‘Jesus Christ Superstar’City Hall Theatre, October 6-15A standing ovation on opening night says a great deal about a performance, and though Bermudian audiences tend to be overly generous, the ovation they gave the cast and crew of Gilbert and Sullivan Society’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ on Thursday night was thoroughly deserved.Gary Skelton in the title role did a terrific job of interpreting a figure freighted with meaning the agony of the ‘poisoned cup’ and the brutality of the death were played with enough realism to be meaningful without being melodramatic. And the range and power of Skelton’s voice were truly impressive. His nemesis, Judas Iscariot, played powerfully by Stephen Notman, was a convincingly tortured soul, the anguish conveyed particularly well in a reprise of Mary Magdalene’s “I don’t know how to love him”. Jen Osmond portrayed Mary’s passion in a beautiful clear voice, her exquisite solos a striking contrast to the ‘buzz’ of the chorus.Other soloists were equally strong; Gordon Campbell’s bass rumbled in the role of Caiaphas while Mark Hamilton’s Pilate and Alan Brooks’ Herod were particularly effective.The 90-minute-long rock opera encompasses the final week of Jesus’ life with its intense emotions, from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the final agony of death on the cross, and the theme running through the lyrics is “Who exactly is this Jesus Christ? And how do I respond to or deal with him?” It’s a question asked by Judas in his opening number “Heaven on their Minds”, by Mary in the beautiful ballad “I don’t know how to love him” , the Jewish religious leaders and Pilate’s interrogation in Act II. The powerful ending doesn’t offer any answers, leaving an empty cross and plenty of questions. This production underscores the concept that this is a timeless story that belongs to all the ages. It begins with a tableau of a stained-glassed window in a Romanesque church that is dismantled piece by piece into the streets of the first century Roman provincial town of Jerusalem. Set designer Cleo Pettitt has combined realistic ancient stone columns and industrial scaffolding to make an effective and adaptable set. Supported by evocative lighting design, this creates a memorable background for the action that at times recreated tableaux of Old Masters’ paintings from yet another time period, such as Da Vinci’s The Last Supper.The extensive wardrobe designed by Liz Campbell was similarly drawn from a variety of eras, and worked extremely well. While Jesus was in traditional white, Judas and Mary both wore red, and Jewish leaders were draped in Darth Vader black. The Roman military brought to mind a Latin American revolutionary group in black berets and fatigues, while the disciples could have been 17th-century mariners in linen slops and loose blouses. A brilliant and striking scene in Herod’s palace evoked Hugh Hefner decadence and Follies flash down to the gold trimmed silk shorts and chest medallion.Choreography was equally striking, particularly “Hosanna” and “Herod’s Song”, and while not strictly choreography, the scene of Jesus overwhelmed by the demands made on him by the lepers was very moving.Powerful and thought-provoking as it was, the production was not perfect. The balance between orchestra and soloists was not right and Stephen Notman struggled to be heard above the loud orchestration in his opening number. There were some further technical difficulties with the sound, and timing was off in the trial scene. Hopefully, these will be corrected by the second night.A lavish production, rich in detail and beautifully executed, this is a ‘must-see’, and artistic director John Payton and musical director Philip Shute are to be commended for creating an amateur yes, they all have day jobs production of such a high calibre.Tickets at $55 are available through www.gands.bm or www.premiertickets.bm and at the theatre box office before the show.