Power, Passion, and Rock ’n’ Roll: Michael Paynter on JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Few musicals have left as lasting an impact as Jesus Christ Superstar. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera first exploded onto the stage in 1971, reinventing the way biblical stories could be told through contemporary music. With its soaring anthems, electrifying rock score, and deeply human portrayal of Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene, Superstar remains as powerful and provocative as ever.

Now, the show is back in Australia with a thrilling new production, bringing a raw, concert-style intensity to the stage. This tour has already captivated audiences with its modern, stripped-back aesthetic and powerhouse performances, reimagining the final days of Jesus with an urgent, almost visceral energy.

At the centre of it all is Michael Paynter, stepping into the iconic role of Jesus.

Michael has been a significant part of the Australian music industry landscape since first appearing in the clubs of Melbourne in 2004. He has been an international recording artist with Sony Music Worldwide, culminating in several top 20 singles and the multi-platinum Love The Fall (featuring The Veronicas) in 2010.

He has recorded albums in Los Angeles and the UK, and written and worked with the best of the best the world over. He has toured extensively in Australia and internationally, sharing arena and stadium stages with artists such as Miley Cyrus, Seal, The Script and 5 Seconds of Summer, as well as legends such as John Farnham and Hall and Oates. After more than a decade of creation and achievement, his name has become synonymous with quality, consistency and passion.

As a session musician, Michael is currently a full-time member of classic Australian band Icehouse, as well as the guitarist and vocalist in Australian icon Jimmy Barnes’ band, and performs live with Bachelor Girl, Killing Heidi, Delta Goodrem, Reece Mastin and many others. Michael was also music director for The Veronicas from 2013-2020, touring with them all over Australia/NZ, Europe, US and Asia. When not on tour, he is one half of MSquared, the 2023 ARIA Award-winning, Melbourne-based songwriting and production team currently making waves both here in Australia and internationally.

Can you tell me a bit about your journey as a performer?

Michael: I’ve been performing since I was 17-18 years old professionally. I’ve worked all over the world in various forms, either as a solo artist or as a session musician with acts like The Veronicas, Jimmy Barnes, Delta Goodrem and Icehouse. I’ve been singing since I can remember, but haven’t had much formal training – it’s been learn on the job for me.

How does your background as a musician influence your interpretation of Jesus?

Michael: I think the core of this show is a true rock performance, which is what drew it to me originally, so for me, first and foremost, my ‘Jesus’ needs to lean into and honour the singing more than anything. But I also consider myself  “Jesus guy” myself and have loved and followed him my whole life, so for me it’s very important that the version of Jesus I represent to people is dripping in love and kindness and strength and humility.

“Gethsemane” is considered to be one of the most challenging songs in musical theatre. What is your process for tackling it?

Michael: Close your eyes, turn off your brain, believe it and just go for it. The minute you start thinking about stuff like this, the notes and the connection go away. I’m also playing guitar for this song, so it took me a little while to get the harmonic structure in my head and fingers so that it didn’t take any of my focus from the singing, but now I’m able to just sing it from the realest place I can every night and trust that the notes  will be there when I need them.

Jesus has been played by some of theatre’s greats – how do you make the role your own while staying true to the original story?

Michael: I definitely did months and months of research for this role. I’ve watched countless hours of interview footage with Andrew and Tim online trying to get in their headspace and initial vision for the role. I studied the minute differences between note choice and cadences from version to version, to the point where I was actually (and very annoyingly) correcting the UK team that was over teaching us how to do the show. Then I just tried to take all the parts I loved from each one, and throw it in a soup to make it my own.

What has it been like working with this creative team and cast?

Michael: This has been by far the best part about the show for me. The saying “theatre is a team sport” has never been more true than in this show. There’s been quite a bit of trauma bonding trying to get this intense, complex, challenging show up and running and we all lean on each other for the energy to do it every night. The cast are unreal. They’ve definitely shown me what professionals look like, they are so so kind and supportive, especially to a newbie like me.

Have you discovered anything new about yourself as a performer while playing Jesus?

Michael: I guess I’ve just noticed how so many things in my life/career so far have gone into equipping me for this role. It sort of feels like a lot of my journey has been leading me here for a while and I’m very honoured to be here in this place at this time. Also, the ability to back up consistently 8 shows a week is something I’ve never done before, so that’s a nice thing to know about myself.

If you could have a conversation with Andrew Lloyd Webber or Tim Rice about the show, what would you ask them?

Michael: That’s a fantastic question. I’d love to ask them how their view of the story changed, if at all, while writing this. There was obviously quite a bit of knowledge and research done in the writing process. I’d also love to know how the music / singing changed after bringing in Joe Cocker’s band and Ian Gillan to record the album. How much did they lean on that rock royalty to bring the vision to life?

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Jesus Christ Superstar opens in Melbourne from March 16th, before travelling to Brisbane from June.

For tickets and more information, visit jesuschristsuperstarmusical.com.au

Header photo by Jeff Busby