Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE - FULL video online. Link in 1st post

[Denise W]

I was in high school when the brown album came out, and I bought it right away. My band director was very progressive for the time, and decided we would play the overture (complete with guitar solo in the beginning) for our holiday concert in 1971. It was a really good arrangement and we played it really well. Because the score was so new many in the audience were not familiar with it and the first reaction when we finished was silence! They then gave us a nice ovation. I've been a fan ever since and thought this production was excellent.
Denise

 

[JaneBanks]

I can’t get the music out of my head since last night. lol

Me too! I have had Could We Start Again, Please? and Hosanna on loop in my head all day.

 

[L&Lfan]

I played the movie ST in my car all day. Their version of Could We Start Again? led by Yvonne Elliman is my favorite.

 

[Imzadi]

I was in high school when the brown album came out, and I bought it right away. My band director was very progressive for the time, and decided we would play the overture (complete with guitar solo in the beginning) for our holiday concert in 1971. It was a really good arrangement and we played it really well. Because the score was so new many in the audience were not familiar with it and the first reaction when we finished was silence! They then gave us a nice ovation. I've been a fan ever since and thought this production was excellent.
Denise

Wow! So cool!

I've always liked overtures in general. Musically, that one is excellent. From the first rumblings of undercurrent to the guitar solo to the trumpets blaring, it really gives the tone of the what to expect and that this show is not some light, Easter parade, happy-going musical.

I remember the first time I saw a Broadway play instead of a musical. It was in high school. I had always only seen musicals before that. Even high schools & community theatres usually produce musicals, so that was all I had ever seen. But, I wanted to try a play for once and my parents let me pick it out. (Plus all the popular Broadway musicals were sold out.) It was way before the Internet. So, all I knew of the play was the vaguely familiar title, (probably had been Tony nominated and I heard the name bandied about,) and that it had some famous actors I knew of.

I sat in the audience, the lights went down. There is a hush as the audience settles down, puts their programs away, gets a last cough in, then a couple moments of complete silence, before the curtain rises. That's usually when an overture would start. Only one didn't. I felt like the overture was missing. I had no idea if I was seeing a comedy or drama or what to expect. Even most movies have some type of musical score, even a brief one, usually during the opening credits to give an idea of the tone of the movie. A live play has none of that. I was rather disappointed at the start of that play. Luckily I had picked a comedy and wasn't disappointed for long and was laughing along with the audience.

 

[L&Lfan]

I love overtures too. I have several CDs of just Broadway overtures.

 

[MrJT]

Since I only saw part of it on Sunday, before I had to leave my SIL's house, I started to watch it last night at home.
The volume was more to my liking, and I enjoyed it even more than the first time. And I had a better appreciation for John Legend's performance. But it was late, so I only watched the first half or so. I basically stopped where the first record ended on the original recording.

 

[jodifla]

I thought the live performance was great. But, as a child of the 70s, I felt Legend was lacking a bit compared to his co-stars. In this live performance, Judas was the star. But in the 70s movie, Jesus (Ted Neeley) was the star. His performance really commanded the attention even though he had less to sing. I guess that's why he's still doing the role of Jesus even though he's 74 over in the Netherlands now.

I liked the movie King Herod better as well (sorry, Alice Cooper) but loved the Pilate of the Live version.

Overall though, it was quite impressive.

 

[cabanafrau]

We watched last night and overall enjoyed it. I like John Legend and think he has a good voice, unfortunately I didn't think this role suited his range in many spots. He needed more lower register at different times and he didn't have quite the gravitas to pull off the heavier parts like driving the moneychangers out of the temple. They also didn't have the sound mix right and his voice was difficult to hear at points when the musicians were really rocking.

They needed to pick a costuming lane and stay in it. Jesus as styled by Kanye. Pilate as a ringmaster. Mary Magdelene a flower child. Judas as biker/then backup dancer for the Supremes? The Folies Bergere or Moulin Rouge dancers dropping in with Alice Cooper. Just too much altogether.

ETA: How I forgot I don't know, but the Sanhedrin costumes were awesome and were almost characters in themselves -- yet they stuck out like sore thumbs from the rest as well.

Favorite performance was Pilate, followed closely by Judas.

 

[DeniseJH]

We watched last night and overall enjoyed it. I like John Legend and think he has a good voice, unfortunately I didn't think this role suited his range in many spots. He needed more lower register at different times and he didn't have quite the gravitas to pull off the heavier parts like driving the moneychangers out of the temple. They also didn't have the sound mix right and his voice was difficult to hear at points when the musicians were really rocking.

They needed to pick a costuming lane and stay in it. Jesus as styled by Kanye. Pilate as a ringmaster. Mary Magdelene a flower child. Judas as biker/then backup dancer for the Supremes? The Folies Bergere or Moulin Rouge dancers dropping in with Alice Cooper. Just too much altogether.

Favorite performance was Pilate, followed closely by Judas.

Not to be disagreeable, but when it comes to costuming. when the show is called a "rock opera"... I think anything goes!

 

[cabanafrau]

Not to be disagreeable, but when it comes to costuming. when the show is called a "rock opera"... I think anything goes!

IMO rock opera would have been fine as the overarching idea, which is what it started with in the opening. The lack of cohesion in the costuming took away from the overall performance for me.

 

[DeniseJH]

IMO rock opera would have been fine as the overarching idea, which is what it started with in the opening. The lack of cohesion in the costuming took away from the overall performance for me.

Good enough - I thought it was cool!

 

[AnnaFloridaLover]

We watched last night and overall enjoyed it. I like John Legend and think he has a good voice, unfortunately I didn't think this role suited his range in many spots. He needed more lower register at different times and he didn't have quite the gravitas to pull off the heavier parts like driving the moneychangers out of the temple. They also didn't have the sound mix right and his voice was difficult to hear at points when the musicians were really rocking.

They needed to pick a costuming lane and stay in it. Jesus as styled by Kanye. Pilate as a ringmaster. Mary Magdelene a flower child. Judas as biker/then backup dancer for the Supremes? The Folies Bergere or Moulin Rouge dancers dropping in with Alice Cooper. Just too much altogether.

Favorite performance was Pilate, followed closely by Judas.

I though Maureen Ryan from Variety.com said it best "Jesus took the stage looking like he’d gotten a deal on a tasteful ensemble from Eileen Fisher’s 100 percent organic Galilee collection".

I couldn't get past Legend's costume nor Sara Bareillies' awful get up. Shoes included. And then there were the scarves. So, so, so many scarves.

 

[Imzadi]

I found the video of the FULL show online at NBC.com! It's only and hour and a half. NBC had added 55 minutes of commercials when they aired it on TV.

Watch it soon, in case someone at NBC realizes they weren't supposed to post the full video, just small clips. Although, 2-3 minutes of commercials play before the show starts. It may seem like it's stuck in an endless loop of different commercials, but the musical does start after all that. So, maybe they do know it's downloaded and this is their way to make money off of airing the whole musical. And there are periodic commercials during the show.

https://www.nbc.com/jesus-christ-superstar/video/jesus-christ-superstar-live-in-concert/3689643

 

[cabanafrau]

I found the video of the FULL show online at NBC.com! It's only and hour and a half. NBC had added 55 minutes of commercials when they aired it on TV.

Watch it soon, in case someone at NBC realizes they weren't supposed to post the full video, just small clips. Although, 2-3 minutes of commercials play before the show starts. It may seem like it's stuck in an endless loop of different commercials, but the musical does start after all that. So, maybe they do know it's downloaded and this is their way to make money off of airing the whole musical. And there are periodic commercials during the show.

https://www.nbc.com/jesus-christ-superstar/video/jesus-christ-superstar-live-in-concert/3689643

It drove me crazy during the broadcast that they used the increasing pace of commercials as the show moved along, very little at first, increasing to a level where it nearly destroyed the mood created.

 

[sksjasams]

Just saw this thread. I'm another kid from the 70s who grew up listening to the album and watching the movie so many times - knowing every word by heart.
I thought the best performances were Judas, Pilate and Peter.
I don't get the PPs who said John Legend was too "edgy". I thought he had no edge, no angst, no portrayal of the suffering. Same blank, peaceful look on his face that he has in real life...