Bishop Gorman’s Gaels Theatre Guild has brought the iconic Jesus Christ Superstar to life with performances on Feb. 21-23, 26-28, and Mar. 1-2. The talented cast captivated audiences in the Jim3 House of Performing Arts with a fresh take on a timeless rock opera.
Created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice over 50 years ago, Jesus Christ Superstar takes a look at the last week of Jesus’ life through the eyes of Judas Iscariot. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a nation-wide classic that has been wowing audiences since it first hit the stage in 1971, and Director Elena Ferrante-Martin decided to bring some of that magic to Bishop Gorman. The second auditions took place at the beginning of second semester, and students got straight to work. Deck Steward Henry White ‘28 detailed the effort that the crew put into this production, “The rehearsal process was brutal. Rehearsals ended up being 7 hours long on the weekends, and we would work countless hours after school.”
But with a show to put on stage, nothing could stop the cast from staying motivated. “Cast members would get sick, transitions would go wrong, and there were endless opportunities for problems throughout every show,” said Actress Lilia Atamian ‘28.
Atamian explained how Ms. Ferrante-Martin and the rest of the crew continued to spread positive energy when rehearsals were at their lowest points. “No matter what, we had to work as a team to keep pushing,” White said, “The show must go on!”
At the end of the very last showing, the Gaels Theatre Guild was met with nothing but praise and the rewarding feeling of their hard work paying off. “My favorite part of the whole process was being under the stage lights for the last time, and looking out into a sold-out theater,” Atamian said, “Not just that, but I learned so much from Jesus Christ Superstar, things I can carry with me through the rest of my acting career.”