Jesus Christ Superstar as an NBC Live Musical for Easter 2018

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by BradOlson, May 14, 2017.

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  1. jmobrien68

    jmobrien68 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Toms River, NJ
    I remember when I was a kid and we first got cable/HBO, I'd go through the guide and watch Jesus Christ Superstar every time it was on... then DVD... then Blu-Ray... based on that i acquired the 2lp with Gillan et al... so you could say that I've grown up with this. Going into last night my expectations were low apart from seeing Alice, but I completely enjoyed this and if they release it on Blu Ray I will gladly add it to my collection. Not going to compare her to Yvonne Elliman but Sara Bareilles really knocked it out of the park!
    If I could go back and tell my 10 year old self that almost 40 years from now I'd be watching this live on a 65" TV and Alice Cooper would be doing the role the chubby guy with the perm is playing I think I'd fry my brain.
     
  2. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    Never seen any version of this before. Only heard the lp once or twice in the 90's (the ex-wife had it). I saw the ad promoting it and Alice Cooper's involvement got my attention. After a couple of friends mentioned it to me I decided to check it out. My wife had never seen it and didn't really care for it at all. I had a little trouble figuring out the story and how it fit the Bible at first but once it got going it became much easier to follow. I'm not generally a fan of musicals or Andrew Lloyd Webber but overall I didn't think it was too bad. Probably never need to see it again, but who knows? Snippets of the music do keep popping up in my mind this morning.
     
  3. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven Thread Starter

    The best way to experience this is the classic 1970 recording of it although the movie soundtrack version is excellent.
     
  4. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven Thread Starter

    When I see Sara Bareilles' CDs used, I will pick them up as I love her voice. Awesome singer.
     
  5. MemoInPR

    MemoInPR Señor Memo

  6. clhboa

    clhboa Forum Resident

    My ex had the lp with Ian Gillian on it whichever version that was.
     
    Steve Litos likes this.
  7. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven Thread Starter

    The 1970 original.
     
  8. scoutbb

    scoutbb Senior Member

    Location:
    LA
    Me too.
     
  9. markshan

    markshan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    No, I had the same complaint with my surround sound system. I tried turning up the center channel to get more vocal and lots of other stuff came up with it. The mix was actually my only real disappointment with the whole affair.
     
  10. Macman

    Macman Senior Member

    I didn't see the NBC version but I know the original LP inside and out and still play it every Good Friday. I love it so much. The first musical I ever saw was the original London production in the '70s. It was incredible.
     
    Allen Michael likes this.
  11. mmars982

    mmars982 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I watched this with low expectations, giving the recent history of live network TV Broadway shows, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. DVR'd it so planning on re-watching which I certainly did not expect to do.

    And I know we here on this forum are more interested in Alice Cooper than most of the general public, but seriously, whoever cast him as Herod is a genius.
     
  12. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    I watched this, and I enjoyed it. Overall, I think the cast acquitted themselves well. There were some good voices in that group. John Legend was fine for the majority of the time and only came up short during the most extreme, emotionally intense moments when some rock power was needed. Ian Gillan had that in spades in 1970, and he unleashed the scream of his career on Gethsemane. Who woundn't come up a little short when compared to that? Still, Legend has a fine set of pipes, and they were pleasing to these ears.

    Norm Lewis as Caiaphas was a standout with those full-bodied tones and the lowest notes of the evening. He exuded the menace the role required.

    Also, I believe the actor who played the tenor-voiced priest appeared in the movie version of Hedwig And The Angry Inch.

    Sara Bareilles's performance--though a tad emotionally flat when compared to Yvonne Elliman's original--was solid, and she came off as quite likable.

    Of course, the role of Judas is the juiciest in J.C.S., and Brandon Victor Dixon met the challenge with an exuberant showing that may have even been a bit over the top at the end. But hey, he went for it with gusto, and I can't fault him for that.

    And then we have Alice. He was perfect for Herod, and he was actually around when the original was given birth.
     
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  13. ggergm

    ggergm another spring another baseball season

    Location:
    Minnesota
    I also found it on my Apple TV on the NBC app. It clocked out at 1:40 so it must be without commercials. I didn't watch long enough this afternoon to comment on the audience level.

    I'm signed into this particular app through my DirecTV account but it says you don't have to be. It's available for streaming to anyone, at least for now.
     
  14. I love love love the original Brown box Decca LP set-also have a gold Disc CD of it. Sound fantastic. . I originally bought it because it looked interesting in 1970. Still think it is the very best version. Hated the film version.

    Anyway I enjoyed the show last night but agree with the NY Times that Legend, although a great singer, is a horrible actor.

    Also there were two or three newer songs (maybe they've been round since the broadway show) that are not on the original Decca set. Hated those songs....

    But enjoyed watching it...

    Aslo I though the vocals were loud enough on my surround. Maybe they upped it for the West Coast rebroadcast????
     
    forthlin likes this.
  15. No lip syncing but several times I found that the show on my feed was a split second out of sync to the video...
     
  16. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Brad, for your information, just so we are clear ...
    "Could We Start Again Please" was written later and it does NOT appear on the original BROWN album!
     
    Spitfire likes this.
  17. Exactly. Not a great song imho
     
  18. Chris C

    Chris C Music was my first love and it will be my last!

    Location:
    Ohio
    I can see where it could possibly not have fans, since it wasn't part of the original BROWN album, that so many of us were raised on. I will admit that the band sounds a little sloppy on it, but I've always loved that big beautiful ending, where Yvonne sings that last "Could we start again". Very powerful, in my opinion.
     
  19. forthlin

    forthlin Member Chris & Vickie Cyber Support Team

    I had been planning to buy that boxed JCS, I skipped a lot of lunches saving my lunch money from my parents to buy it. By the time I cobbled together enough money they had switched to the gatefold sleeve.:mad: The music was/is great though and for me it the definitive version of the material (the movie sucked, most theatrical versions that I've seen were lacking.)

    I just watched the whole show from last night on the DVR and I'm impressed. This was miles better than any of the other attempt at live theater on television. Legend didn't quite have the voice to pull it off, but he was still pretty damned good vocally, his acting was just fair. I loved Alice and I loved that the audience was so jazzed to see him. I noticed some of the cast were choreographed to give Alice the Wayne's World "We're not worthy" bow.
     
  20. The thing about Kings Herod's song, it's just so retro/ kitchy that is has always been a sort of a showstopper, no matter who played and sang the part. Sort of like the wacky campy song that King George sings in Hamilton.

    It seems every show needs once..

    Here's to the Kings!
     
  21. Indy500

    Indy500 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rural Oklahoma
    When I started to listen to Top 40 music in 1970 there was always 1 or 2 spiritual or inspirational based pop songs in rotation. Many JCS songs included, in multiple versions. It was that way for several years but now such music has been segregated to Christian Contemporary stations. Which is too bad.

    The world could use a dose of Oh Happy Day.

    I enjoyed the telecast.
     
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  22. She has some terrific music and albums out there.
     
  23. Dillydipper

    Dillydipper Space-Age luddite

    Location:
    Central PA
    I'm actually a big fan of, "Could We Start Again, Please". Just the right amount of faux-4th-wall-breaking, that perhaps wouldn't have belonged in the original even if it were around at the time. It's just not as "personal" as the rest of the narrative as far as the first recordings' intimate quality.

    Nevertheless, when I haul out the box for Easter listening, I always insert it in there. In the context of distance between 1971 and now, I can no longer consider the album a story to be enjoyed alone; the more "wide-screen" aura of the song now fits both as a recognition that they're performing for an audience, not just me.

    It's not "about" the song itself, per se anymore: it's about Mary, or "the character Mary", or "the actress in the 'Superstar' troupe representing Mary", stepping out of the narrative for a pause before The Nastiness Commences, and asking the troupe, the audience, perhaps the story itself, "Guys? What the **** are we doin' here...?"

    So I think the significance of the song is valid now, and worth the three minutes to give Elliman one more spotlight.

    Now..."Then We Are Decided...?" ehh.
     
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  24. DaveySR

    DaveySR Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    I went in with similar expectations and also enjoyed it. It says a lot about the work of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice. I thought this production was interesting, and for the most part everyone gave very good performances.
     
    mmars982 likes this.
  25. Aggie87

    Aggie87 Gig 'Em!

    Location:
    Carefree, AZ
    Cooper's played Herod onstage as far back as 1996, so it certainly wasn't a new idea. He's certainly entertaining in the role though. Much different than whoever it was in the film version.
     
    MikaelaArsenault likes this.
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