King’s College thespians present ’Jesus Christ Superstar’

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“She made my ears ring,” King’s College student Marcus Ruiz said before a recent rehearsal, recalling his mother’s joyful scream when he told her he landed the title role in “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

“My mom really likes the show,” he explained.

No doubt many people can relate.

For some, the story of the last week in Jesus Christ’s earthly life touches their hearts. For others, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s music or Tim Rice’s clever lyrics are the big attraction.

“At the end of the day it’s a rock concert,” said King’s theatre department chair Dave Reynolds, who is directing the production, with performances Feb. 15 through 24 in the Maffei Theatre on campus.

Here fans of the show, which debuted on Broadway in 1971, will find scenes they expect — from the branch-waving crowd excited to see Jesus, to the lepers and beggars who surround and overwhelm him; from Mary Magdalen tenderly anointing his forehead, to Judas complaining and warning that people in power resent Jesus’ popularity.

“Listen, Jesus, do you care for your race?” John Toussaint sings as Judas. “Don’t you see we must keep in our place? We are occupied. Have you forgotten how put down we are? I am frightened by the crowd, for we are getting much too loud. And they’ll crush us if we go too far …”

“Superstar” fans likely will also find something new in this version; a recent rehearsal began with a pantomimed sequence of biblical events going all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and in another unusual move, Reynolds said seven people will share the role of King Herod.

Each Herod will sing the mocking invitation to Jesus to “prove to me that you’re no fool; walk across my swimming pool.” But each is free to do whatever they want with their appearance. “We’ll have a punk rocker, we’ll have a Mean Girl …” Reynolds said.

“The whole concept is ‘the word made flesh,’” the director said, noting the set looks like a big open Bible. “It’s the scriptures coming to life.”

“There definitely is a Catholic viewpoint here,” he said. “Definitely the idea of a trinity here. You’ll see what I mean (if you come to the show).”

“The production does a really good job of humanizing Jesus,” the director said, “and Judas, for that matter.”

Speaking of Judas, Toussaint said he initially had been “planning to portray Judas as plotting and vindictive and reveling in the fact” that he was able to turn Jesus over to the guards who would take him to the authorities.

“Then I starting praying with it and realized he’s regretful, the whole time,” the actor said. “I think he would have repented.”

“The show is timeless,” Reynolds said, so it belongs to no particular time period. There might be elements of 1970s New York City as well as ancient Jerusalem.

“I’ve had to grab rags, a basket, wine bottles, halberds,” said Zaire Johnson, the prop master, noting her list includes everything from modern implements to old-time weapons.

Show times are 7:30 p.m. Feb. 15, 16 and 17; 2 p.m. Feb. 18, and 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22 to Feb. 24. Tickets are available at jcskctheatre.bpt.me/ or at the box office.