“Jesus Christ Superstar” is one of my favorite musicals, which made me very skeptical of “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” from the first announcement. Fortunately, the “In Concert” label was misleading as this was an all-out, Broadway-caliber production complete with choreography, costumes, and chemistry between characters. In fact, the only remnants of a Concert production were the annoying audience members that occasionally interrupted a song with their screams. The audience added little to the production but managed to amplify the energy of the cast, so I didn’t mind them being there. I just wish that they hadn’t been encouraged to actively make themselves a part of the broadcast. So how did the vision of the directors and adaptation for tv work out? Things that I didn’t like: Female apostles, head-banging Simon, Herod’s oddly costumed saloon dancers, Judas’s unclear death, Pilate’s last note (though you can’t blame him for going all in). Things that I loved: Everything else. The production was brought to life by a combination of music industry favorites and current Broadway stars, up close and personal thanks to the unique camerawork that often put the home audience onstage with the cast. It was fun to feel like a part of the story. Brandon Victor Dixon was born to play Judas, capturing the emotion of the character while staying true to the vocal parts of which we are all accustomed. He took artistic license with a few passages but all choices enhanced the character. As is often the case in Superstar, he easily stole the spotlight from Jesus. I feel that the director handled his death as carefully as possible for a prime time audience but the end result was so vague that you couldn’t even be sure that he died. John Legend’s portrayal of Jesus is noticeably more meek than Ian Gillan’s aggressive singing on the iconic original album. There were many moments when I heard falsetto where I expected rock and roll screaming, but Legend’s interpretation probably better reflects the actual personality of Jesus. The moment that did demand a more aggressive tone was the temple scene where Jesus historically expressed righteous anger and Legend fell noticeably short. You can hear the fatigue in his voice toward the end of his performance (especially during the failed high falsetto moment in “Gethsemane”) but who can blame him when singing a role like that without the benefit of an intermission. He was one of my main reasons for feeling skeptical and I was pleasantly surprised by everything that he brought to the production. The real showstopper was Sarah Bareilles as Mary Magdalene. Her singing is effortless and emotionally engaged, making for several of the best moments of this production. One of the greatest moments of the night was Alice Cooper singing the role of Herod. The crowed LOVED him and his sing-speaking style was perfect for the part. I grew to like baritone Norm Lewis as Caiaphas as the production progressed but I’m still pretty annoyed that they didn’t cast a true bass that could powerfully project the infamously low notes below the bass staff. Ben Daniels played Pilate incredibly well and the rest of the cast offered solid performances. I am thankful that the music stayed true to the original concept album, keeping the entire show intact as we all know it. Every dissonant chord, odd time signature, and anachronistic style kept this unique take on Jesus’ final days fresh and interesting. There were some balance issues between the pit and cast but with an undertaking of this magnitude, I believe that the balance was beyond acceptable. I especially love that the electric guitarist (whose presence in the musical is worthy of being called a “lead”) was given his due during the Overture as he actually became a part of the action. An occasional note out of tune reminded us that the orchestra was live but I felt that they were just as solid as the cast. As usual, I was disappointed that the show didn’t end with a resurrection. The sequence of Jesus ascending on the cross was powerful and really emphasized his sacrifice, not to mention that this is how Andrew Lloyd Webber chose to end the show. But if NBC was going to exploit Easter Sunday by scheduling this production on the day of Jesus’ resurrection, it would have been fitting to complete the story. The timing was the equivalent of broadcasting “The Nativity Story” on Christmas Day and ending it before Jesus was born. “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert” was more than a tv special. It was an event. And while there were some casting and production decisions that don’t have my full support, it was amazing and did justice to one of my favorite musicals.
[Pictured: Dixon and Legend deliver a great one-two punch in the lead roles]
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