Coming off the exceptional one-two punch of August’s Mary’s Wedding/Murder for Two, I was excited to return to Gananoque’s Thousand Islands Playhouse for a second set of shows as they close out their 2024 season. Unfortunately the combination of Jesus Christ Superstar and Arun Lakra’s Sequence proved less of a slam dunk than what I’ve seen from the company previously but, intriguingly, the productions struggled for opposite reasons.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice hit Jesus Christ Superstar is an inspired text, an all-time great that deserves to be programmed as often as it is. However, it shouldn’t be programmed as often as it is. I’m not sure if it’s the familiar story or the rock score and synth-heavy orchestrations but there’s something about the accessibility of Jesus Christ Superstar that makes it seem easier than it is. It’s extremely not easy. Everything from sound balance to directorial flow to dramatic performance to some of the most demanding vocal parts in the musical theatre canon make Jesus Christ Superstar a massive undertaking, one that even the very capable Thousand Islands Playhouse can’t quite live up to at their current size and scope.
Even with every minor role (Pilate, Herod, even Caiaphas) doubled into the ensemble, the cast isn’t able to fill out the full last supper table. The lush score sounds thin and incomplete with only a five-piece band. A few characters are done great justice by the ever-reliable Melissa MacKenzie (Mary Magdalene), William Lincoln (Peter), and vocal standout David Michael Moote (an excellent Jesus back in the day, here stretching to the bottom of his impressive range as bass Caiaphas) but crucially the company just wasn’t able to find the right talent for the massive roles at the heart of the show. Nico Solarte over-performs and under-delivers as a strained, simplistic Judas, outfitted in a dramatic black duster that may as well be a flashing sign that reads “I’m a bad guy”. Michael Cox fares better as Jesus, making more than a few thoughtful acting choices and infusing his lower notes with beautiful thematic warmth, but his high notes just aren’t there and they are an absolutely mandatory part of the role. James MacDonald’s direction is clunky and effortful, his best moments coming with a bit of sheet business in act two, but ultimately the failure of this production rests in programming and hiring- it’s a brilliant show, Thousand Islands Playhouse just isn’t quite ready for it yet.
In the blackbox Firehall Theatre where the company offers smaller scale counter-programming, the opposite is true. Sequence is a frustrating text that wears its inconsistencies and lack of coherent point of view as badges of honour. Name-checking math and philosophy but ultimately saying little about them, the one-act feels long at only 80 minutes. All that said, Thousand Islands Playhouse’s production of Sequence is clear-eyed and capable. Steve Lucas nails the set design, beautifully playing with space and perception while also creatively tackling the challenge of intercut scenes in unrelated locations. Director Kathryn MacKay solves as many of the text’s challenges as she can and keeps the pace up. There are only four characters and their development is boringly sacrificed for gimmick, leaving the actors very little to work with, but most of the ensemble elevates the material well, Kevin Bundy standing out in a role that could easily have been charmless.
Usually an industry leader when it comes to smart, strategic programming, the 2024 closing shows reveal a chink in the armour of Thousand Islands Playhouse as they contrastingly present a great show they can’t quite pull off and a mediocre text they’re too good for.