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JC Superstar rocks the Palace thru Oct 21st!
#1
This year's big annual musical production at the Palace Theater in Hilo is the best ever!

The staff, cast, and musicians have done a wonderful job with JC Superstar. Yet again the remarkable talent pool of our relatively small population rises to the occasion. Some of the energetic rock opera songs in Superstar are quite difficult pieces to sing well but the leads, quartet, and chorus manage to do so with genuine Broadway quality.

While imho knee-high rubber boots would be useful for wading through the thick layer of Christianity constituting the plotline, the outstanding music and stunning costumes alone make doing so worth enduring the religulous aspect, plus the impassioned performances are quite powerful. Those for whom this story is a recounting of actual fact (rather than a symbolic mythos of cultural & historical significance) may find Judas' presentation to be thought-provoking and debate-worthy. Personally, I found the fashion show to be quite impressive (tough to say whether High Priest Caiaphas outshines Roman governor Pontius Pilate or vice versa) and for me the high point of the show was a remarkably funny portrayal of Herod & sycophants doing the Charleston in a hilarious song-and-dance comedy routine; kudos to everyone in that great scene! Others may find the high-spirited onstage whipping of a mostly naked and very handsome young man to be a genuinely religious experience. Heart-pounding excitement alternating with moving introspection all the way through. We laughed, we cried -and people say Hilo is a sleepy little town. They must not be catching the Palace's annual musicals!

Shows start at 7pm on Fridays & Saturdays through 21OCT, and at 2:30pm on both Sunday 14OCT and Sunday 21OCT; tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door, available at the Palace box office from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays or purchase tickets by phone with your credit card at 934-7010.

But wait! Do not take my opinion & say-so alone for it. Here are links to some further background, perspective, and detail about this excellent local community production:

“Jesus Christ Superstar” the iconic rock opera comes to Hilo
by Suzi Bond
http://bigislandweekly.com/ae/jesus-chri...-hilo.html

Hilo Palace Theater - Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/HiloPalace

JC Superstar in depth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ_Superstar

Many friends tell me they are going back to see this show a second time. Big groups from local churches may be coming to see the show together, too, so I'd recommend purchasing tickets in advance just in case the particular evening or matinee show best fitting your schedule sells out at the door.

Enjoy!


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"Eye Of The Sparrow" — A Bad Lip Reading of the First 2012 Presidential Debate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwilbVYvUg

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Astonishing skill! This archer is a real-life Legolas and then some!
http://geekologie.com/2013/11/real-life-...rs-anc.php

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#2
I know I know... I hate to say it but... too religious for me and my G/F. I don't hate religion I just don't like the "white mans god"... I guess I don't have boots big enough to wade though the BS. Too bad they couldn't bring in a band like pink martini or some other jazz flavor. I like supporting the palace and local events but after watching some the previews it's like paying to go to church.

That being said, whoever goes ... Have fun!
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#3
Go see this show. I have never wanted to see this show because I was uninterested in the theme and because it is generally difficult to drag me into a theatre for 2 hours, period. But I am glad I saw this production. It is the finest production I have seen since I have been on island. The talented associated with it is tremendous.

Thematically, you have the spectacle of a person who is larger than life and who gains a following through his words and soon is known by all and beloved by many. And the process of deification begins. We all know what happens next. I think Joni Mitchell put it best:

Oh the power and the glory
Just when you're getting a taste for worship
They start bringing out the hammers
And the boards
And the nails

And the "King" gets a crown of thorns, hangs naked, or nearly so, from a cross in agony and abject humiliation and then perishes just like an ordinary man to the surprise of some, including himself ("My God, why hast though forsaken me?"). Now the good news is that you won't have to go to hell because, like any holy martyr or unholy artist, he has done it for you!

No one can convey the agony of the martyr as beautifully as Pedro Ka'awaloa. He truly is a superstar. And you can hang him on a cross, but he comes bounding out on stage for a bow just a few moments after that! His talent nearly lifts the roof.

But he has competition this time. Kau'ilani Trainer as Mary Magdelene is a wonderful actress with a beautiful and expressive voice. She does the "hit" from the production better than the person that sang the hit. But the guy that steals the show is Phill Russell as Judas. He stole my heart from the moment he opened his mouth. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. Not even for a second. He rocks. And he really makes you love hating him for his chilling and duplicitous kiss and for the utter treachery of his betrayal of a man he worshipped at first (His version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" is agonized, heartfelt and poignant).

But what sets this production apart is the extraordinary musicianship of the small rock orchestra known as the "Band of Angels". They are directed by the incomparable Quack Moore who apparently settles for nothing less than perfection and knows how to bring that out in others and who has that in them. The band is composed of uncommonly talented musicians who happen to live on our island.

We needn't be modest anymore. This island, and in particular, this area of our island attracts truly extraordinary people. This production proves that. We need to quit saying that something is good "for Hilo" and just recognize that what we have is as good as it gets anywhere. You can't top this and you can't touch it.

And our palm fronds are fresh.
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#4
I was also there last night (good to see you Kelena!) and enjoyed the show tremendously. Phil Russell and Kau'ilani Trainer were nothing less than amazing in their singing talent and ability to convey the emotion of their parts. In addition to the superlative individual performances, the Quartet and Chorus delivered high impact vocal substance en masse. The orchestra was indeed outstanding in just about every way, and the production values were up to Broadway professional standards. Best $15 expenditure on entertainment that I have ever made anywhere. People, you need to go see this.
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#5
We went tonight... The staging was very innovative, music spot on (along with the above mentions, Don Moody as Pilot, Norman Arancon as Peter, David Kealoha as Caiaphas, Victor Solt as Annas all added a high quality depth to the show....)

For me, JCSS was the first rock anything I saw, & it was in Chicago at the Auditorium Theater (had seen live opera at the opera house.... but NEVER anything like JCSS - the music was from MY era!) The staging was much more expansive (and probably much more expensive) there, but the performances tonight were very similar.... some even sparkled more than that original staging of the show!
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