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feerz · 1 year ago

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Ranking all the Jesuses from every version I've watched/listened to so far

without further ado let's get into it 🙌

Ian Gillan - 1970 Original concept album

The True Doer that you cannot outdo. The og who made this role what it is today. And since the og album was were I got my start and obsession with jcs, I have a huge fondness for him. There's just something so- so... about him. His vocals? Insane, fantastic, the golden standard. His Gethsemane is Everything. He raised the bar so high (literally lol) and made this role harder for everyone that came after him and I respect that. I also love his characterisation. He is a rockstar and he knows it. Adore this whiny ass messiah and his dramatics. 9/10

Ted Neeley - 1973 movie

Sad little mouse man. He's like some small rodent to me. His gethsemane is iconic, but beyond it I don't care to much about his Jesus. He's perfectly inoffensive, but I find him a bit boring. Poor guy also had the disadvantage of performing against Carl Anderson, who's too powerful and who commanded every scene he was in, outshining Jesus. Tedsus is not for me personally, but he's definitely not bad. 6/10

Camilo Sesto - Madrid 1975 album

I like him! He reminds me of Ian's Jesus but sadder (love to see it). Really good vocals. That 'POR QUE' ate. And his Gethsemane in general too. I don't have that much to say besides that, but Señor Sesto is really good in this role. 8/10

James Whitson - San Jose Civic Light Opera's 1990 production

Uhhhhhhh. Watched this in a discord watch party and for half of it we were thought this was Ted. It wasn't. Don't really know what to say, there wasn't anything really memorable or notable about him. Also has the disadvantage of being pared up with Carl Anderson, except it's even worse here. If Carl was anywhere near him, no chance I was paying attention to Jesus. Um... he chased Santa out of the Temple! That's something! 3/10

Steve Balsamo - 1996 London revival album

Steve Balsamo Jesus, my dearly beloved. How can you not love him. Just rewatch his Gethsemane for the 1000th time. His vocals are out of this world, man has organ pipes in place of vocal chords. Props to him for actually crying in gethsemane and still killing it. Absolutely fantastic. And his beautiful hair and those brown eyes really add to it. He's such a sad pathetic man, it's great. No complaints 10/10

Glenn Carter - 2000 movie

I'm shaking, please buy him brown contacts. I am a glensus hater, although I have to admit that during my second viewing I didn't dislike him as much. Easily my least favourite gethsemane (lmm excluded), except his delivery of "what you started, I didn't start it", that was surprisingly good. Again, I'm a hater but bonus points for the entertainment factor. 4/10

Paul Nolan - 2012 Broadway revival

BORING! Sorry your trouple doesn't save you from being so incredibly bland. It's like looking at a white wall that has just been painted over and you're watching it dry. Gethsemane is solid vocally, I like his interactions with others. But Jesus himself? No thanks. The staging of the crucifixion was so great, but then there he is with his mouth agape like a baby bird being fed and unconvincing "suffering". Also, no blood? 3/10

Ben Forster - 2012 UK Arena tour

THIS IS THE ONE. My roman empire. My most dear blorbo. He's been living in my head rent free for months. I love him so much. He's just so incredibly stressed out and angsty and pathetic and constantly on the verge of a complete mental breakdown. His gethsemane is my favourite. Just pretty much everything I could want from a performance of it. The way he curls up on the floor? The little moments when his voice breaks a bit from emotion?? The knee thing??? Great, fantastic, stunning, no notes. Also I adore his costuming, finally Jesus is given something more interesting. 11/10

John Legend - 2018 NBC

Hot take, but he's not nearly as bad as people make him out to be. He's just fine. I do enjoy his voice, Poor Jerusalem is especially good. Although I don't love his acting in the second act, but I really liked him in the first one. This Jesus just seems really nice and friendly and I love that. Gethsemane is solid vocally, even without the G5. Anyways he's not bad at all! 6/10

Andrew Latobesi - 2018 Villanova College

This was another wildcard from the watch party. Jesus didn't stand out much because we were all a bit distracted by Judi. And Mary. He was bland and the acting was not fantastic, but this is a high school prod, and for what it's worth he's not bad. Gethsemane was solid enough considering everything. The crucifixion surprisingly hit, good crying there. ??/10 since I don't think it would be fair to rank him against all those adult professional performers.

Jack Hopewell - 50th Anniversary North America tour

The only Jesus that made me cry while watching. He suffers real good (and looks very pretty while doing so). He's just so- so... I just wanted to wrap him up in a soft blanket and give him a kiss on the forehead and feed him soup. Tbh I think he's one of the best vocally too. His high note is my fav. Gethsemane in general is just great too. Love how much he's just some silly guy who then has to face the Horrors. He's just very cute :] 10/10

Jeangu Macrooy - 2024 Netherlands national tour

The most poor little meow meow Jesus ever. He's so pathetic it's great. Him smiling and being happy was also so cute. Really good vocals too, man killed those high notes. His gethsemane too... Jeangu Macrooy absolutely steels the show and it's fantastic and incredibly heartbreaking. Want to see his performance again so so badly. In the meantime everyone should check out a snippet of his performance 10/10

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#jesus christ superstar #jcs #jcs50 #jcs 1973 #jcs 2012 #jcs 2000 #jcs 2018

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lordroyalhighness · 2 months ago

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JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR • 2025 HOLY WEEK MIXTAPE (2025 digital album compilation; FLAC or MP3 - 320 kbps, individual tracks; MP3 single track also available)

DOWNLOAD: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lHCqSZAKGfourclN0P41wXLbsXoD7bxG

(read more for description + tracklisting)

Happy Holy Week! So this little idea I’ve had ready and been sitting on since January. I originally had the idea to share the tracks through the week as they occurred during each respective day but I thought it’d be better to go ahead and just let everyone have the full product to enjoy as Easter approaches this year. For this project I wanted to (for the most part) go with cast recordings completely different to what I used for certain songs in my “ultimate mix” from years ago (but again, in my opinion, there’s some particular choices repeated that I just think are the absolute best and definitive.) I also made a rule to myself to not *repeat* any cast recordings used in this mix, which was indeed challenging, but I honestly love the final product so much and I’m so excited the time has come to share it with you all. Enjoy, let me know what you think, and definitely let me know what YOUR own personal “JCS mixtape” might look like. Detailed tracklisting below. Happy Easter! xxtyler

Act One

1. Overture (2002 Bad Hersfeld cast)

2. Heaven On Their Minds (2012 Josh Young live in Harlem)

3. What’s the Buzz (1971 National Rock Company album)

4. Strange Thing Mystifying (1992 Australian cast)

5. Then We Are Decided (2021 il Baskerville performance)

6. Everything’s Alright (2005 Vienna concert cast)

7. This Jesus Must Die (2018 live NBC event cast)

8. Hosanna (2022 all-female studio cast)

9. Simon Zealotes (2011 Vienna concert cast)

10. Poor Jerusalem (2000 Carl Anderson live performance)

11. Pilate’s Dream (1973 live Australian cast)

12. The Temple (2000 film soundtrack)

13. Everything’s Alright (Reprise) (1995 studio cast)

14. I Don’t Know How to Love Him (1971 Broadway cast)

15. Damned for All Time / Blood Money (2012 live Arena Tour cast)

Act Two

16. Entr’acte (excerpt from 2005 Dutch cast)

17. The Last Supper (1994 New Zealand cast)

18. Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say) (1976 Ted Neeley live at the Santa Barbara County Bowl)

19. The Arrest (1996 London cast)

20. Peter’s Denial (1992 London cast)

21. Pilate and Christ (2017 Striving Artists album)

22. King Herod’s Song (1972 London cast

23. Could We Start Again, Please (2012 live Avondale cast)

24. Judas’ Death (1973 film soundtrack w/ intro from 1970 concept album)

25. Trial Before Pilate (1972 Australian cast)

26. Superstar (1998 Marcus Lovett live at the Royal Albert Hall)

27. Crucifixion (1996 BBC Radio concert cast)

28. John 19:41 (2012 Á la c’ARTe live at the Fool Moon a cappella Festival)

29. Superstar (Reprise) (excerpt from 1971 Kingsway Youth Opera Company album)

#Jesus Christ Superstar #Andrew Lloyd Webber #Tim Rice #Easter #Holy Week #Palm Sunday #Jesus #Jesus Christ #Rock Opera

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platadesangre · 1 year ago

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#jesus christ superstar #andrew lloyd webber #musicals #musical theater #jcs #platadesangre

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purple-confusion · 2 months ago

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Woahh a peeps haul i see! Alright so you got UK arena flavored sour watermelon peeps, I heard its insides is pink, like their natural bloody innards,

then you have got 1973 JCS which is flavored kettle corn bcs I imagine that's the matching nostalgic flavor (i assume, i have never eaten a peep before),

Swedish JCS is vanilla bcs they are pale goths like that and you would need the palate cleanser after that prod,

NBC 2018 is double hot chocolate peeps dipped in dark chocolate which I checked is a real flavor, they pre-dipped the peeps for you which is nuts to me,

Champlayers Last Days are blue icee! Because watching it feels like an icicle is being driven into your heart and lungs <3

Jesus/Judas pairs as marshmallow peeps roulette (mostly JCS)

Screenshot to see if you can catch your favorite :))))

List of pairings under cut

2000 JCS film

1973 JCS film

JCS 2005 Amstetten tour

JCS 2012 broadway revival tour

JCS 2012 UK arena tour

JCS 2014 swedish arena tour

JCS 2018 NBC recording

JCS 2018 production by Big Act (nicknamed RoseJCS)

JCS 2018 Catalan production

JCS 50th anniversary tour

Godspell 1973 film

Godspell 2011 revival tour

Last Days Of Judas Iscariot Champlayers production

Judas Comic by Jeff Loveness and Jakub Rebelka

I made this in honor of easter season rolling back, you know what that means: new jcs tag lurkers helloooo i hope they enjoy this

#jcs #jesus christ superstar #JCS 2018 NBC #JCS 2014 swedish arena tour #JCS 2012 UK arena tour #the last days of judas iscariot #JCS 1973 film

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susandsnell · 1 year ago

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In honour (?? idk I'm Jewish I don't observe it!) of Easter weekend, throwback to my circa 2020 JCS hyperfix where I got really into Erik Grönwall's Simon Zealotes from the NBC 2018 live broadcast production; this drawing is 4 years old but I'm still quite fond of it!

#jesus christ supsertar #simon zealotes #jcs #jcs 2018 #jesus chris superstar live

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a-trick-or-two-with-lepers · 2 years ago

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Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert (NBC 2018) Breakdown and Review

Quick disclaimer: This is the second version of JCS that I've seen in full. I was introduced to the rock opera through the 1973 movie, and I'm not afraid to say that that is where my bias will always be, especially considering I'm more of a film buff than a theater nerd. However, I am aware that putting a feature-length film and a live recording of a performance on the same level for criticism is unfair, so I'll try to keep the comparisons to a minimum.

With that out of the way, here are my (slightly deranged) thoughts on NBC's JCS Live!

~Overture~

I can only imagine how hyped JCS enjoyers got while watching this live back in 2018. Not only is the live orchestra doing an amazing job, but the guitar players get their own time to shine on stage! This is so damn cool to see, because the guitar riffs are really what makes the song. When the "Heaven on Their Minds" riff began and we got to see one of the guitarists on stage just going at it, I knew I'd be in for a treat.

I'd like to take a moment to talk about the set design as well. One thing I know to be true about most JCS productions is that the set is almost always bare-bones - but in a meaningful way. The story relies more on the actions and emotions of its characters than the environment, which makes sense as Jesus and his compatriots were not necessarily wealthy. This remains true for this particular production. The staging is really impressive; you're never short of something or someone to look at.

Also... the outfits! I'm a sucker for leather, and this production has no shortage of it. The costumes, while aesthetically pleasing, show how much the ensemble in this play favor rebellion.

I love when casts are as diverse as possible - in ethnicity, skin color, body types, gender presentation, etc. This cast fits the bill, and everyone does a fantastic job in the overture. In fact, the ensemble this cast provides are just amazing in general. You can tell each and every one of them has oodles of experience under their belt. I have no complaints about any of their performances.

I will say, the flashing lights during the more chaotic bits were a bit much for me, but that's more due to my propensity to get overstimulated. Overall, the choices made in this section were top-notch, and I really can't be mad at any of it.

Enter: John Legend.

You know how I was really digging the costuming? Well...

Look, I understand that most productions have Jesus just looking like a normal ass dude with normal ass clothing, but was the grey shawl really necessary? Whatever, I'm not too put out by it. At least we get to see some John Legend tiddy.

It occurred to me during this part of the play that I am not a fan of live audiences. Once again, my easily overstimulated brain may be to blame, but I found myself wishing for most of the play that the audience would just quiet down. Nevertheless, I'm sure the cast was happy to be so outwardly appreciated.

~Heaven on Their Minds~

youtube

I'm gonna say this once and I won't say it again. THE MARKETING TEAM LEFT BRANDON VICTOR DIXON IN THE GODDAMN DUST. Seriously, every time I came across a video of this production on Youtube, his name was either not in the title, not in the thumbnail, or he was labeled as Tim Minchin. The poor guy is the main fucking character and nobody could be bothered to give him the credit he deserves. I understand that Legend is more famous, but seriously. That just rubs me the wrong way.

Anyway...

I'm back to loving the costuming. Judas' vest is so cool, and I love the symbolism of his tank being red. Honestly, any Judas in red has my heart immediately.

His performance here is good, but nothing I'm overly impressed by. I can understand wanting to save energy for later performances, though, and I'm definitely not offended by Dixon's singing. He's a bit stilted in his delivery, a little nasally in his vocals, and I sometimes have a hard time believing his performance. Though, I can imagine it's kind of hard to stay in character when you're struggling to be heard above the audience. I mean seriously! When Jesus did the bit where he reached out to the audience, the crowd got so loud that if I didn't know the lyrics to this song by heart I wouldn't know what Dixon was saying. It made me a bit mad, to be honest. I don't know, maybe that in itself is symbolic or some shit.

I do like Dixon's phrasing in some parts, especially when he sing-speaks the line "do you care for your race?" as well his sassy delivery of the titular line. I did not care for the way he sang "how put down we are," but he later totally nailed the original riff on "sour," which is one of my favorite vocal runs of all time. The way he interspersed the bits where he wasn't singing with spoken complaints was cute. He also did a really nice break at the "puh-LEASE" bit.

He really made the song his own. The last twenty seconds gave me chills. Dixon is clearly a very skilled performer, and though there were parts of his performance I didn't love, I overall really enjoyed watching him sing one of my favorite musical numbers.

One last thing about this part: I don't really like how Judas is singing directly to Jesus. A big part of Judas' characterization is that he is a sort of outcast-loner type, and his relationship with Jesus fails mainly because both men fail to communicate effectively. When Judas is literally expressing his concerns directly to Jesus, and Jesus outright ignores him, it makes Jesus come across as an unresponsive dick. Again, this is the first theater JCS I've seen, so I'm not sure how much of this is written in stone as part of the Broadway production. Instead of doing the right thing and researching that, I'm just going to judge the play based on how I initially responded to it.

~What's the Buzz / Strange Thing Mystifying~

I'm not sure if this is a constant in most JCS productions, but "What's the Buzz" feels too slow to me. It's a bit jumpier in the '73 version, but that may be because they were recording it in a studio rather than in front of a live audience. I will say, there's not much room for breathing in this song. Once again, though, the ensemble is doing a banger job.

I came into this not really having a strong opinion on John Legend. I really only know the one song from him ("All of Me," obviously). I've heard people criticize his performance in this, and while I'd much prefer a rock singer or seasoned Broadway performer in this role, I can't say I'm too offended by his casting. He's more focused on his voice than his acting. When it comes to musical theater, each line should be treated as its own and should portray a slightly different emotional tone. With Legend, all his lines kind of sound the same and seem to hold the same level of importance. He's also not very good at the kind of talk-singing that is usually present in this role. But, I can't deny that he sounds pretty damn good. I especially liked how he sang "Mary, oooh, that is good." Very sexy indeed.

Speaking of Mary! Who doesn't love Sara Bareilles? (No seriously, who? I just wanna talk...) I really really really love her dress, and her voice is just lovely. Very soothing and unassuming.

When Judas comes in for "Strange Thing Mystifying," he is once again portraying the perfect amount of sass and shade. I really missed the "hey cool it man :(" line from Simon, though. It's so adorable in the '73 JCS.

I really liked Legend's staccato "Who. Are. You." parts! Whoever made the decision to direct him like that knew what they were doing.

All around, there was more singing than acting going on from the main cast. In my opinion, this makes the characterization kind of weak, but it doesn't make the songs unenjoyable.

Also, I love the choreography here! Especially when they sing "when do we ride into Jerusalem?" Still can't top the '73 choreo for me, but that's a very high bar.

~Everything's Alright~

While I absolutely adore Sara Bareilles' voice, I wish she enunciated a bit more for this song, but that's just a personal preference. Her singing and her entire vibe is just so calming and gorgeous, and her runs are spot-on. Then we get to the little Judas and Jesus interaction.

In the original movie, this is the scene that made me realize, "Wow. These men really love each other." Every scene with Carl Anderson and Ted Neely is just so emotionally intense that it's impossible to look away. That is not really the case with Legend and Dixon.

Though they both sound good (for the most part), the desperation and emotional overflow is just not there. And I say for the most part because both Dixon and Legend struggle a bit with the higher notes. Dixon went for the belt, but was a bit flat. Legend opted to sing "when I'm gone" with a poorly sung falsetto, and it just. Does not fit. Whatsoever. It was a weak performance of a line that is meant to be fraught with emotion.

Also, by the end of the song, I'm pretty sure the point is supposed to be that despite Mary's careful ministrations, Jesus is still stressed and upset. But here? Nah, Jesus is just snoozin'.

Despite J and J's subpar deliveries, I enjoyed this song even if just for how Mary was presented.

~This Jesus Must Die~

Norm Lewis! I! Don't really... have a pre-formed opinion on him. So many people seem to, but I just haven't been involved in theater for so long that I'm a bit out of the loop.

Nonetheless, he is a wonderful performer. His vibrato is liquid gold. However, I was under the impression that Caiaphas is a role usually played by bass singers. Lewis is very clearly a baritone. I'm not sure I'm too happy with this choice, especially since he seems to struggle a bit with the lower notes. It's not nearly as noticeable as Legend's struggle with high notes, but I really wish we got to have a beautiful, gravelly bass voice in this role. Even without the inhumanly low tones, Lewis manages to make this role just as intimidating as it should be.

Jin Ha does a good job as Annas. I don't have much to say about his performance.

What I find particularly funny about this part is that you can tell who the stage performers are. Legend is a singer. He sings. These priests that have like, two lines each? They're PERFORMERS. They are taking their fifteen seconds of fame and milking them as much as possible, and I respect the hell out of it because it makes for some very enjoyable performances. The "What then to do about this Jesusmania?" guy killed it.

I love the costuming here as well - very cool geometric designs on the jackets.

Though I would love to say I fancied this version of the song, they didn't include the "Jesus is cool" line. And for that, this is my least favorite song in the production. (/j)

~Hosanna~

I don't have a whole lot to say about this one. It was good! Just a few little tidbits:

-Legend starting a crowd clap was cute

-This song works really well for Legend cause it's right in his register and he doesn't have to reach for any super high notes

-The key change is super cool! I LOVE Legend's runs during this part as well

-The last part where they all sing "SUPERSTAAAAR" was awesome and I can imagine them using that for a lot of cable advertisements

~Simon Zealotes / Poor Jerusalem~

First of all: Simon's cute as hell! Look at his lil' hair!

I just love when this role is played as the most energetic, chaotic, batshit insane guy you've ever seen. And I cannot express how delighted I am to see a role in this play being done by a rock singer! Erik Grönwell's performance here is my favorite out of anyone in this play so far. His belts are out of this world.

The ensemble can't be discounted here either, 'cause they sound freaking amazing. But I've already expressed my love for them.

Surprisingly, Legend's falsetto actually works well for "Poor Jerusalem." It makes sense, though, as this part is meant to be a bit gentler and more downtrodden. He sounds really nice.

Side note: when did they change the "but you close your eyes" line to "but you live a lie?" Is that just for this version or was it changed previously? I feel like it doesn't really add anything.

~Pilate's Dream~

Not much to say here either, it's a pretty short song. I will say I really like Pilate's outfit. The colors are reminiscent of '73 version, which is an immediate like from me. I also like how Pilate looked straight into the camera at the end of the song. Pretty impactful even if I know for a fact they went to commercial break right after that.

~The Temple~

Okay. I'd die for these guitarists. I love whenever they're on stage! They're killing it!

Anyway, I found it pretty funny that the temple-goers just started dumping glitter on the ground. I wrote in my notes "Slay ig," so, slay ig.

It's pretty cool too how the "temple" is literally just a huge cross on the ground. The slow movement of the camera makes this a languid realization, which is neat.

Speaking of which, I forgot to mention that the camerawork so far has been really good. I never feel like I'm watching something stagnant, yet I still feel like a part of the audience. Good job, NBC crew.

"My temple should be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves" is my favorite part of the original movie. It's so undeniably powerful, and Neely's rock-belt is just heavenly to listen to. (He performs it live, too, so I know it isn't just a trick of the recording studio).

Legend's version of this line? Eh, it was alright. It was honestly better than I was expecting. I was really worried he was just gonna sing it the way it was written and go for the falsetto, but he instead chose to stay in his range. He also has an intentional voice break, indicating a bit of emotion, which is nice to see. I don't know why he sings the "get outs" in lowercase; it's just kind of funny.

The lepers sound really good, but when Legend is trying to sing his part over them, I can hardly hear him. What I did hear, though, was like? Really good? Super rock-sounding. Hopefully we hear more of that later...

~I Don't Know How to Love Him~

No notes. She slayed.

Yvonne Elliman supremacy, but Sara Bareilles Mary Magdalene now has a place in my heart. I'm glad I watched this production if just for her, honestly.

~Damned for all Time / Blood Money~

What can I say? The priests are spooky, the lighting is badass, and Norm Lewis is the best singer here.

As far as Judas goes, Dixon is doing exceedingly well for how ridiculously hard this song is to sing. Carl Anderson owns this song in my heart, but Dixon is not disappointing. He makes up for the lack of insane belting by adding his own runs, and it works well. I wrote in my notes that "Brandon actually looks like emotions are happening," so, yeah. Also, the BICEPS! Needless to say, I was enjoying it.

~The Last Supper~

I forgot why I wrote "Aw, gay apostles" in my notes, but going back to it, I noticed how much hugging kissing was going on between these guys. Can't complain, love a good smooch.

Mary is also in this scene, which differs from the movie. And she shows her hospitality towards Judas, which is cute. I always wished they had Judas and Mary interact more in the movie.

Legend sounds good at the beginning. Once again, this song is well within his range, and his falsettos don't feel too out of place. However, they didn't put a pause between the "when you eat and drink" line and the "I must be mad" line, which I thought was odd.

When the accusations start flying, Jesus just. Doesn't seem mad. Judas does, and Dixon completely upstages Legend in this scene.

After the apostles sing a second time, and Judas starts dishing out the insults to Jesus, I feel like it should have been more one-on-one and personal. I would've had the apostles move further away or even leave the stage for this part.

Oof. Legend singing "Get out!" in falsetto was just... not good. When the audience clapped for it I cringed so hard.

Let's see if Legend can redeem himself with the next song...

~Gethsemane~

With how bad everyone made it out to be, I was expecting Legend to completely biff it here. But to my surprise, he really stepped it up here, in both terms of singing and acting. Obviously, it was nowhere near as impactful as Gillan or Neely's versions, but I could at least see that Legend was trying. This part made me recognize that he isn't necessarily a bad actor, he just isn't consistent enough in his performance for it to be believable that he is in character.

He displayed some really impressive rock-belting midway through the song, right around where most people usually go for the g5 note. It sounds so gravelly and crisp, and I really wish he used it more during this performance. Additionally, I am very happy that he didn't go for the g5. That part usually makes or breaks the performance, and with Legend I think we know which way the egg was gonna fall.

There were some good choices made here as well as some bad ones. He still did some nasty falsettos in the latter half of the song, which actually made me laugh. Seriously, who convinced him that was okay? I feel like this would have been a well-regarded performance without that.

Overall, I'm impressed. The weak points were weak, but few, and the strong points were really strong. It wasn't nearly as poor as people made it out to be.

~The Arrest~

The kiss was nice and tender. I like the way Jesus hugs Judas afterwards too, that was very sweet. For some reason it sounded like Legend said "Judas, must you betray me with a gay?" which I thought was pretty funny.

I like how the arrest was framed as a news stint, with reporters and mics and all that. It was also pretty neat how they interspersed the solo lines with ensemble lines.

~Peter's Denial~

Peter was good, but the real standout here was that guy with the phone that sang "But I saw him too, he looked just like you." God DAMN! They went OFF!! Can he play Judas next please?

~Pilate and Christ~

Pilate is really the one bringing the camp here. He ate this up.

~King Herod's Song~

Well. What do you want me to say here? It's Alice Cooper. Do you really think I am physically, mentally, or legally capable of criticizing Alice Cooper?

I'll spare you the fangirling I did in my notes app; just know I, as well as the audience, was very happy to see this man doing his thing.

Also, as a rocker, he actually made this song fit with the rest of the play, which is truly a feat.

(Still not as good as his episode on The Muppets).

~Could we Start Again Please~

Even though I love Sara as Mary, and Peter did a good job as well, I wish they included more ensemble in this song. I feel like it's more impactful that way as it shows that there were still people who believed in Jesus. Still, I'm so glad they decided to keep this song in most JCS productions because it's one of my favorites.

~Judas's Death~

Oh no, he lost the leather vest! I'm not complaining though... 😏

This is the part where I praise Dixon for his showmanship, 'cause this man just got THROWN and he KEPT SINGING! I found that to be very impressive. Though I will say, the increase in his emotional performance seems to cause his singing to suffer a bit. To be fair, it's an incredibly hard part to sing.

Aside from Jesus going bonkers in the Temple, Judas' reprise of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" is my favorite scene in the original movie. Did Dixon live up to my expectations? Well, considering my expectations were pretty low to begin with, he exceeded them.

This is seriously the best acting I've seen in the whole play. Dixon completely sells his performance. Consider me a proud and satisfied viewer.

Although, quick PSA to the audience. You don't actually have to clap every time a man sings in falsetto, mkay? Thanks <3

~Trial Before Pilate~

This song is notorious for its difficult timing considering it's just talksingtalksingtalk *BUM* talksingtalksingtalk *BUM* for a bit. This Pilate though? Yeah, he nails it. I was really impressed by his performance. Also, when he said "talk to me Jesus Christ," that was the most sexual tension I've seen in a stage play, wow.

I don't really understand what was going on in the flogging scene, because the ensemble members were just running past him individually, but Legend was selling it. It definitely looked like he was in pain, and the lashes on his back didn't look sloppy or rushed.

Another emotional crux of the play is when Pilate basically yells "DON'T LET ME STOP YOUR GREAT SELF DESTRUCTION!!" I was a little let down by this guy's performance of these lines honestly. However, he was virtually perfect the rest of the time so I can't really be mad.

~Superstar~

THIS. THIS IS IT.

For whatever reason, Dixon just decided to turn the iconic scale up to 1000. The diamond laced fit. The dancing. The footwork. Everything about this performance was absolutely incredible, and I am just ecstatic about it. I mean, the man was full on spinning on the ground while singing. Every run he did now has a permanent residence in my brain. If you decide not to watch this version of JCS, I understand. I don't blame you. But if nothing else, please please PLEASE watch this part on Youtube. You won't regret it.

In the words of a close friend of mine, he slayed, ate it up, left no crumbs, licked it clean, you could eat off that plate again.

~The Crucifixion~

There were some lines in here that definitely weren't in the movie, and again, I'm not super familiar with the broadway play so I'm not sure how much of this was changed for this version alone. Nonetheless, Legend did a good job here. I mean, attempting to portray Jesus dying on a cross is a task to be sure, and he accomplished it.

~John Nineteen: Forty One~

There seemed to be some resurrection imagery here, so, congratulations Christians. He did the rising. (I am not religious, can you tell)?

I love me a good curtain call. They're just so joyous.

So! Was this production worth two hours of me composing my thoughts on it into a Tumblr post approximately five people will read? You tell me. I certainly enjoyed my time with it, and I hope to do this with more productions. I'm looking forward to watching both the 2012 revival and broadway productions, the 2014 Swedish one, and the 2000 movie. Please let me know if you have any suggestions for others I might enjoy or that you would like to see a breakdown of.

#jesus christ superstar #jesus christ superstar 2018 #review #jcs 2018 #jcs #john legend #brandon victor dixon #alice cooper #nbc #sara bareilles #Youtube

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thattiredsock · 4 years ago

Photo

#jcs #foto #photo #jcs jesus #jesus christ superstar #jcs nbc #jcs 2018 #John Legend #jcs live #jcs live in concert #JC

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jcs-study · 3 months ago

Text

Some (More) Reflections on Casting

Hello, everyone! First, some recent updates to contextualize this post:

I've hung out my shingle! (For those who aren't American, it's a slang phrase that means one has started a business; it's commonly used by professionals like lawyers or doctors, and dates from the 19th century, when legend has it such pros would paint signs on the shingles of their house to advertise their new practice.) In my case, this means I'm opening my inbox -- both email and here -- to consult on productions of JCS as a published expert on the show, whether you want help with casting, dramaturgy, general advice, etc. Whatever your concept or your first impression of JCS, my efforts can help you make an incredible piece of theater that will satisfy your audience. The details are on the main page of my book (see pinned post), but I'm also reachable here. To date, Utopia Opera, Ltd. in Manhattan and Tumblr user @theredspecials can attest to the level of expertise I provide. I hope more will also be able to do so one day!

I've now sat in on the casting process for a JCS production. This means that I have some real-world experience in the screening and audition process for the show (in this case, Utopia's), and have some concrete advice to give for those casting the show in the future, which follows.

I've alluded elsewhere on this blog to the fact that there are two basic flavors of JCS, which I refer to as "pre-" and "post-1996." (This post breaks it down the most fully without getting too caught in the weeds.) Which version one was first exposed to plays a significant role in the type of JCS one wants to present, as one always remembers their first. This means every subsequent generation to 1970, or even to 1996, has had their own entry point with an established version. The Brown Album may not be the first version of JCS one experiences.

More specifically, each established version is "of its era." Popular music takes many forms, and these days, classic rock isn't exactly the lingua franca it used to be. Especially today, we're not trying to pull young folks who know how to sing this new-fangled rock stuff off the street anymore; theater kids typically know, and are maybe even trained in, some form of homogenized "contemporary musical theater" pop sound that is a lot like what you (mostly) get in post-1996 JCS. Not their fault, but still something you must deal with.

What this means for you, the prospective director/presenter/whatever: you have to decide early and firmly about what kind of JCS you want to do, because if you have the pre-1996 JCS in mind, your audition pool -- especially cis male vocalists primarily trained in this newer style -- will mostly sound like (and probably be most familiar with) some form of post-1996 JCS, and you must be prepared to adjust accordingly, whether that means familiarizing them with the form and breaking them out of their comfort zone (because you can't expect them to instantly "get" unfamiliar terrain) or re-setting your own expectations.

Post-1996 JCS Prep

If you're fully prepared to embrace the revival sound, you're fine. In fact, you have far less of an uphill climb. I might urge you in the direction of, say, the 2011 Vienna concert cast rather than the 2012 arena tour or 2018 NBC Live renditions so that some of the original flavor is retained, but that's up to you. Other than that, you're pretty much all set. You will find a satisfying audition pool and have a Great Mcfriggin Time.

Pre-1996 JCS Prep

Your audition pool will still be the same, and you may have to live with that. However, there are ways to get the sound you want, even from those with "professional training."

Cast outside your typical pool. This is the most obvious piece of advice: lean into the club world and look for classic rock cover bands or anybody in metal, especially if they're the (sadly now rarefied) Rob Halford variety of screamer. However, because this is typically a steadier paying gig than theater (as tenuous as live music can be) or because theater is an unfamiliar realm to them, don't be surprised if you get a lot of pushback and nos, in which case refer to points 2 through 6.

Don't be afraid to bend gender. Seriously. Especially with precedents like the Indigo Girls cast and She Is Risen, my experience with Utopia was that female(-presenting) performers were the most ready to "go there" and really stepped up to the plate. Don't be afraid to guide them in the direction of a particular sound, but first don't shy away from casting them!

Immerse them in pre-1996 JCS. There are several solid examples of what to do (Brown Album, OBC, original French cast [in places], definitely live Australian cast, '73 film soundtrack, Camilo Sesto, California Youth Theatre, Australian revival cast, Indigo Girls cast) as well as what not to do (Alan Caddy studio cast, 1992 20th anniversary cast) from the pre-1996 era in the "Listening" section of my Recommendations chapter. For some, it may be even more nuanced than that -- yes to this from here, no to that from there, etc. Either way, the point is the same: the more they are influenced away from the newer sound, the less they'll refer to it.

Steer them toward the right variety of post-1996 JCS. There are at least three at the above link (2001 Hungarian revival, and the Vienna 2005 and 2011 concert casts) that manage to recapture some of the original energy musically while also erring on the side of post-1996 sounds and abilities. It'd be a shame to blindly ignore it.

Emphasize volume. Legend has it that George Abbott, one of Broadway's greatest all-time musical comedy directors (he lived to be 107!), used to stand in the back of the theater with a sign that said "Loud is Good." In the days before electronic amplification, this was very solid advice; you got your chin up, you projected with good support, and you aimed for the back row. "Loud is Good" is similarly useful advice if you're aiming for a pre-1996 JCS vibe, not just because it gives the soundboard something to pick up with the all-important microphones, but also because "contemporary musical theater technique" only goes so far. If you're telling your cast that they can vary their intensity for emotional shading, but that they must stay loud at all times, sooner or later, something that sounds more like classic rock is going to come out of them the harder they push, just because they're exercising the muscle to its limits and then some. Don't encourage this to the extent that they endanger their vocal health, but work for the results you desire.

Immerse them in music from the period in which JCS was written. This is perhaps the most important step you can take. If they're unfamiliar with the form, then they need to understand how it works. Devote time in the pre-production process to creating targeted playlists of music from the pre-1996 JCS era for your potential audition pool to hear, and reinforce listening to it during the rehearsal period. If they're steeped in the sound, that's what they'll start to emulate.

Playlist Suggestions

The following are some artist recommendations for music that you can target at specific groups you're seeking out to audition. The casting call for the 50th-anniversary tour was a particular help here, mixed with some of my own intuition.

(Note that wherever influence lists are combined, this is designed partly with logistical considerations in mind; for example, most productions target their PETER group to understudy JESUS and their SIMON crowd for JUDAS.)

GENERAL PURPOSES: The Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, The Kinks, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes (the "Soul Girls" in the title number in particular need this sort of tight pop-soul sound)

PETER/JESUS: James Taylor for the more tender moments, Rod Stewart or Steven Tyler (Aerosmith) for the real throat-shredding stuff

SIMON/JUDAS: Stevie Wonder, Murray Head, any Northern Soul or R&B artists of the era, maybe even a little gospel from the time

MARY: Joni Mitchell, Carole King, Gloria Jones, Janis Joplin

PILATE: Kind of a broad spectrum here, but think Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, and especially Robert Plant for the big "Don't let me stop..." moment

Failsafe Options

Despite your best efforts, however, some performers just will not absorb this stuff. You get different turn-out for every show, and it's catch-as-catch-can. If you are specifically striving for pre-1996 JCS but have people who can't break out of post-1996 training, there are characters whose roles skew "typical theater" enough that they can probably get away with not quite matching the sound.

If you need to bury your "immovable theater kids" in the mix, the best spots are the authority figures: PILATE, CAIAPHAS, ANNAS, and HEROD.

PILATE -- Well, they cast Barry Dennen, after all, seeking an actor for that part as far back as the Brown Album. He didn't necessarily have to sound that rock.

CAIAPHAS -- With this one, you'll get a bass if you're lucky and a baritone if you're pressed, and as long as he can swing a little bit with the music, you're fine with a musical theater person.

ANNAS is a generic baritenor who's not asked to do anything too uncomfortable.

As far as HEROD is concerned, I mean… that's literally the old-fashioned brassy Broadway sound. That guy doesn't have to sound rock at all if he doesn't want to; hell, in many instances, he probably doesn't need to sing. This role is more about the comedy, and indeed a local production may be able to boost ticket sales by treating it as a revolving-door cameo for stand-up comics in the area, assuming a good director can break them of their tendency to be "on" and help them to improvise within the character's confines.

#jesus christ superstar #andrew lloyd webber #tim rice #jcs #jesus christ super star #jcss #jesus christ super-star #ideas #miscellaneous

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