The Mediterranean Conference Centre will be alive with the sounds of popular tunes this weekend as it stages one of the world’s best-known rock music-als, Jesus Christ Superstar.
The musical, first staged in the 1970s, promises to transport audiences back to the Biblical era, capturing the emotion and feelings of the time as it portrays the last seven days of Jesus. It highlights his arrival in Jerusalem, the expulsion of merchants from the temple, the Last Supper, Judas’s betrayal, the judgements handed down by King Herod and Pontius Pilate and, of course, the crucifixion.
The timeless show also highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus, struggles that are not told of in the Bible. The resurrection is not included, so it has often been likened to a traditional Passion play.
“We are so pleased to bring Jesus Christ Superstar to Malta,” says Radka Zemanova, events director for Malta Arts Events. “After all, nothing beats the magic of Tim Rice’s script and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music.”
The Malta Arts Events team is made up of artistes who are keen to present professional performances on the local stage.
The musical, first staged in the 1970s, promises to transport audiences back to the Biblical era
“Art is very much a tool that defines the way we behave, think and portray our lives,” continues Zemanova. “It makes us feel special and through it we seek to convey emotions, thoughts and images. We stand by our mission to give artistes the support needed to develop creative performances and to invite the audience in to become part of our world and experience the magic.”
This powerful show will be performed by artistes from Brno City Theatre in the Czech Republic. The company, which tours over 150 shows around the world, has been performing to packed houses since 1995 and this production will feature its renowned performers Dušan Vitázek, Petr Gazdík and Ivana Vaňková, as well as a vibrant ensemble of actors, singers and dancers.
The musical actually also has a history to be proud of. It origin-ally opened on Broadway in October 1971, starring Jeff Fenholt as Jesus, and then in London’s West End the following year starring Paul Nicholas. It has toured consistently since then, with huge performances at some of the best venues around the world. And while it may have received controversial criticism from religious groups on occasion, the feedback has mostly been extremely positive.
In this production, the coveted role of Judas Escariot will be played by Gazdík, who completed his studies at the secondary school of Performing Arts in 1993. He has been a member of the Brno City Theatre since 1997, and head of the musical section since 2004. His impressive portfolio of performances includes the role of Des Grieux in Manon Lescaut, Lodovico in Othello and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet.
“I absolutely love this production because it tells the story of the beginning of our culture, history and conscience,” says Gazdík, who was also awarded the Thalia Prize in 2010 for his acting performance in the musical Les Misérables.
“It is a challenging role. Throughout it, I try to explain myself to the audience and encourage them to understand why Judas, as a person, did what he did. His mind was clear, as it so often is when people do wrong things for a good reason.
“Although this is my first trip to Malta, I have no doubt that I am going to love it, and that the local audiences will really enjoy our rendition of the show, which stays very true to the original. My favourite part of the performance is the song Blood Money, which is quite a test for me but also a joy to perform. I look forward to receiving the reactions tonight and over the weekend.”
• Jesus Christ Superstar will be staged at the Mediterranean Conference Centre tonight, tomorrow and on Sunday at 8pm. Tickets are available from www.ticketline.com.mt.