Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Reviews (original) (raw)

Summary NBC's latest live musical is be a concert staging of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's rock opera at Brooklyn's Marcy Armory with John Legend as Jesus, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas, Alice Cooper as King Herod, Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate, Norm Lewis as Caiaphas, Jin Ha as Annas, Jason Tam as Peter an...

Season 1 Premiere: Apr 1, 2018

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An exhilarating production that once again revolutionized the still-evolving live musical format. Yes, the sound mix wasn’t as clean as it should be and not all the lighting design read as well on TV as well as it should have. But the final sequence of Jesus’ crucifix rising into the air to be surrounded by a larger crucifix of light was a breathtaking bit of stagecraft that blended the theater and concert aspects of the show perfectly.

A conceptual and artistic triumph. ... Some technical flubs and one mixed-bag lead performance aside, the production was genuinely thrilling, taking chances with the staging of a classic but controversial Broadway show, much more daring than previous live musical broadcasts like “The Sound of Music” or “Peter Pan.”

It was energetic (de rigeur), secular (usually is), handsomely staged (or scaffolded) and sonic (the louder the better). ... As Christ, John Legend was out-sung by Brandon Victor Dixon (Aaron Burr, “Hamilton”) who was Judas Iscariot, Norm Lewis (Caiaphas), Ben Daniels (Pontius Pilate) and Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene). But they out-sing everyone. Not a fair fight.

Despite the quibbles, which included some spotty sound mixing, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert was a pleasure throughout. The show both respected the original score while adding a present-day spin and a sense of controlled chaos that kept it all fresh.

The show was a collision of religion and theater and pop culture that could have been one holy mess. But by the grace of God, or maybe a great cast and lots and lots of expert staging, a great musical became a great TV production.

A star arose during NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert last night. No, not singer John Legend, though he did grow into his part as the son of God in this adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber rock opera, and not pop star Sara Bareilles, who was technically sound as Mary Magdalene but never seemed to find her heart. Broadway veteran Brandon Victor Dixon stole the show as Judas.

This musical threw together glitter, sequins, leather, writhing hotties, a few big performances pitched to the last row, and camerawork that often felt as though it was hopped up on too many lattes. Actually, the ragged edges of a unifying concept did emerge over the course of the NBC musical’s two-hour-and-20-minute running time: If its philosophy could be summed up in one word, “excess” would just about cover it. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But this live show was a lot.

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Production Company:

Sony Pictures Television
Storyline Entertainment
Marc Platt Productions
Universal Television

Initial Release Date: Apr 1, 2018

Number of seasons: 0 Seasons

Rating: TV-PG

Primetime Emmy Awards

• 5 Wins & 13 Nominations

Critics Choice Awards

• 1 Win & 3 Nominations

Black Reel Awards for Television