Cornish Alums Star in Rock Opera

When nine-year-old Alexander Kilian, ’23, saw The 5th Avenue Theatre Company’s 2009 production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, he knew he wanted to be on that stage one day.

Fast-forward to present-day and Kilian’s dream is realized as he is now starring as Jesus Christ in the historic venue’s upcoming production of Jesus Christ Superstar, opposite fellow Cornish College of the Arts alum Molly Sides, ’10, who plays Mary Magdalene. The show runs at The 5th, May 2-17, with tickets available now.

Alexander Kilian, ’23

Jesus Christ Superstar, which originally opened on Broadway in 1971, tells the story of the last weeks of Jesus Christ’s life through the perspective of Judas Iscariot. With music and lyrics by iconic theatrical composers Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, the rock opera became a global phenomenon.

Kilian’s casting in the titular role is his first lead role in a production of this magnitude. On the first day of rehearsal, he felt like a kid on the first day of school preparing his pencils and binders. As rehearsals continue throughout April, Kilian is excited to work on the opening piece of the show, when the audience is introduced to the characters and transported into this world through a rock ‘n roll soundtrack.

“Performing at The 5th has been a little kid Alex dream ever since I started going to this theater,” Kilian says. “This is a very big deal for me. I’m soaking up everything I can and not rushing to the end to try to make a product.”

The 5th Avenue Theatre venue is familiar ground for Kilian, who made his debut there as an ensemble member in Sweeney Todd in 2023 and played Moritz in Spring Awakening in 2024. Kilian has also performed with several other Seattle theater companies, including Strawberry Theatre Workshop and The Feast.

To achieve his dream of a professional career on stage he studied musical theater at Cornish. Despite auditioning for several different schools, Kilian decided to attend Cornish because he felt seen as a whole person instead of as a product. He was also drawn to the program’s emphasis on acting and the faculty’s impressive experience.

“The faculty at Cornish are all working artists and I’ve now got to work with a lot of them who taught me, which is humbling and very exciting,” Kilian says. “If anything, it taught me what I was learning was going to be directly applicable to the rooms I wanted to be in.”

Having multiple Cornish alums in a Seattle rehearsal room is a common occurrence. In Kilian’s experience, “You can throw a rock and hit a Cornish grad in the Seattle theater world.”

Several Cornish grads and faculty—beyond Kilian and Sides as the two leads—are involved in this production. They include Sapphire Goetz, ’16, and Anteia DeLaney, ’23, who are both part of the ensemble, Ty Pyne, ’19, doing costume design, and adjunct faculty member Jimmy Shields who is the show’s choreographer.

For Sides—who is making her professional theater debut—the journey to the stage began in Sun Valley, Idaho, where Sides grew up and fell in love with dance.

“Dancing was just a different way of expressing and exploring my own identity. When I came to Cornish, I felt like a kid in a candy store,” Sides says. “I loved every moment of getting to be around so many incredible people and instructors.”

Molly Sides, ’10

Sides' Cornish experience was one of self-discovery. Working with the Cornish administration, Sides was able to create a new education abroad opportunity in Italy through Accademia dell'Arte.

“My family is Sicilian-Italian and getting to study cultural and communal gathering around music and dance ... there was no question that it’s all a gathering for the spirit,” Sides says. “I realized I’m meant to be doing this. This is fuel for my heart, my soul, my spirit.”

Shortly after graduating from Cornish in 2010, Sides co-founded the Seattle-based all-female rock band Thunderpussy. With Sides as the songwriter and vocalist, the band has toured in the U.S., UK, Canada and Europe and signed with Stardog/Republic records in 2017. Additionally, she has appeared in film projects and danced with several companies in Seattle and Portland—Sides started Trigger New Dance Happenings in Seattle, a way for performers to create art in non-traditional settings.

“I love Seattle. I’ve found there’s a lot of openness to collaboration and people are excited with new ideas,” Sides says. “We have so much richness in art, visual art, performance, music. ... Seattle is very special. I’ve tried to leave many times, but I keep coming back.”

With her considerable experience from performing in Thunderpussy, Sides is no stranger to the musical stylings of Jesus Christ Superstar. In the role of Mary Magdalene, Sides is excited to perform the song “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” which Mary sings about Jesus. The piece is a pivotal moment in the show and a reflection on the complexities of love, one of the overarching themes of Jesus Christ Superstar.

To aspiring performers and artists, Sides has one piece of advice: Keep going.

“It’s important to fail, fail again and again and again. It’s just as important to keep getting back up,” Sides says. “Follow your gut, the thing that is fueling you and getting you up in the morning. We need more art.”