Reviewed by Jacob Bengtsson

Under the oppressive rule of ICON - International Confederation of Nations, a boy called Hero grows up in a Brooklyn synagogue and starts making great claims about himself. He redeems Maggie, a prostitute, heals a lame war veteran and turns water into wine, only to be betrayed by Jude into the hands of Devlin, is consequently killed and hung on a street crossing signpost and is finally resurrected in the city morgue. Sounds vaguely familiar? This is the modern day musical adaptation of the greatest story ever told, written by Nashville CCM stalwarts Eddie DeGarmo and Bob Farrell which got quite a bit of US theatre exposure a year or so ago. With a cast that includes Rebecca St James as well as Michael Tait (dc Talk) and Mark Stuart (Audio Adrenaline), this musical is a powerful interpretation of Jesus' message in a modern context. It is musically diverse, ranging from rock and ballads to rap. Michael Tait (Hero) does an impeccable vocal job, but has a repertoire of only two different hand gestures, which betrays his status as singer as opposed to actor. The best songs include "Kill The Hero" - the chief rabbi's song of accusation unto the ICON boss, and "He's Not Here," the joyous exclamation of Hero's resurrection. This is a double DVD containing heaps of extra material which won't disappoint.

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