Stage on Screen: Jesus Christ Superstar Live

Variety Magazine

Jesus Christ Superstar has always been one of my favorites. It was the first musical I ever saw, and has always had a special place in my heart. So when I heard that NBC would be doing a live version, I had mixed feelings.  On one hand, woohoo! There would be a new version to obsess over. On the other hand, NBC has had issues in the past with live musicals. I had high hopes that it would be more Grease Live than Peter Pan Live but I was worried.

I'm happy to say that it was - in my book - it was a runaway success from the first chords. It was so completely fantastic! From the scale of the sets, to the performances of the cast, to the live band on stage - everything just worked! I was thrilled to see the inclusion of a live audience, which is exactly what gives Broadway shows their energy in the first place. It's about time that the powers that be realize that.

Of course I wouldn't be a super fan, without a few minor nitpicks here and there, but for the most part this review is strictly an opportunity to gush about this gorgeous production.

I first have to say that Brandon Victor Dixon was a revelation as Judas. The man is a triple threat. He can dance, sing and act, and he did them all flawlessly in front of millions of people. Those that saw his performance in Hamilton (I'm one of the lucky ones who did) should not be surprised about this at all. His performance was so perfect, that I personally believe that he outshined everyone else on that stage - including John Legend. To say that he blew me away, would be accurate (and also a bit of a Hamilton pun : )

I was less than enthused by John Legend's Jesus. He has a great voice but isn't a trained actor, so his performance wasn't as strong as it could be. Sara Bareilles on the other hand was wonderful as Mary Magdalene. She has a beautiful voice, and handled the acting part sufficiently enough.  The rest of the men and women that made up the ensemble were all pretty fantastic as well. Many of these actors were Broadway-trained, so it was nice to see them perform awesomely (something they do each and every night) on a much larger stage.  

Norm Lewis as Caiphas and  Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate were standouts in this regard. Norm Lewis' deep baritone was a no-brainer. I saw him live in Sweeney Todd, and his voice is equally as deep and terrifying on television as it was in a small venue. Ben Daniels was another in the stellar cast that seemed to outshine many of those around him. His version of "Pilate's Dream" was gorgeous, and is one of the best I've ever seen.  

The costumes on the other hand were another story. I'm not sure I bought into what they were trying to sell. Mary Magdalene's plain yellow dress was simple and worked well. But added to Jesus' over-sized sweater and jean combo (which must have been ridiculously hot), and Judas' leather and grunge, it didn't really work. Then there were Caiphas and Annas' jackets that looked like they were plotting the end of the death star instead of Jesus. And please don't get me started on the white sequined mess that ghost-Judas was forced into at the end of the show. He looked like a disco ball with arms and legs... But questionable costumes are a small price to pay for such awesomeness.  

On the other end of the creative spectrum, I loved the grungy, half-built stage that served as Jerusalem. It was gorgeously lit and served as a perfect way to give actors different entrances and exits. The fact that the fabulous band was able to be on stage on leveled scaffolding with the actors was an added bonus. I also loved the idea of the glitter being used during the temple scene, though I don't envy the poor stagehands that had to clean that up during the commercial break. 

Yet another highlight of this production chock-full of them was the choreography. It was near perfect. The choreographer seemed to use the strengths of their performers to the best of their abilities. Brand Victor Dixon was able to showcase his considerable dancing chops during big numbers, while Alice Cooper who may not be the best dancer, was given smaller but no less powerful choreography. These moves, in conjunction with the performers' interaction with the audience, created a production that was alive and truly felt like you were watching a fully-staged musical in a theatre, which I'm sure wasn't easy to pull off.

In the lead-up to the show, I only wanted this to be as good as Grease Live - the best televised production I've seen. In the end, this beautiful and rocking show went above and beyond it and has set the bar for any and all televised live productions moving forward - which can only be a good thing for us theatre junkies.