The musical creative team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice has probably never been accused of much subtlety or nuance. As a rule, the pair liked to do things splashy and over the top, and one of their earliest efforts, the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, is certainly no exception.

So it’s fitting that the Asolo Rep’s current production of the show, choreographed and directed by Josh Rhodes, plays it big, with pull-out-all-the-stops numbers and acting. Why not? More than 2,000 years after the story related here took place, the news of Christ’s life and death is still trending.

In short, there’s a lot of agony and anguish onstage, and it’s delivered with gusto by the cast, led by Heath Saunders as Judas Iscariot and Jesse Nager as Jesus. The story of the one’s betrayal at the hands of the other is quickly enough told, and from the moment the orchestra (led by music director Jenny Kim-Godfrey) zips into the familiar strains of the overture, Jesus Christ Superstar takes off and never lets up.

It features a well-rounded cast: a group of apostles (a mix of genders here) demonstrates both the up and down sides of hero worship for Jesus; the high priests, ranging from the impossibly deep-voiced Caiphas (Adam Bashian) to the female version of Annas, portrayed by Kelly McIntyre, are suitably evil; Tally Sessions makes a strong impression as the unwilling executioner Pontius Pilate; and Ann Morrison delivers the comic song of King Herod with a relish that spreads to the audience.

In the leads, Sarah Kay is lovely to look at and listen to as Mary Magdalene, the only one who really seems to “get” Jesus. Nager is, naturally, at first more restrained than his counterpart of Judas, but he builds to a feverish pitch by the time he renders “Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say),” and receives a well-deserved audience response of enthusiasm. Saunders is powerful as the traitor Judas, whether trying to convince himself he’s doing the right thing or breaking down in remorse afterwards, and he leads the cast in an energetic spectacle performance of “Superstar” as Jesus meets his fate, which is depicted with some stunning imagery.

Rhodes, who has directed a number of productions at Asolo Rep, seems particularly assured here, with numbers like “The Temple,” “Herod’s Song” and “Superstar” proving his choreographic skills in spades. The set, by Adam Koch, provides an appropriately ancient, dusty desert feel with its tall pillars and subdued tones; the costumes, by Alejo Vietti, dress the ragtag group of disciples simply but go all out for Pilate’s red number, Herod’s glitzy gold, the priests' purple and the sparkly bright whites of “Superstar.” And Cory Pattak’s lighting design mixes shadows and suddenly dazzling effects (bolstered by Steven Royal’s projection design) to up the drama at every turn.

Jenny Kim-Godfrey and her musicians present the familiar Webber-Rice tunes with verve, and her arrangements (with Jonathan Godfrey) are sensitive to the originals but neatly adapted for the stage. Those in the audience who might have worn out the 1970s’ vinyl recordings of the concept album that preceded stage productions may note a few changes in lyrics here and there; that’s not uncommon with the show, but I missed a satiric line or two anyway.

Clocking in at just about 90 minutes (plus an intermission), this Jesus Christ Superstar is bound to leave at least some in the audience exiting on a high. It’s already been extended beyond its original run date, now showing through June 28.

For tickets, call (941) 351-8000 or visit asolorep.org.