Landing the role of Mary Magdalene in the Manila production of Jesus Christ Superstar, theater and screen actress Gab Pangilinan said, was taking her out of her comfort zone. The only Filipino cast member, she arrives on the set with no familiar face in sight— a far cry from her usual experience in production.
Pangilinan shared that in the Jesus Christ Superstar media event held early May at The Theater at Solaire. She and the cast had sung two songs, with her first belting out the legendary I Don’t Know How to Love Him, then joining the ensemble in Hosanna.
Her anecdote was intriguing, considering she’s an old theater hand, having down shows like The Last Five Years, Side Show, and Ang Huling El Bimbo—The Musical. Equally interesting was her admission that she had to do much mental preparation, and needed “to be open and vulnerable” when she took on the role of Mary.
“This particular production is introducing me to why I love theater. It’s coming back to telling a story with fresh eyes and doing what we love. It feels like home being on stage,” said Pangilinan, who was recognized for Best Leading Female Performance (digital) in the 27th Asian Television Awards in 2022.
Although the rehearsals were done fast (“It was crazy and fun”) and she had just met her cast mates (she now feels she’s known them forever), she quipped: “We’re happy to perform on stage.”
After five decades, Jesus Christ Superstar returns to Manila at The Theater at Solaire, where it’s running until May 31. The Manila staging is done by London Regent’s Park Open Air Theater and presented by GMG Productions and David Ian for Crossroads Live and Worklight Productions.
The musical opened on Broadway in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theater, and the original London production premiered at The Palace Theater on Aug. 9, 1972, and ran for eight years.
Musical director Harry Haden-Brown said he was stunned by how their first three shows had been received, and found it astounding to make great sounds in Manila. He said it was paramount that he and his team maintained accuracy vis-á-vis the musical scores.
“(We) have the responsibility towards the audience who knows the musical. Everything comes from the original text. We don’t change anything but come at it from a fresh perspective, and so some may sound contemporary,” he said, adding that there’s a freshness each time with the production’s live musicians, who “feed off the energy.”
For those coming into the musical tabula rasa, Haden-Brown pointed out that only two lines are spoken in the musical and everything else is sung. “(The genres) rock and roll, gospel, and blues connect us to humanity, which allows us to carry the story through,” he said.
Kodiak Thompson, who plays co-conspirator high priest Annas, cited another strong element of the musical: the dances.
“Physicalizing the role through movements is a feast for the senses. We’re a triple treat—we sing, dance, and act— (so) the creative energy shows up. The dance tells the story just as much as the lines and music do,” said Thompson, who was part of the shows Chicago and DRAG: The Musical.
Resident director Richard Pitt said the uniqueness of the Manila version can be seen in the cast’s talent rising over and above their individual backgrounds and other theater elements such as lighting, set design, choreography, costume, etc. “What you’ll see is overwhelming, what the show demands from the cast is incredible,” declared Pitt.
On a personal level, Pitt comes full circle in the Manila production. As a child, he was in it in local theater. He is now its resident director.
Stepping into roles a long list of actors has done before you can be challenging, if not intimidating. How does one prepare and reinterpret the iconic roles of Jesus Christ, Mary Magdalene, and Judas?
Pangilinan said her approach in portraying Mary was to make it as truthful as she could, while bearing in mind what Mary stood for and believed in, including the performance of the torch ballad that encapsulated Mary’s feelings of confusion, fear, and deep love for Jesus Christ.
What struck her about the role of Mary—and which made the theater experience special for her— was seeing the character in a different light with the other cast members, she said.
Pangilinan said she drew inspiration from Filipino stage actress Joanna Ampil, who played the same role in London West End from 1996 to 1998.
She said that the show’s characters “are more human.”
Joshua Bess said he first saw the play as a high school student in Denver. He thought then that playing Jesus Christ was “untouchable and very hard to do.” But since stepping into the titular role, he has changed his mind.
“I don’t think of Jesus Christ as a religious (figure) but as a man,” Bess said. “(The) production allows you to be different, to find your vision while playing homage to the other actors.”
He said he found the experience interesting, specifically the scenes with Pilate, who is played by Ethan Hardy Benson. He said their scenes are interwoven and their dreams intersect, with Jesus knowing everything, and Pilate, while getting the signals subconsciously, not having knowledge of what is happening.
“The juxtaposition is interesting; to play obliviousness is just crazy, but you have to play oblivious. It’s cool to see the different perspectives,” said Bess, whose theater credentials include RENT, SpongeBob The Musical, and Dear Evan Hansen.
Javon King said he approaches Judas as a misunderstood figure. “What I do as Judas is I lead with love. If not, the audience won’t like him. Ultimately, the word is ‘humanizing’ because [Judas] thought he was doing what he thought was best for his friend,” said King, who was last seen in Back to the Future: The Musical.
“Judas is a human being at the end of the day,” King declared.
Pitt added, “The characters are human beings, so the way we looked at it was to strip them of preconceived ideas.”
A new take on Jesus Christ Superstar — or any other musical — is reason enough to watch it. You can take Grant Hodges’ word for it. Hodges, who plays the antagonist high priest Caiaphas, said it’s an incredible story that’s been around for so long.
The convergence of music, theater, and religious theme in one production is another reason, reeling in fans from different generations. The Manila version upholds that decades-old tradition, except that the cast is leading with love and closing the gap between Jesus Christ and us regular people.
Now, does one still need convincing to see a rock opera about Jesus Christ and Judas?
For tickets, visit www.ticketworld.com.ph, Solaire Box Office level 2, and Ticketworld outlets.
