Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber – Lyrics by Tim Rice – Directed by Adam Karsten – Music direction by Stephen Hulsey – Choreography by Karen Siebe
March 5 – 23, 2025. ASL Interpreted Performance: March 12, at 2 p.m.
SINGLE TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW
COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY presents ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER and TIM RICE’s powerful, profound, and provocative JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR March 5-23. JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR is a revelation. Webber and Rice have spent their careers exploring complex and controversial personalities, and JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR may be their most effective achievement: examining the final days of Jesus of Nazareth, the hero of the New Testament, beyond the confines of the written words of the evangelists. CVRep Executive Artistic Director ADAM KARSTEN directs, and STEPHEN HULSEY is music director. Choreography is by KAREN SIEBER.
The cast of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR features STEVEN GRANT DOUGLAS as Jesus, CHRISTIN BYRDSONG as Judas Iscariot, EMILY KATE DECKER as Mary Magdalene, JIM J. BULLOCK as King Herod, JOSEPH PORTOLES as Peter, NOAH WILLIAM CANALES as Caiaphas, ANTHONY ARPINO as Annas, SAM SHERWOOD as Pilate, and PATRICK WALLACE as Simon.
Also in the cast are A.J. Abrams, Alex Bernhardt, Charlie Bostick, Beverly Durand, Kate Fitzgerald, Carlos Garcia, Kellen Green, Ali Kerner, Anton LaMon, Mark C. Reis, Erik Scott Romney, Noelle Roth, Hannah Staudinger, AND J.P. Stewart.
Set design is by Jimmy Cuomo, costumes by Zoë Traufmann, hair and makeup design are by Lynda Shaeps, lighting design by Moira Wilkie Whitaker, sound design by Joshua Adams. Production stage manager is John M. Galo* and Melina Ginn is stage manager.
In JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, Judas is concerned that the followers of Jesus are getting out of control and may be viewed as a threat by religious and government leaders. He also warns Jesus about the impression his relationship with Mary Magdalene may be giving. Following his predicted betrayal of Jesus, Judas is horrified by the cruelty and death sentence meted out by Pontius Pilate. He returns the 30 pieces of gold he was paid to betray Jesus and kills himself. In a final moment of powerful supposition, the spirit of Judas returns to Jesus and asks him why he chose to arrive in the manner and time that he did, and was it all part of a divine plan after all?
Rice and Webber explore the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, and the uncompromising political powers of Jerusalem and the Roman Empire. The characters are given their humanity and treated with contemporary sensibility and enlightened compassion.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR contains such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.” Now more than 50 years since it was first heard, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR continues to make perfect sense for some, while, for others, it is provocative and controversial.
JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR runs March 5-23. The Wednesday, March 12 matinee at 2 p.m. will be ASL interpreted. Tickets are available for all CVRep shows still to come in the 2024-2025 Season – JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, OTHER DESERT CITIES, and the world premiere production of Gregg Ostrin’s new THE BEVERLY HILLS HOTEL PEACE TALKS. Single ticket prices are $55-$125 and can be purchased online at www.cvrep.org, by calling (760) 296-2966, ext. 0, or at the CVRep box office located at 68510 East Palm Canyon Dr., Cathedral City. Box office hours are Wednesdays-Saturdays 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and one hour prior to performances. In order to better serve audiences, patrons requesting accessibility assistance are encouraged to speak to a ticket representative while purchasing their tickets.
