50 years later, ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ still rocks hard, lands powerful musical punch

As she makes her way to the Lexington Opera House this week, Lydia Eku wants you to view performances in the 50th anniversary tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar” the same way you would when listening to a record – which is how the famed 1970 Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical began its creative life

“It’s been awesome for me, as a believer, not to think of it from the religious aspect,” said the Louisville native who performs as an ensemble member and Soul Singer in the show, “The whole spectacle is the music and everything it possesses.

“The one thing our director and choreographer were telling us was that with the story itself, think about the Brown Album. Think about what it gave us. You see, our show goes for 90 minutes. We don’t stop. They wanted us to have that idea of ‘if you put the record on, you’re not going to stop it.’ So that’s our show. We start at 7:30 or 8 o’clock and we don’t end until those 90 minutes are up. It’s like listening to the album all over again.”

The often-called Brown Album was the original version of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a rock music depiction of the last week in the life of Jesus Christ. How rock ‘n’ roll was it? Well, in 1970, Christ was played by Deep Purple vocalist Ian Gillan while Mary Magdalene was portrayed by a then-unknown Yvonne Elliman, whose career would land her in the heart of discomania with the 1977 “Saturday Night Fever” hit “If I Can’t Have You.”

Stage and film adaptations would quickly follow, but it was Elliman’s recording of “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” a major 1971 hit from the Brown Album, that introduced Eku to “Jesus Christ Superstar.”

“When I first heard it, I was in my first year of college at Western Kentucky University. One of my professors was telling us about the show. I didn’t realize that’s where the song was from. At that moment, I was like, ‘Okay. Cool. It’s a rock musical.’

“You think about ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and you think about ‘Hair.’ You think about all the other shows from around that time and just the impact that they had. I was like, ‘Man, this music is really, really good.’ Then you learn more about it, especially in rehearsals, and it’s mind-blowing, honestly, for it to still make the impact the way it does after hearing so many different versions of it, from not only here in the U.S. but in other productions that have been done overseas.”

The production bringing Eku back to Kentucky this week was staged by director Timothy Sheader and choreographer Drew McOnie for a run at Regent’s Park in London. Heavy on dance, it keeps Eku and the entire cast on the move while onstage.

“Of the different versions I’ve seen, there’s not been a large dance aspect. But the great thing that Drew, our choreographer, emphasizes is constant movement. You put the record on and it’s the music that’s going the whole time. With this particular version, the ensemble is having all of that movement continue on the entire time. It really speaks to the music and how it just has this constant movement.

“This is the most physical show I have ever done, but I’m so appreciative of it not only because of the choreography itself, but for the work of my castmates and others who have done it who are dancers first. I consider myself as a singer first, then an actress. Dance is its own art form, and for us to be able to continue it for all of those 90 minutes eight times a week is a challenge. It’s a workout, but a beneficial one.”

Theatre opened itself up to Eku while growing up in the Fisherville community of Louisville. Performances at the Kentucky Center for the Arts and Actor’s Theatre of Louisville were quickly absorbed as a student at Barret Traditional and Kammerer Middle Schools. But career choices took a turn when attending Central High School Magnet Career Academy.

“We didn’t have anything artsy there,” Eku said. “We had choir and we had a small drama club. For the most part, our magnets were medical, business and law. I was in the dental magnet. At the time, I had braces, so I was thinking, ‘Okay. I’ll go into pediatric dentistry and go that route.’ But I always loved to perform and was really involved in my church’s step team and my school’s step team. Those were my outlets for being able to perform – that and going to Actor’s Theatre to check out their shows.

“By the time I got to Western Kentucky, it was a whole other world. I still didn’t jump right into acting or performing. I went into broadcast journalism. I was heavy into sports and following along with college sports, so I was like, ‘Yeah, I definitely see ESPN on the horizon.’ Up until my junior year in college, broadcast journalism was my major and theatre was my minor, but because I had so many credits, I was able to switch the two going into my senior year. I graduated with a theatre degree.”

Then came a move to Atlanta and a desire to place theatre on hold in order to pursue film and television work. That’s when Eku’s agent landed her a role in the 2020 Aretha Franklin biopic “Respect.”

“My mind was going haywire. I was like, ‘What? An actual movie set? For ‘Respect?’ It was my first feature film and, honestly, the best experience. Getting to meet Heather Headley, who I got to see play the original Nala in ‘Lion King,’ and, of course, being a recording artist; meeting Mary J. Blige, being a recording artist; being in a film scene with Forest Whitaker, Oscar winner. The entire time I had to remember I’m not an amateur, but in my mind it was like, ‘I’m such a kid in a candy store right now. I’m really on set with these people.’”

Eku’s tour with “Jesus Christ Superstar, which began last October, will conclude in late June. She plans to continue work on a podcast she co-hosts called “Black Team Read” and perhaps pursue writing and journalism again along with her performance work.

“As far as the next gig, I don’t know yet. Anything is cool, but I think just coming off a tour like this, I know the opportunities can be endless, so I’m excited to see what’s next.

“But the tour has been great so far. The story itself can register with any group of people. It’s nice getting to look out into the audience and see all ages. We’re in Jacksonville currently and there were a few families that were right there in the first three rows. I want to say the youngest may have been maybe 10 years old. The oldest maybe in their 80s. It was just awesome for them to be able to experience the show in their own ways. Even though ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is 50 years old, it just registers with so many different people. The music is timeless.”

“Jesus Christ Superstar” 50th Anniversary Tour

Where: Lexington Opera House, 401 W. Short St.

When: March 30 through April 2. Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. March 30, 31 and April 1 with 1 p.m. matinee performances on April 1 and 2.

Tickets: $60-$140 through ticketmaster.com.