Jesus Christ Superstar Back On Broadway?

Is the tour out now the UK Regents Park/Barbican version from a few years ago? If it is, it was personally the best I’d ever seen the show so I wouldn’t mind that staging coming to Broadway, at all. 

quizking101 said: "Honestly, after the masterful NBC Live production, I don't think I need another revival of this. I saw the 2012 revival and I was like "Meh".

Andrew is gonna try any and all properties to get back on the boards."

I agree. The 2012 production was odd in many ways. And, the NBC version (which I got to see live, when they did their dress rehearsal, the day before Easter) was much better. It reminded me more of the 2000 version. 

 

Updated On: 6/18/23 at 10:38 PM

Jordan Catalano said: "Is the tour out now the UK Regents Park/Barbican version from a few years ago? If it is, it was personally the best I’d ever seen the show so I wouldn’t mind that staging coming to Broadway, at all."

It is, but the current tour is non-equity.

I recently saw the tour at the state theatre of Nj. It was fantastic!!  They sang the hell out of it, loved the choreo and set and the night flew by. It was only 100 minutes, no intermission. I just wish the plot was clearer. You have to know the story and characters going in or else you’ll be lost. 

Broadway Flash said: "You have to know the story and characters going in or else you’ll be lost."

I’m not very religious but, arguably, the show has the advantage of being the most well known story in the Bible. I think it’s safe to assume not many people are entering the theatre not knowing the story.

Alex M said: "nativenewyorker2 said: "“ I read somewhere on the boards” = I watched a sweaty oracle video from three months ago without any substantial evidence since"

he lives rent free in so many of yalls minds"

Yup, it's kinda pathetic. But, at least people aren't linking their TikToks around here anymore as if anyone cares. Yikes. 

 

Christianity has been on thin ice since the Sixties. Still, back in 1970, most people had basic biblical knowledge, specifically of the New Testament, which meant the decision to dispense with a book for JCS, which would traditionally help from an expositional standpoint, didn't matter so much.

Today, despite what one may glean from the constant trumpeting by conservative circles about family values and the continuance of old-time religion, there is a widespread glaring lack of knowledge about the Bible, fundamental doctrines, and church tradition among even the staunchest believers. The American Bible Society recently revealed in its annual State of the Bible report that as many as 26 million Americans have stopped reading the Bible, either for the most part or totally -- a historic low. Study after study since the Nineties has reported such alarming (at least to fundamentalist Christians) statistics as 12% of Christians believing Joan of Arc was Noah's wife and 63% being unable to name the four Gospels. I can only imagine the learning curve is far steeper for those who don't believe it. (Case in point: an audience member behind me at one of Ted Neeley's last performances in the States leaned over and said to his daughter, "I never knew Jesus could fly," when he ascended from the cross during "John 19:41," and believe me, he wasn't joking.)

You're probably fine if you know the basics, particularly of the Easter story. You might miss some of the nuances of it, especially the dynamic of the priests, Herod, and Pilate. Still, if you already know who Jesus is, that Judas betrayed him (I mean, the name "Judas" being synonymous with betrayal is pretty well known even from a secular standpoint), that Peter denied him, that it ended with a crucifixion, etc., then you'll more or less know your way around. But it's worth noting that you'll be going in with more knowledge than others, and for people who come to this show with barely a grasp, good luck, especially in the Regent's Park-based production, which is choosing to play the "superstar" part of the title more than the "Jesus Christ" part and going abstract rather than totally fleshing out that approach for a generation weaned on theater that beats them over the head with intent (see: the Mendes/Marshall Cabaret).

P.S. They did "read it somewhere on the boards," because I said it, having heard it from multiple sources. Evidently the person who'd be rich if they charged you rent for the headspace they occupy heard it, too. Not everything rumored on this board emanates from them. You might try finding some porn to nurse that evident hate boner.

Updated On: 6/19/23 at 07:54 PM

I mostly learned about the New Testament from Jesus Christ Superstar (and Passion of the Christ, and one or two other Jesus movies). I've never found it remotely hard to follow. 

I saw this on tour and I'd definitely be excited to see it again (especially as it had rather poor sound design when I went, making it harder to understand the lyrics).  While I knew the show, I think the biggest barrier to my companions was that it's not clear the first person singing is actually Judas until a couple songs in.

But I gotta say, I really enjoyed a lot of the staging and how they used the microphones.  I believe Jesus only ever sang into a handheld mic so there was a lot of interplay in who got to "have a voice" at a given moment, so to speak, though from what my friend remembered of the tour before it went non-equity, it seemed like he had a body mic then.