JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

[bwaybby]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 12:14am

Saw the show. I LOVED EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SHOW. Full review to come. It's the best production I've seen in years.

[wicked1492]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 2:53am

Hmmm...what else have you seen in the past few years? Nothing? If so, valid.

[Here I Am]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 7:10am

SO catty wicked1492! Are people on this THEATRE message board NOT allowed to enjoy a piece of theatre? And God forbid if they want to write about their positive experience and talk to other theatre goers about it!

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 9:43am

Wicked1492 Have you seen JCS? Such a snotty reply.

Brwdybby, looking forward to your review.

[East Village]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 10:01am

Glad you had a good time bwaybby, eager to hear your thoughts

[bwaybby]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 11:48am

I concur with all the out of town reviewers. No doubt

I guess I'm biased because I really was most interested in coming to see this show because I've been a fan of Josh Young's since I saw him in A Little Night Music in Baltimore a few years back and have been folowing his career since. To say I'm a fan is an understatement.

BUT I really think the direction and concept were the highlights of this production. I didn't really see a "love triangle" between the three leads but they certainly did have incredible chemistry and a very different relationship dynamic than I've seen in previous versions.

Paul Nolan as Jesus is just perfect. I've read other people refer to the three leads as being blank or unanimated, that is rubbish. What you're asking for is just what made the last revival so unpalatable; overacting. The acting from all three of the leads is so simple, understated and nuanced, never over the top. I love that, especially for a show that lends itself to broad performances.

Chilina Kenedy's performance as Mary is also simple, emotional and honest as ever I've seen one. Her voice is free and lovely.

I'm not going to gush on and on over Josh, but what I love about thisportrayal is that he puts a huge stamp of his own on it. It's a totally different Judas than I've ever seen and especially heard. He gives Judas a depth and humanity with a voice that just blows you away like no other. He is magnetic and completely sympathetic.

Speaking of voices, the entire cast is full of great ones. Particularly of Annas (Aaron Walpole) and Simon (Lee Siegle) who rips the roof off the neil simon with his number.

The ensamble is absolutly infectious in their jubilant dance and vocals in this number and throught the show.

Bruce Dow as Herod is spot on, multi-layered and hysterical.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to me is how much Tom Hewitt was able to find in the small role of Pilate. It's certainly never been acted so well.

I'd say the 2nd act is possibly the best 2nd act of any that I've seen. Judas's death and Jesus on the cross?!!don't get me started. Oh and the very end is genius. I don't want to spoil it but it leaves you with such a sense of the impact this man has had over the past 2,000 years. I don't have time to go point by point, but trust me and go see it.

The set is very simple. I was most visually stunned by the use of lighting and video projections to enhance the world of the play. They made a small stage seem like a vast empire. I believe sound had a large hand in that as well.

The costumes are awesome. It seems like a modern desighner did
his take on ancient isreal garb; robes, shals etc.

The single greatest thing about this JCS is that I could understand every word of every actor. I never could understand some of the text before and it turns out that it's not just a great soundtrack but a really well written account of the last days of Jesus.

The night I was there, there were a few tech issues. I thought the sound was a bit too loud. Perhaps it was the band (which was AMAZING) but it seemed a bit unbalanced at times. Also a few set pieces seemed a bit unstable. But I know that is what "previews" are for.

I will definatly be back after opening. Perhaps many times.

All and all a very moving and inspiring night at the theater.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 11:56am

"Bruce Dow as Herod is spot on..."

Could you say more about that? I no longer know what that phrase means, and it's used with increasing frequency on this board.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 12:19pm

"but it leaves you with such a sense of the impact this man has had over the past 2,000 years."

Do you mean the wars, death, destruction, hatred, torture and prejudices that have been perpetuated in his name.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 12:21pm

To be balanced you have to add the art, music,and charitable deeds as well.

[jennastagemanaga]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 12:57pm

I know I'm a new member on this board, so take my opinion with a grain of salt but what struck me as most effective about the way the ending has been staged for this production was not that it simply reminds us of the impact this man has had over the last 2000 years, but the misunderstood impact.

Furthermore, as South FL Marc asks "Do you mean the wars, death, destruction, hatred, torture and prejudices that have been perpetuated in his name?" YES. And the staging of John 19:41 in this JCS, speaks to that question. Christians have been misinterpreting Jesus' message for 2000 years; the words have become meaningless. The message has been lost.

To me, this is most effective.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 1:18pm

Really? Honestly? The misunderstood impact?

Updated On: 3/17/12 at 01:18 PM

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 1:19pm

You lost me at the "the directions and concept were highlights." Um, what direction? What concept? Scaffolding and angry crosses back and forth do not make a concept or direction.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 1:35pm

Judas' death was the weakest part for me, saw it coming as soon as he approached the ladder… Dummy legs were laughable! Spend the Money get some properly made and hinged weighted legs for (dare I say it?) Christ's sake!

As I said in another thread I though JUdas's enterance was too Earthbound in the title number.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 1:49pm

I would agree with both thoughts. I forgot about the legs!

Go watch Drew Sarich's "Judas' Death" on TubeYou. It's brilliant. They incorporate guns, which is sort of the same thing this production does, but to greater effect.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 2:28pm

WOW! Loved that! Now that is a wonderful new interpretation of Judas' death! Didn't see that coming And I must say it is sung incredibly!

ETA: I watched clips from the other scenes of this production. Wow! However the 39 lashes although wonderfully staged and thrilling visually would never play here in the US!!!

Updated On: 3/17/12 at 02:28 PM

[jennastagemanaga]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 3:23pm

@ FindingNamo.

Yes, really. I am just an ordinary person expressing an opinion. Perhaps my response wasn't sophisticated enough for you. My opinion is mine. It neither correct or incorrect, just my opinion.

So maybe I should clarify. Instead of "misunderstood impact" I should have said "misunderstood message." Regardless, the way the ending of this production was staged effected me profoundly.

[East Village]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 4:04pm

Thanks for the review bwayby. I think you got what the direction and concept were striving for. Sadly I saw no chemistry between the performers at all -- even between the performers and their material. That's what lost me after a few numbers.

But this is a Superstar for another era. When the original Godspell and Superstar appeared in the early 70's there was a new openness unfolding in the church following Vatican Council II. The post hippie movement was in full swing with a new concept of cool and self-expression. Prior to that era, folks did not talk about religion in common vernacular -- nor did politicians and educators.

Both the original productions of Godspell and JCS introduced to mass audiences a lot of experiments in group theater, story book theater as well as modern dance. It fueled those productions with joy and optimism. Sadly organized christianity has taken a dark turn from those days and we have a much darker, colder, distanced and disengaged Superstar.

Perhaps I'm going off topic, but do want to point out there is a big difference between those who identify themselves as christian and what organized Catholicism and the Evangelicals are doing.

Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I wish I had. At this point I feel there is a promise of a great production somewhere in there -- but McAnuff has got to let his leads act.

He also has to tell a story. After the show I was smoking with a couple and their teenage son and daughter. Neither of those kids had any idea who most of those actors were on stage and what they were doing. They did not see a relationship between Mary and Jesus, they didn't get what Judas was doing, they didn't realize who Pontius Pilate was or that there was even romans on the stage. And they thought Simon and King Herod were the same actor and character. Heck even when I heard Mary sing "Peter don't you know what you have done?" I asked myself "Who the F is Peter in this production?"

[SNAFU]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 4:19pm

Jenna, or perhaps misinterperted message?

Though I find the messages attributed to Jesus to be pretty straight forward, it is the commentary of those apostles writing it down and the sunsquent translations and interpretations that are the root of the problem.

I understood what was intended with Judas singing ove Jesus's teachings, I just don't think it was directed well.I wanted Jesus to come by with the drink cart and give me a pack of peanuts after that scene.

[BWNUT]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 6:33pm

"... what made the last revival so unpalatable; overacting. The acting from all three of the leads is so simple, understated and nuanced, never over the top. I love that, especially for a show that lends itself to broad performances. ..."

I couldn't agree more, bwaybby. That's what I loved about this revival. I love this show but went in bracing myself for bombast and over emoting (especialy a weepy Mary) but was pleasantly surprised by just the right balance of theatricality and restraint. It does not hammer you down with over the top acting and emotions (you listening 25th anniversary Les Mis tour?) but allows you room to think as well.

[ChildrenwillListen]

Posted: 3/17/12 at 9:08pm

Nice to know JCS isn't all bad. Maybe it's improving. But still have no desire to see it. Definitely not my fave Andrew Lloyd Webber show. Anyone who knows me knows what my fave ALW show is.