JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE Discussion Thread — Page 7

Overall, Fantastic! Norm really stole the show for me. I thought John was perhaps the most effective stunt casting of any of the live musicals. Sara and BVD were both very good, however, I feel that both suffered due to the producers desire to focus the production on John Legend rather than their perspectives as the story demands. I felt like especially BVD never really got the camera time he deserved which led to me not really feeling his love for Jesus until his death (this is one of the things I thought the 2012 revival did exceptionally well: really focusing on the love triangle). Alice Cooper was fine but I think if there were more glitz and glamour (more girls, more lights) it would've worked better. Pilate grew on me but the 2000 production's Pilate will always be superior to me. I will second whoever said that Simon stole any moment he was on camera. The staging was great, camera work best of any live production yet. Very much enjoyed it. The last moments were stunning.

Easily one of the best live broadcasts by far. Still #2 to Grease in my book, but they nailed this one.

BVD, Bareilles, and Norm were the standout performances for me. The entire production was a big wow.

Well done, NBC. You’re finally onto something here.

Updated On: 4/1/18 at 11:03 PM

Miles2Go2 said: "I also hope this gets huge ratings so they’ll do more of these as “concerts” as opposed to the others that never seem to completely work with multiple sound stages."

I don't consider this to be a concert version. If they were all sitting on stools, with music stands, 3-ring binders, in tuxes and gowns, with minimal movement - that would be a concert version.

NBC just picked a show that is usually performed on a single, representational set.

Updated On: 4/1/18 at 11:12 PM

bwayobsessed said: "I felt like especially BVD never really got the camera time he deserved which led to me not really feeling his love for Jesus until his death (this is one of the things I thought the 2012 revival did exceptionally well: really focusing on the love triangle). "

I felt that way, too. I didn't like the way they had him lurking on the scaffolding - like a villainous outsider.

dramamama611 said: ".... the cast's energy was incredible. I thought the staging and the camera work were outstanding.

I simply cannot imagine the work and energy that went into a one night only performance."

I so agree with the above -this was terrific in such an all around way. But the camerawork especially - so important when translating 'stage' to screen big or small - was excellent ! From the close ups of action to the sweeping movements across the stage capturing the staging, the dance, the energy of the action and the chorus - just fantastic. It is so often missing from every televised musical production. I am talking about simple numbers performed for the Tonys along with full fledged musicals to screen. Tonight BVD, Bareilles, Norm, and Daniels were my favorites... Just great energy, staging and set to accompany the standout star performances - all so well captured by camera work. (I have to admit: I love JCS. It was my first bway show, I grew up listening to the record.) Tonight was great.

Updated On: 4/1/18 at 11:18 PM

I fell in love with the score for JCS the first time I heard it, but this staging and arrangement will be the "definitive" version for me for a very long time.

That was the best production NBC has put on to date, even surpassing Peter Pan Live, which I absolutely loved.

The cast was phenomenal from top to bottom, with BVD, John Legend, and Sara Bareilles more than earning their top billing.

sabrelady said: "and Good Luck to Bye Bye Birdie."

Is that still planned? I'll be surprised if it ever actually sees the light of day

broadwayboy223 said: "DigificWriter said: "I fell in love with the score for JCS the first time I heard it, but this staging and arrangement will be the "definitive" version for me for a very long time.

That was the best production NBC has put on to date, even surpassing Peter Pan Live, which I absolutely loved.

The cast was phenomenal from top to bottom, with BVD, John Legend, and Sara Bareilles more than earning their top billing.

"

I agree with your assessment that this is the best one NBC has done, but you liked Peter Pan live? That was a hot ass mess if i've ever seen one."

I love Peter Pan Live because of the presentation and arrangement of the score, which I have a personal connection to on account of my younger brother having appeared as a n Ensemble Lost Boy in a production put on by my High School. I also like Allison Williams, Christian Borle, Laura Benanti, Taylor Lauderman, and Christopher Walken's performances.

Legend definitely nailed it at dress. I mentioned earlier that he must've worked his voice too hard yesterday - his voice sounded tired from the start of tonight's broadcast. That and nerves. I praise him for moving through the rest of the song though. Couldn't have been easy. Part of me wants them to sub out that segment with yesterday's for the West Coast and DVD cut.

OneSingularSensation2 said: "chernjam said: "MikeInTheDistrict said: "I didn’t think John’s “Gethsemane” was that bad either. It was just the “Just watch me die” he botched, but everything elss was good. I’d rather he just have not attempted the falsetto and just sung it down in his chest register, though."

Yeah honestly, for a majority of people watching this live, they wouldn't have noticed anything off on Gethsemane. For those of us who probably have heard multiple versions of it live or on recording, it sounded off, but not a disaster."

Someone else correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought Legend nailed that at the dress. Sucks that NBC chose to run a promo of him hitting that note - people don't watch commercials though, right? Maybe (as you suggest) most didn't notice anything off. I so felt for him... Hard to whiff that then have to keep going."

Agreed. My jaw dropped to the floor at the rehearsal. They should definitely sub it out.

Danielle49 said: "Legend definitely nailed it at dress. I mentioned earlier that he must've worked his voice too hard yesterday - his voice sounded tired from the start of tonight's broadcast. That and nerves. I praise him for moving through the rest of the song though. Couldn't have been easy. Part of me wants them to sub out that segment with yesterday's for the West Coast and DVD cut."

Nah.



There's no reason not to preserve/air the production exactly the way it happened in real time, even if there were hiccups.

Great fun! One of the advantages of these one-offs is you get leading role talent in some of the supporting roles. Norm Lewis, Ben Daniels show what can happen with that.
My major nitpicks was the staging of Simon Zealotes and Superstar which were fine performances but dramatically flat. Jesus just shrugges at the stormtroopers and they leave. The 2000 film does a better job with the mob overpowering the stormtroopers and illustrating the point of the song - which is the mob is itching for a revolution - which makes Judas’s motives clearer.
Superstar is just dropped in there - interaction between Jesus and Judas would have made sense here - as it is wasn’t clear why we were seeing what we were seeing.

Otherwise, I suspect this may become the definitive recording - in the studio Legend hit more of those notes- no sound mixing issues with the audience.