Upending the traditional in favor of the bold is what makes “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a 1970s rock opera, radically engaging.

In pardoning a traditional approach to retell the last days of none other than Jesus Christ himself, the Biblical equivalent of “Alien” movie protagonist Ellen Ripley, this musical challenges perception.

It almost reads as a part-blasphemous (while rooted in conventional tropes of the religious resurrection narrative) social experiment in reconfiguring the Jesus we all know, or are first being introduced to.

The Feb. 21 opening night performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at Civic Theatre of Allentown was seen for this revie2w.

Trading an organ keys flourish for a pulsing guitar riff, and lending itself toward the savor of modern adaptation, Civic Theatre production Director Rae Labadie creates a snapshot of comprehension. What Civic Theatre of Allentown does so well, and in spades, is to give audiences something to chew on; it is like a gum that never loses its flavor, allowing the palate to discover unfamiliar flair with each bite.

Told entirely without dialogue, “Jesus Christ Superstar” can only work with a cast that parallels the strength of suggested polarity. How they position their weightiness in this particular production manifests itself in different forms, each actor adopting their own identity nestled in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s formative, and highly infectious, score.

Where vocal stability would take a backseat, albeit rarely, the performers would feel more grounded in their emotional stance. Diego Subero-Butler, striking with an everyman resemblance as the production’s Jesus, is a leading example of intentional acting outweighing inconsistency.

The imperfectness of Diego’s falsetto register, seeming like a criticism at first, solidified the casting choice from an audience member’s perspective. There was just a rawness in his approach, a likeness that yearned for empathy.

Particularly during “Gethsemane,” Jesus’s juggernaut power ballad, Diego cemented character choices that would almost make anyone a believer: An “amen” almost escaped my own mouth to the skies.

Alejandro Rodriguez, as Judas, the show’s rogue Apostle that notoriously betrays Jesus, had no contention with matching the role’s vocal arrangement. What works in rock music is that they stretch their tonal abilities to their peak and find a home in that upper register.

Rodriguez is an actor fortunate enough to inherit the smoky substance, that “grrr” rasp, without needing to force it out. “Heaven On Their Minds,” sporting the guitar lick that is guaranteed to keep one humming, kicked the show into the higher place, ha, that it inarguably needs to be in.

Halting the throbbing percussive score for a turn at lightness was an incomparable Cathy Ritter as Mary, a pivotal support beam throughout. Ritter, with an effortless quality that could drive immediate envy, could have led to a hypothetical alternative where Mary is the “Superstar.”

Given songs that almost appear to serve as transitional interludes, Ritter made sure to give each line with a Sara Bareilles-y tint deserving of an ovation mid-show.

Her clarity, her faultless self-sustainable performance, and interconnectedness within the trio reminded us that community theater is still the backbone of discovering genuine talent.

Wholeness is how Civic’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” could continue to be defined in one word: every moment, drizzled in sureness, just felt so complete.

This is no accident; it is a testament to (and the puns keep rolling) the power of a strong-handed director and their ability to curate a moving picture that feels like a human mural. Mariel Letourneau, as the show’s electric choreographer, gets the assignment.

Perhaps lacking faith in local performers as they may self-prescribe as singers first, choreography to accompany the play is often an afterthought.

Most admirable in this production is that Labadie and Letourneau, never to be dismissed as pioneer women creatives in the Lehigh Valley community, share the same vision of pushing actors beyond a box step.

Doing this leads to a more enjoyable and lucid experience. Dance is instrumental in musical theater, even at a local level, and it elevates what could have just been momentarily sluggish to exceptional.

Marcell McKenzie, Dami Shote, Luci Loftus, Jordan Frantz, Rose Fortkamp and Sarai Misic, the latter doubling as a worthy Peter, all are eye-catchers in living through the choreographer’s unrelenting movement.

No actor on the stage left room for criticism on their ensemble work, and all at the same time, they were paraded by in the impeccable costume design of Rigby Maiatico, demonstrating that there is a forcefulness in the inanimate found in stitches of a character’s apparel. Perhaps the most holy was not the tale of Jesus itself, but what the contemporary garb said about who Jesus and company were yesterday and today.

There are many elements to unpack. The music. The choreography. The costume design. Every angle perceived is another chance to really look at this musical and ask what it is trying to say.

Whether it be a mockery of tradition or a mirror to today’s sociopolitical state and its relationship to religion, Labadie succeeds in creating a conversation. A dialogue, frankly, that is continually ignored yet begging to be had.

Maybe Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, acclaimed Broadway figureheads, were smart to leave “Jesus Christ Superstar” void of speaking lines. That responsibility is ours to fill the gap and reestablish what the message means to us. And if you leave the theater without profound discourse, at least stay and marinate in the rock ‘n’ roll.

“Jesus Christ Superstar,” 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26, 28, March 1, 6, 7, 8; 2 p.m. March 1, 2, 8, 9, Civic Theater of Allentown, 527 N. 19th St., Allentown. Tickets: 610-433-6665, http://civictheatre.com/