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Cobb Energy Centre the real ‘Superstar’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
THEATER REVIEW. C +
The Atlanta Opera and Atlanta Ballet have given their stamp of approval to the gleaming new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. But can the intimately scaled, 2,750-seat theater compete with Midtown’s palatial Fox Theatre for Broadway-scale productions?
Based on Tuesday night’s inaugural run of a musical, the sleek new $145 million Northside venue has superstar potential — even if that ’70s show that’s hosanna-ing in Cobb feels a little dated.
To be sure, “Jesus Christ Superstar” — Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock-opera telling of the story of Christ — still has moments of soaring emotional resonance and lyrical beauty. Even after what seems like several millennia of tours and revivals, there’s still nothing like that first “Hosanna heysanna sanna sanna ho” to get the goose bumps going.
But the shrill, amped-up paean to peace and love needs a serious makeover and a thoughtful edit, which is hopefully what the Alliance Theatre will do with next year’s “Jesus Christ Superstar GOSPEL.”
For now we can exult in the promise of a top-notch new space for musical theater and hope that producers such as Broadway Across America-Atlanta (who programmed “Superstar”) and Theater of the Stars will hear our prayers for more.
Meanwhile, hard-core “Superstar” worshippers will appreciate the historic importance and beatific posture of Ted Neeley in the title role. (He played Christ in Norman Jewison’s 1973 film adaptation).
But come on.
Neeley is nearing 65, and though his voice is certainly authentic to the eight-track age, it’s starting to feel as screechy and scratchy as a worn-out Camaro. And that excruciatingly long crucifixion scene has Mel Gibson written all over it. Mercy. Just give him a sip of water already.
Yet all is not forsaken in this long journey to Golgotha.
Director Dallett Norris’ casting of Corey Glover as Judas, Tiffini Dodson as Mary Magdalene and Aaron Fuksa as Herod is divinely inspired.
Glover’s Judas is eaten up with conflict, and his exquisite take on “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” simply stops time. The former Living Colour frontman has both pop charisma and vocal chops. Dodson, for her part, is a glorious singer, and the show really begins with Mary Magdalene’s soothing “Everything’s Alright.” Bawdy and bouncy, Fuksa, in his one big scene, adopts the loud, raucous and irreverent style of improv comedy, to hilarious effect. Thank goodness somebody’s having fun.
Even those of us who don’t know how to love this electric-in-all-the-wrong-ways musical can’t help but look around and feel good about what’s happening at Cobb Energy. A halfway point between downtown and the northern suburbs, the performing arts center is serving a demographic that you often don’t see at intown venues. May the neon lights be bright on Cobb Galleria Parkway.
The 411: 8 p.m. tonight-Saturday. 2 p.m. Saturday. 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday. $20-$53. Broadway Across America-Atlanta, Cobb Energy Centre, 2800 Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 404-817-8700, ticketmaster.com
Bottom Line: Broadway has a future — in Cobb.
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