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| Scene from Jesus Christ Superstar Live! |
Welcome to a new column called Channel Surfing, in which I sporadically look at current TV shows and talk about them. These are not ones that I care to write weekly recaps for and are instead reflections either on the episode, the series, or particular moments. This will hopefully help to share personal opinions as well as discover entertainment on the outer pantheon that I feel is well worth checking out, or in some cases, shows that are weird enough to talk about, but should never be seen.
It's hard to believe, but the live broadcast musical telecast has been a fixture for five years now. What seemed like a gimmick at first with Sound of Music Live! evolved as each network tried to cash in on audiences tuning into watch the most beloved stage shows being shown to the largest audiences possible. NBC in particular has had a rocky trajectory over the years whether it be the shoddy Peter Pan Live! or the improved Hairspray Live!, but have hit the jackpot with one of the most obvious decisions one could make: why not do a live version of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Tony-winning Jesus Christ Superstar on Easter? The rest writes itself, especially with a cast that touts a singer as talented as John Legend in the lead role.
NBC has learned the mistakes of the past big time and produced arguably their best live show yet. It starts with a simple rule that most of these productions lack: it needs to feel like live theater. The previous shows took place on back lots that would be impossible to depict in any theater, no matter how large of a rotating stage it could have. Instead, there are rafters holding a single stage together, looking out at a crowd of cheering fans there to see live theater. It's the first show, of every network, to understand that the joy of watching these performances is to create the sense of being in the room of a Broadway show, sitting in a room of performers projecting to an audience. It's in the lighting cues and the scene transitions (cut out for commercials) that the magic begins to feel. For the first time, there is a sense of accessibility to live theater on a major network, just with better film making technique than your typical balcony camera shooting.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a prime choice for a broadcast like this, in large part because of its nature as a rock opera. Without being sacrilegious, it paints Jesus as a rock star who preaches over edgy guitars and beautiful choirs, creating a perfect meshing of genres for those wishing to wave their cell phones in the air and feel moved. The costumes may have been updated to some neo-futurist image, but the songs are all the same with singers who commit to every line perfectly. The only downside of live theater is that the first few minutes are almost impossible to hear over the audience, especially as the more famous actors take the stage including Legend, Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene), and a brief cameo by Alice Cooper (King Herod). Once the shock was gone, the show was allowed to be electric, capturing a joy for the material that shined even into the production. The cameras usually knew where to shoot, allowing the epic scope to feel small and intimate.
At the center is Legend, who may have given the most surprising achievement of his career. For a man known for quieter R&B, it's incredible to see him on stage. He has a swagger to his step, but he also has one of the most emphatic voices in the whole cast. To hear him hold notes, shifting melodies along the way, he comes across as the impassioned, conflicted man who will die for others' sins while also ventilating his own frustration to the audience. For whatever acting limitations he may show (this is a rock opera, so singing is more important), he is so captivating and the main reason to watch this. Bareilles and Brandon Victor Dixon (Judas) are also captivating, adding texture to Jesus' last days that are full of familiar conflict to devout bible readers. It not only proves that Jesus could be a captivating figure to secular audiences, but that the bible has some accessible themes, worthy of a Broadway show that is every bit as big and goofy as it needs to be.
The final moments of the show are evidence that doing a traditional live theater set-up is better than back lot sets that look cheaper and artificial to the experience. With Jesus hanging on the cross, he rises towards the back of the stage, in the process a light passes through a cross-shaped entrance. Even on a camera pulled back, it looks grand and creates the perfect symbol for Jesus' impact on the story. The music is booming, and it ends with a moment of awe that would seem false in any other context. To have it live in front of an audience creates a bigger sense of wonder as to how this effect could be achieved. The cheers and the choir create a sense of sitting in the auditorium watching along with those cries. For a production this big and elaborate, it feels special to know that the finale was actually experienced live by audiences not attached to the production, sitting by the stage and seeing something special.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live! may be one of the more religious shows that have been done on these network broadcasts, but it's also possibly one of the best. It sets a new benchmark for what needs to go into making these productions feel like more than cheap and boring movies. There needs to be the feeling of live theater, and that comes with a theatrical experience for the audience member who doesn't know what that feels like. The stage may seem bare, but it's more effective than the most cluttered sets. It's the ingenuity and heart of the actors who elevate the material to something grander. By the end, it proves that at the heart of these live shows are performers who love the art of performance and give their all to make any material powerful. Legend is also among the greatest performances to come out of this series (and evidence that he still have a lot to surprise us with), and one can hope that more great talent comes in the next five years, or possibly even more.
NBC has learned the mistakes of the past big time and produced arguably their best live show yet. It starts with a simple rule that most of these productions lack: it needs to feel like live theater. The previous shows took place on back lots that would be impossible to depict in any theater, no matter how large of a rotating stage it could have. Instead, there are rafters holding a single stage together, looking out at a crowd of cheering fans there to see live theater. It's the first show, of every network, to understand that the joy of watching these performances is to create the sense of being in the room of a Broadway show, sitting in a room of performers projecting to an audience. It's in the lighting cues and the scene transitions (cut out for commercials) that the magic begins to feel. For the first time, there is a sense of accessibility to live theater on a major network, just with better film making technique than your typical balcony camera shooting.
Jesus Christ Superstar is a prime choice for a broadcast like this, in large part because of its nature as a rock opera. Without being sacrilegious, it paints Jesus as a rock star who preaches over edgy guitars and beautiful choirs, creating a perfect meshing of genres for those wishing to wave their cell phones in the air and feel moved. The costumes may have been updated to some neo-futurist image, but the songs are all the same with singers who commit to every line perfectly. The only downside of live theater is that the first few minutes are almost impossible to hear over the audience, especially as the more famous actors take the stage including Legend, Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene), and a brief cameo by Alice Cooper (King Herod). Once the shock was gone, the show was allowed to be electric, capturing a joy for the material that shined even into the production. The cameras usually knew where to shoot, allowing the epic scope to feel small and intimate.
At the center is Legend, who may have given the most surprising achievement of his career. For a man known for quieter R&B, it's incredible to see him on stage. He has a swagger to his step, but he also has one of the most emphatic voices in the whole cast. To hear him hold notes, shifting melodies along the way, he comes across as the impassioned, conflicted man who will die for others' sins while also ventilating his own frustration to the audience. For whatever acting limitations he may show (this is a rock opera, so singing is more important), he is so captivating and the main reason to watch this. Bareilles and Brandon Victor Dixon (Judas) are also captivating, adding texture to Jesus' last days that are full of familiar conflict to devout bible readers. It not only proves that Jesus could be a captivating figure to secular audiences, but that the bible has some accessible themes, worthy of a Broadway show that is every bit as big and goofy as it needs to be.
The final moments of the show are evidence that doing a traditional live theater set-up is better than back lot sets that look cheaper and artificial to the experience. With Jesus hanging on the cross, he rises towards the back of the stage, in the process a light passes through a cross-shaped entrance. Even on a camera pulled back, it looks grand and creates the perfect symbol for Jesus' impact on the story. The music is booming, and it ends with a moment of awe that would seem false in any other context. To have it live in front of an audience creates a bigger sense of wonder as to how this effect could be achieved. The cheers and the choir create a sense of sitting in the auditorium watching along with those cries. For a production this big and elaborate, it feels special to know that the finale was actually experienced live by audiences not attached to the production, sitting by the stage and seeing something special.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live! may be one of the more religious shows that have been done on these network broadcasts, but it's also possibly one of the best. It sets a new benchmark for what needs to go into making these productions feel like more than cheap and boring movies. There needs to be the feeling of live theater, and that comes with a theatrical experience for the audience member who doesn't know what that feels like. The stage may seem bare, but it's more effective than the most cluttered sets. It's the ingenuity and heart of the actors who elevate the material to something grander. By the end, it proves that at the heart of these live shows are performers who love the art of performance and give their all to make any material powerful. Legend is also among the greatest performances to come out of this series (and evidence that he still have a lot to surprise us with), and one can hope that more great talent comes in the next five years, or possibly even more.
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