| programme_notes_for_jesus_superstar2.doc |
PROGRAMME NOTES FOR JESUS SUPERSTAR.
The audio described performance at the Grand Opera House is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th February 2015.
If you wish to hear the programme notes you must have collected your head set, checked that it is working, and be seated by 7.15pm
TIM RICE and ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S rock opera tells the story of the last seven days in the life of JESUS through an extraordinary groundbreaking score. As compelling today as it was at its inception over 40 years ago, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR has some of musical theatre’s most legendary songs—I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Everything’s All Right, Gethsemane and Superstar.
The songs tell the story, without need for any dialogue.
THE CAST
Jesus,
Played by Glenn Carter, has shoulder length wavy brown hair, broad forehead, oval shaped face, with dark eyes, long nose, narrow lips, firm chin.
Of medium height, with a slim body, he wears a flowing white sleeved robe over a long white v neck tunic, slit to the knee at each side, fastened with a fine rope at the waist. On his feet are flat brown leather sandals.
When Jesus is scourged he is naked, except for his white loin cloth. A piece of cloth is thrown over his back and becomes red with his blood.
Tim Rogers plays the part of Judas Iscariot. He is dressed in a brown linen shirt, open to the waist, baggy cream trousers, fastened at the waist be a fine rope, long sleeveless waistcoat and tan suede laced boots. He has a wide leather band on his right wrist; his oval face has a lined forehead, very dark eyebrows and deep set eyes, long nose and small mouth. His straight dark hair is parted to one side.
Mary Magdalene is played by Rachel Adedeji, with dusky skin, long glossy black hair, with centre parting, worn tucked behind her ears, high cheek bones, large wide apart dark eyes, fine dark eyebrows and wide full lipped mouth.
Her dress is v necked scarlet full length gown, with short sleeves, which have slits at each side, a beaded belt, a multi coloured scarf is tied around below her waist. Her strapped sandals are flat.
Pontius Pilate –Rhydian Roberts plays this role. With white blond straight hair, his young heart shaped face has dark eyebrows, brown eyes, small nose, thin lips and cleft chin. He wears a wide red belt with his open neck white shirt, and cream trousers and long robe.
The three Roman Soldiers are young sturdy men, dressed in black trousers which are gathered in at the ankle, black short sleeved shirts under black leather breastplates, black metal helmets. .Short red cloaks are attached to one shoulder at the back of their uniforms. They carry transparent curved rectangular shields, emblazoned with the letters SPQR, and also have swords and long spears.
The disciple Simon, played by Kristopher Harding has an orange shirt, long brown waistcoat, brown trousers held up by a fine rope at the waist, and flat sandals.
He has short dark hair, brown eyebrows and eyes, narrow nose, small thin lipped mouth and a pointed chin, with short dark beard.
Peter, the disciple denies knowing Jesus, is tall and slim, with a mop of dark curly hair, a long narrow face, with wide forehead, arched dark eyebrows, straight nose, and wide mouth. Played by Edward Handoll, he wears dark red trousers, cream open neck shirt, long dark brown waistcoat, and has bare feet in flat sandals.
Other disciples wear similar variations of loose earthen coloured trousers, sandals, sleeveless jackets and wide sleeved pale coloured shirts.
Andrew is played by ANDY BARKE
JOHN by TIM OXBROW
THOMAS by RICHARD J HUNT
MATTHEW by DAVID BURILIN
JAMES by JOHNATHAN TWEEDIE
THADDEUS by JOE MAXWELL
NATHANIEL by CELLEN CHUGG JONES
And
JAMES, the JUST by MICHAEL WARD.
Female followers wear v necked short sleeved floor length dresses, with wide skirts, of a dusky pink.
APOSTLE WOMEN are played by JODIE STEELE, LIZZIE OTTLEY and OLIVE ROBINSON
King Herod, is a large plump man, who descends the central stair case clad in baggy gold trousers, red tassels swinging from his nipples, wide gold belt, ornate gold chain, and wide green red and gold patterned robe, which trails on the floor, and gold slippers with upturned curved toes.
He has a big face, curly black hair and beard, widely spaced eyes, high cheek bones and smiling wide mouth.
CAIAPHAS, the High Priest, has a very deep singing voice. He is black, with a shaven head, neatly trimmed beard, full lips, piercing dark eyes and black eyebrows.
Dressed in a long black robe, buttoned from shoulder to hem, with long sleeves, he wears a heavy gold chain, and gold broad wrist bands. On his head is a tall circular black hat. CAVIN CORNWALL plays this part.
The second High Priest, ANNAS, is played by ALISTAIR LEE, who is dressed exactly the same way. His pale oval face has dark eyebrows and eyes, small nose, wide narrow lipped mouth, and neat beard and moustache.
Three other priests wear similar robes and head ware, but do not have chains or wrist bands.
A group of children appear, all girls, long hair, dusky pink long dresses and black slippers.
In the scene of money lenders in the temple, the merchants, prostitutes with bare midriffs in short dresses, men throwing dice, selling baskets of fruit/food, flagons of wine, a butcher chopping meat at rear, all wear bright colours.
The lepers who crawl to Jesus are swathed from head to toe in grey.
SET
On entering the theatre, there is no curtain, and the set is lit by red spotlights.
Centre, an immense crown of thorns, suspended from above, is lit by rays of red light. The crown, made of narrow transparent tubes of red light, woven together to make a crown takes up a quarter of the stage, about ten foot wide. It is tilted towards the audience.
At each side of the stage are three huge dark pillars, which line the sides from front to rear. These pillars are carved with men, horses, animals, battle scenes, and reach from floor to ceiling. A carved wall, in which are wide carved wooden doors fills the back of the stage.
Stage centre, a wide double set of open tread stairs reaches up from the floor of the stage to a high platform. To the left and right of the stage, are seven ladder- like rungs which lead to a small platform and then three steps handrails to each side, which lead to the end of the balcony.
The central, double staircase is parted in some scenes.
When we first see the set, very bright red light comes from a circular light fixed below the left set of steps, and from two lights to the left, and three to the right of the double staircase at ground level.
The lighting changes dramatically throughout the production, creating daytime, night time, indoors, outdoors.
The audio described performance at the Grand Opera House is at 7.30pm on Wednesday 25th February 2015.
If you wish to hear the programme notes you must have collected your head set, checked that it is working, and be seated by 7.15pm
TIM RICE and ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER’S rock opera tells the story of the last seven days in the life of JESUS through an extraordinary groundbreaking score. As compelling today as it was at its inception over 40 years ago, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR has some of musical theatre’s most legendary songs—I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Everything’s All Right, Gethsemane and Superstar.
The songs tell the story, without need for any dialogue.
THE CAST
Jesus,
Played by Glenn Carter, has shoulder length wavy brown hair, broad forehead, oval shaped face, with dark eyes, long nose, narrow lips, firm chin.
Of medium height, with a slim body, he wears a flowing white sleeved robe over a long white v neck tunic, slit to the knee at each side, fastened with a fine rope at the waist. On his feet are flat brown leather sandals.
When Jesus is scourged he is naked, except for his white loin cloth. A piece of cloth is thrown over his back and becomes red with his blood.
Tim Rogers plays the part of Judas Iscariot. He is dressed in a brown linen shirt, open to the waist, baggy cream trousers, fastened at the waist be a fine rope, long sleeveless waistcoat and tan suede laced boots. He has a wide leather band on his right wrist; his oval face has a lined forehead, very dark eyebrows and deep set eyes, long nose and small mouth. His straight dark hair is parted to one side.
Mary Magdalene is played by Rachel Adedeji, with dusky skin, long glossy black hair, with centre parting, worn tucked behind her ears, high cheek bones, large wide apart dark eyes, fine dark eyebrows and wide full lipped mouth.
Her dress is v necked scarlet full length gown, with short sleeves, which have slits at each side, a beaded belt, a multi coloured scarf is tied around below her waist. Her strapped sandals are flat.
Pontius Pilate –Rhydian Roberts plays this role. With white blond straight hair, his young heart shaped face has dark eyebrows, brown eyes, small nose, thin lips and cleft chin. He wears a wide red belt with his open neck white shirt, and cream trousers and long robe.
The three Roman Soldiers are young sturdy men, dressed in black trousers which are gathered in at the ankle, black short sleeved shirts under black leather breastplates, black metal helmets. .Short red cloaks are attached to one shoulder at the back of their uniforms. They carry transparent curved rectangular shields, emblazoned with the letters SPQR, and also have swords and long spears.
The disciple Simon, played by Kristopher Harding has an orange shirt, long brown waistcoat, brown trousers held up by a fine rope at the waist, and flat sandals.
He has short dark hair, brown eyebrows and eyes, narrow nose, small thin lipped mouth and a pointed chin, with short dark beard.
Peter, the disciple denies knowing Jesus, is tall and slim, with a mop of dark curly hair, a long narrow face, with wide forehead, arched dark eyebrows, straight nose, and wide mouth. Played by Edward Handoll, he wears dark red trousers, cream open neck shirt, long dark brown waistcoat, and has bare feet in flat sandals.
Other disciples wear similar variations of loose earthen coloured trousers, sandals, sleeveless jackets and wide sleeved pale coloured shirts.
Andrew is played by ANDY BARKE
JOHN by TIM OXBROW
THOMAS by RICHARD J HUNT
MATTHEW by DAVID BURILIN
JAMES by JOHNATHAN TWEEDIE
THADDEUS by JOE MAXWELL
NATHANIEL by CELLEN CHUGG JONES
And
JAMES, the JUST by MICHAEL WARD.
Female followers wear v necked short sleeved floor length dresses, with wide skirts, of a dusky pink.
APOSTLE WOMEN are played by JODIE STEELE, LIZZIE OTTLEY and OLIVE ROBINSON
King Herod, is a large plump man, who descends the central stair case clad in baggy gold trousers, red tassels swinging from his nipples, wide gold belt, ornate gold chain, and wide green red and gold patterned robe, which trails on the floor, and gold slippers with upturned curved toes.
He has a big face, curly black hair and beard, widely spaced eyes, high cheek bones and smiling wide mouth.
CAIAPHAS, the High Priest, has a very deep singing voice. He is black, with a shaven head, neatly trimmed beard, full lips, piercing dark eyes and black eyebrows.
Dressed in a long black robe, buttoned from shoulder to hem, with long sleeves, he wears a heavy gold chain, and gold broad wrist bands. On his head is a tall circular black hat. CAVIN CORNWALL plays this part.
The second High Priest, ANNAS, is played by ALISTAIR LEE, who is dressed exactly the same way. His pale oval face has dark eyebrows and eyes, small nose, wide narrow lipped mouth, and neat beard and moustache.
Three other priests wear similar robes and head ware, but do not have chains or wrist bands.
A group of children appear, all girls, long hair, dusky pink long dresses and black slippers.
In the scene of money lenders in the temple, the merchants, prostitutes with bare midriffs in short dresses, men throwing dice, selling baskets of fruit/food, flagons of wine, a butcher chopping meat at rear, all wear bright colours.
The lepers who crawl to Jesus are swathed from head to toe in grey.
SET
On entering the theatre, there is no curtain, and the set is lit by red spotlights.
Centre, an immense crown of thorns, suspended from above, is lit by rays of red light. The crown, made of narrow transparent tubes of red light, woven together to make a crown takes up a quarter of the stage, about ten foot wide. It is tilted towards the audience.
At each side of the stage are three huge dark pillars, which line the sides from front to rear. These pillars are carved with men, horses, animals, battle scenes, and reach from floor to ceiling. A carved wall, in which are wide carved wooden doors fills the back of the stage.
Stage centre, a wide double set of open tread stairs reaches up from the floor of the stage to a high platform. To the left and right of the stage, are seven ladder- like rungs which lead to a small platform and then three steps handrails to each side, which lead to the end of the balcony.
The central, double staircase is parted in some scenes.
When we first see the set, very bright red light comes from a circular light fixed below the left set of steps, and from two lights to the left, and three to the right of the double staircase at ground level.
The lighting changes dramatically throughout the production, creating daytime, night time, indoors, outdoors.
