Jesus Christ Superstar at Theo Ublique Theature in Chicago: Still a Superstar

April 15, 2015 – Chicago, IL

Some of the first rock music I remember seriously digging as a kid was the original (1972) London Cast of Jesus Christ Superstar.  For rockers, it’s probably the most (only?) accessible of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musicals.  One of the first LPs I ever owned.

My friends and I would play that LP over and over again, learning the words and all the parts by heart.  It was music that was actually (well, almost…begrudgingly) accepted at Peace Lutheran Church in Steeleville, IL, and “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” and “Superstar” were chart hits in 1972.  I still use snippets/quotes in everyday life and speech.  I’ve performed various songs and roles in churches and in bands over the years. This music has been part of the musical fabric of my life.

This Spring Break, my daughter invited me to accompany her to the Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre production in Chicago, because her boyfriend who had purchased the tickets, had to work. Lucky me!

It didn’t help that, even though with plenty of time, I misunderstood and was heading to the Theo Ubique company offices way up in the northwest suburbs, when in reality, the production was being staged at the No Exit Cafe, 6970 N. Glenwood Ave. in the bohemian theatre district.

This place was a real hole in the wall.  Driving around the block for what seemed like an eternity, we finally found parking and located the place with a small “Jesus Christ Superstar” easel-board in front, no lights.   Once we got inside the place, I Ioved it.  You could not imagine a more intimate, in-your-face venue for this close-to-the-heart material.

Entrance to No Exit Cafe Theatre

Audience at No Exit Cafe Theatre

You enter from the street, right underneath the huge L-Train platform, at stage left (house right).  It’s incredibly easy to drive right past the place!  When you walk in, the bar is right there conveniently in front of you.  If you purchase the full ticket and have the pre-show dinner, the cast are actually your servers!  I thought this somewhat odd, in that I always feel a sort of distance between performer/artist and audience.  ***I’m paying to see you. You’re a big deal.  You should not be serving me.  This is uncomfortable.***

Once the lights went down, and the players were back in costume/makeup, all that apprehension faded away.  The suspension of disbelief in this sort of small storefront theatre is amazing.  They did so much with so little!  The “orchestra” (pit band) for example, consisted of only musical director/pianist Jeremy Ramey and bandmates Kevin Brown, Jacob Saleh and Justin LaForte.  Being a rocker, the fact that these four players could reproduce all the power and passion of the original work, was incredible.  Any of the orchestral string or horn parts, which are so ingrained in this brain, Ramey reproduced on his keyboard, while dancing (seated) and directing his cohorts all the while.  This little combo really performed with heart and respect/appreciation for the source material. The rhythm section of bass, drums and guitars (both electric and acoustic) were seated practically on top of one another, with the guitarists sitting atop their amps.  No other support amplification was used.  The band reproduced a full rocking sound, over which you could still hear a whisper.  Furthermore, there was not a microphone to be seen in the place.  All the vocals were done live in the room with no reinforcement or amplification whatsoever.  I’ve mixed live sound, and to pull this off and still feel the power of the music, is absolutely incredible!

The casting of this productions was particularly inspired.  The roles of Jesus, (Max DeTogne),
Judas, (Donterrio Johnson), Pilate (Ryan Armstrong),  a perfectly campy Herod (Tommy Bullington) and basso-profundo Caiaphas (Jonah Winston) were brought to life in enlightening new ways.  The youth of the cast reflected the confusion, disillusionment and fear of the original Bible characters in ways that were equally humorous, moving and heartbreaking.  For me, the unsung heroes of the cast were Sharriese Hamilton and Khaki Pixley, who played a variety of different roles, and filled the room with their harmonies and chorus vocals on classics like “Hosanna, Hey-sanna” and “Everything’s Alright.”

Ryan Armstrong as Pilate

Tommy Bullington as Herod

The story of the Passion and Crucifixion of Jesus has depicted and re-enacted in all sorts of ways over the centuries.  There have been highs and lows in theatrical revivals.  Countless high school and semi-professional productions have been staged in the intervening years.  My Dad (Elmer) never really appreciated the tanks and fighter jets in the first major motion picture starring Te Neely.  I’ve watched everything from the dry, by-the-Book (more or less) Vax Von Sydow version in “The Greatest Story Ever Told” to Mel Gibson’s gratuitously graphic “The Passion of the Christ.”  This humble Chicago production managed to grip me with the misery and sacrifice of Jesus, and the pain he must have felt giving up human life and hanging with his hippie friends, in a way that no Hollywood movie could ever do.

I recommend this as a great night out for anyone who appreciates good musical theatre at a reasonable price.  I hope this comes back to Chicago soon so I can take friends along!

David Joost, April 15, 2015, Chicago, IL

http://www.theo-u.com/jesus-christ-superstar

http://www.theatreinchicago.com/jesus-christ-superstar/7460/

Credits: Jesus Christ Superstar

Lyrics by Tim Rice
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Fred Anzevino
Musical Direction by Jeremy Ramey
Choreography by Brenda Didier
Assistant Director Richard  P Bennett
Assistant Choreographer: Cameron Turner
Production Stage Manager: Mary-Catherine Mikalayunas
Set Design: Adam Veness
Light Design: Maya Fein
Costume Design: William Morey
Projection Design: Brock Alter
Props Design: Cassy Schillo

An intimate re-imaging of the classic rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” acoustic and unplugged!

The critics weigh in…

“Three Stars… beautiful… go see this show!” – Chicago Tribune

“Highly Recommended… intimate, fiercely impassioned … a thrilling, altogether impressive rendering on every level.” – Sun-Times

Featuring:
Max DeTogne (Jesus)
Donterrio Johnson (Judas)
Danni Smith (Mary)
Ryan Armstrong (Pilate)
Tommy Bullington (Herod)
Jonah Winston (Caiaphas)
Michael Ferraro (Peter)
Caleb Baze (Simon)

With:
Will Wilhelm, Sharriese Hamilton, Steven Perkins, Jomar Ferreras and Khaki Pixley

March 6-May 17, 2015

Regular Run

Thursdays at 7:30pm (no show April 23)
Fridays at 8pm  (no show April 24)
Saturdays at 8pm (no shows April 25, May 9)
Sundays at 7pm (no shows April 26, May 10)

DINNER AND A SHOW!

Part of the complete Theo Ubique experience includes dinner, served by the actors before the show, with dessert during intermission! Dinner reservations are accepted at the same time as you place your ticket order. For an additional $25, order the show with three-course dinner from Heartland Café in one easy step! Please note that the Heartland is not able to accept pay-at-door dinner reservations, and that drinks and gratuity are not included.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Menu:

First Course
Vegetarian Matzah Ball soup with marble-sized dumplings.

Second Course
Cubed Lamb, baked and braised with gravy (or flavored house-made seitan) served with couscous tabbouleh and asparagus

Dessert:
Traditional Baklava served with a lemon-infused whipped cream

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Greg Kot for friendship and advice. Thanks to Terrin Krantz for finally convincing me to do this. Thanks to Margaret for being the love of my life. Thanks to Kathryn for being the music. Thanks to Daniel for being my little Jesus. Thanks be to the Lord for music!

Bruce Springsteen: Bait and Switch Artist

Chicago, IL – August 17, 2014

Ever since Bruce Springsteen released his unique “High Hopes” collage earlier this year, I’ve been listening to more of the Springsteen catalog. I’ve been a fan since I saw Bruce live at the SIU (Arena Carbondale, IL) in December 1978 on the “Darkness on the Edge of Town” tour. The E Street Band classic lineup was in rare form; they performed the long jam version of “Prove it All Night,” and they did “Spirits in the Night” and “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” It was what you might call a life-changing concert event, out of maybe 3 or 4 for me. It’s one of those Elvis or the Beatles on Ed Sullivan “now I know what I want to do” kind of things. Seeing Clarence “Big Man” Clemons for the first time will do that to a person.

I’m thinking to myself, “This High Hopes album never would have seen the light of day in the 70s when Bruce was at his most obsessive.” It’s a giddy grab bag of covers, re-recordings of previously released live tracks, and new songs. The E Street Band has changed as life and death intervene, other players added and new recording techniques explored, so consequently this record sounds different than anything before.

So, I’m going back and watching “The Promise DVD,” the documentary about the making of “Darkness on the Edge of Town.” It’s something like no other artist besides maybe Bob Dylan. For “Born to Run” they wrote and recorded 10 songs and released 8. For “Darkness,” they recorded maybe 75 songs and painstakingly narrowed it down to 10. That’s where this “Tracks” box set mostly comes from (along with early demos and pre-“Greetings…” band/fan favorites).

I received the “Tracks” box set as a gift, but I think the original cost was around $100. I also received the “Songs” lyrics book the same Christmas. I was thrilled, and listened to it several times. But I have not continuously listened to these 66 songs, and only a few of them are in rotation on my iPhone. I jokingly refer to this box set as “Tracks” (Shit Wasn’t Good Enough to Make it on My Real Albums).” But that would have been too long.

That’s all fine and good. A hundred bucks for 66 songs, most of which you’ve never heard before, is not a bad bargain. I didn’t feel cheated or pissed off until only six months later, when the “18 Tracks” CD was released. It’s not so bad that they repackaged songs from the big expensive box set onto a single disc. But they included “The Fever” and “The Promise,” two of Springsteen’s most famous songs, which were NOT in the box set. Bootleggers have been making do on concert recordings of these songs for decades. This is an outrage. My wife spends $100 bucks, and I have to spend another $12 to get the whole thing? No thank you, I never have.

Trust me, a post-Mike Appel lawsuit Bruce has control over how his music is packaged. It’s ironic how Bruce is lying down on the job in the cover photo. Even he characterizes the 90s as his “lost period.” I’ll say. I can see how a fellow would become depressed and alienated, ripping off loyal fans in this way.

Bruce Springsteen – Tracks

Released November 1998

http://brucespringsteen.net/albums/tracks

Bruce Springsteen – 18 Tracks ($11.99 on Amazon.com)

http://brucespringsteen.net/albums/18-tracks

Released April 1999

– David Joost, August 17, 2014, Chicago, IL

Acknowledgements: Thanks to Greg Kot for friendship and advice. Thanks to Terrin Krantz for finally convincing me to do this. Thanks to Margaret for being the love of my life. Thanks to Kathryn for being the music. Thanks to Daniel for being my little Jesus. Thanks be to the Lord for Music!

U2: Irresponsible Distribution

July 20, 2015 – Chicago, IL

It was just shy of a year ago that U2 and Apple perpetrated their fascist* album “Songs of Innocence” on the general worldwide population of over 500 million iTunes subscribers. This was a first in music business history. “You will all have my album,” says the Artist-playing-God, oblivious to the fact that to millions quite frankly, this may be an unwanted gift.

I remember watching TV in bed with my wife, and seeing this (obviously) Apple ad come on. The new U2 album is now in your iTunes library. Really? I had to run downstairs to my office and fire up iTunes just to see. It wasn’t there at first, but after upgrading to the latest version of iTunes (more on that later), there it was.

Me? I was happy just to have any new free music. I know how to run a Mac and delete files if I want to. I listened through a couple of times, and I was not really all that impressed. The songs all seemed over-produced, compressed to death, and lacking soul and presence. I thought “The Miracle (of Joey Ramone)” was a joke. It lacked bite, and seemed over-inflated and not at all evocative of The Ramones. I get what Bono said about just doing a pastiche wouldn’t be a proper homage. But I felt this lead-off single lacked the proper balls.

Nevertheless, a couple of songs reached me in powerful ways immediately. I’d had a very close personal friend who had attempted suicide a couple of months before this record’s release. So, “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” and “The Troubles” really spoke to me.   I listened to these tracks constantly on my dog walks. I thought it ironic that on one of my favorite songs on the album, Bono wasn’t the real lead voice. Swedish singer Lykke Li sings the “The Troubles” hook, “Somebody stepped inside your soul, Somebody stepped inside your soul, Little by little they robbed and stole, Till somebody else was in control…” Haunting.

I have to admit, that over time, and having seen them live at Chicago’s United Center on June 28, some of these songs about their early days as a band have grown on me. I guess I need visual aids. It’s true that the band’s sound was stripped down to just the power trio and The Voice (Bono having rightfully inherited the title for a new generation from his friend Sinatra, after the great man’s passing). Even though the “This Might Get Loud” documentary revealed that The Edge can call up armies of musicians/sound from any area of the arena with his guitar and he help of his wizard guitar tech Dallas (I did catch a glimpse of Dallas onstage that night, which was notable in an of itself – that dude is like the 5^th Beatle of U2), it was still a more primal mix than the homogenized sound of the studio record. Even though Larry Mullen is the most average of drummers, I like it that he doesn’t stay behind the kit all night. He walks around with a marching snare on “Sunday Bloody Sunday” and stands at a cocktail kit on the mini-stage on the other end of the arena-length runway for one set. Variety makes him interesting rather than his playing, and he doesn’t really play to the song like Ringo.

Larry Mullen and stand-up drum kit

Cedarwood Road

It’s daring, and not appreciated by all fans, that the band focused the show on a 5-song set from “Songs of Innocence.” It didn’t bother me. The video of Bono in his bedroom at 18 tender years of age, struggling with angst like any teen to write a song to impress his love, Ali (still his wife) made “Song for Someone” resonate with me for the first time. I’d never really heard it before. Seeing Bono walking down “Cedarwood Road” reminded me of my own walk down Sparta Street to meet up with my songwriting partner, probably at roughly the same moment in 1977. The members of U2 are about the same age as me, so the notion that they were going through many of the same things I was and digging some of the same music, at the same time – really struck home. I felt like, these guys are me…only with lots cooler toys and a lot more cash. Playing new songs like “Every Breaking Wave” and “Raised by Wolves” up against early classics “Gloria” and “I Will Follow” gave both the newer and older songs more weight and raised the emotional stakes. Seeing Bono chasing his beautiful departed mother “Iris” around an endless circle of time brought tears to my eyes. As I say, the visual aids helped.

Song for Someone

Iris (Hold Me Close)

I left my spot and wandered for the last encore, “One.” The house lights were up and I was within spitting distance of Adam Clayton, sitting down on the lip of a stage riser, grooving along and looking around at the audience. Awesome rock and roll moment. It was a great night. One of the best concerts I’ve ever seen.

Naturally, in the following weeks I’ve been listening to these new tracks from “Songs of Innocence” more and more. Great songs. I love it how songs can come alive more for you when you know what they’re about and recall seeing them played live. And it still doesn’t matter, because as with all good songs, they can become allegorical to your own life/experience as well.

And that’s when this song “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” started to bother me. My friend sure didn’t want to hear it. It only just dawned on me that this song that has the lines “you’re going to sleep like a baby tonight” and “tomorrow dawns like a suicide” was dumped, unsolicited, into the iTunes libraries of every depressed, lonely teen who might be thinking that taking one’s own life is the only way out. I’m appalled at the thought. I understand that the song is not about that, and is actually speaking against suicide, expressing grief at violence. It doesn’t matter. Like Bob Dylans says “what does the song mean to you?”

I know people in the mental health field very well. If you say certain words during assessment, you get admitted, no questions asked. What I’m saying is that distributing this particular song, which could be construed as romanticizing suicide, to all iTunes users, regardless of their mental health or state of mind, is a highly irresponsible act from those who have such power.

Bono subsequently apologized and lamely excused that they “didn’t understand” that the music would go to all iTunes users whether they wanted it or not. Maybe. But let me tell you, as a person who works customer support for a Mac game publisher, Apple wasn’t dumb. They make the latest version of their OS X operating system a free update, to motivate “everyone” to be using their latest software. Nothing evil about that; it’s just a forward-looking strategy. No company in history has ever done a better job of seamlessly integrating the hardware-software experience and making it a useful and easily adopted part of our lives.

*Free music would never normally be seen as a bad thing. But when my nephew referred to “Songs of Innocence” as U2’s “fascist” album, I had to think again. Not everyone likes U2. Even the band members themselves know that there are legions of would-be fans who can never like the band, just because of Bono’s dubious haircuts over the years. Dropping this song “Sleep Like a Baby Tonight” on an unsuspecting public, even though it’s a great and beautiful song, was a reckless move, for both Artist and Distributor.

The album isn’t free anymore, but I wonder how many copies they’ve sold subsequently. Regardless, the damage is done.

•  David Joost, July 21, 2015, Chicago, IL

Sleep Like a Baby Tonight

(Words and Music © 2014 by Clayton, Adam / Evans, Dave / Hewson, Paul David / Mullen, Larry)

Morning, your toast, your tea and sugar,

Read about the politician’s lover

Go through the day like knife through butter

Why don’t you

You dress in the colours of forgiveness

Your eyes as red as Christmas

Purple robes are folded on the kitchen chair

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams, everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like someone else’s suicide

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

Dreams,

It’s a dirty business, dreaming

Where there is silence and not screaming

Where there’s no daylight, there’s no healing

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams, everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like a suicide

But you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

Hope is where the door is

When the church is where the war is

Where no one can feel no one else’s pain

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

In your dreams, everything is alright

Tomorrow dawns like a suicide

But you’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

Sleep like a baby tonight

Like a bird, your dreams take flight

Like St Francis covered in light

You’re gonna sleep like a baby tonight

* thanks to Ryan O’Leary

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Greg Kot for friendship and advice.

Thanks to Terrin Krantz for finally convincing me to do this.

Thanks to Margaret for being the love of my life.

Thanks to Kathryn for being the music.

Thanks to Daniel for being my little Jesus.

Thanks

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