Jesus Christ Superstar, a timeless classic

Continual applause in the middle of scenes, and a standing ovation that lasted more than ten minutes for Jesus Christ Superstar at the Theatre of Varese. The musical, which starred Ted Neeley (who had starred in the 1973 film) in the role of Jesus, with the great music of Andrew Lloyd Webber, which is now part of the collective imagination, owes its success to an expressive force that embraces entire generations. This is demonstrated by the varied audience, who all but filled the Apollonio Theatre, in Varese, on the evening of Saturday 3 November, with people of all ages: children and adults, and whole families handing down what has become a tradition.

It is not just a retelling of the Jesus story; as well as the words by Tim Rice and music by Webber, there was perfect staging, with the orchestra conducted by the Maestro Emanuele Friello, the choreography and costumes that were reminiscent of the film, and the charisma of the 76-year-old star, who has become an icon in the history of musicals. So much so that, at each of his performances, the theatre has stopped to pay him tribute. With him, there was also Nick Maia, who played Judas, agile and perfect in the part as a worthy stand-in for Carl Anderson, and Simona Di Stefano, who played Magdalene to perfection, her voice sounding incredibly so much like the original in the film.

At the end of the performance, the audience’s tribute was incredible. Despite every song receiving a long applause, at the end of the evening, the whole audience stood up to pay tribute to the entire company directed by Massimo Romeo Piparo. The ten-minute standing ovation warmed the theatre, to the sound of applause.