5-minute read
“Could We Start Again, Please?”
A Broadway fan might recognize that question as one of the numbers from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical “Jesus Christ Superstar.” But it’s also a thought that might have crossed the minds of a few actors and audience members when a blackout affecting most of downtown Lakeland halted a performance of the classic rock opera at Lakeland Community Theatre (LCT) on Friday, Feb. 20.
“In the middle of one of the most climactic moments, when Jesus is accepting his fate and shouting to God, ‘Alright, I’ll die,’ all of the power cut out in the theater,” said Chad Sell, the performer playing Jesus.
He was a few lines into a solo at the beginning of the second act when the amplified instruments of the orchestra went quiet and every rigged light aimed center stage fizzled out, plunging the theater into darkness.
No option to stop singing
Sell, who is a music teacher at McKeel Academy Central and has been performing in LCT productions for the last five years, made a split-second decision.
“In my head, in that moment, I was steamrolling ahead,” he said. “There was no option to stop singing. I didn’t want to lose that moment as an actor and for the audience.”
As he continued the verse, the building’s emergency floodlights provided some light, and the actors were beckoned offstage. Huddles of performers and stage technicians began to form as a low buzz of chatter grew from the audience.
At a few minutes after 9 p.m., Lakeland Electric posted an estimated reconnection time around 11 p.m. Waiting for power to return was not an option, but neither was abruptly ending the performance right in the middle.
Never a doubt that we were finishing
“There was never a doubt that we were finishing … at least for me,” said actor Tony LaLonde, making his debut on the LCT stage in the role of Judas Iscariot. “We’ve just got to figure out how.”
LCT’s Artistic Managing Director Alan Reynolds told the audience that due to the unforeseen circumstances the show would continue on but in a limited fashion. The five-piece orchestra was replaced by a singular upright piano, wheeled onto the stage from a rehearsal room.
An army of cell phones, plus a flashlight loaned from an audience member, provided illumination. Actors stood in clusters or sat on the edge of the stage in lieu of choreographed dances and movement.
Perched behind the piano, Music Director Patrick Fleitz picked up where Sell’s Jesus had left off, near the end of “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say),” a song portraying Jesus’s reckoning with his imminent death.
“Everybody performed with one hundred percent focus and intensity, and sang out stronger than they have sung out before,” said Fleitz. “And they gave it their all, knowing that we have to give the audience a good show, even though this is not necessarily what they came to see.”
A once-in-a-lifetime theatre moment
Having served as musical director for numerous productions over several decades, Fleitz is no stranger to the LCT stage, but the seasoned musician felt something special was happening that night. “I felt very locked in, and it was one of the best performances that I feel like I’ve ever done at the piano.”
Sell made another split-second decision to use the top of the wooden piano cabinet as a substitute for the wooden cross that Jesus rests his arms on. The symbolism wasn’t lost. “It was so emotional,” said Madison Friar, another LCT veteran who plays Mary Magdalene. “We were all just crying on stage … just so beautiful.”
Reynolds, who directed the production and also played the title role himself twice before, joined his cast on stage during the final scene that portrays Christ’s followers kneeling at his feet.
“It was one of the most intimate and special moments I have ever experienced in my long career on stage,” he said. “There was a visceral and primal connection between the piece, the cast, and the audience … a once-in-a-lifetime theater moment, not soon forgotten.”
Audience members echoed the sentiment. Kira Morisako has been involved at LCT for over fifteen years as a performer and technician, but found herself in the audience for this show. “We were captivated the entire time,” said Morisako. “It reminds you why live theatre is so great.”
‘I got to experience it with full power.’
“Friday night’s outage was caused by a piece of equipment that reached the end of its operational life,” said Cathryn Lacy, Lakeland Electric utilities marketing manager.
“Our crews responded right away and were able to reroute power to affected customers in under an hour. The equipment was replaced the next day. We appreciate everyone’s patience and are glad the theatre group was able to keep the evening going.”
The momentum in the room built by the undeterred performers wasn’t affected by the return of the electricity and continued in spite of it.
Audience member Melinda Dixon was so moved by the experience that she took to social media. “If you have ever questioned going to see a live show, go see this one,” she wrote. “I will almost feel sorry for you that you will enjoy it with full electricity because I got to experience it with full power.”
The show runs through this weekend, Feb. 27 through March 1, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m.
latest news
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.