Jesus Christ Superstar

 Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber & Lyrics by Tim Rice

March 5 – 23, 2025

Directed by Adam Karsten
Music Direction by Stephen Hulsey
Choreography by Karen Sieber

A rock phenomenon that has dazzled audiences for decades, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR tells the story entirely through song of the struggles between Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, his disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire. CVRep will present a semi-immersive version of this show in a way that has never been seen before. Join us for this new staging of the iconic 1970s rock musical and such well-known numbers as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him” and “Gethsemane.”

Jesus Christ Superstar is presented with generous support from our Production Sponsors Nancy and Tom Cunningham.

Anthony Arpino – Annas / Ensemble
Jim Bullock* – King Herod
Christin Byrdsong* – Judas Iscariot
Noah Williams Canales* – Caiaphas
Emily Kate Decker – Mary Magdalene
Steven Grant Douglas* – Jesus of Nazareth
Joseph Portoles – Peter / Ensemble
Sam Sherwood* – Pontius Pilate
Patrick Wallace – Simon Zealotes

AJ Abrams – Ensemble
Alex Bernhardt* – Ensemble
Charlie Bostick – Ensemble
Beverly Durand – Ensemble
Kate Fitzgerald – Ensemble
Carlos Garcia – Ensemble
Kellen Green – Ensemble
Anton Harrison LaMon – Ensemble
Marc Reis* – Ensemble
Erik Scott Romney* – Ensemble / U/s King Herod
Noelle Roth – Ensemble
Ali Simon – Ensemble
Hannah Staudinger – Ensemble
J Pablo Stewart* – Ensemble / U/s Simon / Dance Captain

*Appearing through an Agreement between CVRep and Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States.

PRINCIPAL CAST

Anthony Arpino

Annas / Ensemble

Jim Bullock*

King Herod

Christin Byrdsong*

Judas Iscariot

Noah Williams Canales*

Caiaphas

Emily Kate Decker

Mary Magdalene

Steven Grant Douglas *

Jesus of Nazareth

Joseph Portoles

Peter / Ensemble

Sam Sherwood*

Pontius Pilate

Patrick Wallace

Simon Zealotes

ENSEMBLE

Directed by Adam Karsten
Music Direction by Stephen Hulsey
Choreography by Karen Sieber

ADAM KARSTEN**

Director / Executive Artistic Director

In addition to being Coachella Valley Repertory’s new executive artistic director, Adam Karsten is an award-winning director for stage and screen. He has earned a reputation for the creation of stylistic works and defined concepts. While directing and producing works for the Emmy Award-winning performing arts series, “Live From Lincoln Center” and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), Karsten’s projects, programs, films and documentaries have aired nationally and internationally. He has directed musicals, plays and other theatrical works Off-Broadway and regionally as well as touring productions. He has also conducted Broadway workshops. Karsten was the artistic director for the film and stage companies A2K Productions and A2K Theatricals in New York City. He was the artistic director and co-founder of Manhattan’s Conflict of Interest Theatre Company in downtown New York. Karsten was also managing artistic director of Weathervane Playhouse, the oldest professional stock theatre in Ohio.

**A Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

KAREN SIEBER**

Choreography

Choreography credits include the world premiere of Holmes, The Legend (Karlin Theater, Prague); The Guggenheim Works & Process (NYC); The Broadway Dance Lab; The New York Gala for legendary Choreographer Luigi; and The Quiet Clock (Off Broadway).  Karen was Associate Choreographer on the Broadway Workshops of the Liberace Musical, All That Glitters; Zarra-Unmasked at Last starring Chita Rivera; and Broadway’s Easter Bonnet Competition.  She has worked alongside Broadway choreographer Dan Siretta on the world premiere of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane starring Millicent Martin; Very Good Eddie (Goodspeed Musicals); Some Like It Hot starring Tony Curtis; and the Hallmark film A Christmas Carol starring Kelsey Grammer.  She was the associate director/ choreographer on Into The Woods (TUTS); choreographed the films ResistDance; Still Here and Losing Face; as well as musicals such as Cabaret, Spamalot, Les Miserables, Guys and Dolls, Legally Blonde and others, regionally.  Karen has choreographed many commercials and has taught at Marymount Manhattan College, Ithaca College, and AMDA. Her dance career spanned musicals such as Cats; Disney’s Beauty and The Beast; Jerry Herman’s Mack & Mabel; Grease; Singin’ in The Rain; to dancing in Hollywood films and the renowned Radio City Christmas Spectacular.

**A Member of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, a national theatrical labor union.

STEPHEN HULSEY

Music Direction

A recent transplant to the desert, Stephen has served as music director/conductor/pianist for regional productions of Sweeney Todd, Ragtime, Titanic, Into The Woods, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love & Murder, Assassins, A Little Night Music, Chess, Tommy, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Avenue Q, A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, The Producers, Forever Plaid, Songs For A New World, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Urinetown, Carrie, Beauty and the Beast, Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Toxic Avenger, Evil Dead: The Musical, My Fair Lady, The Music Man, The Sound of Music, The Secret Garden and Rent, to name a few. Recent CV Rep credits include music director/pianist for Next to Normal, Love is Dead, assistant to the music director/keys for Cabaret and pianist for Julia & Janna Cardia’s cabaret Twinspiration.

CREATIVE, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION TEAM

Director / Executive Artistic Director: Adam Karsten**
Choreographer: Karen Sieber**
Music Director: Stephen Hulsey
Scenic Designer: Jimmy Cuomo
Lighting Designer / Technical Director: Moira Wilke
Costume Designer: Zoë Trautmann
Sound Designer: Joshua Adams
Stage Manager: John M. Galo*
Properties Design – Tom Mitchell
Hair and Makeup Design – Lynda Shaeps
Assistant Stage Manager – Melina Ginn
Costume Shop Supervisor / Costume Assistant – Marian Jacobs
Wardrobe – Mimzy Hamann
ASL Advisor – Philip Rubin 
Sign Language Interpreter – Lavender-Cygnét de Julia 
Sign Language Interpreter – Thomas McGillis
Dance Captain – J. Pablo Stewart*

SET CONSTRUCTION CREW:

Joshua Adams
Timothy Burr
Katie Gilligan
Gerry High
Jonathan Kelly
Frank Kidd
Alijah McGrail
Joaquin Ticonderoga
Joyanne Tracy

In addition to our Season Sponsors, this production was made possible by the generosity of our Production Sponsors: Nancy and Tom Cunningham and Underwriters: Peterson & Albright LGBT+ Legacy Trust

 

Coachella Valley Repertory

Thought-provoking Theatre of Substance

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