* REVIEW The current National Touring production of "Jesus Christ Superstar" at Sangamon Auditorium is one of the best-sung musicals to pass through town in years. From the leads down through the last member of the chorus, the entire production is a vocal powerhouse.

Musical Director Craig Barna is to be commended for his skilled reading of this difficult and controversial Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice score. He keeps this first rate group of singing actors in top form.

For the uninitiated, "Jesus Christ Superstar" is a rock-and-roll retelling of the last days of Jesus Christ.

The show starts off with a powerful version of "Heaven on Their Minds," sung by the passionate Judas Iscariot of Lawrence Clayton. Decked out in a black trench coat, Clayton paces the stage, handling the demanding vocals with ease. He has a strong baritone that can pound out the high notes with remarkable strength. He makes a commanding figure as the anguished Judas, who knows he will betray Jesus.

Natalie Toro is equally impressive as Mary Magdalene. Dressed in a flattering form-fitting scarlet dress, she pours her heart out throughout the performance, but most notably in one of the break-out songs from the score, "I Don't Know How to Love Him."

If understudy Lawrence Cummings, as Jesus, did not quite reach their level, it's only because he hasn't had the benefit of countless performances under his belt. He did a nice job filling in for Eric Kunze at the Saturday matinee, bringing a peaceful presence to the role. He also was able to turn up the heat in the confrontation scenes with Judas, and sang an impassioned version of "Gethsemane." Some of the stratospheric tenor notes seemed to be a bit of a strain at times, but still he sang with great feeling.

Caiaphas, Annas and the Priests made an impressive group. Lawson Skala was particularly striking as Caiaphas. Tall and slender, with a bald head and goatee, he bore more than a passing resemblance to Ming the Mercilous from the old Flash Gordon serials. Vocally, he was equally at ease with the ringing high notes as well as the girder-rumbling bass notes that the role requires (his low notes were well matched by fellow bass, Perry Brown).

The combination of the towering Skala with the diminutive Jeffrey Polk as Annas brought obvious comparisons to "Dr. Evil" and "Mini-Me" from the Austin Powers movies. But there was nothing "diminutive" about Polk's strong vocal performance. His piercing tenor was a nice complement to the resonant bass of Skala.

Stephen Breithaupt was outstanding as Pontius Pilate, singing and acting with appropriate authority. Todd Fournier, as Simon, and Johnny Hawkins, as Peter, were also vocal stand-outs.

"King Herod's Song" is notable because it is such a stark contrast to everything else that precedes it. Instead of the pulsating rock of the rest of the score, this song is presented as an old-fashioned vaudeville number. Barry Dennen, who had the distinction of singing the role of Pilate on the original concept album, in the original Broadway cast, and the 1973 movie, plays Herod in a low-key style reminiscent of Noel Coward. The song isn't as gaudy as it is sometimes played, but still has enough razzmatazz to earn its place as an audience favorite.

The staging, recreated by choreographer Dana Solimando and director Kevin Moriarty from the recent Broadway revival, kept things moving swiftly. The creative staff provided interesting stage pictures and exciting dance steps.

The design team gave the proceedings the feel of a post-apocalyptic science fiction movie. The set and lighting effects gave the show an urban, jungle gym feel, while the costumes ran the gamut from Abercrombie and Fitch for the Apostles to Star Trek convention chic for the "bad guys."

It's interesting to note that when "Jesus Christ Superstar" opened on Broadway back in 1971, it was a lightning rod for controversy. Viewed by many as sacrilegious, it became the subject of heated debate, with such revered religious leaders as Billy Graham weighing in on its relative pluses and minuses.

Over the years, some have softened in their reaction to the musical, and now it seems to be a part of the main stream, regularly performed by community theaters and church groups.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" continues at Sangamon Auditorium today at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Call 206-6160 for tickets

Gus Gordon is the chief meteorologist at NewsChannel 20 and a free lance arts reviewer. He can be reached at gusgordon00@lycos.com