Jesus Christ Superstar

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Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,312
1,039
113
#1
Who all watched John Legend's Jesus Christ Superstar?
typically I'm not a big fan of musicals but that was phenomenal performance from the entire cast.
 

santuzza

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2013
1,609
38
48
#2
Watched the first hour of it -- couldn't stomach any more of it.

I thought it was overly sexualized. I did not like John Legend at all -- he played Jesus very arrogantly, imho. I was also unimpressed with a lot of the singing. They couldn't find a better Caiaphas, really? The guy had no range. I also did not appreciate the audience whooping and hollering and whistling whenever anyone hit a high note -- seriously? Whatever happened to concert etiquette?! I could go on, but I won't.

I do applaud the network that did it, however. Nice to see a good story going out on Easter day!
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,312
1,039
113
#3
Watched the first hour of it -- couldn't stomach any more of it.

I thought it was overly sexualized. I did not like John Legend at all -- he played Jesus very arrogantly, imho. I was also unimpressed with a lot of the singing. They couldn't find a better Caiaphas, really? The guy had no range. I also did not appreciate the audience whooping and hollering and whistling whenever anyone hit a high note -- seriously? Whatever happened to concert etiquette?! I could go on, but I won't.

I do applaud the network that did it, however. Nice to see a good story going out on Easter day!
Did we watch the same musical? Because that was off the chain. Dude playing Judas Iscariot is killing it.
 

santuzza

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2013
1,609
38
48
#4
Judas was the best guy on stage, I agree with that -- he did very well.

Otherwise, I was unimpressed.
 

longtrekker

Senior Member
Sep 23, 2014
396
194
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#5
.
Is it a remake...? - i 'member way back when it came out in the 70's..some of the tunes were great i thought - really loved Yvonne Elliman 'I don't know how to love him' fame - she went on to have several great tunes during the disco era!
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,312
1,039
113
#6
Alice Cooper was good as King Herod.
at age 70 he's still got it.
He's always been a showman so I'm surprised he hasn't done more Broadway musicals
 

santuzza

Senior Member
Feb 12, 2013
1,609
38
48
#7
Yes, it was a revival of a musical from back in the 70s. Ted Neeley as Jesus was phenomenal. Perhaps that is why I was so unimpressed with John Legend -- he just could live up to Ted Neeley.
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,312
1,039
113
#8
I thought the entire cast was outstanding.
Caiaphas was kinda meh, but other than that I was very impressed
 

hornetguy

Senior Member
Jan 18, 2016
6,623
1,381
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#9
I watched it... I thought the performances were good, overall. I liked Sarah Barell- (however you spell her last name). Very believable as Mary Magdalene... Legend was pretty good, Judas was good... my favorite overall performance was Alice Cooper as Herod. He put a lot of "sneer" into his performance.

As mentioned before, I think there was a little too much sexualization... but overall, I liked it.

I had seen it on stage when it originally came out. Early 70's...

edit......Bareilles...
 

Dude653

Senior Member
Mar 19, 2011
12,312
1,039
113
#10
I still have it on my DVR. I'll probably watch it again because it was that good.
in my opinion Brandon Dixon as Judas Iscariot outshined John Legend.
Amazing performance
 
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Depleted

Guest
#11
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Is it a remake...? - i 'member way back when it came out in the 70's..some of the tunes were great i thought - really loved Yvonne Elliman 'I don't know how to love him' fame - she went on to have several great tunes during the disco era!
It was/is a rock opera, performed on stage often over the decades, and this was a live performance, so can't quite call it a remake. Kind of like asking if South Pacific is a remake. Both became movies, but neither one ever stopped being performed on stage.
 
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Depleted

Guest
#12
This is my era. This was the opera that got me to asking the Lord to be as real to me as the man on the stage. (And considering John Legend wouldn't be born for another 6 years, it wasn't that man on the stage. lol)

I've seen it live twice, which says a lot, because I can count on two hands the number of times I've gone to stage performances, (not counting concerts.) The first time was amazingly good. The second time still ticks me off. (Herod was flaming!)

I've seen the movie version. Albeit the singing was powerful, it just didn't light my fire. I prefer it on stage.

That said, poor hubby. He doesn't even like musicals, and this is no musical. It's full-on opera. (Musicals they talk, and then burst into song. Opera is nothing but singing.) So he indulged my fangirling for a full week. So utterly excited to see this. John Legend is a fantastic singer, and Alice Cooper? Also my era, so still laugh that he'd do this. (Yes. I know he's a Christian now, but I saw him in concert shortly before seeing Superstar in the same building.)

So excited, I was hearing the songs in my head by Friday.

And then I saw it!!!

And had hubby turn to another station by the time Judas finished his first song. Nothing against Judas. Thought he did great. (Tone deaf, so if he didn't do great, it's hard for me to tell. lol) It's the attitude of John Legend I took exception to. Showboating his fame all the way, except he was supposed to be Jesus.

I do think Jesus smiled often. I do think he cracked jokes with the guys. (Some even made it into the Bible.) But John Legend played him like a rock star basking in the glow of the crowd. No one was ever going to ask the Lord to make himself as real as the guy on the stage. Legend didn't play Jesus real.

So, Alice was good, Hornet? Bummer. I can hear Alice doing snark perfectly.