Jesus Christ Superstar

The Synopsis

.This is the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The tale begins with Jesus’s entry into Jerusalem and the unrest caused by his preaching and popularity. The situation is volatile and the authorities are beginning to focus their attentions on His activities. Caiaphas and the priests discuss the problems caused by the mob following Jesus. They don’t understand how He can manage to inspire people and believe that Jesus poses a very serious threat to their authority and the fragile friendship they have with the occupying force from Rome. As His radical teachings are evermore embraced by the populace, one of His disciples, Judas, increasingly questions the enlightened motives of this new prophet, resulting in betrayal for the price of 30 pieces of silver. Betrayed, Jesus is captured, trialled, and sentenced to death. Condemned by Pilate, Jesus is flogged and crucified. A powerful, emotional tale of men and women driven to their fate by forces beyond their control. Christ’s final days are dramatized with emotional intensity, thought provoking edge and explosive theatricity.

The Production Team

Director – Bernadette Baran

Co-Director/Choreographer – Leanna Jackson

Musical Director – Andrew Russek

Rehearsal Pianists – Alex Ash

The Cast

Maryanne Bawden, Ken Bond, Melissa Bowd, Bec Bradburn, Miranda Bradley (Tormentor/Herod’s Girl), Sam Braodbent (Soul Girl), Natalie Brousseau (Alternate Mary/Mary’s Girl), Karen Callaghan (Mary), Alwyn Campbell (James), Angie Campbell (Tormentor), Paul Chang (Bartholomew), Alex Chilvers (Thomas), Conrad Davey, Beth Dobbs, Chris Drake (Annas), Louise Elsmore (Mary’s Girl), Nicole Fidler (Soul Girl), Robyn Goldman, Bev Gowenlock, Lindsay Hall (Peter), Barbara Hammang (Maid by the Fire), Luke Hemmons (Thaddeus), Terence Hogan (Caiaphas), Wendy Hudson (Soul Girl), Ruth Ireland, Cherie Jonas (Mary’s Girl), Anne Kitto, Andrew Klusman (Andrew/Soldier), Keith McBeth (2nd Priest), Jillian McCann (Mary’s Girl), John McCann (Jesus), Robert McKay (Pilate/Pharisee), Susan McKay, Mark McGoldrick (Philip), Kerry McMillan (3rd Priest), Gaileen Massey, Linnet Michaelian, Kathleen Murphy, (Herod’s Girl/Soul Girl), Betty Norman, Adem Ozbakan (John/Soldier), Meredith Peterson, Rebekah Peterson, Daniel Placido (Simon), Victor Reyes (Judas), Alessandra Russek (Slave Girl), Matthew Shellshear (Matthew/Soldier), Celeste Sleiman, Glenda Sleiman, Shirley Sykes, Ryan Tracey (James/Soldier), Jordan Vassallo (Herod/Pharisee), Claire Vella, Noel Zammit (1st Priest).

Bye Bye Birdie

The Synopsis

Albert Peterson, a theatrical agent with a mother complex, tries to stop his finance-secretary, Rose Alvarez from leaving him by promising to dissolve his mother’s record & music company & become an English Teacher. To do this he needs a hit record from his big client, Conrad Birdie, who has been drafted.

A spectacular publicity stunt is planned, with Conrad giving a goodbye kiss to a typical American teenager on the Ed Sullivan Show. Kim MacAfee of Sweetapple, Ohio is chosen & the MacAfee household is totally disrupted. Kim’s jealous boyfriend, Hugo crashes the TV show & K.O’s Conrad. In the meantime, Albert’s mother persuades him not to dissolve the company. Rose & Kim, both disillusioned with their boyfriends, decide to run away & start a new life. Rose arouses the staid members of a Shriners meeting & gets more than she bargained for while Kim practises her immature wiles on Conrad. Albert has it out with his mother & finds Kim just in time to rescue Conrad, with parents, police & Rose hot on his heels.Albert bails Conrad out of jail & smuggles him to the railway station, where Rose is to meet him. She arrives to find both Conrad & Mama off to New York while Albert has two tickets for Pumpkin Falls, Iowa, where he is to become an English Teacher at last.

The Production Team

Director – Chris Scarpellino

Choreographer – Fiona Ryan

Assistant Choreographer – Peita Cummings

Musical Director – Greg Jones

Rehearsal Pianists – Greg Jones and Jayne Hamilton

The Cast

Allison Luxton (Reporter), Allison Kelly (Debra Sue), Bec Bradburn (Penelope Anne Henkel), Ben James (Harvey Johnson), Catherine Davies (Gloria Rasputin / Dance Captain), Charmaine Sleiman (Teen Trio), Chris Geoghan, Christine Sherlock (Margie), Claire Vella, Daniel Cooper (Reporter), Fred Jones ( Mr MacAfee), Gage Ibbott-Cordi, Helen Fawcett (Mrs Peterson), Huw Smith (Mr Johnson), Dimitrios-James Pilason (Reporter), Jessica Munoz (Ursula Merkle), Jim Simmons (Charles F Maude), Jonathan Barons (Albert Peterson), Kathleen Murphy (Kim McAfee), Keith McBeth (Mayor), Kent Prusas (Conrad Birdie), Linnet Michaelian (Reporter), Lisa Michaelian, Maryanne Bawden (Mrs Merkle), Nicole Fidler (The Mayor’s Wife), Nola Jones (Mrs MacAfee), Rachael Baihn (Sad Girl), Rebekah Peterson (Teen Trio), Robyn Goldman (Policeman), Roxanne Davey (Teen Trio), Ryland Joyce (Randolph MacAfee), Sarajane McKinnon (Rose Alvarez), Steven Kramer (Hugo Peabody).