I have a particular affection for the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. My parents were hippies, and the original recording was one of the albums I grew up on. I could recite most of the words before I understood their definitions (much less their meaning). The soundtrack was my introduction to the crucifixion narrative, and it certainly had an impact in the way I thought about my religion. In other words, Superstar is a part of me, and I'm quite possessive of it.
The original soundtrack is always going to be the definitive version for me, to which I compare all other performances; Superstar's 'gospel' if you will. So I find the challenge any subsequent production has to overcome is to "get it right"; a concept on which I'm characteristically inflexible.
So how did the 2018 Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert TV film do? Well, I'm glad I asked.
The Overture
Right off the bat I need to rave about the musicians. The music in Superstar is as much a character in the story as Jesus and Mary are. What the character is, I can't really nail down. Maybe two thousand years of emotions that have poured through those biblical passages? But every musician that they hired for this production was spot on, with perfect timing of every accented downbeat and atypical time signature. In many cases it felt like an identical replication of the soundtrack. It's the kind of score that almost incites the orchestra to fall flat, and nobody every did. I particularly loved the fact that the performers made appearances on the stage throughout the grander numbers.
As for the set, the modernization of the Christ narrative is always a hit and miss idea (the tanks in the film version were probably just too silly). Here it blends into the background pretty easily. I don't know how first time viewers felt about the anachronisms, but as I'm used to them I felt this show kept them within reason. As for the limited staging space, it leads to a few awkward moments (Judas can only storm out of the Last Supper by a few feet) but overall it's a fair trade for the conciseness of it all. It is a creatively designed set.
And finally, the staging was nothing shy of brilliant. There is a whole lot going on in the crowd scenes, but between the carefully crafted choreography and the well placed camera work, you never lose sight of the action. In many ways it makes for a better film version of the opera than the 1973 film did; not all, but many.
Frightened by the crowd
One of the really fun elements to this production is the use of the audience. There are a couple of mosh pits right by the stage that take full advantage of the passionate ticket holders who don't mind standing for two and a half hours. John Legend (who may very well have been cast just to give us the review title "Jesus, the Man, the Myth, the Legend", which I'm alas not going to use) is a high profile performer in the title role. I know of him. I'm not familiar with his work, but clearly the audience at the show is. When he makes his entrance and comes over to high five his fans, it adds to the whole atmosphere of 'Celebrity Jesus' interacting with his own crowds (at least in the Hosanna phase of the story).
On the plus side, you can feel that everyone on and off the stage is singing the crowd numbers, adding a raw energy that most shows never experience. On the minus, there are certain songs that begin and end on somber moments that the exuberant audience kind of smothers. I imagine if they were able to do a second take, one of the directors would have suggested the audience maybe, you know, not...applaud so much for "Jesus must die"?
Christ, you deserve it
John Legend is an outstanding Jesus. He's not perfect, but he more than makes up for his own shortcomings. All the role ultimately requires is the voice, and he's got it. It's not to say that any of the Jesuses throughout the musical's history have ever phoned in their performance, but Legend could have just sung the songs and gotten glowing reviews. Fortunately he does us one better by genuinely acting the role. You never feel like you're watching John Legend as Jesus, you're able to just get lost in the story because Legend is able to slip so comfortably into his role.
The (slightly) disappointing element is that he never vocally 'goes for it'. Once you've heard Ian Gillan or Ted Neeley shriek out "Gethsemane" then you know the vocal equivalent of sweating blood. Legend plays it safe on this front. Now in his defense, he probably needs to preserve his voice for the sake of his career. And if you go full wail and crack, it's all anyone is going to remember about your performance. So it's a minor quibble. As I said before, I' a bit of a snob.
On women of her kind
My wife is a fan of Sara Bareilles, having met her previously (Bareilles is really sweet in person). In this production, I thought she was good. Not smashing, just good. Unlike Legend, I just kept seeing Bareilles. I know there's not a whole lot one can do with the role, but it came across more as 'Sara Bareilles performing the Mary Magdalene songs' instead of 'Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene'. Her voice is beautiful, but the Yvonne Elliman passion isn't there. So out of all the cast, she was just good.
And I know who everybody's going to blame
Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas. You can tell he's from Broadway by the way he makes use of the stage. His facial expressions are animated. Your eyes naturally seek him out whether or not he's the one in the spotlight, just to see how he's reacting.
I'll admit, I had misgivings about him at the start of the show. He sings "Heaven on Their Minds" in a way that's...pretty. I didn't like it when I heard it, and I don't know how differently I'll feel on a second viewing. But mainly I was concerned that Dixon wouldn't be able to invoke Murray Head's meltdown going into Judas's suicide. I was wrong.
It was probably a combination actor's choice and direction that Judas starts with fair stability before falling apart in the fourth quarter. And Dixon's show stopping title song demonstrates exactly what he's capable of. It's entirely possible he intentionally toned down the Broadway so as to not outshine Legend and Bareilles, but suffice to say, he's stolen the show by curtain call.
But to keep you vultures happy
So let's talk show. What did I like/what didn't I like? I liked the glitter. It was a great way to metaphorize money and greed. I didn't the use of the chair when Jesus chased everyone out of the temple. I realize the limitations of a stage production, but it just seemed awkward. I loved the costumes on the lepers. That scene needs to be as horrifying as possible and they did a great job. I didn't care for the inclusion of the last verse in "Hosanna". The whole point of the extension is for that moment when the chorus sings "Hey J.C. J.C. won't you DIE for me" and we get a look at his reaction to the request. Here they didn't do anything with it. At first I thought Ben Daniels's Pontius Pilate was a tad too unsympathetic, but he came unhinged beautifully. I have never liked the song "Could We Start Again, Please?". It brings nothing to the show, it interrupts the tension, and it's boring.
And finally, I loved the way they handled the 39 lashes. By turning it into a crowd dance it eliminated the visual monotony that the sequence easily falls into. And Legend's acting really sells it. Speaking as someone who's played Jesus before (in Baton Rouge's teen theater Godspell) it's not fun to writhe in agony for any extended period of time. So, cap's off to you.
And now I understand you're God. Wow.
You knew I wasn't going to forget. Alice Cooper is a treasure. He doesn't have to do a damn thing to be awesome, and he knows it. The man has impeccable comedic timing, and his understated performance as King Herod (reprised from the 1996 revival) is a gem of pure giddiness. I always love it when Cooper the artist has a chance to perform independently of his stage persona. He is a pure unapologetic ham, and I thank God we didn't lose him in his rough years.
With a kiss
In the end, the trick to a good performance of Superstar lies in the show's ability to answer the question; why am I watching this instead of just popping in the soundtrack? Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert sprinkles its answer throughout its production. We all know the story and the songs, and yet it still manages to find a few surprise acting beats that allows for its own identity.
The Last Supper, usually presented as a somber occasion from its beginning, is set up as if it's going to be a genuinely festive gathering; you know, as if the disciples didn't know what was going to happen. The moment following Judas's kiss typically goes right into the arrival of the Romans, but here Jesus expresses a powerful gesture of forgiveness by embracing his right hand man. And Jesus's slap in the face realization of "What I started- What YOU started" is given a real gravitas.
But every performance has to decide what to do with the final image of Jesus on the cross. Webber and Rice intended it to simply end on that huge question mark, what was this for? The film version honors this wish by us never seeing any sign of the resurrection. Ted Neeley's very extensive farewell tour had him ascending via harness up to the catwalks, ending on a definitive period. Live in Concert finds a solid compromise. Jesus and the cross are lifted up and pulled away from the audience, fading into the light behind the set. Is it an ascension? Is it symbolic of a historical event becoming metaphor? We're not told, and the musical is all the better for it.
Final thoughts: this version is a worthy successor to it's source material. It will never replace the soundtrack for me, but it proves itself on its own merits. And if you feel the need to see the opera as well as hear it, this is the one to watch.
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