Backstage as Jesus Christ Superstar opens in Hong Kong

As the Andrew Lloyd Webber show takes to the stage at Hong Kong Cultural Centre, New York-based cast members Lydia Ruth Dawson and Cameron Kuhn reveal the work that goes into bringing the show on tour - and what they're loving about Hong Kong. By Ifat Kafry Hindes

Jesus Christ Superstar is performed in Hong Kong until August 1

There's usually a distinct moment when an interview stops feeling like a formal question and answer session and shifts gear into a real conversation. But sitting backstage at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre with ensemble dancer Lydia Ruth Dawson and Dance Captain Cameron Kuhn, the typical backstage stiffness is entirely absent. The energy is high, the conversation is fast, and the passion for what they do is completely out in the open.

Taking a classic show like Andrew Lloyd Webber’s world-famous rock opera and bringing it into a contemporary context can be a massive challenge, but this production strips away the traditional theatrical veneer to reveal something cool, raw and fiercely relevant to today's youth. We sit down to talk about breaking the fourth wall, overriding the body to cultivate true grit, and why authenticity is the greatest gift a young performer can give.

Jesus Christ Superstar was first released as a 'rock opera' album in 1970 and took to the stage as a musical a year later. The story tells the final days of Jesus Christ’s life, leading up to his crucifixion and, unusually, the show is entirely sung, with no spoken dialogue, blending traditional symphonic elements with 1970s rock, soul, and gospel. Tens of millions of audience goers have experienced the show on stage, and this summer the Olivier Award-winning Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production of the musical is making its Hong Kong debut as part of an international tour.

The spirit of rock

Many parents buying tickets for the Hong Kong run grew up listening to the classic score on vinyl or CD. Now, they are bringing their own children to witness it. But as Dawson points out, the music itself lives in genres that cross the generation gap.

Jesus Christ Superstar - show Dance Captain Cameron Kuhn with Ifat Kafry Hindes

"It’s rock music, it’s gospel music," Dawson says. "And part of why we return to these genres is because they remind us of a certain time, but they still feel so relevant. So the show - there’s no gap there in terms of music."

What keeps the production modern is a focus on character and visual details, acting as an anchor for younger audiences who might have shorter attention spans. "It’s about the humanity of each of these characters," explains Dawson. "That keeps it fresh and relevant. It doesn't feel like you're going back in time. It feels almost like you're in a third space - the music takes you somewhere and transcends a bit. You could see this show a hundred times and see something new every single evening because there are so many incredible Easter egg moments built into every picture that travels across that stage."

The fourth wall

Kuhn notes that this connection is made by instantly breaking the traditional, intimidating ‘fourth wall’ to pull the audience into a shared, personal environment. "It barely feels like a costume, so you're just kind of like, 'Oh, we're all here together.' We don't really have moments where we're specifically talking to the audience, but we start the show by yelling and running through the house, so it immediately bridges that gap and brings you into our world. It starts very chill. We're setting up the stage, we're moving around - it's like we're setting up the concert stage."

Jesus Christ Superstar - Kafry Hindes with ensemble dancer Lydia Ruth Dawson

By channelling the intense, full-body choreography into a rock concert framework, the production connects directly with modern visual culture. "Live stage dancing and everything is really big these days - I mean, what we see with TikTok, dancing is huge now," Cameron shares. "To see such high-energy, impressive choreography on stage like that can speak to a younger generation and also impress older generations. Along with the incredible music, how could you not leave happy and changed after that?"

That power comes together in the very structure of the music itself. "There is science behind what chords mean and how it makes you feel," Kuhn says. "Once we get to that very last chord of the show, something about it feels very warm and settling to me. It really speaks to that feeling of accomplishment that we all feel from telling such a story, with our bodies, with our voices, with our energy, with our emotions. Something about just that last chord has a lovely, lovely resolve to it."

Dedicated local performers

Hong Kong has a massive, highly dedicated community of young student performers, dancers and athletes who are used to rigid schedules and immense academic pressure. This show is famously raw, emotional and unapologetic, demanding a huge physical sacrifice that the cast completely embraces.

"This show, for me, as a dancer, performer, athlete, I get to pour my full self into this show. Physically, emotionally, spiritually, I connect to the material. And it takes all of you," Dawson shares. "The show is exhausting. But in the best way. In the most invigorating way. You know when you're really exhausted from doing really good hard work? Every time I walk into the building, I say to myself, I'm so lucky that this is my job."

Sustaining that level of energy across an eight-show week requires an athletic mindset that forces performers to dig past their perceived physical limits. "You have to, at some point, sometimes override your physical body saying, stop, stop, stop, and you go, there's a little bit more - there's a little bit more in the tank. You've got to just dig deep and find it."

Jesus Christ Superstar - performing eight weeks worth of shows requires dedication and an athletic mindset

Dawson describes how this resilience is actively tested in the audition room during the show’s most gruelling number, 'Simon Zealotes'. "When the associate choreographer auditions people, he runs that piece over and over, almost on an endless loop for close to an hour or 90 minutes, just to see how people handle the pressure. How people mentally - can they stay in it? Can they stay committed to the movement? What kind of mental space are they in?"

Kuhn explains that this pressure creates a performance dynamic that flips traditional musical theatre conventions on their head. Rather than hiding the exhaustion to make the routine look easy, the choreography demands the struggle.

"Drew McOnie always used to talk about how we actually want to see the effort," he says. "Typically when you see performances, there's a lot of, 'Oh, we don't want to see the work. We want it to look easy.' And Drew always says, 'No, we want to see the work. We want to know that you are actually physically exhausted.' That is part of the storytelling. You see we get really tired, heaving and breathing so hard up there, and it shows the authenticity. We're not just some well-oiled machine. You can see us as people fighting, and that just speaks to the story in itself. We're fighting for Jesus, we're fighting against Jesus. We're constantly reaching for the next thing, constantly expelling ourselves at the end of our rope."

Moving as one

To move on stage as a single, breathing physical organism, the ensemble relies on deep spatial awareness and an artistic vulnerability that breaks from traditional, rigid staging.

"Typically in musical theatre, when you're staging something, you're lining yourself up with wings and numbers on the front of the stage," Dawson notes. "But this feels more like a concert dance piece in that, spatially, you are using the references of other people's bodies. And that's very much how you operate within a contemporary dance company."

To ground that physical trust, the company preserves a beautiful daily ritual passed down through the production's history to leave the outside world behind. "Before every show, we circle up in a big circle, and someone - if someone is inspired - they will share a word and say a little bit about why they chose that word," Dawson says. "We will take three collective breaths together and chant the word together at the end before we go out to do the show. Phones are away. We are just fully present in that moment. It is a meditation. You're feeling your own breath, you are in tune with the full company's breath. And then we go, 'Okay, we're going to tell this story. Here we go.'"

Jesus Christ Superstar - much of the audience will have grown up listening to the classic score on vinyl or CD

This daily connection is vital because the production strips away the traditional presentational masks of musical theatre. "The creative team would always emphasise, we're not putting anything on top of anything," Dawson explains. "This show is so much about the humanity of every person on stage. We drop all that, and we come in as ourselves telling the story. There's a raw vulnerability to the approach. And as a result of that, you need the company to support you. I need to know that we're all doing this. Because if I'm doing this alone, it's really scary."

Kuhn, who balances the technical precision of the show with the group's real-time morale as dance captain, agrees that this shared space keeps the production grounded through the chaotic changes of an international tour.

"We all honestly do a really good job of giving people space when they need to, or just knowing that we're all feeling similar ways," Kuhn says. "We are all just coming as ourselves every day - the good, the bad, the ugly. If you're doing the choreography as intended, you are in the right world of the show. You are in the right emotion, the right mindset, the right feeling along with everybody. It's individual, but it's also community."

Cultivating discipline

Immersion in this intense theatrical world builds foundational life skills that extend far beyond the stage, rooted in discipline, time management, and an eye for detail.

"I come from the ballet world - so much grit in the ballet world, so much discipline, so much respect for the art form, so much attention to detail," Dawson notes, recalling her gruelling schedule dancing with the Joffrey Ballet. "You would be in class or rehearsal from 10am to 4pm, and then you'd have a little dinner break, and you'd come back to the theatre and do a show. You're pulling these really long days, but you're so dedicated, and you really learn how to take care of yourself very quickly because you have to."

Dawson believes that modern culture frequently protects young people from the very environments that build this internal strength. "These days we are so afraid of discomfort that we are doing ourselves an incredible disservice. Because then we don't learn skills. Then we become soft. I want to be soft as a human being emotionally - that is something that I strive for. But in terms of grit in the real world, I want to be able to withstand enough discomfort to learn new things. Dedicated practice in the arts takes this kind of dedicated time, and you learn so much about yourself. Grit is a top-tier life skill. It's applicable literally everywhere."

Jesus Christ Superstar - the world-famous show first hit stages in 1971

Kuhn believes the ultimate lesson for young performers is discovering that true value lies in individual expression rather than mechanical perfection.

"In theatre, or performance in general, there's always that level of perfection that we're taught to strive for," he says. "But one thing I really do love about this show is that, as much as there is a vocabulary and a framework of how we do things, there is also that big level of individuality that we all do bring to it. We all interpret the moves differently. Yes, there's a certain way to do each move, but it looks different on all of us. It doesn't have to be - you don't have to kill yourself over perfection, because whatever you bring to the table is perfect. As long as you are giving the best of yourself, that's what's needed, and that's what's appreciated."

Finding balance in Hong Kong's greenery

The conversation detours into how the cast unwinds on tour, and what they have fallen in love with in Hong Kong so far. Dawson was already completely captivated by the dramatic contrast of the landscape.

"Mountains? You mean I can go on a hike and then swim in the ocean?" she says. "I live in New York City, and I always need - I live along the water... so every day I'm walking my dog on the water. So being in a city where I'm already so close to nature, that to me is the perfect thing. Walking through the jungle, swimming in the ocean, and now I'm here doing a show... that to me is magic. We're staying in Ocean Park, right by Deepwater Bay. I walked there with my friend this morning, a 15-minute walk, went for a swim in the ocean, and I want to stay here forever."

Kuhn was equally energised by the international tour, reflecting on how the demands of the road are balanced by the deep human connections made along the way.

"Being on stage just like, 'Wow, I'm so happy'... it's given us so many opportunities to go and see the world and connect. That's so special," he shares. For a New York-based artist, navigating the shifting energies of different international venues has reinforced the core theme of the production itself. "Every single venue brings its own atmosphere, but as long as you stay true to the intention of the movement, the story resolves beautifully every single time."

Ultimately, it is that exact mix of discipline, raw vulnerability, and open-hearted curiosity that defines this company. Armed with a stack of tissues, a love for the timeless score and a deep appreciation for the grit on display, heading into the theatre feels less like watching a performance and more like joining a community.

Jesus Christ Superstar, 8pm Tuesday to Friday and 3 & 8pm on Saturdays, until August 1; Grand Theatre , Hong Kong Cultural Centre, 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui; performances are in English with Chinese subtitles; tickets from $588; jesuschristsuperstar.hk.