It takes a brave soul to venture out on a cold winter's night in Canberra. But don't be discouraged. Inside the vast AIS Arena it is warm and the Sneddon Hall and Gallop and PeeWee production of Jesus Christ Superstar is spectacularly hot! More than 40 years after Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera took Broadway and the West End by storm, Jesus Christ Superstar is given an electrifying revival at the AIS Arena in an energy-packed production that is not to be missed.

What makes this story of the final weeks of Christ's life so powerful is its attention to the drama of the biblical tale and the relationships that gave rise to that drama. It is embedded in Lloyd Webber's popular melodies and Rice's astoundingly clear and evocative lyrics. I saw Norman Jewison's film version recently and the music and lyrics resonated as powerfully then as they did when I first encountered the rock opera 40 or so years ago.

This local production is testament yet again to the enduring popularity of a music theatre triumph with a tale of high drama, a captivating orchestral score that swells the emotions under the skilful baton of Ian McLean, and insightful lyrics that breathe life into each and every character from the principals to the ensemble.

Not a moment flags as director Stephen Pike elicits absolute authenticity from his cast. Anna Senior's splendid costuming transports us back to the period while adding just the right touch of anachronism to jolt the senses in Herod's Charleston-jiving flappers and the modern-day dress of the female ensemble in the Superstar finale. It is a story of its time and a moral for all time.

Pike and his team have taken on an epic challenge to present an epic musical in an epic space. There is always the risk that the orchestra will overwhelm the singers or that Phil Goodwin's dazzling lighting display will overpower I Don't Know How To Love Him, the love ballad of Mary Magdalene (Jenna Roberts) or blind us to the conflict that tears away at Judas (Michael Falzon) in Damned For All Time or wash over the "sad and tired" Jesus (Luke Kennedy) in The Last Supper. There is little risk of that with either the remarkable principals or the thoroughly youthful, energetic and tightly directed ensemble, vigorously choreographed by Jordan Kelly.

The goosebumps tingle during Will Huang's Simon Zealotes. They are there still with the rousing rendition of Hosanna, sung by Caiaphus (Zach Drury), Jesus, the Apostles and the Ensemble. There is wonderful comic relief with Gordon Nicholson's high camp offering of King Herod's song, coming immediately after the tortured dilemma of Pontius Pilate (Max Gambale) . Lloyd Webber and Rice then take the biggest risk of all, a finale with Jesus suspended high above the stage against a huge luminescent crucifix. It is a moment of sombre power and poignant reflection.

Jesus Christ Superstar is told from Judas' perspective. Falzon's performance is riveting, commanding the stage and traversing the fine line between villain and victim. It is a tour de force performance that compels engagement. Roberts' Magdalene lets her voice soar with emotion and for a moment I close my eyes to hear the legendary sound of Elaine Paige. Kennedy's vocal range contains the gamut of emotion from the angry assault upon the moneylenders to the despairing powerlessness with the beggars and the sick, and finally the painful capitulation to his fate.

So, brave the cold. This bold and courageous production will fill you with awe and leave you with the musical numbers whirling through your head. Make Jesus Christ Superstar your winter highlight experience.