How would you stage Jesus Christ Supestar on stage?- Page 2

[bobby_luvs_bway]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:09pm

They had a "trailer" of sorts on the Atlanta Alliance(?) website, but i'm not sure if it's still up. I would link it, but i can't from work.

The singing was glorious, but also very "gospel". Maybe some would consider it too much. I don't agree. This is a show that calls for it.

As for Mr. Neely, yes he can still sing it. I just don't think the actor playing Jesus should be almost twice the age he was when he died. Also, it looks like Mr. Neely has had some unfortunate plastic surgery. Updated On: 8/6/09 at 03:09 PM

[Musical Director 109]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:15pm

I staged it very simply with a high platform in the back and two sets of circular stairs on center right and left of the platform. The costumes were done biblical and I really tried to make Judas sympathetic to the audience. During the Last Supper scene I had the apostles freeze in the DaVinci Last Supper painting for about 30 seconds. Where I live our audiences are very religious but the best compliment was that tears were heard in the audience every night and so many older people said to me that they thought they were going to hate the show but said it was very powerful. The show went on to win the Best production of my theatre company in 2008.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:16pm

I don't see that Ted's had any work done, what do you mean?

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:19pm

See, I think Gale's version went the polar opposite of that painting. The painting is dark and sorta morbid. Gale's version was very bright with the colors and....why machine guns? Also, the outfits made it seem like they did JCS in a gay dance club.

I say be realistic with setting, mood, clothing, etc. that JUST HAPPENS to have a modern day rock score.

Also, in regards to being realistic, in "Gethsemane," I would have Jesus act a little hesitant in the beginnig of the song.....by the middle have him furious and confused....and at the end phycially AND vocally show that he puts his life in God's hands and gives into what he needs to do. Again, every Jesus that I saw is like SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM SCREAM in that song. I know it's emotional but screaming and anger isn't the only emotion that can be conveyed. I would have him standing at the beginning to show he is in control of his destiny and aFter the "All right, I'll DIIIIIEEE" part, have the music stop completely and have him drop to his knees to show him giving in to God's plan and maybe even show him cry a little. Then have the music pick up with a hint of sadness and doom in his voice as he finishes it.

**as you call tell, I have thought this stuff out for a while. It's my favorite musical and Judas is my DREAM ROLE and would love to play the part and eventually direct it **

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:23pm

I have to admit, though that the knoose (sp?) that comes down from the rafters SHOCKS me every time, even though I know it's coming. It effects me like no other action in a musical ever has.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 3:32pm

Well, you're right, spiderdj, the song "Gethsemane" is very multi-faceted. Though Jesus has some doubt in the biblical version of the story, those doubts are articulated so completely and so intensely in the show that they sounded to some like blasphemy, and you'll see commentary on that in a lot of Christian anti-JCS material.

In truth, however, the song is about doubt, serious despair and doubt, and it humanizes Jesus on a level that nothing else in the show does. It's fascinating to note that in this lyric Jesus goes through the five stages of death, as codified by psychologists in the 1960s, that everyone apparently goes through. In the first few lines, Jesus goes through the first stage of denial ("Take this cup away from me"); then he goes through the second stage of anger ("Listen, surely, I've exceeded expectations - tried for three years, seems like thirty"); then on to the third stage of bargaining ("Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain?... Show me there's a reason for your wanting me to die."); then the fourth stage of depression ("Then I was inspired; now I'm sad and tired."); and finally the fifth stage of acceptance ("God thy will is hard, but you hold every card. I will drink your cup of poison...").

Updated On: 8/6/09 at 03:32 PM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 4:06pm

I went to a Catholic high school, and in my religion class we actually watched JCS's "Gethsemane" when discussing portrayals of Jesus in terms of high/low Christology, which refers to the level of humanity shown in Jesus. We compared that to, say, Jesus of Nazareth, where he comes across as very holy and angelic (for instance, he doesn't blink and has a translucent glow).

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 7:38pm

To say nothing of the make-up used to bring out the actor's piercing blue eyes in Jesus of Nazareth, light on one side of the eye, and dark on the other.

For me, "Gethsemane" is the ultimate acting exercise. First of all, the first stage of the song is denial. People say that Ted Neeley's timing and singing behind the music is atrocious, but I think that pauses, within reason, are fine. Jesus doesn't really know what he wants to say. He needs a little time to think of exactly what he wants, and that's what the pauses are for. But don't overdo it--the vocal should still sound strong. He may not know exactly what he wants to say, but he's going to say it with as much power as he can muster for someone in his position.

"Listen, surely I've exceeded / Expectations tried for three years / Seems like thirty..." This is where it gets big. Very few pauses from here on in. He finally has everything figured out, and he's not very happy (the second stage: anger). Three years he's tried. Three years that has felt like thirty. Three long frustrating freaking years. And now, he knows what all that work is going to amount to. He's going to die a brutal painful death at the hands of the same people who follow him, to save a bunch of two-faced people he's never even met. And he tops it off by asking his executioner if he would ask any other man to die, and if he asked, does he really think the other man would accept?

Right now, the Big JC has a lot to deal with, and he's getting frustrated. He's pissed, yelling, screaming, throwing things up against walls, breaking things left and right from here on in as he begins the downhill slide. He raises his voice to the sky and yells at his Father asking, after a long run-on sentence mentioning his impending doom, why it is that he has to die. Is it absolutely necessary? Would it really make any difference? As I said above, there's doubt here--in his Father, in himself, in his cause. Maybe he just should give up. The anticipation alone is killing him. If he's going to die, what good will it do? He's a whole bag of emotions now--angry, frustrated, scared, sad, confused. He simply doesn't know what to do!

And then it comes, like a wave crashing on the shore. The High G. The perfect representation of anger and vulnerability. That scream paints an image that says more than any Scripture, any play, and any words could ever express. To me, the closest approximation to what it says is, "I'm still young. I'm here, screaming like I'm still six years old, because I don't know what else to do. I'm mad, I'm getting scared, I'm getting confused...I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm so frustrated...I need guidance, and I need it now." It's what I would do. It's what I'd expect others to do. It's what you would do...you know it. You would scream like a little girl if you knew you had to die. (Think Ian Gillan--probably not his intention, but that's what I think it meant.) It's a beautiful expression of helplessness.

After so much energy has been exerted from screaming at the top of his lungs, Jesus backs off a little bit to pry more into his doom. He starts mocking his Father, mocking the fact that he thinks he's so mighty and powerful, but can't make it so that one man can live. He wants to know exactly why he's going to die...he knows the circumstances, but not the reason. He's in the third stage, bargaining ("Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain? / ...Show me there's a reason for you wanting me to die"). Finally, he snaps. He gives in. He's tired of arguing. He's still mad, still confused, still frustrated, but he finds the energy to scream his resolution once and for all. He'll die. He's going to die. He's come this far, and if this is what's expected of him, he's going to see it through. ("Not as I will, but as Thou wilt..."--not too far from how the real Jesus felt about things.)

He starts to calm down now. He's made his choice, and there's no turning back. He begins to quietly think back on all he's done, all the time he put into this task. Seems like ninety years, not three--the fourth stage, which is depression ("Then I was inspired / Now I'm sad and tired..."). Then, after he thinks about it more, he remembers that it really wasn't his choice. These really weren't his ideas. They were put into his head. He was born for the sole purpose of dying on a piece of cold, dead wood. His frustration and anger returns, but this time, he's agreed to do what he has to do, and he's going to go through with it ("God thy will is hard, but you hold every card / I will drink your cup of poison..."--the fifth and final stage, which is acceptance). He summons up his last vestiges of energy, no longer able to scream from exhaustion, and yells, "Nail me to your cross and break me!" (think Ted Neeley). And he ends it all with "before I change my mind," which should start out angry, and lessen out, getting softer and softer, with a hint of regret.

...Can you tell I overthink this sometimes?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 7:40pm

I'd add some nudity. Honestly, that has always seemed to me to be the missing ingredient.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 7:52pm

^ With the above in mind, Christ was actually crucified in the nude, according to historians.

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:24pm

My brother co-directed the show in an open air theatre once. Having it outside was really different

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 8:45pm

Really? How long ago was this, who was in it, and in what location? It may have been a very significant JCS indeed, if it's the one I'm thinking of.

[Soliantu]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:39pm

I wouldnt stage it. haha

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:50pm

^ Now there's a contribution. *eyeroll* That said, after his disastrous Broadway staging, Tom O'Horgan put it this way: "The safe way to do Jesus Christ Superstar is not to do it at all!"

[Eris0303]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 9:54pm

Washington Crossing Park in NJ. I was still in high school so it had to be 15 years ago at the most

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 10:03pm

My high school wrecked JCS, since it was Catholic and the principal was basically terrified of parental reactions it had to show Judas as the bad guy. Ugh.

gvendo, you should really direct the show! And here I thought I was passionate about it.

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 11:52pm

If you're passionate about it, come join the rest of us who love it to pieces! Link below.
JCS Zone

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/6/09 at 11:55pm

I don't have anything to add, but I am very impressed by your analysis gvendo!

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 8:48am

I've been studying the show almost non-stop since I got out of second grade, and I'm 19 now, so having devoted most of my life to this show, I'd say I have a fairly good grasp of how I could see it done.

That said, this guy asked for multiple opinions! Who else has an idea?

[Larcen26]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 10:20am

I don't have a complete concept, but I agree that a more "Realistic" or "Traditional" version is the best. But here are a few thoughts I have had when considering this.

1. The movie has a lot of flaws, but one thing that it does that is often overlooked is that it really shows that this is a show, in many ways, about a foreign occupation of a homeland. There is military EVERYWHERE (Judas gets chased by a tank for crying out loud.) My thought in how to protray this in the show is to have guards onstage almost the entire time. Maybe in watchtowers or something like that. Every single person that is against Jesus in the entire show is doing it becasue they are afraid he will anger Rome...and usually, the only hint that Rome even exists in the show is Pilate and the random Guard at Peter's denial.

2. "Could We Start Again" is problematic...If you are keeping it in, I would re-think it. Particularly having Mary sing part of it. I always saw the song as one of apology, and Mary has nothing to apologise for. No idea on how to resolve it, but something to consider...oh and do the lyrics from the Anniversary recording, instead of just singing the same verse twice...I always hated that.

5. Mary should be HOT AS HELL. Too many productions I have seen, play down that she was a prositute, and almost make her look like Virgin Mary, and not Magdaline.

4. The one scene that I fully figured out is the transition between "I Don't Know How to Love Him" and "Damned for All Time."
Mary is singing over the sleeping Jesus, then during the instrumental part after the song, she goes to get some water to wash herself before bed, very sensual to go with the music. As she is doing this, Jesus awakens and sees her...and starts to go to her. This should not be "Creepy stalker, peeping tom Jesus," but a man who has never let himself give in to the pleasures of normal life, and this is a beautiful woman who loves him. But before he reaches her, he regains himself and leaves the stage. She never sees him do this...but Judas does from the shadows. This is the "last straw", the man he idolizes is tempted by a whore...which motivates him to go to the priests.
This shows a little of the humanity of Jesus, helps with an awkward transition, motivates Judas a litte more and I think would look really cool.

[lovinlovett]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 10:53am

I saw the Atlanta gospel version at the Alliance Theater and it was AMAZING! I didn't really care for JCS previously but when I left that night, I was immediately wanting to go back and see it again. Minimalist, white marble background. Modern costumes, mostly white, with vivid colors thrown in occasionally for contrast. And, though I'm not a gospel fan, the music was incredible. I would buy a cast recording in a heart beat!

I don't think I'd bother seeing another version but this one. I hope they bring it to Broadway!

http://www.dariusdehaas.com/presspageatlantajournal.htm
Updated On: 8/7/09 at 10:53 AM

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 10:59am

Larcen26: Very good point about the occupation of Jerusalem by Rome! It's a super important aspect to the story, so I agree that it should be played up more.

[spiderdj82]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 11:52am

In line with Larcen - I don't know how you would do this on stage, but if I was directing the new movie coming out, during "I Don't Know How to Love Him," I would have Mary tuck Jesus in and then start singing. She leaves the tent as she continues to sing and Judas appears and hides and watches her. At the end of the song, have her go back in the tent and Judas following her, looking in on them. When the song was over have Mary lean forward and kiss Jesus lightly on the mouth. This enrages Judas because he knew that something had to be up between them for him to keep her with him since she was a prostitute. When he leaves, Jesus wakes up and kind of pulls Mary away from him to show that he is not wanting a physical relationship. She gets embarrassed and starts crying and Jesus holds her.

Cut to "Damned For All Time" with Judas running to the priests.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:12pm

One thing I've always liked, is the idea of having the cross constantly visible, with small hints in the set at the start of the show, to more obvious references as the show continues.

Granted, I am one for beating people over the head with symbolism...

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 8/7/09 at 12:20pm

I don't think that the show should take a firm stance on whether or not there's anything physical between Mary and Jesus. The 2000 revival took heightened sexuality so far with Jesus, Judas, Mary, the apostles, and the women that it looked, to be blunt, like everybody was f**king somebody, usually each other.

The song Mary sings isn't firm anyway. You've got to remember, women were very much discriminated against in Hebrew society, and Jesus' relationship with Mary went against all social conventions. On a personal level, Jesus treated Mary with real respect, with genuine love, something almost unheard of. He appreciates her efforts; she has never been treated with such respect by a man, and this throws her completely. How does she respond to his treatment of her? Her first impulse is to return that affection physically, but she knows that's not appropriate. She doesn't know how to express love without physical forms of affection; she literally does not know how to love this man or how to deal with this.

What she does know: she will soon lose him to the movement, either by merely losing his time as he gets busier and busier, or because he'll be arrested. When she wonders if she should "bring him down," the phrase is loaded with layers of meanings: Should she load the baggage of her feelings on him at this pivotal moment and tell him exactly how she feels? Should she demand a place at his side no matter how busy he gets? Should she try to get him to pull back from the movement, so that she can spend more time with him, and so that he'll be safer? Then again, she wonders, what the hell would she do if he said he loved her too? To live up to that love might be more than she's capable of...

Of course, since they didn't have psychiatrists in Israel in 4 BC, she sings the blues instead. That's essentially what "I Don't Know How to Love Him" is--Mary Magdalene singing the blues, speaking of love, letting her feelings out. It's her big number, and this is where her character's deepest conflict is expressed: she is in love (in some form) with Jesus and can't decide whether or not to tell him. As is often said of much of the show, the song asks a question, but doesn't raise an answer. Therefore, how can one presume to answer it in staging?

Updated On: 8/7/09 at 12:20 PM