Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Paul McCartney, The Avett Brothers, and Jeff Buckley had a baby.
Aaron LaVigne grew up in Cincinnati, OH where his love of music started since before he could speak. The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and Motown Artists taught him the language of music while inspiring him to sing, pick up multiple instruments, and write songs.
Aaron made New York City his base after graduating with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Northern Kentucky University, where he has performed on Broadway (SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK), Off-Broadway (RENT), Boadway Tours (JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, RENT), with Symphonies, in Lower East Side rock clubs, on the high seas, & in concert halls across multiple continents. He recorded & released two original studio albums in Brooklyn & Cincinnati. Portraying Jesus in the 50th Anniversary Tour Andrew of Lloyd Weber’s Jesus Christ Superstar was a true honor. He is always looking to create, collaborate, perform, & write with like minded artists.
This production, choreographhed by Drew McOnie, really should get its shot on Broadway, especially given what LaVigne is doing. ~Chris Jones
Chicago Tribune
Jesus christ superstar Promo
Broadway balances america
Louisville Courier-Journal
Aaron LaVigne’s Jesus, with a guitar strapped on and ready to rock, stands at a mic to address his flock. LaVigne’s “Rent” and symphonic experience are evident on songs requiring a boundless range — “Gethsemane,” in particular.
The Boston Globe
The actor, who also counts himself a singer-songwriter, ably matched the shattering shriek of Ian Gillan, the Deep Purple frontman who sang the Jesus role on the original “Superstar” album. Strumming a guitar at center stage to the impassioned showcase “Gethsemane,” LaVigne grappled visibly with Jesus’s impending death. He made the anguish real. In the spotlight, spittle sprayed.
Seattle Times
Aaron LaVigne duplicates the heavy-metal scream of Ted Neeley’s Jesus in the 1973 film, but also brings a smooth tenor to more reflective moments. His version of “Gethsemane” (accompanying himself on guitar) is now my favorite.
Both the show and Jesus’s presence within it start relatively low-key and then build steadily, and Aaron LaVigne fully comes into his own in Jesus’s anguished soul-searching in “Gethsemane.”
Toronto Star
LaVigne plays the Son of God with earnest emotion and heartbreaking vulnerability. He makes a larger-than-life character appear as "just a man," something that is dizzyingly realistic at points. LaVigne's portrayal of Jesus is captivating, emotional and the true focal point of the show.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette