Jesus Christ Superstar Live! (NBC) - General Discussion

[lion10]

I absolutely loved it!  I'll start off by admitting that I'm one of the filthy casuals who might not have watched without John Legend starring, but wow Judas blew him out of the water even though Legend did fine, especially since he was starring alongside and against seasoned live theater performers.  It was great to see Norm Lewis as I really liked him as Javert in Les Miserables.  That Crucifixion shot was AMAZING, that's what a good production value gets you!  Pontious Pilate and Herod were also standouts.  Sara Bareilles was great as Mary Magdalene as well.  

Judas:  If you knew why I did it-

Jesus:  I don't care why you do it!

Loved that scene.  Just in love with theater right now.

 

If I had to choose the next live performance NBC does, I'd pick West Side Story.

[voiceover]

*smacks forehead* Just noticed the backstage action in the corner of the screen during the commercials.

[ebk57]

4 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

Written for the movie, but it has been incorporated in stage productions since then.

Ah... I feel better.  I've never heard this song before.  I saw the movie when it came out, but don't watch it regularly and the only recording I ever listen to is the original (with Murray Head).  Everyone was saying how they loved this song and I was confused.

Okay, I'm usually confused, but still.

[kib]

1 hour ago, ebk57 said:

Nicely done Alice!

Here's a little tidbit from "The Arizona Republic", Alice's hometown newspaper:

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice invited the rocker to record that very song for a London cast recording album.

"It was funny," Cooper says. "Because I’ve known Tim Rice, the lyricist, forever. So when they got ready to re-record the original soundtrack for 'Jesus Christ Superstar' maybe 10 years ago, he says, ‘Do you want to do the Herod song?’ Victor Spinetti did it before me. He was in ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ A great, great actor. I said, ‘Wow. Really? I could definitely put a spin on it.’”

So if I read that right, Alice's performance made it on a cast album without really being in the cast.  Nicely done indeed.

[Nordly Beaumont]

2 minutes ago, voiceover said:

*smacks forehead* Just noticed the backstage action in the corner of the screen during the commercials.

I ignored them. It was bad enough the million commercials took me out of the moment, I didn't want to see the cast our of character too.

[Sile]

1 minute ago, kib said:

Here's a little tidbit from "The Arizona Republic", Alice's hometown newspaper:

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice invited the rocker to record that very song for a London cast recording album.

"It was funny," Cooper says. "Because I’ve known Tim Rice, the lyricist, forever. So when they got ready to re-record the original soundtrack for 'Jesus Christ Superstar' maybe 10 years ago, he says, ‘Do you want to do the Herod song?’ Victor Spinetti did it before me. He was in ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ A great, great actor. I said, ‘Wow. Really? I could definitely put a spin on it.’”

So if I read that right, Alice's performance made it on a cast album without really being in the cast.  Nicely done indeed.

Thanks for sharing this.  I'm an Alice fan since way back and knew about that recording but never knew why he was on it since I was pretty sure he had never been in a production of the show.  For some reason I can't picture Cooper and Rice running in the same social circles.  Maybe he golfs? :D  Then again, I think Alice pretty much knows *everybody* at this point. 

[Irlandesa]

18 minutes ago, Lily H said:

And the final scene with the walls opening up to make the cross? Awe-inspiring. I am speechless. And that comes from an atheist!

That visual was stunning.  STUN-NING.  I was really worried about what the staging would look like for a "in concert" version but they managed to have some amazing visual touches with the costumes, the cross on the floor and then that final shot. 

I think it started a bit slow and it took me a while to get into it but by the end of the first act, everything was flowing for me and the second act was beyond terrific.  I love theater and have seen most of the classics somewhere on stage but this was the first production of JCSS I've seen.  I had heard some of the music but never seen it all together.  I understand people preferring a previous version of the show.  I've been there with other productions. 

But as a first timer, I thought this was pretty terrific.  They managed to capture not only the live feel but an alive feel.  In ten or twenty years, when someone puts this on again, I think this will be a version that some people will compare a new version to unfavorably (for the new version). In other words, I think this isn't going to kill theater for many people, if anyone.

[Inquisitionist]

Has anyone heard if this will be repeated or available through a streaming service?  I have a few friends who missed it (and are kicking themselves).

[adhoc]

I'm trying to remember back to when JCS first came out. I was in high school. I think the controversy arose in large part because here Andrew Lloyd Webber was taking an arguably "sacred" subject and turning it into a rock opera! The music and lyrics were hip and pretty modern (I mean, just look at Herod's song) for the times. A lot of very traditional Christians considered the treatment profane.

[janeta]

I'Ve owned a copy of “Rock Opera” by Nassour and Broderick for several decades now; guess i should actually read it. :)

[lion10]

4 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

Has anyone heard if this will be repeated or available through a streaming service?  I have a few friends who missed it (and are kicking themselves).

I would expect either Hulu or NBC will have it within 24 hours.

[SandyToes]

4 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

They managed to capture not only the live feel but an alive feel. 

I love this!  And completely agree.  I love seeing how differently productions are staged, and I really enjoyed this one.  The cross-shaped tables, the glitter, even the scarves.  The crowd in the beginning I thought also became part of the production with the fawning over "Jesus." Our local musical theater company was supposed to do this show a couple of years ago, then pulled it (for "In The Heights," so that was okay) and I was so disappointed.  Ran into it on TV a few months ago, and promptly downloaded the album. Glad the digital can't wear out!

[Snow Apple]

7 minutes ago, Inquisitionist said:

Has anyone heard if this will be repeated or available through a streaming service?  I have a few friends who missed it (and are kicking themselves).

NBC already put a bunch of videos on YouTube.

[voiceover]

It occurred to me, not for the first time, that "Gethsemane" is something akin to Carousel's "Soliloquy": a demanding-singing-of, demanding-listening-to, gut-wrenching, Point of No Return number.

John was doing it just fine, but I really missed that "All right! I'll die!" moment of surrender.

The problem when the album's so in your head.  I admit it.

[ancslove]

The Crucifixion special effects were spectacular!  And I love that they didn't show a more overt Resurrection, even while airing on Easter Sunday.  John Legend was a lot stronger than I thought he'd be, but Judas, Caiaphas, and Annas were the MVPs.  They probably should have gone the Ian Gillan route for Gethsemane - he didn't punch the "see how I die" line at all, and that might have been better for Legend's voice.  And it's kind of a shame he redirected himself for the last "before I change my mind", since I thought the Dress Rehearsal clip used for the promos was stronger, but it was a smart choice if he felt his voice was giving out.  

I was worried a bit about Norm Lewis, just because Caiaphas is a much deeper role than Javert, but he sounded fantastic, and made a nice vocal contrast to Annas.  And I love the Sanhedrin costumes here!  It's a shame they didn't keep Then We Are Decided, from the '73 movie.  (Yeah, I know that was added specifically for that movie, but it's a great song when Caiaphas and Annas are strong.)

I think the sound editors (?) adjusted some things as the show progressed.  The audience and orchestra were way too loud in the beginning, but that got a lot better by the end.  

[voiceover]

7 minutes ago, adhoc said:

I think the controversy arose in large part because here Andrew Lloyd Webber was taking an arguably "sacred" subject and turning it into a rock opera

"In large part"?  Nah.  That was 100% of it.

But it had two things going for it: a)brilliantly conceived, executed, & delivered; b)it came out during a time when a specific kind of hip-Christianity -- a traveling, witnessing, emotional kind -- rolled across churches in the early 70s.  So after you saw a copy of "The Blue Denim Bible" adorned with a faux Coca-Cola label (it said "Jesus Christ/The Real Thing"), and watched a long-haired, bearded young man break down weeping as he described his conversion, you were apt to be more open to what this show was selling.

[bref]

19 minutes ago, janeta said:

I'Ve owned a copy of “Rock Opera” by Nassour and Broderick for several decades now; guess i should actually read it. :)

This sent me to Amazon looking for it. Read it and then sell it if you need some money, you're sitting on a goldmine!

[ancslove]

I think the controversy was a bit more than just the rock aspect.  Ending with the crucifixion instead of a resurrection was bold.  And the Last Supper here is far from spiritual and mystic!  

 

On another note, I definitely think more Live TV Musicals should do sung-through shows like this!  Not having to cringe through badly or over-acted spoken scenes like in Sound of Music Live or even Grease Live was a relief.

[EllenB]

2 minutes ago, ancslove said:

I think the controversy was a bit more than just the rock aspect.  Ending with the crucifixion instead of a resurrection was bold.  And the Last Supper here is far from spiritual and mystic!  

 

On another note, I definitely think more Live TV Musicals should do sung-through shows like this!  Not having to cringe through badly or over-acted spoken scenes like in Sound of Music Live or even Grease Live was a relief.

I'm trying to remember if the original version had more spoken dialogue.  I think this was advertised as a staged concert version, and subtracting commercial time from this production would make for a pretty short theatrical production.  But this show is all about the music, so any dialogue isn't really missed.

[ancslove]

No, the original was all sung-through.  I think most of ALW's musicals are sung-through.  Cats and Joseph definitely are, and Phantom is 99% song.  Evita has a bit more dialogue, but it's also mostly song. 

The "In Concert" label here was kind of weird.  It seemed pretty fully staged and choreographed.  Now, the two Les Miserables Anniversary Concerts (10th and 25th) were real concerts - mostly everyone standing in front of microphones and singing.

[Maire]

It was better than I'd hoped. When I read "concert" I didn't think they would have so much staging. It was fabulous. Well done!

 

eta: exactly ancslove I thought it would be more like the Les Mis 25th.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Maire

[voiceover]

11 minutes ago, ancslove said:

I think the controversy was a bit more than just the rock aspect.  Ending with the crucifixion instead of a resurrection was bold.  And the Last Supper here is far from spiritual and mystic!  

All of that was part of the "rock aspect": the fear that making the Sacred, casual, was blasphemous.  Turns out, it wasn't. 

And agree to disagree: I read the title tune as the de facto Resurrection moment.

[Mockingbird]

My mom used to play the original recording while we dyed Easter eggs, so I'm awfully partial to this musical. I thought they did well pretty well. (I never thought John Legend would be able to nail Gethsemane, but he probably didn't either. And he seemed to be having such a good time.) The vocals were mostly great. Norm Lewis is a national treasure. Most of the costumes were fabulous, too. What I did miss was a lot of the emotion I've seen in other productions. Other productions have played up the Judas/Jesus relationship, which packs more of a punch later in the play. (The 2000 PBS Great Performance production had plenty of issues, but, oof, you felt Judas' guilt and pain.) And Superstar, in my opinion, works a lot better when Jesus is on stage and Judas can deliver some of those "I only wanna know"s to him and mean it. But Brandon Victor Dixon definitely delivered on the vocals. 

Knowing a show too well can take out some of the enjoyment in watching a new version of it, but I still REALLY enjoyed this. I'll rewatch it and probably like it even more the second time. 

[Frost]

I didn't know who Ted Neely was (kept reading it as "Ted Nugent") so I popped over to You Tube.  And now I'm dead on the floor.  His version of Gethesmane is astounding.  Yes, he's too pale and blue eyed but the emotion he put into that song absolutely blew me away.  I enjoyed John Legend but I'm glad hadn't seen the Ted Neely videos first or I would have spent the show comparing them!

I really enjoyed this production and agree that the ending shot of the crucifixion was incredible.

[voiceover]

The original recording was listed as "Concept".  I'll add Chess to ancslove's list of (this time Rice w/o Webber) similar.

I love Ben Daniels from Law & Order: U.K.  His Pilate here got better after his "Pilate's Dream" number (sadly, one of my favorite songs in the show).  He sang better pissed off.

[dbell1]

Just watched on dvr. Glad I could miss the commercials, way too many. Why wasn't this limited commercials with a main sponsor? 

Totally feel the sound got better by the end. 

I had the album, then the cassette of this. Saw the movie, knew every song by heart. Judas, for me, is the star of any staging. And I'm ashamed to admit Brandon Victor Dixon isn't a name I knew before tonight. The man was amazing.

Sorry that Sara leaves Waitress before I can get to the show later this month. She gave me chills during I Don't...

John Legend was okay, Gethsemane, wasn't bad, but it didn't stop my heart. And that song is one of my all time favorites.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Talent abounded on stage and in the staging/production.  Gor.  Jus.

I was quite surprised at the emotive performances by Dixon and Sara.  I knew they would sing brilliantly.  I bought them as people, not actors.  I rarely do such in a "musical."

LOVED Alice!  "Hello JeRUSALUM!!!"  I guffawed.  His facial expressions were so spot-on and meta I can't even.  Brilliant casting.  Wonderful performance.

Staging and blocking and camera movement were spectacular.  Just give them the Emmy tonight.  Genius.

The imagination of the resurrection was stunning.  It could not have been done to anything nearly this fabulous pre-HD TV.    

Without question, this was the best LIVE musical/theater recreation that NBC has done.  They deserve much credit for having taken this chance and for delivering in such a marvelous way tonight.  I hope this rated off of all the charts.  

HE IS DANGEROUS!!!!!!!!  Yes.  Yes, He is.

[voiceover]

Well, John finally got to me: "Father! Into your hands, I commend my spirit!"  Hard not to weep at that moment.

Congrats to the cast.  It was worth the watch.

[Silver Raven]

Quite the raucous crowd for what I read was only 1200 people.

Some awesome voices, BVD blew me away, and then Legend blew out the pipes, and Damn! And Norm Lewis ...

One of the Pharisees looks like he stepped out of a boy band.

Did they just say Wicked is going to be the next live show?

The guy playing Simon is a Swedish rock star.  He was on Swedish Idol.

The Temple scene was pretty low key.  I wasn't even sure what they were going for, and Jesus didn't screech his demands like every other production I've seen.

John Legend does a lot of shoulder shrugging.  :D

I love Alice milking the crowd.

Damn, BVD may come out of this a star.

Now, that is how you do a show.  My only complaint is that Mary disappeared for large stretches of the show.  Even if she didn't have a singing part, she should have been visible in the crowds.

Also, Alice was a bit of a letdown.  Not campy enough.

5 hours ago, Spartan Girl said:

You know the right wing evangelicals are are going to throw a fit over this one.

So far I'm loving it. 

Bill O'Reilly complained about the tattoos, of all things.  I guess Jesus being black and singing in English he could get past.

[Silver Raven]

1 hour ago, ancslove said:

I think the controversy was a bit more than just the rock aspect.  Ending with the crucifixion instead of a resurrection was bold.  And the Last Supper here is far from spiritual and mystic!  

 

On another note, I definitely think more Live TV Musicals should do sung-through shows like this!  Not having to cringe through badly or over-acted spoken scenes like in Sound of Music Live or even Grease Live was a relief.

I just read that Jennifer Lopez's Bye Bye Birdie has been postponed yet again.

[Sile]

Now that I've seen the whole thing, to borrow a word from Herod...

Wow.

Every time I watch the movie, there are several parts I ff through.  I didn't skip a single second of this show, so powerful.  I hope they bring it out on DVD so there aren't all of the adverts cutting off the emotional moments. And, you know, maybe I'm just making excuses, but I think John Legend not being a stand out presence and kind of fading into the background might have actually been a choice.  Because my idea of Jesus was a humble dude that just kind of went about his business and made people come to their own conclusions.  Having him contrast against all of these flashy, strong personalities just really brought that home.  So whether conscious decision or happy accident, I really liked it.

Speaking of strong personalities...

Brandon. Victor. F'ing. Dixon!  I didn't think anything could look better than him in leather, but I was wrong.  If there was ever a man who could pull off sparkles and rhinestone Elvis belt buckles, it's this man.  He gave me many feels that weren't all that spritual.  Is it also a sacrilege to say that he kind of reminded me of Donald Faison?  I think it was the dancing in the sparkly sneakers at the end.

And I realize I'm terribly, terribly biased being an unabashed Alice fan plus King Herod's song has always been my favorite part of JCS, but I thought he was aces.  It was either Groucho Marx or Mae West that said he was made for vaudeville and I agree.  A fun little touch was the piano player not starting when he gave the "hit it" sign, then he waits a beat, give a mean face and a more emphatic "hit it" sign.  But the very best was working the crowd:  giving me Spinal Tap realness then toning down the applause with one hand while urging it on with the other one at the same time.  Oh, Alice, never change!

22 minutes ago, Silver Raven said:

Bill O'Reilly complained about the tattoos, of all things.  I guess Jesus being black and singing in English he could get past.

Not to mention female apostles.  Oh, the horror!

Edited April 2, 2018 by Sile

[voiceover]

Here is the original Gethsemane.  Ian Gillan was known to me before I ever heard this, because his band (Deep Purple) sang the first, and greatest ever, metal song: "Smoke on the Water".

It's possible that after hearing this version, you'd understand why some of us cling so tightly to that album.

But I love the opera itself so much that if this version gained it new fans, I say Yay.

[Brn2bwild]

3 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

I think of Judas as Inspector Javert.

 

It's actually pretty fitting that the same actor who played him here has also played Aaron Burr in Hamilton -- in many ways, they're the same character.

15 minutes ago, voiceover said:

Here is the original Gethsemane.  Ian Gillan was known to me before I ever heard this, because his band (Deep Purple) sang the first, and greatest ever, metal song: "Smoke on the Water".

It's possible that after hearing this version, you'd understand why some of us cling so tightly to that album.

But I love the opera itself so much that if this version gained it new fans, I say Yay.

The 1996 London cast version of the song is pretty great, too.

Edited April 2, 2018 by Brn2bwild

[justmehere]

Another here who listened to the original concept album when I was young. It's so ingrained that when there are lyric changes, it takes me right out of it. For instance, in Gethsemane, they changed the intense and so-emotional line: "God, thy will is hard. But you hold every card..." which leads into "I will drink your cup of poison..." I couldn't tell what they changed it to; I was too busy noticing the lack. I think some of the other changes were also changed for the movie but I don't know if all were.

I remember seeing the movie in the theater when it was out, and I cried from Gethsemane onward... I was 12. I did really like the addition of "Could We Start Again Please" for the movie. It's a beautiful song and so appropriate to the moment. Ted Neely and Carl Anderson definitely did justice to the original cast (of course Yvonne Elliman did both).

I thought Brandon Victor Dixon's best scene was the actual moment of betrayal, "On Thursday night..." (edit: and into "I Don't Know How to Love Him") --Sara Bareilles was quite good on all her songs. I feel for John Legend (especially if he was sick), but as others have said, he didn't portray the emotion in many instances. I get that he wanted to do his own take, but it just didn't work for me.

Edited April 2, 2018 by justmehere

[Silver Raven]

A lot of people hate the 2000 production, but I love Jerome Pradon's interpretation of Judas.

[bref]

@goodbunny, were the stage and venue as enormous as they appeared on TV? 

[haje]

They were smart in surrounding Legend with more experienced theater performers because he was easily the weakest link. He just doesn't have the range, both vocally and acting-wise, but I didn't mind it so much because I thought everyone else around him were great.

[RedheadZombie]

I almost couldn't handle the charisma overload.  Even the actors I'm not familiar with were mesmerizing.  I actually said out loud - THIS is out there and it's people like Channing Tatum who are super stars?

[cuppasun]

7 hours ago, WednesdayAddams said:

Too much crooning and not enough anger and passion for me. I've seen it on Broadway 3 times and mostly loved the PBS version back in 2000. I'm particular, so I could be biased. 

 

1 hour ago, Silver Raven said:

A lot of people hate the 2000 production, but I love Jerome Pradon's interpretation of Judas.

Well! I was deciding whether or not to confess that I have been one of those fans tucked away in the tiny airless room of the Most Unpopular of Unpopular Opinions...because I really, really like the 2000 production. Like, a lot. Glad to see there are others that at least appreciate it a bit. Make no mistake: I grew up on the movie, but there were aspects of it that always grated, and it never really stirred me much, even though I liked the music well enough. (I got to JCS via an earlier rabid fandom of "Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which I had an original cast record of that I played into oblivion...) I was fascinated by the setting--I really wanted to go to Israel all through my teens & young adulthood, so I loved seeing the landscape. Disclosure: I grew up Jewish, and have been an atheist much of my adult life; JCS has never had religious or spiritual resonance for me. However, I've long been interested, historically, in 1st-century Palestine and have read a lot of books about it, including a number dealing with whether or not there was a "historical Jesus." All of that makes the most interesting bit of the musical for me the story of Judas, as a pragmatist and someone acting in resistance to the Roman occupation, so I liked that stuff. Unfortunately--even though I like the songs and sometimes acting involved--it's also why the part I dislike the most is the "trial" before Pilate, because it perpetuates that pernicious old anti-Semitic canard that the the Jews "killed" Jesus and that Pilate was helplessly backed into a corner regarding his actions.

That's one of the things I so loved about the 2000 production: Fred Johanson was positively terrifying as Pilate, much more in line with historical reality. You don't really get the feeling that the crowd could make him do anything. I liked the atmosphere of the conflict being revolutionary against an occupying force; that's actually what a lot of the messianic leaders that did indeed pop up in droves at the time were about, and Jerome Pradon really captured that. And I liked Rik Mayall's scarier Herod to Josh Mostel's camp version (though I thought the latter was effing hilarious when I was a teenager, heh...). It was the first production that really captured that energy for me, and engaged me.

I was actually kind of stoked to see the set and costuming initially with tonight's production, because it seemed to draw at least somewhat from that more modernized version (I was afraid they were going to try to echo the hippie sensibility of the movie, and while that worked for the time, I don't think it would have worked well here). They definitely leaned harder on the spiritual sensibility than the revolutionary one, and that's okay; many of the performances were very very good, as others have noted: Judas, Pilate, Caiaphas, and MM all impressed me.

And yeah, John Legend as Jesus was definitely the weak link here. Actually, most of the Jesuses from various versions of JCS tend to be (including 2000's)--pretty much except Ted Neely, who did indeed kind of break the mold. There were a couple of moments with Legend that really took me out of the flow: during "Hosanna" when the crowd sings "Won't you die for me?" I was disappointed to see that Legend was just grinning and bopping along with the song. It's a small moment, but in other productions, it's a profound and dissonant one: when Jesus (and usually Judas, too) is startled and disturbed to realize what the cheering crowd is asking of him. It was kind of emblematic of his whole performance: he often seemed to be singing the words to his songs, on cue, but not listening to what they mean, or those of the other songs. I found him either dazed and detached, or kind of petulant most of the time. I'm sorry to say that his performance in the crucifixion scene left me cold, too; he intoned everything exactly the same way, and frankly I got no sense of anguish or pain. And Gethsemane...well, that's supposed to be a rending journey that leaves Jesus emotionally wrecked...and again, I got no sense of that. I think, in the end, he just didn't have the acting chops, which is too bad. 

But oh, yeah, Brandon Victor Dixon for the win.

2 hours ago, voiceover said:

Here is the original Gethsemane.  Ian Gillan was known to me before I ever heard this, because his band (Deep Purple) sang the first, and greatest ever, metal song: "Smoke on the Water".

It's possible that after hearing this version, you'd understand why some of us cling so tightly to that album.

But I love the opera itself so much that if this version gained it new fans, I say Yay.

Heh. 100% with you on "Smoke on the Water." My very first introduction to hard rock was that song, played by a live band (local cover band, not Deep Purple, pout) at a dance when I was about 12 (back in the Cretaceous...), during a co-ed sleepover weekend with the Jewish youth group I'd just joined which took place...at our synagogue! It is, bar none, the baddest of badass rock, and those opening chords are the ultimate time machine for me: instant teenager. And yet, I never knew Ian Gillan did JCS!

Edited April 2, 2018 by cuppasun
ETA: mixed up some cast names, oops, fixed!

[Snow Apple]

Someone brought up lyric changes, and when I heard "God thy will be done. Destroy your only son." I was like, what? Kind of startlingly when you know the original lyrics forward and backward for over 25years.

[SmithW6079]

4 hours ago, Silver Raven said:

A lot of people hate the 2000 production, but I love Jerome Pradon's interpretation of Judas.

 

3 hours ago, cuppasun said:

Well! I was deciding whether or not to confess that I have been one of those fans tucked away in the tiny airless room of the Most Unpopular of Unpopular Opinions...because I really, really like the 2000 production. Like, a lot. Glad to see there are others that at least appreciate it a bit.

I enjoyed that production so much I bought the DVD. I had an inappropriate crush on Jerome Pradon's Judas.

[Snow Apple]

I like the 2000 version too.

Sorry, but I don't like the 70's movie. I thought it dragged. The only part that I thought was good were the leads singing.

[goodbunny]

4 hours ago, bref said:

@goodbunny, were the stage and venue as enormous as they appeared on TV? 

Yes, the venue itself and the set pieces  and scaffolding were massive. I dont feel like the sheer height of the set pieces was captured on television. When John Legend and his cross floated upward, I felt a bit concerned on his behalf- he was pretty high and that cross was kind of insubstantial! 

[janeta]

9 hours ago, voiceover said:

"In large part"?  Nah.  That was 100% of it.

But it had two things going for it: a)brilliantly conceived, executed, & delivered; b)it came out during a time when a specific kind of hip-Christianity -- a traveling, witnessing, emotional kind -- rolled across churches in the early 70s.  So after you saw a copy of "The Blue Denim Bible" adorned with a faux Coca-Cola label (it said "Jesus Christ/The Real Thing"), and watched a long-haired, bearded young man break down weeping as he described his conversion, you were apt to be more open to what this show was selling.

well, based on one of the photos in this book, it looks like the crucifixion scene was done with Ted starkers, so i can see how people might have objected to that a bit. ;-)

[adhoc]

10 hours ago, voiceover said:

But it had two things going for it: ... it came out during a time when a specific kind of hip-Christianity -- a traveling, witnessing, emotional kind -- rolled across churches in the early 70s.  So after you saw a copy of "The Blue Denim Bible" adorned with a faux Coca-Cola label (it said "Jesus Christ/The Real Thing"), and watched a long-haired, bearded young man break down weeping as he described his conversion, you were apt to be more open to what this show was selling.

"I found it!"

 

A reference you might also remember if you were around in the '70s

Edited April 2, 2018 by adhoc

[janeta]

10 hours ago, bref said:

This sent me to Amazon looking for it. Read it and then sell it if you need some money, you're sitting on a goldmine!

Heh!  I just looked at that page, and there's a 2001 quote from one of the authors saying that the book was still being used in theatre classes; hope they were a little cheaper back then.  (Mine's in pretty good shape but I also bought it used, so, maybe $50?  ;-)

[SandyToes]

5 hours ago, cuppasun said:

many of the performances were very very good, as others have noted: Judas, Pilate, Caiaphas, and MM all impressed me.

While Christ is the main "character" in this STORY, for this MUSICAL, the character, for me, has always been more like the vanilla ice cream in a hot fudge sundae:  The delivery vehicle for the really, really, good stuff.  (yikes, that sounds a little sacrilegious!) If not for Christ, there wouldn't be Judas, Pilate, et al.   So in that regard, I was fine with the casting.  They were all amazing. I wasn't sure I'd like Sara B when she started out, but she won me over and did beautifully.

That said, Gethsemane is still the big, bang, boom song for me, as well. 

Edited April 2, 2018 by SandyToes

[TattleTeeny]

13 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I’m smiling at some of the negative comments.  I think it’s a difference in style.

I am in my late fifties and see mainly off Broadway shows these days, but when I was younger I used to see a lot of Broadway musicals.

I am old and NOT disappointed.

I never want to be one of those old people who says, “it was better back in the day” because it usually wasn’t.

 

This is my favorite musical in the world and I've seen it live a bunch of times (not the original, as I'm "only" 47)--local ones, "real" ones, whatever. I think the aesthetic styling--including the movie--has always been more or less in keeping with what we saw here: a hybrid of traditional Bible garb (I really don't know what else to call it; this show is pretty much my only knowledge of nonsecular stuff), modern, and a sprinkling of dystopia. 

That said, I loved it! LOVED IT! I do wish that Jesus had rocked out the "I DIE!" more during Gethsemane and that Alice had done a little more though. And that they'd shown the actors coming out at the end to bow and be admired and gesture to the band. I like that shit.

Quote

I just can't help comparing his Gethsemane with Ted Neely's. It would take a LOT to match Ted Neely on that one.

I saw him do it onstage a few years ago and it was a little disappointing. But whatever, he's old now! Personally, Ian Gillian's rendition is, to me, the best ever., along with Murray Head's Judas!

Edited April 2, 2018 by TattleTeeny

[Notwisconsin]

11 hours ago, voiceover said:

Why?

People, whatever their religion or lack thereof) who are offended by the idea of the musical, won't be watching. 

No. There's lots of people who hate-watch JCS (the Birth of a Nation of B'way musicals), but then again it's based on the most antisemitic of the gospels. The music is great and the performances were too.

[potatoradio]

I saw a production of JCSS on stage last year for the first time - my wife is the real JCSS soundtrack obsessed fan (as in, I believe she wore out the albums in that brown hardcover). I like to watch different interpretations of characters and, for the most part, if you plunk me a theatre seat with the newly allowed glass of wine? I'll watch paint dry happily. So, I watched with my wife, who is a far harsher critic than I am (something about being obsessed with a soundtrack as a kid that really makes you bare your teeth at anyone who dares try a revival!).

I loved Caiaphas and Annas, despite the odd (to me) scarab beetle/jawa costuming. And Pilate, I thought, was fantastic until he lost his voice toward the end. I love me an actor who can bring a minor character to life and pique my interest. 

The production I saw had cast a woman in the role of Herod, and she was so fantastic I'm afraid I'm spoiled for any other Herod. I had high expectations of Cooper, though, that weren't realized, though he did make me laugh out loud.

My likely unpopular opinion is that I was not in the least wowed by SB's performance as MM. The first time I heard that song, I choked up before the first line was finished. It's a song that should gut punch you before you even know what's happening. SB sang it very prettily. It was lovely, sure, but I heard nothing behind it. My wife said (lots of time for commentary with the....ah...generous....commercial breaks), "Nope." And then, after a few minutes, she said, "Alicia Keys. That's who should have been up there."

Also, note to the audience: singing isn't the Olympics. You don't need to scream and 'woot woot U.S.A.' every time someone hits a "glory note" (snaps to the poster who mentioned that term! Hee!). It's distracting. Drink your wine and shutty, please. git off my lawn, too.

But it was enjoyable watch. And I will probably watch another one if they do a musical I'm not likely to see onstage or one that I remember from high school productions (hello, orchestra pit!). "Finian's Rainbow" anyone? "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat?" Or, if they did "Wicked" or "Rent," I'd be in.