RIDGWAY – The Elk County Council on the Arts is excited to announce upcoming performances of Jesus Christ Superstar, the beloved 1970’s rock opera. This epic production will be directed by Jason Phipps, elementary music teacher at the Ridgway Area School District.
This is Phipps’ second time directing Jesus Christ Superstar and his vision for the show has become more grandiose each time. “The show will be a morph of modern day and past depiction using technology to enhance the story while sticking to the original script,” Phipps said. “I’m trying to take this as far out of the box as possible in every way.”
“We were so thrilled that Jason approached us with the idea of partnering to present Jesus Christ Superstar this summer. ECCOTA offers a variety of youth programs throughout the summer but this gave us an opportunity to get adults involved in all aspects of theatre from performance to set design and technical skills,” said Sara Frank, ECCOTA gallery coordinator.
“There is so much talent in our area and we wanted to get as many people involved as possible. Our goal is for everyone to feel a sense of ownership of the show because they’ve been a part of making it happen.”
When Phipps put out the call for auditions he had interest from as far away as Pittsburgh, Cleveland and the New York border. Because of the number of people who tried out for the show he had the great opportunity to double cast it.
“We will have an incredibly well established orchestra for this production, exceptional choreography directed by masters of their field, and some of the best lighting from top notch lighting and sound directors,” Phipps said.
“The last big production that we did with an adult cast was 11 years ago. This is not something that we have the chance to do every year. Please take this opportunity to make a night out of it!”
Show dates are July 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 at the Ridgway High School. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and performances start at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 and available in advance at the ECCOTA Gallery, 237 Main St., Ridgway or pay admission at the door.
“ECCOTA is always striving to fulfill our mission of bringing art experiences to Elk County,” Frank said. “With our small operating budget it’s sometimes difficult to make an impact but we have no doubt that this is a show no one will soon forget!”
For more information, see ECCOTA.com or call 814-772-7051.