NBC's next NEXT live musical...- Page 2

[HenryTDobson]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 4:54pm

Christian Borle as King Herold! 

[PatrickDC]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 4:55pm

I'm sure this will be heavily advertised to the Bible Belt, including churches sponsoring viewing parties, etc. So the idea of casting Adam Lambert, Pink, Lady Gaga, or any celebs with what are considered UnChristian or unorthodox views on gender and sexuality will not be involved. I think given the proposed audience the country music industry might be heavily recruited for talent. 

I forget, what were the ratings like for that live Christian musical event that Tyler Perry staged in New Orleans last year? 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 4:55pm

Just put the whole cast of Hamilton in this. 

[Plannietink08]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 4:57pm

PatrickDC said: "I'm sure this will be heavily advertised to the Bible Belt, including churches sponsoring viewing parties, etc. So the idea of casting Adam Lambert, Pink, Lady Gaga, or any celebs with what are considered UnChristian or unorthodox views on gender and sexuality will not be involved. I think given the proposed audience the country music industry might be heavily recruited for talent. 

I forget, what were the ratings like for that live Christian musical event that Tyler Perry staged in New Orleans last year? 

 

"

The music is about Jesus being a smooth talker, a flawed man and not the son of God at all and it massively sympathises with Judas - no church is going to have anything to do with this. 

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:08pm

PatrickDC said: "I'm sure this will be heavily advertised to the Bible Belt, including churches sponsoring viewing parties, etc. So the idea of casting Adam Lambert, Pink, Lady Gaga, or any celebs with what are considered UnChristian or unorthodox views on gender and sexuality will not be involved. I think given the proposed audience the country music industry might be heavily recruited for talent. 

I forget, what were the ratings like for that live Christian musical event that Tyler Perry staged in New Orleans last year? 

 

"

 

Google is your friend.  http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/ratings-the-passion-musical-solid-but-unspectacular-fox-1201734915/

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:22pm

My thoughts in short -- to make a direct quote from (most versions of) the show: (clears throat) "WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY..."

My thoughts in long form:

1. Anyone who believes them when they say they're looking for rockers has taken a hard fall off of theirs. They're talking about looking for real rockers and collaborating with ALW in the same breath, and that has never led to casting real rockers in the post-1996 world of JCS. (1996 is when ALW's desire to stamp his personal vision of JCS on the world via revivals began to be evident.) This is especially noteworthy because this is exactly the sort of talk that led to the most recent failure, the arena tour: near-constant mentions of the show being "the original rock opera" and "getting back to its rock roots" that amounted in the final result to "yammer yammer mutter mutter cast the pretty boy who sings it like the last pop approach did." (Indeed, considering the arena tour failed to launch in the States, I can't help wondering if this is ALW's attempt to set the stage for an arena tour retread, complete with casting-related reality show.)

2. NBC's past live musicals have been garbage. I have no reason to believe they'll magically get it right this time.

3. The only thing that's right about the timing of the broadcast is the Easter Sunday date. Other than that, it's totally the wrong time. When Fox did that piece of **** The Passion live on TV a couple years ago? That was the time, that's competitive marketing: "What's that you say? A contemporary Passion Play? Well, our parent company Universal has the film and broadcast rights to the original contemporary treatment of this story, let's see who wins the ratings war." Once again the suits suffer from NFB (No F*CKing Brains).

Intriguing footnote: Marc Platt joins as co-producer. Guess his much-mooted big screen remake of JCS won't be happening then...

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 05:22 PM

[oknazevad]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:23pm

kaykordeath said: "Bruno Mars for Judas!"

That's actually not a bad idea. We know he can sing and dance, and has great stage presence, but can he act? And would he be willing to take the time out of his very busy touring schedule. Seriously, the guy (and his superb band) play like 250 shows a year. 

[oknazevad]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:29pm

Plannietink08 said: "PatrickDC said: "I'm sure this will be heavily advertised to the Bible Belt, including churches sponsoring viewing parties, etc. So the idea of casting Adam Lambert, Pink, Lady Gaga, or any celebs with what are considered UnChristian or unorthodox views on gender and sexuality will not be involved. I think given the proposed audience the country music industry might be heavily recruited for talent. 

I forget, what were the ratings like for that live Christian musical event that Tyler Perry staged in New Orleans last year? "

The music is about Jesus being a smooth talker, a flawed man and not the son of God at all and it massively sympathises with Judas - no church is going to have anything to do with this. "

Agreed. This is NOT a church Easter passion play at all. Far, far, from it. This will not be advertised to the church going crowd. Hell, this will be denounced from the pulpit regardless of who they cast. Which is why they should just cast whoever they want.

 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:32pm

I must concur with Plannietink08 and oknazevad. While many recent productions in the States (usually those featuring Ted Neeley) have tried to push the show in a more Middle America-friendly religious direction, it is decidedly not your typical Passion Play. As a producer who is also a super-fan of the show, I've done marketing research aimed at gauging JCS' popularity with the Christian market; outside of the more liberal side of the street (for example, Catholic churches in my area -- New England, to be specific -- have used the 1973 film, and later the 2000 video, as confirmation class teaching tools), it's widely still regarded as blasphemous by most fundamentalists.

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 05:32 PM

[barcelona20]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:36pm

Jack Black will be in this guaranteed.

[JudyDenmark]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:38pm

barcelona20 said: "Jack Black will be in this guaranteed."

He'd actually make a great Herod.

Can we get Kelly Clarkson as Mary Magdalene??

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:40pm

AKarp2013 said: "Very excited about this actually! So is A Few Good Men not happening at all then?"

I think A Few Good Men is still happening. The last I heard is that Zadan & Meron are waiting for a certain star to be available.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:43pm

JudyDenmark said: "barcelona20 said: "Jack Black will be in this guaranteed."

He'd actually make a great Herod."

He did.

[barcelona20]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:45pm

Ha I didn't know that. But it's hard to believe he wouldn't be asked to be Herod in this.  Seems like a good match.

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 5:57pm

Back in the Nineties, he'd have been unconventional casting, but he'd have made a fine Judas too.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 7:13pm

I don't hate this idea if they get the casting right. I remember everyone saying they should have just done JCS when they aired that weird Tyler Perry special.

A Ben Vereen cameo would be wonderful but maybe more likely if it had been a Fox show. But you never know.

No one's going to cast Shoshana Bean or Paul Nolan or Josh Young so I don't have any suggestions. But Lady Gaga, Jennifer Nettles, and Kelly Clarkson could be possibilities if they were interested. 

[sr4mjc]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 7:31pm

Adam Lambert as Judas please.  There's an old You Tube out there.. Would love to see Pink as Mary.  Jeremy Jordan as Jesus?

[jo]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 8:26pm

Looking forward to this!  What a coup for NBC!

I still have the original concept album as well as the more recent RUG filmed production ( with G. Carter). And I did see the revival in London with Steve Balsamo as Jesus ( his GETHSEMANE was  terrific!).  I also saw the Ted Neely movie on a re-run a  long time ago!

I don't think the show is heretical -- maybe a more theatrical and more stylized portrait of Biblical figures and what had happened some 2000 years ago.  It portrays a Jesus who is more human and the book looks more closely at his interactions with Judas and Mary Magdalene. 

I hope they get great rock stars who can also be strong actors -- this is delivered on a medium that includes close-ups even if it is a live show. Otherwise it might look more like  a concert than a musical theatre show.

The producer group is bigtime -- ALWebber/Tim Rice/Marc Platt/Zadan & Meron!  That tells us how big this show and musical score is in the long career of ALWebber.  I would say that it could  even be more iconic than Phantom or Evita or at least lead those 2 if one were to choose Lloyd Webber's  most important musical contributions!

Updated On: 5/14/17 at 08:26 PM

[bwaylyric]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:18pm

Starring Kanye West in title role. YEEZUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. 

[Robbie2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:27pm

HenryTDobson said: "Ben Platt as Peter is my prediction. 

 

"Why, because of Marc Platt?

 

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:33pm

jo said: "I don't think the show is heretical -- maybe a more theatrical and more stylized portrait of Biblical figures and what had happened some 2000 years ago.  It portrays a Jesus who is more human and the book looks more closely at his interactions with Judas and Mary Magdalene."

Yes, but that is precisely what fundamentalist Christians didn't like; examples here, here, and here. Note the dates on all of these -- they are not records of conservative religious groups protesting the album (or show, or film) in the distant past. These are all from within the last few years.

Updated On: 5/10/17 at 10:33 PM

[Brave Sir Robin2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:49pm

Jack Black as Herod and Nicole Scherzinger for Mary Magdalene, please! Adam Lambert or Bruno Mars would also be fab!

[jo]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 10:49pm

I think if you have strong faith, you can look at this as a mere musical art exercise ( which was probably the intention of the composers). It is just like the reaction to DA VINCI CODE -- it was just a story which looked at other fictional possibilities, but only in the world of fiction!

I am not questioning how others feel about this -- I am just expressing why I can appreciate the music and the book. 

 

[Marianne2]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 11:14pm

Ted Neeley- It wouldn't be Jesus Chris Superstar without him.

I hope this is better than crosspalooza Fox had on last year.

[hork]

Posted: 5/10/17 at 11:29pm

sr4mjc said: "Adam Lambert as Judas please.  There's an old You Tube out there.. Would love to see Pink as Mary.  Jeremy Jordan as Jesus?

Adam Lambert should be Jesus, I would think. Can Jeremy Jordan even hit all those notes?