by Keridwyn Deller
I absolutely love so many of the songs in the musical Jesus Christ Superstar. So I’ve been looking forward to the upcoming local production of the show at The 5th Avenue Theatre (which plays a shortish run of May 2 -17, 2026 in downtown Seattle).
I grew up with the record album – which my folks likely bought before I was born. I can still picture the way the album cover opened up and the way it felt in my hands. There was something about it that felt like magic.
I remember pouring over the lyric booklet in the record album, so grateful to be able to read along as I did my best to sing “Everything’s Alright.” Not just Mary Magdalene’s part but Judas’ as well, booming out “WOMAN, your fine ointment, brand new and expensive, could have been saved for the poor!” Oh, man, I wanted to be able to sing like that dude!
I recall the moment of love and surprise when, during a road trip a few years into our relationship, I discovered that my husband also grew up with the album. And he remembered even more of the lyrics from the show than I did! (It was one of those gorgeous “Wow, I didn’t realize I could love you even more” moments.)
I’ve never seen a live production of JCSS, so I was thrilled when The 5th Avenue Theatre announced they were doing their own production this May.
The cast list is spectacular, including a wildly talented performer I went to college with (Trina Mills), the powerhouse Molly Sides of band Thunderpussy, and the fabulous actor/director/show creator Mark Siano (you’ve probably seen his delightful productions of “Titanish,” “A Very Die Hard Christmas,” “Bohemia,” and “Seattle Vice.” Love that guy.)
I’m also stoked to see Cameron Lavi-Jones perform as Judas. I first saw this musician on stage this year at a rally/protest at Cal Anderson where he not only captured the whole crowd’s heart and attention with his music but also gave one of the most motivating and helpful speeches I’ve seen at a protest. (Don’t you love actionable advice from fellow activists?! YES.)
I remember going home after the protest and, not having caught his name, tried to figure out who the performer was so that I could see what else he was up to in town. I didn’t come up with an answer to my search, so I was delighted to rediscover him after getting the cast press release from Ann Reynolds at The 5th a few months back. I am so freaking stoked to see Cameron play the role of Judas. And I love the authenticity and realness he brings in this candid video he shot just a couple days into rehearsal. is going to bring down the house, yall!
(Also, just before I hit publish on this post, I realized that Cassie Q Kohl is also in this production! She nearly stole the show in Seattle Rep’s production of The Play that Goes Wrong – one of the funniest physical comedic actors I’ve seen on stage. Wildly talented and incredibly memorable.)
Jesus Christ Superstar lends itself to so much creativity from everyone who works together to bring these spectacular productions to life. (If you haven’t worked in theatre, it might surprise you just how many people are involved to make these productions happen). It made me smile when fb friend Tristan Hansen, Production Prop Master, chimed in on a recent post I shared about the show with “Can’t wait for you to come see our work! Tech started today!”
Shout out to everyone involved in the production, especially those behind the scenes. (Also, high five to their social media manager for sharing this interesting FB post on the history of the show from the 1970s to now.)
Jesus Christ Superstar runs May 2 – 17 2026 at The 5th Avenue Theatre in downtown Seattle.
(I wish I was able to find more photos to include in this post but that’s one of the challenges of a new production. The good news is, we’ll be able to see so many visually stunning moments for the first time from our seats in the theatre, spoiler free!)
Once you see the show, let me know your review (even if it’s just a line or two) and I’ll share them with my friends and followers.
Sending you love,
Seattle Pockets 