BUTLER TWP — The story of Jesus unfolded to an invited audience Thursday night at the Musical Theater Guild's production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” which opens tonight at the Succop Theatre at Butler County Community College.

Honestly I can't count the number of times I've seen this show done in various places. Truth be told, I was not looking forward to another repeat show.

Turned out, it was close to the best two hours of theater time I've clocked in a while.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is basically rock opera Andrew Lloyd Webber-style meets the Bible. With rocker Ron Cehelsky Jr. rocking the role of Jesus the Rock himself, the show well, it rocks.

His range of tender ballad style singing and rebel yell exemplify his versatility on vocals. His “If You Only Knew” was notable and his “Watch me die” was one of the most inspired renditions of that song I've seen.

The show opened with an eerie and haunting angry Judas played by Jeff Carey. He expressed the volatility of the character with seemingly great ease.

His “Gone Sour” was uncomfortably evil and conveyed the angst and disappointment Judas was experiencing. His “Blood Money” conveyed anguish and torment.

The trio of dancing demons complimented the downward spiral into despair Judas was descending into.

That macabre scene gave way to a delightful ensemble number, “What's the Buzz?” which features a cast of characters beautifully clad in period dress. I was delighted this was the version the MTG chose to produce.

Another pleasant surprise was newcomer Nyomin Buhler in the role of Mary Magdalene. Her deep rich vocals were easy on the ears. Her sultry style in “Close Your Eyes” was enjoyable.

The larger than life Stefan Lingenfelter did not disappoint in the role of Pontius Pilot. In his first scene, he hauntingly and powerfully told of a dream he had about the king. His dynamic and compelling performance was the antithesis of King Herod, played by Phillip Ball.

Ball was hilarious in the role of the silk wearing sashaying king who thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to mock Jesus. His sassiness was comical and his performance memorable.

The expertly cast show is under the direction of Larry Stock with music director Ken Smith and Becky Sanzotti as choreographer.