Lets dream of a Jesus Christ Superstar revival..- Page 2

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 12:36pm

Personally, I see Esparza more as Pilate. Though nobody could play the role like Barry Dennen. His Pilate on stage was electrifying.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 12:40pm

I think there is a reason this show started as a Concept Cast Recording. I don't think it actually works on stage as a theatrical piece.
However, the idea of Mandy Gonzales as Mary Magdalene is delicious, maybe in a Studio Cast Recording. My favorite Mary is Frances Ruffelle, pretty fascinating.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 1:54pm

I think there is a reason this show started as a Concept Cast Recording. I don't think it actually works on stage as a theatrical piece.

I would agree based on the staging of the recent revival and the hideous Neely tour that's been around for a decade, but the first production I saw was more conservatively staged without the use of modern costumes or overconceptualized set designs and it was gorgeous. If you let the score represent the modern aspect of the show and just let the story speak for itself, it can be a very emotional and moving experience. But the show can easily get bogged down under the weight of a heavy directorial hand or massive ego and the focus immediately shifts to the concept or design rather than the tale.

For example, during the lashes, in the recent tour I found the use of the chorus running up and wiping their bloody hands on Jesus for each lash to be visually interesting, but the interaction took the focus away from the actual task at hand and the intensity of the scene was greatly diminished. The same could be said for Could We Start Again Please. The slo-mo beating of Jesus completely upstaged the song and appeared more trite and comical than horrifying.

I would love Renee Elyse Goldsberry as Mary.

Updated On: 11/5/08 at 01:54 PM

[Justin D]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 2:12pm

although i did not see the actual show, I love the designs for the '96 london one (almost asthough it was staged in a roman arena) I really didnt care for the Broadway revival (which i believe is verry much like the DVD.

[East Village]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 3:11pm

Couldn't agree with Mister Matt's comments more.

Also the post-hippie approach of the original productions and the film worked beautifully -- and were very much a part of the times before spirituality in this country got hi-jacked by new age nonsense on the left and evangelical bigotry on the right.
Updated On: 11/5/08 at 03:11 PM

[gvendo2005]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 3:31pm

Casting purely on voice alone?

Jesus of Nazareth: Drew Sarich
Judas Iscariot: Stephen Lynch
Mary Magdalene: Tori Amos
Pontius Pilate: Adam Pascal
King Herod: Denis Leary
Simon Zealotes: Lawrence Clayton
Caiaphas: Perry Brown
Annas: Brian Keith
Peter: Rodney Hicks

[willep]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 3:31pm

Norm Lewis would be an awesome Caiaphas in my opinion...still trying to picture him as Pilate...

[maggiwun2]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 4:55pm

Definitely Eric Kunze! I heard there was to be a remake of the movie. I would love to see him in that. No one rips my heart out like him in "Gethsemane".

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 5:14pm

I've seen JCS many times and I think it works fine as a staged show. Most of the productions I saw were actually set back in Israel as it would have been at the time of Jesus or what have you, and they worked pretty well.

I also saw the tour that was essentially based off of the revival, and that wasn't bad, either.

[South Fl Marc]

Posted: 11/5/08 at 5:38pm

Enough with reviving the same shows over and over again.

[EVIE]

Posted: 11/6/08 at 6:31pm

Eric Kunze as Jesus and Tony Vincent as Judas. Swoooooooon. Drooooooool. If not Tony, then Drew Sarich as Judas.