Theater Is Thriving 

I only managed to catch the first act of Jesus Christ Superstar at Center Stage last weekend, but even 45 minutes of Out of the Box’s local star-studded production was enough to rock my world. The all-female/non-binary cast put a somewhat provocative perspective on the sensational rock opera full of indelible songs by future Broadway icons Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The choreography was clever and kinetic, the actors evinced subtle shades of character with stunning singing throughout with a result that burrowed deep into the soul. The palpable feeling of pressure as the crowd of lepers in search of healing close in on the Christ character was one such moment, and I still haven’t stopped humming, whistling and singing the tunes since – including while trying to sleep. Bravo Sam Eve and company, for whom JCS represented the landmark 25th production. 

JCS sold out all six of its performances at Center Stage, but dates – and tickets – remain available for other more-than-worthy theatrical presentations around the area. Ensemble Theatre Company’s highly praised take on the multiple Tony Award-winning rags-to-riches-to-bankruptcy family/financial drama The Lehman Trilogy continues through April 21 (www.etcsb.org/(805) 965-5400). SBCC Theatre Group heart-warming political comedy The Outsider plays through April 27 in the intimate Jurkowitz Theatre on SBCC’s West Campus (www.theatregroupsbcc.com/(805) 965-5935). Santa Barbara’s veteran Broadway actress turned playwright Anne Torsiglieri’s ‘A’ Train, her stirring one-woman musical – about adapting to, understanding, and growing through the gift of her autistic son – continues at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura through April 28 (www.rubicontheatre.org/(805) 667-2900). And The Ojai Art Center Theater has a final weekend with Deer, a “grisly” two-person portrait of a marriage wildly tested when an Upper West Side couple hit a deer while driving to their weekend house in the Poconos (www.ojaiact.org)/(805) 640-8797). 

Meanwhile, all three major public high schools offered previews of their spring productions at the “Imagine the Future” final segment of the Granada’s Centennial Festival Weekend, marking the first time even excerpts of fully homegrown musical productions have graced the Granada’s stage since the late, lamented Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera (SBCLO) ceased operations more than 20 years ago. The verdict? If the sensational numbers from A Chorus Line (Santa Barbara), Anything Goes (Dos Pueblos) and Singin’ in the Rain (San Marcos) are any indication, we’re in for a high-production value rollicking good time from April 26-May 11. As host John Palminteri said, “Why not make such previews an annual spring thing?” Who knows – maybe that might even spark something akin to SBCLO? And while we’re at it, after witnessing the stupendous Pacific Jazz Orchestra the night before, let’s also book a lot more jazz, especially of the big band variety, at the Granada.