Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Plot Summary:
This interpretation of the popular musical, Jesus Christ Superstar, is the newest in a slew of other interpretations of the famous story originally written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Jesus Christ Superstar is about the final week of life for Jesus of Nazareth, which features not only him (John Legend), but Mary Magdalene (Sara Bareilles), Judas Iscariot (Brandon Victor Dixon), Pontius Pilot (Ben Daniels), and King Herod (Alice Cooper) in leading roles.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert could have easily become a disaster. However, due to the unique and modern spin on the story, this turned out to be an excellent show.
The filmmakers decided to approach this musical as if it were a live concert instead of theatre on a television. This was noticeable from the start and added energy to the show – especially the Alice Cooper moment. It was also established from the moment the show started that the musicians would be occasionally sharing the stage with the other performers. After literally setting fire to a cauldron in the first, upbeat musical number, we got to witness a member of the ensemble spray paint Jesus’ name on a wall. That, along with the grungy, modern, urban punk vibe, led well into Jesus’ first holy-esque appearance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJZJcOsHghw
Most of the cast, particularly the main cast, did a great job. I was initially unsure as to how well John Legend could portray such an iconic character, but he brought his own charisma to the role and made it his own. In fact, the show is entirely built around the strengths of the performers themselves. John Legend and Sara Bareilles both utilize their incredible musical capabilities very well as the show itself is molded around their strengths musically as well as theatrically. It was very evident to notice their softer, soulful styles of music being incorporated into their music numbers and they delivered tremendously in that regard.
The best character and portrayal, however, was that of Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton) portraying Judas. This interpretation of the story focused more on the struggle for Judas between the Roman Empire and his stature as an apostle to Jesus. Dixon’s powerful vocals and diverse range as an actor and performer – combined with having the best written part in the entire musical – was a slam-dunk success for Jesus Christ Superstar. He stole the show every time he was on stage.
As for Ben Daniels and Alice Cooper, they both exuded a commanding stage presence while not particularly blowing anyone away with their singing abilities. Their roles did not necessarily warrant the advanced level of singing that, for instance, Dixon brought to Judas since Daniels and Cooper brought a strong stage presence in villainous roles that easily made up for the lack of vocal range. The performers playing the other two villains, Caiaphas (Norm Lewis) and Annas (Jin Ha), did a solid job with both acting and singing in a way that added more quality to the already-talented cast.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3WRA0wSWDg
In addition to the fantastic cast, the crew was also top-notch. They were able utilize a plethora of different shots – including close-ups, spin arounds, and long shots – that gave the show its own kind of gravitas. In terms of design, a modern edge is used in every aspect, such as the style of apparel mentioned earlier and actions like a film crew interviewing Jesus when he is taken by Pilate’s men. Jesus Christ Superstar was clearly directed and choreographed masterfully by David Leveaux and Alex Rudzinski – in particular, the last half of the show. The first half was not bad at all by any means, but that final half of the show was perfection on stage in every aspect, especially the big moments like the Crucifixion scene.
To plainly put it: Jesus Christ Superstar was a fun, energetic, yet captivating two-and-a-half hours of television on NBC. While quite different than the more classical version I saw at an elegant dinner theatre in high school, it was still a successful show with its own identity. Though clearly aimed at the younger demographic, there should be something about this interpretation that should appeal to everyone – potentially those not even keen on musicals. Solid acting, wonderful musical performances, excellent film and stage crew, and a strong, refreshing take on the source material lead this musical to the Promised Land.
Rating: 9 / 10
-Daryn Kirscht
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yleuZbY8rKk
