But the show really belongs to Finley and Lee. The complex and ultimately tragic relationship between Jesus and Judas is heart-wrenching and believable. Some of that is due to Webber's incredible music and lyrics, but the real power comes from the performances of these two young men.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" runs through July 31 at the Everett Performing Arts Center, 2710 Wetmore Avenue, with shows Wednesdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. For ticket information, visit www.villagetheatre.org or phone (425) 257-8600.