By Kelly Haigh
Daily Bruin Contributor
Prayers for the return of “Jesus Christ Superstar”
have been answered.
This famous rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber will be performed
at the Westwood Presbyterian Church, just across the street from
campus, this weekend and next.
“Whatever your personal religious beliefs on this man
Jesus of Nazareth, we try to explore in a very subtle way the
light, in terms of art and music, that he would inspire,”
said director Valerie Mayhew, a Julliard graduate and television
writer who took a year off to return to her theatrical roots.
Mayhew, whose credits include CBS’s “The
Fugitive” and Fox’s “The X-Files,” assures
audiences that she’s not out to convert anyone.
“You don’t have to be a Christian, as I always say,
to love Bach or Handel, or to appreciate the works of Michelangelo
or da Vinci,” Mayhew said.
Of course, this particular manifestation of Jesus’s story
has not always been greeted with warmth and enthusiasm. Back in
1971, when “Jesus Christ Superstar” made its debut on
Broadway, it was protested and picketed by many religious
activists. They argued that its depiction of Christ is inaccurate
and that it casts Judas in a blasphemously sympathetic light.
“It’s the gospel of Judas,” said David
Jonelis, a fourth-year classical civilizations student and one of
three UCLA undergraduates who appear in this production of the
show. “Jesus is this guy who was sent there to do God’s
work, but he doubts Judas really believes and loves Jesus but feels
that Jesus has gotten corrupt.”
This is not your typical Sunday school fare.
“It’s really interesting because you see so many of
the human elements of Jesus Christ,” said Tesz Millan, a
fourth-year communications student who plays Mary Magdalene in this
production. “This is a show about fear, and how fear can
drive us to make certain decisions. … It’s just a story
about a human being who is endowed with certain powers that people
are drawn to and people are repelled by.”
Romney Piamante, an actor in the production and fourth-year
chemistry student, agrees that the show can be appreciated
regardless of particular religious beliefs.
“Everyone’s familiar with the story somehow,”
he said. “(This show) is just another manifestation of it,
another way to see how things happened.”
This interpretation is not only a departure from the traditional
Biblical narrative, but also from the traditional style of musical
theater.
“It’s like a concert,” Jonelis said.
“You’ve got loud drums, you’ve got loud guitars.
It’s more similar to me to fronting a band than it is to
doing “˜Guys and Dolls’ or something like
that.”
Jonelis pointed out that the religious venue lends a certain
quality to the atmosphere of the show, which would have been
lacking in a more standard venue.
“The fact that we’re doing it in a church is just
cool because you’ve got stained glass with Jesus up there and
here we are performing this show about him,” Jonelis
said.
It seems that these three students have thrown convention out of
that proverbial window. Their majors have little to do with the
performing arts.
“People are always saying, “˜You should take voice
lessons, you should take acting lessons,’ but I find that the
best way to learn is through experience, and that’s why I do
shows outside of school,” Millan said. “Because
I’m here at UCLA, I have this resource of knowledge that I
can’t get outside necessarily as easily as I could while
I’m here.”
Of course it’s a challenge to juggle academic studies with
any sort of outside work. Piamante described his schedule as
difficult, but not impossible. He has to balance rehearsals and
hours of homework, not to mention sleep.
“It’s pretty tough, but if you really want to do it,
it’s really possible,” Piamante said.
So how does this possibility become a reality?
All three recommend perusing the pages of “Backstage
West,” a trade magazine with hundreds of listings for
upcoming auditions and projects.
Millan urges hopefuls to overcome negative self-esteem and roll
with the inevitable punches.
“A lot of the battle is just telling yourself,
“˜Look, I’m gonna keep going, and no matter what
happens,'” she said.
Mayhew also encourages students to tenaciously pursue what they
love and to take risks in the process. She adds that those risks
can pay off. When looking for work in the theater, it’s best
not to judge a production by its cover.
“My producer is the vice president of the Costumers’
Guild “¦ My sound designer has Broadway credits. Everyone
involved is doing this production out of love. And yet what’s
really really funny is, I meet a lot of actors who won’t
lower themselves to do, say, a church production. And you never
know, in L.A., who’s involved,” she said.
Just like any other job market, involvement in smaller-scale
productions gives performers the opportunity to meet people who may
want to hire them again in the future.
So, what does the future have in store for UCLA’s three
superstars?
Millan is headed for Germany ““ where she starred as Kim in
a production of “Miss Saigon” a few years ago ““
to launch her recording career.
Jonelis will continue to perform rock music in Los Angeles with
his band, Alan Smithee. He is the lead singer and rhythm
guitarist.
Piamante originally planned to go straight to dental school
after graduation, but now he’s having second thoughts.
“I’m probably just gonna take a year off and see
what I can do with my singing,” he said. “I mean, I
like chemistry as it is, but I also like singing. It keeps me sane
“¦ It’s nice to have something that’s not related
to science.”
Godspeed.
THEATER: “Jesus Christ Superstar”
will be performed at Westwood Presbyterian Church on Mar. 15-17 and
Mar. 22-24, Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sunday Mar. 17 at 7
p.m., and Sunday Mar. 24 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $25; student tickets
are $10. For tickets call (310) 474-7817, ext. 8#. For more
information, visit www.jcsuperstar.info.