The Passion: Live (Fox)

[Trini]

http://www.fox.com/the-passion

On Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016 (8:00-10:00 PM ET live/PT tape-delayed), FOX will present THE PASSION, a two-hour musical event, airing LIVE from New Orleans, that tells the 2000-year-old story of the last hours of Jesus Christ’s life on earth. Hosted and narrated by actor, writer, producer, director and New Orleans native Tyler Perry (“The Haves and The Have Nots,” “Gone Girl”), the special will feature a cast of today’s biggest stars (to be announced) performing a variety of popular music, arranged by executive producer and hit music producer Adam Anders (“Glee,” “Rock of Ages”).

Set in modern day, THE PASSION will follow the dramatic and inspirational story of Jesus of Nazareth, as he presides over the Last Supper, and then is betrayed by Judas, put on trial by Pontius Pilate, convicted, crucified and resurrected. The story will unfold live at some of New Orleans’ most iconic locations, while featuring a procession of hundreds of people carrying a 20-foot, illuminated cross from Champion Square outside the Superdome to the live stage at Woldenburg Park on the banks of the Mississippi River.

 

Wow, I thought this was on next week. Not planning to watch, but I'd like to see what others thought of it.

Edited March 20, 2016 by Trini

[ancslove]

I'm trying to keep an open mind here, and the singing is good while the acting/line-reading is decent.  But I really would have preferred a straight-forward show, without the crowd interviews or Perry's mini sermons/history lessons.  Why couldn't this cast be doing a modern-setting Jesus Christ Superstar?  Or do the whole thing with pop songs, but have a complete script and be a complete show, because the back and forth just takes me out of the moment.  I'll probably continue to listen, but it's not what I'd hoped it would be.

[ByaNose]

I didn't think this was airng until another few months. Oooooops! I just saw Tyler Perry speaking and decided to click elsewhere. I don't think Grease: Live has anything to worry about.

[ancslove]

Oh my god, I am so over the random street interviews!  And added thanking the military.  I think the procession would have been great as a framing device, at the beginning and end of the event.  But at this rate, the actual Passion Play is going to be about half an hour long.  Chris Daughtry as Judas, though, is perfect.  But as good as he is at Evanescence, I'd love to see him sing Heaven On Their Minds.

[Frost]

Cutting away to the procession is killing the emotional momentum.  I don't mind Tyler Perry's scene introductions but I think the flow would be better without them.  My main issue is with the casting of Jesus.  I don't know who the actor is, but he doesn't have the presence or, dare I say, the passion required.

[27bored]

Chris got busy on "Bring Me to Life". It was his signature style with an added bit of torture.

 

I'm enjoying it, but it's a little disjointed. I think the momentum of the story gets a bit thrown off with the street interviews.

[bluwater]

I love Telenovela so neat to see "Xavier" as Jesus! Enjoying the songs, but wasn't expecting to hear pop songs. I thought it would be songs written specifically FOR this show.

 

Also, being a huge fan of CCM (Contemporary Christian Music), wonderful to see Mr. Michael W. Smith as a disciple.

 

Enjoyed hearing Chris sing Bring Me to Life.

[SmithW6079]

Since Jesus and His disciples are at different locations throughout, Tyler Perry's narration is to give them time time move from one to another.

The actor playing Jesus is Jencarlos Canela, who plays Xavi on "Telenovela." He is an internationally known actor and singer.

I'm enjoying this more than I thought I would. I do feel sorry for the audience, though, having to watch the actual Passion on those narrow vertical screens.

Edited March 21, 2016 by SmithW6079

[27bored]

Since Jesus and His disciples are at different locations throughout, Tyler Perry's narration is to give them time time move from one to another.

 

Really? I mean, that makes sense, but I thought the story was pre-taped. It would explain the head mics, but that's even more impressive if they're singing live.

[ancslove]

I might have to buy Daughtry's and Canela's version of Demons, as well as Daughtry's Bring Me To Life.  I think cutting out Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin is a narrative mistake, because Pilate just looks weak.  

 

Also, they covered a song from Carousel, so maybe they can use a song from Superstar, too?  

[kanona29]

Since Jesus and His disciples are at different locations throughout, Tyler Perry's narration is to give them time time move from one to another.

The actor playing Jesus is Jencarlos Canela, who plays Xavi on "Telenovela." He is an internationally known actor and singer.

I'm enjoying this more than I thought I would. I do feel sorry for the audience, though, having to watch the actual Passion on those narrow vertical screens.

I'm watching because my mom is there in the audience right in front. I was only going to watch for a few minutes, but it held my attention and is way better than I imagined. I really enjoy the procession because that is quite a feat carrying that cross from the Superdome to the Riverwalk.

I don't mind the interviews because I enjoy hearing the genuine thoughts about love, faith, strength, and family from the audience.

And I must say Tyler Perry is doing a good job as host.

Very respectable program on the topic of the Passion of Christ through a modern lens. Pleasantly surprised!

Edited March 21, 2016 by kanona29

[aradia22]

Glee. This is so much Glee. Most of Jesus' songs are the awful drippy stuff I skip on the radio. Daughtry's Evanescence cover made me laugh for many reasons. It also made me wonder why they didn't just do Jesus Christ Superstar.

[ancslove]

It is Glee, the earnest preachy Glee.  That said, I'll take Judas' angsty ballads over Mary's any day.  I prefer Ted Neeley's almost bored "That's what you say" over Canela's tears in the Trial.  

 

I'm practicing Catholic, and this is almost too preachy for me.  I think something like Superstar, even done with modern music, would have a broader audience than such an overtly religious program.  

 

Ok, I guess Jesus Christ Superstar doesn't actually include the Resurrection.  Maybe that's why they didn't choose it.

[Mockingbird]

Glee. This is so much Glee. Most of Jesus' songs are the awful drippy stuff I skip on the radio. Daughtry's Evanescence cover made me laugh for many reasons. It also made me wonder why they didn't just do Jesus Christ Superstar.

 

I would have loved Jesus Christ Superstar live. The music/casting choices here are so perplexing to me. Actually, the whole thing is perplexing. Hoobastank followed soon after by Tyler Perry detailing crucifixion? I forgot that this was on, and, as I was flipping around, I was stopped dead in my tracks with the thought: "Is Judas singing Imagine Dragons at Gethsemane?" 

 

OH, GOSH. Now hot Jesus is singing Katy Perry. 

[SmithW6079]

I think something like Superstar, even done with modern music, would have a broader audience than such an overtly religious program.

How do you make a play about the Son of God, His death, and resurrection not be "overtly" religious?

I don't think they were trying to reach a "broader audience" -- they were reaching out to Christians. And I'm sure there are plenty of staunch Christians who faulted the show for using pop music.

[alexa]

I agree that this was strange. I didn't really get it. Chris and others singing random songs that weren't created for this show--if they were going to do this they could have at least had original music. The back and forth infomercial style just doesn't fit with Jesus story in my mind. His story is enough to tell that story. I felt like they just had singers randomly placed to sing and they didn't seem to actually be playing the role they were given.

[aradia22]

After seeing it over and over on so many singing competitions, including The Glee Project, Mad World doesn't seem as deep. The cross coming through the crowd is not setting the right vibe, I think...

 

As someone on another message board said, maybe next time just save the money and do what Jesus would have done and help people.

[ancslove]

How do you make a play about the Son of God, His death, and resurrection not be "overtly" religious?

I don't think they were trying to reach a "broader audience" -- they were reaching out to Christians. And I'm sure there are plenty of staunch Christians who faulted the show for using pop music.

 

The story alone would give viewers the choice to either view it as a story, compelling and interesting by itself, or to find a deeper resonance in their faith.  But this way, I felt that the cutting back and forth actually cut into the story far too much, and so the preaching from Perry was just religious speechifying.  There wasn't enough story to back up his sermon.  The Trial was so short, and it was a real missed opportunity for the modern setting.  Mary was completely disconnected, did she and Jesus ever even make eye contact?  I thought Judas had the strongest emotional arc, but without his suicide, even that lacked resolution.  

 

Christians who turn to TV for their sermons is a fairly small audience, and my personal opinion/preference is that this show should have aimed bigger.

[Raja]

I agree that this was strange. I didn't really get it. Chris and others singing random songs that weren't created for this show--if they were going to do this they could have at least had original music. The back and forth infomercial style just doesn't fit with Jesus story in my mind. His story is enough to tell that story. I felt like they just had singers randomly placed to sing and they didn't seem to actually be playing the role they were given.

It comes down to the joke about seeing an artist in concert, the last thing you want to hear is "this is something from our new album". The other musicals in this recent wave have the advantage of having songs known by the culture. And done this way it feels very much like a Tyler Perry Gospel play

[Actionmage]

The ads kept taking me out of it, too. I understand that ad money makes the broadcast TV world spinning, but either front and back load the thing up and keep the narrative as ad-free as possible or go the mostly ad-free way.. Emotional moments immediately followed by Wal-Mart trying to shill and get us in the family/Easter spirit is jarring.

 

I was late getting home in time to watch from the start, but at 7:35, Judas was trying to reason with himself about betraying Jesus.  That is ,roughly, the quarter mark, a fourth of the running time.The story, which didn't need to be stretched out, still felt incredibly rushed. 

 

I enjoyed what I saw, mostly, but what did we need with a reporter in this presentation? This isn't a knock on the woman, but the decision to put a reporter on-the-street in the first place. Like the numerous ads, breaking the narrative will take folks out of the story you are trying to tell. Why  potentially self-sabotage?

 

I liked the mish-mash of current music, but I don't think they all fit well. I enjoyed "Calling All Angels", but as aradia22 said, felt disappointed that Seal/Pilate was given "Mad World"- even if it was sung well. Didn't Adam Lambert just sing it four or five days earlier and on the same network?   Licensing the songs for the production could have resulted in some of the choices too.

 

Again, I enjoyed most of what I was able to see, as far as the actual production. It was neither a flaming wreck nor a transcendent experience, but it was a nice way to spend the night the Sunday before Easter.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Actionmage

[Raja]

The ads kept taking me out of it, too. I understand that ad money makes the broadcast TV world spinning, but either front and back load the thing up and keep the narrative as ad-free as possible. Emotional moments immediately followed by Wal-Mart trying to shill and get us in the family/Easter spirit is jarring.

 

I was late getting home in time to watch from the start, but at 7:35, Judas was trying to reason with himself about betraying Jesus. The story, which didn't need to be stretched out, still felt incredibly rushed.  I enjoyed what I saw, mostly, but what did we need with a reporter in this presentation? This isn't a knock on the woman, but the decision to put a reporter on-the-street in the first place. Like the numerous ads, breaking the narrative will take folks out of the story you are trying to tell. Why  potentially self-sabotage?

I noticed the promo for Empire. It was all about Andre going to his baptism, 

Lucious wasn't shown in his devilish interruption

[ennui]

Apparently, I am easily pleased because I am loving it.

I love the song choices, the performances, and seeing the cross carried through the streets is emotionally powerful. We can't all walk the Via Dolorosa.

Most of us know the story, and for those who don't, maybe they'll be inspired to do more research. The Passion of the Christ is straight from the Bible, fyi.

[Rick Kitchen]

Since when did "With Arms Wide Open" have religious lyrics?

 

I don't mind the performance of these songs, and even the Tyler Perry narration (though maybe he should have played Mary), but the proselytizing in the streets is way annoying.

 

Well that's not fair, the Romans have cars.

 

Daughtry killed it.

 

"And the reason is Yo!"  Prince Royce has a nice voice, though.

 

Gee, they went with the old anti-Semitic canard about the mob yelling to release Barabbas and to crucify Jesus against Pilate's will.

 

"Mad World" is one of my top five all time songs.

 

No Herod?

 

I kept wondering if they were going to show Jesus on the cross with no clothes on.  It's probably freezing in Nola.

[MzTori77]

The temp wasn't that low, but boy, was it windy today! That made it feel colder than it actually was. March weather in NOLA can run the gamut!

The temp wasn't that low, but boy, was it windy today! That made it feel colder than it actually was. March weather in NOLA can run the gamut! They were lucky it was just a little chilly/windy.

Edited March 21, 2016 by MzTori77

[Juneau Gal]

I am a Jew and very much not a Tyler Perry fan, so I am not exactly the target audience for this production. I came to it with negative expectations and was pleasantly surprised. The song choices were interesting and in the most part, effective and affective. Did not like the random interviews with the cross bearers however.

I watched this with my friend who is a Lutheran pastor and she had MUCH to say about some of Tyler Perry's moments, but then came to the understanding that he was telling the story from a southern Baptist viewpoint and therefore would have a different interpretation then what she "preaches". All in all I thought it was a successful effort.......but too much Mary.

Edited March 21, 2016 by Juneau Gal

[Commando Cody]

Seriously. A creed song. The one about Scott Stapp having to accept that he was going to be a father.

 

This show drags. I was hoping for original songs - not covers. I was kind of surprised. I don't really like the songs they covered. 

 

The actors have no passion for acting at all. It's like they can barely remember their lines. 

[BW Manilowe]

I might have to buy Daughtry's and Canela's version of Demons, as well as Daughtry's Bring Me To Life. I think cutting out Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin is a narrative mistake, because Pilate just looks weak.

Also, they covered a song from Carousel, so maybe they can use a song from Superstar, too?

They recorded a CD of the music from the show, it was released this past Friday, so that's entirely possible for you to do (buy the songs you mentioned). I'm pretty sure the music's also available at iTunes; not so sure about Amazon's MP3 Store.

Edited March 21, 2016 by BW Manilowe

[BW Manilowe]

Since when did "With Arms Wide Open" have religious lyrics?

I don't mind the performance of these songs, and even the Tyler Perry narration (though maybe he should have played Mary), but the proselytizing in the streets is way annoying.

Well that's not fair, the Romans have cars.

Daughtry killed it.

"And the reason is Yo!" Prince Royce has a nice voice, though.

Gee, they went with the old anti-Semitic canard about the mob yelling to release Barabbas and to crucify Jesus against Pilate's will.

"Mad World" is one of my top five all time songs.

No Herod?

I kept wondering if they were going to show Jesus on the cross with no clothes on. It's probably freezing in Nola.

I didn't notice the changes in that song, but they also used We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome), Tina Turner's song from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, in the show & they changed 1 line of the chorus in that song: the line that originally was "All we want is life beyond the thunderdome", to at least remove the "thunderdome" reference since that wouldn't have worked here. So it appears, when necessary/when they felt it was appropriate, they took artistic license & changed lyrics here & there to make the song fit the theme better.

[27bored]

Eh, it had a few flaws but it worked for me. Even the street interviews kinda started to work.

I've always had a soft spot for pop songs that sound like they could be CCM. Songs like "Glowing" by Nikki Williams, "She Is Love" by Parachute, "Brother" by Needtobreathe (a Christian band) are good in contrast to the breathy oversexed stuff on the radio. And Katy Perry was a good choice, too. I liked "Unconditionally", but even "Wide Awake" sounds like it could be somewhat spiritual.

I just think it was amazing to see something like this in prime time TV. You don't see a lot of overt religious programming on network TV, and if you do it's like a weird thing.

I would love to see a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. They need to call Steve Balsamo's people because he's gonna need to do Jesus.

[ancslove]

I'd love to see Chris Daughtry's Judas against Adam Lambert's Jesus.  Seeing them do the Last Supper would be amazing.

[mtlchick]

 

The actor playing Jesus is Jencarlos Canela, who plays Xavi on "Telenovela." He is an internationally known actor and singer.

 

I had to Google him because I didn't recognize him without the stubble from Telenovela.

[bc1795]

What a disjointed mess.  They should have just done Superstar.   The song from Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome? Really?

[DollEyes]

My verdict: for the most part, a shi-um, I mean, a crap show. Godspell & Jesus Christ Superstar have nothing to worry about. Jeancarlos Canela, Chris Daughtry and Seal were the only good things about it, which given the inherent crappiness of all Tyler Perry productions, isn't that hard.

[bluwater]

I'd love to see Chris Daughtry's Judas against Adam Lambert's Jesus. Seeing them do the Last Supper would be amazing.

Yes, yes, a million times, YES!!

[Archery]

I'm mad at myself for not remembering until too late to set my DVR.  I came in halfway through -- because I was watching The Passion of the Christ on another channel -- and realized I wouldn't be able to get into it properly at that point. And I think the juxtaposition was too difficult.  I hope to catch it from the beginning, maybe on demand.

 

Question:  since it was live, how were they able to show previews over the past couple of weeks?  Was that digital, or did they do some giant dress rehearsal?

 

eta: people say they'd rather see JCS, but, in my opinion, aside from the well-known numbers, the unabridged score is very dated and not that interesting to listen to. 

Edited March 21, 2016 by Archery

[Juneau Gal]

 

eta: people say they'd rather see JCS, but, in my opinion, aside from the well-known numbers, the unabridged score is very dated and not that interesting to listen to. 

It is interesting that you should say that. I recently listened to the original JCS recording, the one produced before it was ever taken to stage and film, and was so impressed by what incredible storytelling it is and how it HAS stood the test of time.

That is the interesting thing abut music, we all bring so much of ourselves to the listening. People on this forum have stated that they hated certain songs being used in last night's show because they are so iconic to the original performers. I didn't have that problem until.........We Don't Need Another Hero, that one stopped me dead in my tracks because all I could see was Tina Turner in Thunderdome.

I really applaud the concept of this show, but I think it is always going to be a crap shoot whether it works or not for the majority of viewers due to prior relationships with the songs used. 

[ItsHelloPattiagain]

 

Very respectable program on the topic of the Passion of Christ through a modern lens. Pleasantly surprised!

I'm a practicing Catholic and there were times where I was thinking "huh"? and times where I started to cry. And I'm glad y'all identified Xavi because my brain was scrambling to figure out why he was familiar throughout the whole show. 

I wasn't feeling Trisha/Mary's "boobs on a platter" style slit dress (yes, nit picking). And I wished she had some interaction with Jesus - Mary was there during the Via Dolorosa along with many other women. It was a very man-heavy cast. 

 

Wish they had just shown the procession instead of the constant man on the street interviews. IMHO it would have had more power just showing how the procession with the cross picked up more and more people as it went along. 

[rcc]

I didn't like the interviews. The music was well chosen and performed. Tricia Yearwood especially was full of "passion" in every song. Tyler narrating was good, but I didn't think he was needed throughout. Just an intro would have been much better IMO.

 

The ratings weren't very high.

 

http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2016/03/21/tv-ratings-sunday-march-20-2016/      

[Qoass]

As an atheist I didn't expect to be taken by this but I have to say that when they cut to a shot of a woman in the audience in tears enraptured by a Creed song while another audience member was obliviously scrolling through her smart phone, I was both disturbed and amused.

[mtlchick]

 

I'm mad at myself for not remembering until too late to set my DVR.  I came in halfway through -- because I was watching The Passion of the Christ on another channel -- and realized I wouldn't be able to get into it properly at that point. And I think the juxtaposition was too difficult.  I hope to catch it from the beginning, maybe on demand.

 

You can view it here http://www.fox.com/the-passiononce you sign in with your cable service info (ironically, the ad that pops up?  Is for Lucifer.)  Netflix will be streaming it outside of the USA http://variety.com/2016/digital/news/netflix-passion-fox-live-broadcast-1201734731/

[Mockingbird]

It is interesting that you should say that. I recently listened to the original JCS recording, the one produced before it was ever taken to stage and film, and was so impressed by what incredible storytelling it is and how it HAS stood the test of time.

Totally agreed. Judas in JCS never fails to break my heart in that recording (and in other good productions), and, while most productions of the show are products of their time and therefore dated, the music by itself largely holds up, for me at least. I used to rock Heaven on Their Minds dying eggs with my family when I was much younger, though, so I have an emotional attachment.

Hoobastank, Creed, and Evanescence, however, really dated the show for me. I guess it just depends on whether or not you were a ridiculous high school student when those songs were originally released...

[aradia22]

 

I just think it was amazing to see something like this in prime time TV. You don't see a lot of overt religious programming on network TV, and if you do it's like a weird thing.

I take it you don't watch Of Kings and Prophets or that The Bible series from Mark Burnett or all the movies (e.g. The Ten Commandments) that get aired on certain holidays.

[KLovestoShop]

I wasn't expecting to like this, as I'm not a Tyler Perry fan, but I found myself really liking it. I think someone with a better voice should have played Mary, as TY didn't handle some of the songs. She has a voice better suited to Country music rather than pop music. Yolanda Adams would have made a better Mary, with her very powerful voice. I thought Seal was amazing as was Chris D. Didn't like the street interviews and I was really bothered by the excess of smartphones, but the crowd was very well behaved for the most part.

[BW Manilowe]

I take it you don't watch Of Kings and Prophets or that The Bible series from Mark Burnett or all the movies (e.g. The Ten Commandments) that get aired on certain holidays.

Nobody's watching Of Kings and Prophets now. ABC canceled it last Monday, after the second ep's ratings tanked even worse than the premiere's did.

[Raja]

I take it you don't watch Of Kings and Prophets or that The Bible series from Mark Burnett or all the movies (e.g. The Ten Commandments) that get aired on certain holidays.

The major difference is that they were just telling a Bible story. In this case you had Tyler Perry as Brother Tyler Perry say I am a Christian and these events changed and continue to effect our world today.

[AManfred]

I enjoy and support all live musicals and am happy to see the increase in them over the past couple of years.

 

I did FF through a lot of this. I loved JenCarlos, who I only know through Telenovela. I snarkily thought, isn't he a little old to play Jesus... then looked it up and realized he is only 27! I guess I figured he was in his late 30s because he is paired with just-turned 40 year old Eva Longeria on Telenovela.

[Maysie]

I watched a few minutes of this but it wasn't really holding my interest. The New Orleans Advocate has an interesting piece about the actual production.

[Actionmage]

Thanks for the link, Maysie; it was a nice read.

[SmithW6079]

Since Jesus and His disciples are at different locations throughout, Tyler Perry's narration is to give them time time move from one to another.

 

 

 

Really? I mean, that makes sense, but I thought the story was pre-taped. It would explain the head mics, but that's even more impressive if they're singing live.

I was mistaken. I thought the whole thing was live, but apparently the Passion itself was pre-recorded. While I was watching, I did think they had to have placed cameras all over the place to get some of the shots they did. I still feel sorry for the audience having to watch it on long, vertical screens.

[paulvdb]

Even though I am Dutch I never watched the Dutch version, but it is my understanding that they followed mostly the same format with a narrator on stage, a procession though the host city with an interviewer, scenes with Jesus and the disciples at various locations in the host city and covers of popular songs. The main difference is that the Dutch verzion airs on a public channel that only airs commercials before and after programs but doesn't interrupt their programs with commercial breaks.

For some background on our broadcasting system: before we had commercial tv we only had public radio and tv channels where airtime was divided between various broadcasters based on how many members each of them had. Originally we started with broadcasters based on political and religious beliefs (socialist, liberal, catholic, protestant). Each of them aired a mix of general entertainment and programs from their political or religious background. Later we also got some new broadcasters without political or religious backgrounds and there is also the neutral NOS which doesn't have members but gets airtime for neutral programming of mostly news and sports. The Passion is a co-production of protestant and catholic broadcasters and is held in a different city every year. The 6th Passion will be on Thursday in Amersfoort.