Live theater is making its way back to Orange County. The iconic rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar is playing at Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa from November 9-14 for the show’s 50th anniversary tour.

Seen through the eyes of Judas, this musical takes on events in the life of Jesus Christ during his final weeks of life. Classic hits from the show include “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Gethsemane” and “Superstar.”

The show stars Aaron LaVigne as Jesus, James T. Justis as Judas and Jenna Rubaii as Mary.

In an exclusive interview, Brittany Hammond – ensemble cast member and dance teacher at South Coast Performing Arts in Tustin – said that it feels “surreal” returning to performing arts in the eye of the post-pandemic. “It feels like you’re reliving a memory but in the present. Or you’re in a dream but it’s real life! Because it was something we did every day for six months, it kind of popped back into place, but at the same time we took a  year-and-a-half off and a lot has happened in that space. Though theatre looks different now – a masked audience and crew, testing multiple times a week plus new protocols – it’s thrilling to be back.”

Now that live theater is gradually returning, Hammond is hoping that the arts will change for the better. “I hope theatre moves forward and we find a new normal because during 2020 there were a lot of important discussions being had as to what we wanted Broadway to look like moving forward and we are still having those conversations today. There is a lot of work to do, but also a lot of great work has been done in recent months.”

Photo by Matthew Murphy

According to Hammond, this version of Jesus Christ Superstar will be similar to listening to the album, but audiences will see it on the stage without a literal narrative. “It’s what you may see in your mind as you listen to the original record which was never intended to be a stage play when it was composed.” There also won’t be an intermission in this version so fans will get a true album experience from watching this production. “The design of our show is very avante garde and incredibly beautiful, and I can’t wait for superfans to experience it!”

This tour also features Alvin Crawford as Caiphas, Tommy Sherlock as Pilate, and Tyce Green as Annas. Christian A. Guerrero joins as standby for Jesus and Judas. The rest of the ensemble includes David Andre, Sara Andreas, Courtney Arango, Wesley J. Barnes, Milena J. Comeau, Lydia Ruth Dawson, Derek Ferguson, Brian Golub, Garfield Hammonds, Quiana Holmes, Darrell T. Joe, Sheila Jones, Jacob Lacopo, Paul Louis Lessard, Eric A. Lewis, Tommy McDowell, Danny McHugh, Jenny Mollet, Sarah Parker, Erick Patrick, SandyRedd, Cooper Stanton and Chelsea Williams.

The creative team includes Timothy Sheader as director, Drew McOnie as choreographer, Tom Deering and David Holcenberg as music supervisors, Keith Caggiano and Nick Lidster for sound design, Lee Curran for lighting design and Tony Award nominee Tom Scutt for costume design.

Single tickets for Jesus Christ Superstar start at $28 and are now available online at SCFTA.org, at the Box office at 600 Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, or by calling (714) 556-27872,  for inquiries about group ticket discounts for 10 or more, call the Group Services offices at (714)755-0236.

Masks are required at all times for all patrons and visitors regardless of vaccination status in all indoor spaces at Segerstrom Center.

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