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What's the Buzz? In Concert and Conversation with the Cast
of 'Superstar'
Adelaide Cabaret Festival
5 out of 5 stars
When the recent Australian touring production of Jesus
Christ Superstar infamously bypassed Adelaide, local theatre lovers felt a
collective sting of abandonment. Enter Reuben Kaye. In his inaugural year as
the Artistic Director of the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, Kaye made it his
absolute first priority to rectify this theatrical injustice. The result was
What's the Buzz? In concert and conversation with the cast of ‘Superstar’ – a
one-night-only event that was equal parts rock concert and a hilarious, loose-lipped
family reunion.
By sheer chance, I happened to catch the opening night of
the official tour in Sydney, having bought a ticket on a total whim just an
hour and a half before the curtain went up, completely unaware of the occasion.
Because of that, I knew firsthand the electric, raw intensity that this
specific cast could deliver. Walking into the Festival Theatre on Saturday
night, I wondered if a stripped-back concert format could replicate that stage
magic. Not only did they match it; they threatened to blow the roof off the
building.
The evening beautifully split its time between jaw-dropping
musical numbers and unfiltered, behind-the-scenes conversations. The cast
shared chaotic tour stories, like the time John O’Hara – playing Annas but
covering for King Herod – forgot his lines and resorted to aggressively
throwing bread at Jesus right as he was singing "have this bread". In
a hilarious twist of psychological sabotage, Reuben Kaye managed to duplicate
the exact same mishap a few nights later, purely because he had been obsessively
watching his own sneaky recording of O'Hara's blunder until it got entirely
into his head. Speaking of Kaye, he was in prime form as both host and
performer. He was his signature bold, blunt, and beautifully blasphemous self,
dropping razor-sharp one-liners that had the row of young teenagers sitting
directly in front of me visibly squirming in their seats and hiding their faces
in collective, hilariously scandalized delight.
But the cast and crew proved they could play the master showman at his own game. In a beautifully orchestrated prank, Elliot Baker (Caiaphas) was supposedly unable to make the trip to Adelaide. Instead, he snuck onto a last-minute flight from Sydney, slipped into the theatre completely undetected, and made a surprise entrance mid-song during This Jesus Must Die. Seeing a genuinely speechless Reuben Kaye on stage was worth the price of admission alone.
Musically, the entire evening was a non-stop rollercoaster
of Andrew Lloyd Webber's finest work. Musical Director and pianist Laura Tipoki
assembled a significant portion of the tour's original pit band, and they
performed with a precision and ferocity that left no doubt about the caliber of
the production Adelaide had missed out on. Every single cast member was
performing at their absolute peak – a remarkable feat considering only Javon
King (Judas Iscariot) is currently still out on the road touring. The setlist
was a definitive run of hits that kept the energy soaring, featuring powerhouse
deliveries of Heaven on Their Minds, Everything’s Alright, Pilate’s Dream,
Simon Zealotes / Poor Jerusalem, I Don’t Know How To Love Him, and The Last
Supper.
While it is nearly impossible to single out a favorite
moment from an ensemble this stacked, there is simply no talking about this
show without mentioning Michael Paynter. His rendition of Gethsemane (I Only
Want to Say) was a literal, undeniable showstopper. Paynter commanded the stage
with a vocal power and emotional range that felt superhuman, earning a
rapturous, mid-song standing ovation halfway through the number – an incredible
feat that completely mirrored the exact same mid-song ovation he received on
opening night in Sydney. He is, without a shadow of a doubt, the best Jesus I
have ever had the pleasure of hearing, whether live or on a recording.
By the time the final chords rang out, the cast – comprising
Kaye, Paynter, King, Mahalia Barnes (Mary Magdalene), Graeme Isaako (Simon
Zealotes), Elliot Baker, John O’Hara, Peter Murphy (Pontius Pilate), and Joshua
Dormor (covering Caiaphas) – had given Adelaide everything they had. What’s the
Buzz? didn't just soothe the ache of missing the official tour; it gave us
something arguably better. It offered a window into the genuine love,
camaraderie, and tight-knit bond shared by this incredible cast. It was a
spectacular, high-octane celebration of musical theatre that left the audience
profoundly grateful, thoroughly entertained, and deeply aware of the magic we
missed out on. It was a night not to be missed, and never to be repeated.
–Scott
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