May 3, 2026
Because his teachings and miracles had earned him hordes of followers among the Jews, Jesus (Luke Street) has gained the ire of the Pharisees. Their leaders, Caiaphas (Grant Hodges) and Annas (Kodiak Thompson), bribed one of Jesus's apostles, Judas Iscariot (Javon King), to deliver him to them for the price of thirty pieces of silver. Jesus faced trial before Pontius Pilate (Ethan Hardy Benson), which led him to his death by crucifixion.
This timeless story, which formed the basis of Catholicism and all Christian religions, has been recorded in the Holy Bible, then told and retold over the centuries. In 1970, it became the subject of a sung-through rock opera, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. After its success as a concept album, it debuted on the Broadway stage in 1971, West End in 1972, then transitioned into film under director Norman Jewison in 1973.
In 2016, a revival of this musical was produced by the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre under the direction of Timothy Sheader, which later went on to win the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. In 2025, this same production was announced to go on an international tour, to kick off in Manila in May 2026. After Manila, it will be going to Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, and London in June (with Matty Juniosa just announced to play Annas!)
I have seen the film (several times) and am very familiar with the songs, but this is the first time I have seen it played live on a stage, so I was very excited. There were massive scaffoldings at the back where the live band were situated, and as additional levels on which actors stood. On the foreground was a huge cross lying on the floor, acting mainly as a runway on which some scenes were set, but later doubled as the table of the Last Supper in the opening number of Act II -- a genius staging idea that was perfectly executed. There were no biblical robes here, modern casual outfits only.
Luke Street and Javon King made an electric Jesus - Judas tandem, the controversial friendship around which an intense and tragic personal conflict revolved around. Both of them had total control of their powerful wails. Street's "Gethsemane" innovated by having him play guitar while singing the initial verses, before he power-belted the rest of the song with raw pained emotions. King's silver-handed Judas had a heat-wrenching reprise of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" before his death scene, that was not present in the movie.
For the Manila shows, the role of Mary Magdalene (still considered a "prostitute" in this 1970 iteration of the story) was played by local theater star Gab Pangilinan. For fans of her previous performances, from "Side Show" to "Ang Huling El Bimbo" to "The Last Five Years," there was no doubt that she would nail this role. She imbued all of Mary Magdalene's songs with her clear and calming mezzo-soprano -- "Everything's Alright," "Could We Start Again Please," and her signature hit "I Don't Know How to Love Him."
The striking vocal contrast between deep bass-baritone Grant Hodges (as Caiaphas) and rock countertenor Kodiak Thompson (as Annas) was a wonder to hear performed live. Ethan Hardy Benson and his strong rock vocals gave grit to Pontius Pilate's difficult dilemma, peaking in that awesome staging of the scourging scene where Pilate counted each lacerating lash of the whip one by one. Alan Payne's King Herod and his wacky, gold-plated, drag-flavored song number was a welcome respite of comedic relief halfway in the heavy second half.
I watched the matinee on the second day of its run. Even so early in its run, Sheader's show flowed efficiently, with no transition delays nor sound glitches. The whole show finished in two hours, including a 20-minute intermission in between. The interactions of the actors and musicians were so fluid, especially during scenes of complex vocal harmonies and choreography, such as "The Temple" and "Superstar." The unexpected final scene potently left a quiet question about Jesus's redemptive mission and Judas' key role in its fruition.
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