Inspired staging, strong cast drive Lyric's stellar 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

“Jesus Christ Superstar” - ★ ★ ★ ½

During the exceptional revival of “Jesus Christ Superstar” playing Chicago's Lyric Opera House, Christ and his Apostles stride across the stage with acoustic guitars slung over their backs.

Mary Magdalene croons the lilting “Everything's Alright” accompanied by a trio of “soul girls.” Caiaphas and Pilate posture like frontmen for 1970s hard rock bands.

Overhead, fat beams of stadium-style lights swivel and shift, piercing the darkness of the stately space, which in the case of this swift-moving production feels more like an arena than a theater - making the stage spectacle more like a rock concert than a musical.

That's what director Timothy Sheader's inventive staging of “Jesus Christ Superstar” suggests. And it works. Brilliantly.

Part of Lyric's ongoing Broadway series, the production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1970 concept album turned pop culture touchstone marks the North American premiere of Sheader's Olivier Award-winning revival.

Set to a funk and rock score featuring folk-infused tunes, power ballads and roof-shaking anthems that challenge even accomplished singers, “Superstar” chronicles the final days of Jesus Christ. But there's more: “Superstar” is an examination of celebrity - the power that accompanies it and the devotion it inspires.

Sheader's is a rock show/opera unlike any other. Upstage, nearly obscured by seven full-size trees, sits the glorious-sounding 31-member Lyric Opera Orchestra conducted by original music director Tom Deering and accompanied by a rock-solid rock band. The sextet plays from the second story of designer Tom Scutt's industrial set, whose steel girders and wooden ramps nearly obscure (or do they shield?) the Gethsemane beyond.

The vocally robust “Superstar” ensemble numbers 48 (including 13 Lyric Opera choristers) and features nine powerhouse singer-actors in the principal roles.

Heath Saunders plays Jesus opposite Ryan Shaw's Judas, whose first number - the driving “Heaven on Their Minds” - paints him as more sympathetic than cynical, more tortured than treacherous. Shaw's Judas is concerned that the delirious affection Jesus' followers display may undo them. Saunders, whose supple voice beautifully suits the showstopping “Gethsemane,” has the demeanor of a man perpetually alone. What's striking about his exchanges with Judas is that Saunders' slightly overwhelmed Jesus actually considers his right-hand-man's warnings.

Serving as peacemaker for the increasingly conflicted men is the androgynous Mary, played by Jo Lampert. Her subtly emotional take on the lilting “I Don't Know How to Love Him” suggests a woman astonished at the depth of her feelings.

The role of cheerleader falls to Simon (a fervent Mykal Kilgore, Judas in Paramount Theatre's 2017 production). Kilgore's zealot leads a rousing number showcasing Drew McOnie's kinetic, athletic choreography that captures the frenzy that afflicts religious converts and music fans alike.

Jesus' oppressors are led by head priest Caiaphas (chillingly played by Cavin Cornwall) and his associate Annas (Chicago veteran Joseph Anthony Byrd, whose striking tenor serves as counterpart to Cornwall's impressive basso profundo).

As Pilate, Michael Cunio channels the archetypal rock god (think Judas Priest's Rob Halford), but underscores that pretension with genuine emotional conflict. Shaun Fleming's unsettling turn as the vicious King Herod (whose followers wear platters around their bloodied necks mimicking the doomed John the Baptist) also recalls a rock icon. But in Herod's case, it's Lady Gaga whose image comes to mind when Fleming's king meets the captive Jesus as a 28-foot gold cape unfurls behind him.

With one notable exception, gold - the color of idols and hit records - figures prominently. It's the color of the confetti that rains down on the temple merchants and money lenders. It's the dust the mob hurls upon the broken, bloody Jesus during his trial, a moment all the more wrenching for the crowd's complicity.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” isn't perfect. And a clever concept can't entirely eclipse bombast and camp. But strong performances and smart staging earn praise for this “Superstar.”

Location: Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, (312) 827-5600 or jcsuperstar.org

Showtimes: Various days and times through May 20

Running time: About 2 hours, including intermission

Tickets: $44-$219

Parking: Nearby parking garages and limited metered street parking

Rating: Not suitable for younger or more sensitive audience members