IT WAS the first time in a long time that Gab Pangilinan got to enter a rehearsal room knowing absolutely no one inside, which set up the Manila leg of Jesus Christ Superstar’s world tour as her reintroduction to her love for theater.

“The Philippine theater industry is small and we know everyone. Every single time I enter a room, there’s someone to latch on to, so this was very different. It took a lot of mental preparation,” Ms. Pangilinan told the media during a press conference preceding the Manila premiere of Jesus Christ Superstar in the Theatre at Solaire in Parañaque City on May 5.

“You have to be open and vulnerable, and it’s been great and wonderful,” she said. “This production is reintroducing me to my love for theater. Every time we step on stage, it feels like home even though I just met these people.”

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar is a worldwide phenomenon, first staged on Broadway in 1971. This time, as an international production, its cast features actors from the US, the UK, and Australia. Just for the Manila stop, there’s Ms. Pangilinan taking on the role of Mary Magdalene.

For a nation whose traditions include dramatizations of the Passion of Jesus Christ, the rock opera is a familiar one. What makes it unique in comparison, aside from the obvious musical, cultural, and aesthetic upgrades from the typical Passion play, are the humanized characters.

“I try to remove the pressure of having to fill in the shoes of an iconic role,” Ms. Pangilinan said. “We approach any role as the truth of that character, so it’s about what she stands for, what she believes in, which is Jesus.”

The principal cast members come from previous tours of the production: Luke Street (Jesus), Javon King (Judas), Ethan Hardy Benson (Pilate), Grant Hodges (Caiaphas), Kodiak Thompson (Annas), and Erich Schleck (King Herod).

Because Mr. Street is not yet in Manila, his understudy Joshua Bess filled in for the time being. Not a stranger to the role, he explained that the key to playing it is to not think about the history.

“I try not to think of him as the religious figure, but as the man. It keeps me grounded,” he said.

For Mr. King, who steps into the role of Judas, the goal is to humanize the characters so that audiences “let go of all their preconceived notions.”

“[Judas] is misunderstood. The thing I always try to do with him is to lead with love because, if I don’t do that, it’s easy for the audience not to like him,” he said. “I want them to think a little bit harder about him.”

Richard Pitt, resident director for this production, added that “each individual brings their personality,” which in turn gives the overall show its own personality as well compared to previous iterations.

“We’ve got people from different countries, so we have different cultures coming in. But when you watch, you won’t recognize who’s from where. They’re all just people,” he said. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

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