Louisville Assumption High School all-female 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

As Bridget Wolfram searched for female-sung versions of Jesus’ solos in the Broadway musical "Jesus Christ Superstar," the high school senior kept coming across a telling phrase.

The videos were titled: Roles I could never play.

She saw so many women who wanted to play the part of Jesus and never had the chance.

But Louisville's Assumption High School and its Rose Theatre Company have given Wolfram that unconventional opportunity.

Wolfram will play the part of Jesus when the 1970s rock opera opens at the school on Nov. 1 with an all-female cast. Typically, Rose Theatre invites area high school-aged boys to audition for male parts in its productions. But with this show, Wolfram's classmates at the all-girl Catholic high school will take on the roles of Pontius Pilate, King Harrod, and the Apostles in the story of the last seven days of Jesus’s life, as told through the eyes of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot.

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“Getting to play a role that most women could only dream of playing is really, really special,” Wolfram said. “Not only my role but everyone else’s, too.”

It’s an unusual move, but a fitting one given the strong number of powerful, pop-driven singing voices in the Assumption High School Class of 2025, director Andrew Stairs told the Courier Journal. He wanted to spotlight as many of them as possible, and as he looked at possibilities for the fall musical, he realized the class had a deeper bench of talent than many musicals had the parts to give. He also drew inspiration from the Broadway performers, who recreated the original "Jesus Christ Superstar" album using only women's voices in the concept album “She Is Risen” in 2020.

If they could do it, certainly, Assumption’s students could, too.

When Assumption did "Mamma Mia" last year, Stairs didn’t want to mimic Meryl Streep’s performance from the 2008 movie. Likewise, he wasn’t looking for a Jesus to emulate Ted Neeley's performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in the 1973 film. This cast isn't trying to reach someone else’s stage, Stairs explained, rather they’re bringing new life to the story and making it all their own.

“What's been important to me throughout this process is helping the students feel like it truly is their story to tell,” Stairs said. “It's about finding how we are up to the challenge of these roles."

Even 2,000 years later, the story of Jesus feels vibrant, relevant, and current, Stairs said. Jesus was a counter-cultural figure, who invited women into ministry. Many of his followers were drawn to his nonjudgemental approach compared to the leaders of the time. By putting young women in these parts, the production also created an opportunity to elevate these Catholic students from followers of Jesus into stewards of his story.

“It's less about trying to create a statement through casting,” Stairs explained. “It’s more about widening and opening up the story, to say all of us can be lifted to the stage to tell it, and to carry on the legacy.”

Throughout the production, the phrase “What Would Jesus Do” has taken on an entirely new meaning for Wolfram. For as long as she can remember, she’s been taught to act like Jesus would from a compassion standpoint. This is the first time that she’s ever tried to step into his mind frame, and in a unique way, it’s brought her closer to her faith.

When she looks out to the audience and sings her solo “Gethsemane” — after the Apostles fall asleep in the garden while Jesus is praying he won't have to die — all she sees is the darkness that masks the audience and the stage lights. It’s a performance, but it feels like she’s praying up to the heavens just as the Bible says Jesus did.

“When I look up at the night sky, I think of God, and my faith, and my spirituality,” she said. “So, it really makes me feel closer to God.”

The more she’s learned about the show and her character, the more she’s seen this opportunity as an amazing gift.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" won’t be the last time the theater company takes on a project like this, either.

Every year the school selects an alum for its Who Will Tell the Story Award, which honors a woman who embodies the school's founding nuns' principles of stewardship and serves as luminaries of the world. In a similar way, Stairs is building a theatrical tradition and calling "Jesus Christ Superstar" a “Who Will Tell the Story” production. Empowering young women to live out stories of compassion is a part of Assumption’s mission, Stairs said. Going forward, the Rose Theatre intends to flip the script on the traditional theatrical story once during each four-year cycle and produce it with an all-Assumption cast. That way each class can experience that type of production at least once.

During these shows, young men from other schools will still be invited to participate in the productions backstage. For this production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," boys from duPont Manuel High School, Atherton High School, and St. Xavier High School have volunteered to help with props and lighting as well as play in the band.

The Rose Theatre has a history of adapting shows in occasionally unconventional ways. In 2020, Stairs opted to move forward with the production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” on Zoom even after the pandemic hit and students had to shift to remote learning. The year before, the company cast a young woman with a strong dancing background as the monster “Audrey II” in "Little Shop of Horrors." Traditionally the man-eating anthropomorphic plant is portrayed with a puppet that is voiced by a male. Instead, they shifted that role into a choreography-forward part. The monster could move around the stage, and other dancers acted as her tentacles.

Wolfram was still in grade school at the time but remembers seeing that performance. Knowing that a girl could play the part of the plant left a strong impression on her. Now that she’s Jesus, she’s hopeful other future students will think “Wow, that could be me on stage” too.

While characters may traditionally have genders, the emotions they’re acting out are universal, Stairs said. One of the most charged moments in the show is when Wolfram, as Jesus, storms into the temple declaring that it should be a "house of prayer," but the people in Jerusalem have made it a “den of thieves.”

Wolfram doesn't need to be Ted Neeley or even a man to have Jesus' rage in that moment. She brings it to the stage with an immense sense of power through her dynamic singing voice.

“Just seeing that the possibilities are endless… I think just will open so many people's minds, so many young girls’ minds, and it will be really inspiring,” Wolfram said.

Features columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, Southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful, and occasionally, a little weird. If you've got something in your family, your town or even your closet that fits that description — she wants to hear from you. Say hello at [email protected]. Follow along on Instagram @MaggieMenderski.

WHAT: "Jesus Christ Superstar" at Assumption High School

WHERE: 2170 Tyler Lane, Louisville

WHEN: Nov. 1-2 and 7-10 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 3 at 2 p.m.

COST: $10 for students and senior citizens; $16 for adults.

TICKETS: Some performances are already sold out. Visit cur8.com to purchase tickets