Magdalene
at Calvary Christian Academy
Reviewed on November 20, 2008
| Name | School | Publication/Broadcasts |
Meghan Hahl | Coral Springs High School | Teen Link |
Julie Gonzalez | Cardinal Gibbons High School | Coral Springs Forum |
Alexandra Rosenberg | Deerfield Beach High School | Teen Link2 |
Ariel Kline | American Heritage Center for the Arts | Teen Link3 |
Janiel Myers | Dillard Center for the Arts | Teen Link4 |
Arielle Hoffman | Coral Springs High School | Teen Link5 |
< select another show
Meghan Hahl
Coral Springs High School
Submitted for publication to Teen Link
One hardly expects an ancient Bible story to be turned into a heartwarming and touching musical for the ages. Such is the case in Calvary Christian Academys performance of Magdalene, the third presentation of the piece worldwide.
Magdalene is a moving tale of the controversial historical figure Mary Magdalene, the center of much dispute and controversy over the years. Some perceive her as a heroine and saint while others see her as nothing more than a despicable adulteress. The musical plays out the story of her life, from Marys (Erika Toderic) younger years of innocence to an age when she had her purity torn from her, thrusting her into a shadow-filled life as the prostitute Magdalene (Jessica Thomas).
This new musical was vividly brought to life onstage, with an extensive cast working harmoniously together to tell the biblical story. The cast joined collectively, creating well balanced scenes to demonstrate a true command of the stage.
Jessica Thomas put forth an exceptional performance as the corrupted youth Magdalene. Her portrayal of the lost innocent was outstanding as she exhibited a genuine understanding of the character. Her frustration at God while she executed a lonely ceremony for Passover was unadulterated, evoking emotion as she cried out to the heavens in despair. Johnny Jones as Jesus was also incredibly noteworthy, a sense of grace and tranquility emitting from his persona on the stage. His calm mannerisms greatly added to his actions, whether he was preaching to the masses or saving Magdalene from an angered mob. Such traits only served to add to the beautifully haunting Magdalena, performed with eloquence.
As the nave child Mary, Erika Toderic gave a brilliant presentation, appearing wonderfully dynamic in her ecstasy at life. Her graceful movements as she danced served to further her characterization, and such carefree nature carried over into her various encounters with friends and family. Her idealistic romanticism as portrayed in A Whole Life along with Cliff Prem as Nathaniel was nothing short of uplifting as the two professed their undying love for one another. Their connection to each other was clear as they embraced and gazed toward the stars.
Vocals in Magdalene were spot on, as whether there were four characters appearing onstage or forty each song carried its own melodious tone. Overall the cast worked exceedingly well jointly, particularly with ensemble numbers such as the jazzy Shadow Girls.
With evocative music and a poignant plot, Calvary Christian Academys performance of Magdalene was magnificently carried out, creating a truly beautiful show that everyone can relate to.
Julie Gonzalez
Cardinal Gibbons High School
Submitted for publication to Coral Springs Forum
Fighting the soldiers and screaming for her life, helpless Mary has been taken away of her pure virginity. She is now a disgrace to her family and may even loose the one she loves. This tragic moment of her life gets her off track and for the next fifteen years she will be a lost soul wandering the city of Jerusalem. Only one person in the world could save her from the dire person she has become.
The production of Magdalene is very new to Broadway. Coral Springs Christian Academy is the third performer hosting this show in the United States and first high school ever to present this moving performance. Its first two premiers took place in Los Angeles and Tennessee. Sheri Hecocks, assistant director of the play, was able to find the story of Magdalene due to her connections with the playwright. Director, Lisa Flay, says, The script was actually sitting on the shelf for a year, and when I had the time to read it, I was in tears and delighted to have CSCA present it! The play does not have a specific time period, rather it is timeless happening at any time, any day, any place. The story begins with young Mary, a girl filled with life and hope in her eyes, going to fields to dance, where she is raped by malevolent soldiers. Having lost her loved one and honor in her family, she runs away to the city of Jerusalem seeking a new life. There, she meets the wrong people and makes the wrong choices joining the shadow girls, a group of women whose way of life depends on selling their bodies in order to make a living. Leading a sinful way of life for the next fifteen years she must desperately find her way back to home and come into full understanding of Christ in order for her to be saved.
The cast did a magnificent job in portraying the poignancy of their characters and brought life into the story. Displaying a beautiful entrance, one would know from five minutes into the show the performance would be a success. Though few actors needed some improvement in their vocals, the message of the story was well delivered. The scene where Mary is being raped was extremely suspenseful and horrifying due to the brilliant use of flashing white lights and gripping music. The vocals of Jesus Christ played by Johnny Jones were angelic, just as it should be. In addition, the dancing of actresses Erika Toderic, playing Mary, and Shannon Anderson playing Marys mother Naomi, was sweet and graceful.
The most captivating thing that stood out would have to Johnny Jones singing, as mentioned previously. He sang more than above average for a high school performer and
his mesmerizing voice kept the audience on their feet, falling in love with that cherubic voice of his, especially in the song Magdalena. In addition, Erika Toderics sweet melody depicted the modest, cheery person Mary was as a child. Magdalene, older Mary, played by Jessica Thomas was the best choice for the part. She exhibits the qualities of maturity and aloofness necessary for the character.
A favorite feature of mine was definitely the leader of the shadow girls named Kat, played by Jay Kane. Her singing was phenomenal and had a powerful high range to it. She certainly showed leadership in her character and was very likable. Marys brother Thaddeus, played by Chris Bellaflores was an excellent source of comic relief to the play. He was enjoyably to watch and brought a smile to many faces. Also, the Shadow Girls did a fine job with the ensemble drawing the audience into the story.
The techies of the performance did a swell job and were on cue with lighting and sound most of the time. Everything ran smoothly for the most part and there were no significant distractions throughout the play. This adds even more praise to this captivating show.
Overall, the play was a hit; an excellent choice, with excellent performers. And who knew it would be an excellent play? The message and vocals of the performance is what made it, and I would definitely recommend for anyone to see it if ever given the chance. I look forward to seeing more shows by Calvary Christian and hope for the same stirring effect.
Alexandra Rosenberg
Deerfield Beach High School
Submitted for publication to Teen Link2
She has been painted in hundreds of different lights, called a million different things, portrayed as both a prostitute and an apostle. Calvary Christian Academy offered this story of Mary Magdalene and her life before her savior.
A truly timeless tale about a woman whose name is even shrouded in mystery, Magdalene offers the story of how a girl can become desperate enough to sell herself. CCAs production of Magdalene was the third time it was done in the world. It begins with Mary as a young girl, in love with a boy and the world, but when vicious Roman soldiers break her spirit she is left with few choices. Only the love of something more takes leads her to the right path.
CCAs performance offered honest emotion and sincere portrayal of a touching story. The entire cast was commited to their roles and added great energy to the stage.
Mary (played by Erika Toderic) and her older self, Magdalene (played by Jessica Thomas) anchored the show with their fierce passion. Toderic was all innocence and wide-eyed curiosity until the sordid ordeal, after which she was scared, anxious, fluttering. Toderic created a well-rounded character, vast in both spectrums of emotion. Thomas presented the same amount of commitment, her cold indifference to her way of life, the longing during Passover and the devotion to Jesus even after his death. Their voices worked together beautifully in Place Called Home and Ancient Tears as well as separately.
Opposite the Marys was Jesus and The Voice (played by Johnny Jones). Jones voice was beautiful and complimentary to every other cast members. He had great pitch and control in every song.
Thaddeus (played by Chris Bellaflores), Marys brother, offered a bit of comic relief. Bellaflores timing and movement lent well to his witty lines. Later in the play Magdalene finds another sibling/parental relationship in Kat (played by Jay Kane). As the mother of the whorehouse Kane was a strong actress playing a strong woman. Her voice was very much representative of this strength as she belted out her lines in Shadow Girls and I Met a Man.
The material may have been biblical, but Calvary Christian Academys emotional production of Magdalene made it a timeless and universal story.
Ariel Kline
American Heritage Center for the Arts
Submitted for publication to Teen Link3
Calvary Christian Academy put forth a great attempt at the difficult piece of theatre entitled Magdalene, it is safe to say that this was a memorable production. The show was originally written by Allison Metcalf Allen, who teamed up with Chris Eaton and Michele Pillar for music, however, all originality aside, the performance had originality and a certain flair that often comes with new works of theatre.
Although this performance marked the very first time the show was presented on a high school stage, there was great understanding: The young actors portrayed an emotion in a very moving and mature style. The actors focused on a situation or a conflict in their show which added to its reality.
However, the piece is difficult in the sense that each performer must somehow contribute elements of both modern and biblical behavior. This task seems simple at first---why not merely combine the two to create a unique character relating to all audiences? The answer can be found in the actors interpretation of the storyline. The musical follows a character, Mary, throughout her life, often switching between the two. It tells the story of how she came to be the famed biblical character that the world knows today.
In order to present this story efficiently and clearly, it was up to the actors involved to make distinct active choices which would add levels of emotion. The emotion was there, but the levels were sometimes lacking. There were slight hesitations in interpretation that made the lines seem slightly phrased. It was because of this separation that the pace of a few scenes were sometimes thrown. However, the overall pace of the show was clean and precise.
Furthermore, the show featured several dances, which worked very well. The same can be said for the ensemble actors. It could of been difficult for these actors to characterize honest choices when they did not have a speaking line. However, they wre able to convince an audience of their authenticity without ever saying a line.
The show did have many high points. Johnny Jones played the role of Jesus, and rightfully so. The musicality and tonal quality of his voice were completely evident from the second he began to sing; even from offstage. Jay Kane was seen as Kat, the leader of the ensemble who called themselves The Shadow Girls. The girls moved and sang well together, and, under the powerful vocals of Kane, performed their songs with grace and agility. The young woman acting as Mary (Erika Toderic) had a strong dedication to each scene, and danced with emotion that directly connected to the character. Jessica Thomas, who played Magdalene, contributed a compelling understanding for her role, topping it off with an enjoyable vocal performance.
Janiel Myers
Dillard Center for the Arts
Submitted for publication to Teen Link4
A biblical retelling of the story of the life of a broken girl is Calvary Christian Academys production of Magdalene.
Magdalene tells the story of a Jewish girl who was robbed of her innocence and ran away to live on her own,never wanting to face the shame of being forever unclean. Through her journey, she comes upon a teacher, Jesus, who saves her from being stoned. With a book by Allison Metcalf Allen and music and lyrics by Chris Eaton, Michele Pillar Carlton, and Allison Metcalf Allen, this is the first high school production of Magdalene.
On top of it all, the cast of this production did a great job of working together on this material. They depicted beautiful tableaus and showed great commitment and communication.
As Mary, Erika Toderic did a splendid job of playing the carefree and lively personality that was her character. She understood that her entire demeanor had to change when Mary got raped and believably did so. Her singing was on point and her dancing was graceful and passionate. Jordan Glindomrong, who portrayed Macin, was convincing as the dark soldier who could not and would not accept rejection.
As the broken and vulnerable Magdalene who vows to never again give anyone her heart, Jessica Thomas delivered songs such as Place Called Home beautifully. Johnny Jones depiction of Jesus was humble and wise. The ensemble of Shadow Girls were a true unit and provided comedic relief.
Calvary Christian Academys presentation of Magdalene was a feel-good experience.
Arielle Hoffman
Coral Springs High School
Submitted for publication to Teen Link5
When the lights come up, there are pictures of Mary Magdalene throughout the ages being projected onto the curtain. Then a woman with beautiful curls down to her waist walks out into the audience. Soon you realize that this is, in fact, Mary Magdalene. She begins to tell her story to anyone who will listen. This was the introduction to Calvary Christian Academys performance of Magdalene last weekend. This show has only been done twice before, both times on professional stages.
This controversial musical tells the story of Mary, a happy young girl who is about to be married. But after getting raped by soldiers she is forced to live her life alone. She runs away to Jerusalem where she starts her life as a prostitute named Magdalene. There she meets Jesus, who seems to be the only one that might be able to save her from her sin.
One of the most moving things about this show were the voices that came from most of the actors. Everyone in this 50 person cast had to sing at least once. They harmonized very well together. The leads had especially preeminent voices.
Erika Toderic did a very impressive job playing the role of Mary. She not only had an outstanding voice, but also conveyed her character very well. Jessica Thomas was also amazing playing Magdalene. She had a great voice, but was even better when it came to her believability. Johnny Jones (Jesus/The Voice) surprised everyone with his song Magdalene. His role was beautifully done, even bringing some people to tears.
Some other characters that stood out were Naomi (Marys Mother), played by Shannon Anderson, for her good stage presence, and near-perfect harmonies; Thaddeus, (Marys brother), played by Chris Bellaflores for his hysterical comedic relief; and Kat (Chief of Shadow Girls), played by Jay Kane, for her exceptional voice.
Even though this was a very Christian based show, you did not have to be religious to enjoy it. The story was timeless, and was presented skillfully. There were a couple of microphone and lighting problems, but, the good outweighed the bad in this spectacular performance of Magdalene.
