Dayton native is featured dancer in 'Superstar' tour in Cincinnati

Dec. 15—Oakwood High School graduate Caroline Perry's love of dance is fueling her portrayal of the Mob Leader, a featured dancer, in the current national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar," continuing through Dec. 18 at the Aronoff Center in Cincinnati.

When the tour played Dayton last August, the Mob Leader was among the many striking components of a production boldly bringing a distinct edginess to the classic rock opera. Originally staged in 2016 at London's Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in an acclaimed, Olivier Award-winning production, the tour has been heralded for its use of sleek scaffolding, moody lighting, energetic choreography and stylish direction. The Chicago Sun-Times put it this way: "This is not your grandmother's 'Superstar.'"

Chronicling the final week in the life of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot, "Superstar" showcases the Mob Leader as an expressive, non-verbal storyteller, displaying adoration at the beginning and disdain by the end.

"This role is very new to the show, but I've been given artistic freedom to (try) new things, which I'm so grateful for," said Perry, 20. "To me, the Mob Leader provides a strong, powerful female presence. She's the one who is turning the pages for the audience and redirecting the mob to create tension. She drives the action forward. The action changes drastically but there's always someone instigating a change or a motion. It's a very personal story I get to tell every single night."

Perry says the sheer physicality of the role is daunting, but she embraces the task in order to be truthful to the character.

"I really try to drive into the physical exhaustion," she said. "At the end of the show I'm spent. I'm sweating. Sometimes there are tears. I throw in everything I have because that's how I view the character. She uses her physicality and the fire in her soul to tell the story, to the tell the audience how much pain is in the story."

Perry, who began dancing at age 5 at the Oakwood Community Center, trained at Howard School of Dance which became J-Square Dance and won many awards in regional and national competitions. After graduating from Oakwood in 2000, she studied at the Insititute of American Musical Theatre in New York City, graduating last May.

"Dance is such a raw and beautiful form of art," she said. "Everyone has a stereotypical idea of what a dancer looks like but at the end of the day anybody can dance. Dance is so unique and individual to the person. I feel most myself when I'm dancing. I feel beautiful, confident and strong. And I don't feel that in my everyday life. I don't know what I'd be doing if I wasn't dancing. It's so integral to me."

As she makes her national tour debut with "Superstar," Perry hopes to leave an indelible impression in such a vital role.

"There is a hunger that everyone brings to the stage," she said. "It's really beautiful to share this story with this cast because you can feel the excitement, love, joy, pain and agony of the story. It's been an overwhelmingly powerful experience."

HOW TO GO

What: "Jesus Christ Superstar"

Where: Aronoff Center, 650 Walnut St., Cincinnati

When: Through Dec. 18; 7:30 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday; 8 p.m. Friday; 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday; and 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Sunday

Cost: Tickets start at $34.25

Tickets: Visit https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/events/detail/jesus-christ-superstar