JCS Previews Thread- Page 3

[newintown]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 12:12pm

Maybe the Dodgers think they have to produce something, anything, each season?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 12:40pm

I'd actually like to see a production where they don't update it and it's just set in biblical times (like a few local productions I've seen). At this point, it may actually make for a fresher take on the material than we've been seeing.

[BwayKitty]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 12:56pm

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure the most recent Broadway show the Dodgers put out was FARNSWORTH.

[newintown]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 1:01pm

Like an octopus, the Dodgers have multiple tentacles.

Dodger Theatricals produced Patti and Mandy this past November, and Elling the year before.

Granted, they had nothing new in 2009, but Des was busy with that simply awful Guys and Dolls

[Wildcard]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 1:21pm

I loved how they staged the 39 lashes and the crucifixion. Ingenious.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 1:41pm

"You really need someone with an incredibly strong (and abstract) visual eye to make the show exciting. I'd love to see what Julie Taymor would do with it."


Apostles copulating on wires… a new Female Messiah Jesus does battle with… a couple Julie penned crappy songs inserted radomly and a whole Kabuki show withi a show…. just because.

All ending in a mud wrestling competition between Sir Andrew and Julie.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 2:59pm

"while it could be seriously bettered by an actual book and for act one to end at the arrest."

The show is more than 40 years old, the book's not a new problem and it's not something that will be solved in a revival that isn't a major overhaul of the production. I really think this is going to be a tough sell in a season packed with revivals.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 3:00pm

I can understand the modern flare one would think the piece needs, but it's not reinventing anything to have Ozian-like guards standing salute, or to have everyone in Urban Outfitters costumes, but Jesus in a robe. Judas' costume looked like he was once 300lbs and recently lost a lot of weight. Just a lot of hanging fabric.

[prettyinpink2]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 4:42pm

Despite the reviews so far, I've always been a JCS fan. I'll be in NY in April. Does anyone know of any discount codes?

[PositivelyEmerald]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 8:02pm

I saw it in La Jolla and loved it. I didn't se josh though. I saw his understudy Aaron Walpole (who plays Annas) and he was brilliant. From what i've seen of josh in the secret concert thing, i liked aaron better.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 8:30pm

"I think a 711 performance run in 1971 was probably more than just a 'modest' success -- my guess is that it was pretty profitable. And didn't they also do about 3 arena tours of the musical at the same time?"

They were simply concert tours though. Remember the album was a huge sensation in the US. Oddly, it asn't in the UK yet on stage the show was one of the longest runs up to its time in the Uk production by Jim Sharmon which apparently was quite simple (at least compared to the Broadway one--that famous youtube Tony clip from it alone freaks me out with the costumes) except for a levitating crucifix--it ran 8 years back when West End shows didn't run forever like they often do now. The revival in London was a (more minor) hit too--and I thought it basically worked when I saw it, I liked it but didn't love it and had no idea why it was restaged, for the worse, by the same team when it moved to Broadway and on tour (as well as the video production).

I suspect that success, as well as the endless North American touring and the minor success of the film led to a revival. However I don't think the show needs a Taymor type approach--if anything past productions have proven that the more glitzed up it gets, the less it seems to work.

I love JCS, but it's never worked on stage fully for me, and I think that's a basic problem. I don't see any need for a new book or whatever--it simply works better as a record, the way it was written (which maybe is why the film more or less works for me--being essentially a music video). Evita started as a record as well, but Hal Prince helped brilliantly re-shape and conceive it for stage, JCS never had that--and I'm not convinced it ever could. I think the best times I've had seeing JCS live have been when I've more or less considered it a rock show (a theatrical one mind you), and not truly a pieces of theatre.

Whizzer, hasn't nearly every version of Herod, from Paul Jabara in the Broadway original (where he looked more camped out that Elton John or Gaga ever have), to even the slightly toned down movie, played him as something of a freak?

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 8:33pm

For those who haven't seen, this seems to be the only clip of O'Horgan's original production which costume wise in ways makes me kinda think of a 70's Taymor... (keep in mind that the set is vastly simplified for the Tonys from its original theatrical showing)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGYi1qJkb0M

[My Oh My]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 9:47pm

I've seen color photographs of the original O'Horgan production and the designs were really ugly. I recall shells. Lots and lots of shells. Sea shells. Sea shell head dresses.

Yeah, sea shells.

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 9:54pm

Yeah those nshell/ribcage type headdresses are in that clip (I think Gaga went on to rip them off...)

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 10:08pm

The production was definitely abstract but from these pictures it was also pretty stunning visually
Jesus Christ superstar

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 10:51pm

I really liked this production in La Jolla. I thought it was extremely well acted and I hope the cast can pull it together for opening night. I would LOVE it if we got a new cast recording.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 11:30pm

I would love to see Aaron Walpole as Judas. I thought his voice was great. And he'd make an interesting casting choice.

And that original production looks TRIPPY. I'm not sure what the concept was, but it at least looks visually interesting. Updated On: 3/2/12 at 11:30 PM

[EricMontreal22]

Posted: 3/2/12 at 11:59pm

It's just those shell costumes I find icky for some reason--other parts look great like the hanging. However every single review I've read said the visuals overwhelmed the show, so maybe it didn't work as well "in action"? I wish more footage existed of it. Of course Tom O'Horgan had one of his typical rehearsal periods--the actors licking honey off each other's nude bodies, etc.

[budfrump]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 12:07am

I'm actually very happy that this production got to Broadway because the cast really deserves it. I saw it originally in Stratford and it was quite an accomplishment. The plays of the Stratford are usually astounding and the musicals are never really the strong point.
It's a shame that Chilina is not getting good public reviews because she was wonderful in Stratford, and I saw her in Evita the season before and she was great. Hopefully she, and the rest of the cast, warm up to the idea of being on Broadway and become as comfortable and free as they were in Ontario!

How long does everyone think this will run?

[LesMizazz]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 12:17am

They had another hold tonight during Superstar, right before they have the "diving board" come onstage. I was wondering why there was a stagehand very visible, and then the god mic came on. It lasted about 7 minutes and Des came onstage and introduced himself and apologized. They restarted the song and everything looked like it went smoothly from there.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 1:21am

Michael, Thank you for the clip. I saw this production and it was very visualy wonderful. Judas was tormented by demons completely dressed in blue during Heaven On Their Minds. The show curtain was a wall which the cast aoppeared on the top of during the overture and as the wall fell back, they tumbled/ danced on the stage. During the Hosannah song the celebrants carried in HUGE crystaline jellyfish like things on poles.
.I remeber being wowed by Jesus being raised off the ground and his gold lame cape unfolding...

Yes Taymor stole alot from this designer (and Bread and Puppet).

[canmark]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 12:02pm

Seems like not much has changed with this production since Stratford (although the 'diving board' worked then). When I saw it in the fall I thought it was (mostly) well sung, but (mostly) blandly acted. I thought Paul Nolan used a rock wail effectively in songs like Gesthemane, but didn't seem charismatic enough a leader; I wished Josh Young would turn his voice loose (his Judas was too in control); and I wished Chilina Kennedy would show more yearning (her Mary Magdalene resembled her air-headed Philia in A Funny Thing Happened...). Loved Bruce Dow as Herod, but haven't seen any comment about his performance on this thread. Anybody?

Edit to add: CBC report showing some rehearsal footage
http://www.cbc.ca/video/#/News/TV_Shows/The_National/1233408557/ID=2205041911

Updated On: 3/3/12 at 12:02 PM

[Justin_]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 3:22pm

Having seen the Stratford production of JCS twice, I can only hope that after a few previews the cast gets things back together. I loved the production and thought it was great visually and musically. That being said, I'd have to agree with the comments about the 3 leads.

Chilina Kennedy and Paul Nolan had amazing chemistry in West Side Story (as Maria and Tony), but I just didn't feel that in JCS.

Kennedy was also very well suited to Forum (as Philia) and sang the score really well in Evita. Going in to Superstar, I had very high expectations of her, so I was sad to see her (and Paul Nolan) somewhat under-directed. As I said before, hopefully it will come together, and if so, it should be a pretty good production.

[BWNUT]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 5:26pm

Saw this at La Jolla too and loved it . Re Chilina's Mary, I liked that she played her as a strong woman who's in control of her ambivalent feelings for Jesus unlike Yvone Elliman's weepy Mary who's completely undone by her emotions.

[musicman_bwayfan]

Posted: 3/3/12 at 7:07pm

Is any merchandise available yet? Posters...etc? Thanks!