Jesus Christ Superstar Reviews

JKFC from San Francisco, California

AN ENTERTAINING EVENING

Iv'e seen 3 professional productions of JCS in my lifetime: One that blew me away, one that was a joke, and this tour which I'd say is in the middle. The quality of the voices and the orchestration is exceptional. The ensemble danced their butt off! Mary was solid, Judas was a bit too one note (very intense but what a voice!), but Jesus was aloof and did not seem connected (except for his last song, which he nailed!). The rest of the cast was great. It was staged on a unit set depicting a dilapidated. multi-level, steel-beam building that "just happened" to have a section broken off in the shape of a cross. Direction wise, it missed cohesiveness and there were some really strange glitter choices and way too many "trying to be clever" microphone moments, but overall the music and the spirit of the songs was there and if you grew up listening to this rock opera, you will find yourself bopping to awesome grooves. I'm happy I saw it, now someone please help get the songs out my head!

Therese Brannon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Saw this show in Milwaukee. The new Judas, understudy(?) Was intense and brilliant. Jesus actor started slow but got powerful midway through. The dancers were incredible as were the High priests. Live shows such as this are difficult keeping momentum. But this was thoroughly enjoyable. The bad reviews are perplexing. Mary was a tiny presence with a good strong voice. Judas and priests and herod as well( absolutely) pilot were terrific.

Pat Ennis from Memphis, Tennessee

DOES NOT MEASURE UP TO 70’S

I was so excited to get tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar at the Orpheum in Memphis Tn! My husband and I loved loved the movie in the 70’s with Ted Neely! I was so disappointed in the play! The only one measuring up to the task was Mary Madeline. Jesus was strong but not close to Neely! It was much too much for the girl who played Judas, nowhere coming close to the movie! I could not understand much of her singing even with my knowing the lyrics well! The music was WONDERFUL! The props were good but not particularly impressive! The dancers were amazing ! Again, perhaps I would have given a better review had I not loved the 70’s movie so! We sat in mezzanine which is our favorite place to sit. My husband had given me a sizable gift certificate to the Orpheum before Covid. We were delighted that it was honored. However, in order to redeem gift certificates required purchasing tickets in person, not on line or by phone which was very inconvenient! We had an amazing meal at Majestic!

Meg from Fort Worth, Texas

BEAUTIFUL SHOW, CAN'T UNDERSTAND THE WORDS

My mother and I saw this together and we were in awe by the whole show. The performances were amazing, the costumes spoke so much about each character, and the lashing scene made my jaw drop! The actors all sung their hearts out, and thankfully you can still tell that despite the audio of the show drowning out most of the lyrics. I loved everyone's performance and wish I could buy a recording of them all singing so I can properly enjoy their voices! If you don't mind not understanding the lyrics, everything else is stunning, I wish I could see it all over again ❤️

Anne from Vancouver, British Columbia

LOVED TO SEE IT AGAIN 50 YEARS LATER!

Went with my daughter and had a very enjoyable evening. First off, the singing was fantastic, although I thought the pacing in the beginning was a bit rushed. There are a lot of words and emotion in Judas' first number and it wouldn't have hurt for him (or the director) to have slowed that number down a little. I wasn't sure if Jesus had enough "presence" in the first part of the show, he seems to be just standing around at times, waiting for his next number - but his singing in later numbers, particularly "Gethsemene" - wow. The famous high G's were still musical notes, not just screeches. Secondary cast members were also impressive - particulary Caiaphas - who was very charismatic (in a sinister way) in the role. His baritone would not be rushed and the effect was very centering. Mary Magdalene's character is a mature, soothing, almost maternal presence, versus a love-struck young girl - and I thought this was effective, if less romantic. At first I was a bit put off by the cast members playing guitars and carrying mics around, but got used to it and even found it quite effective. It does mean there is less capacity for "acting" and more of a rock concert vs musical theatre feel, but apparently this is what they were going for, as per original intent. The high energy component that might be missing from the more singing-centred performances of the main cast members is provided by the dancers who are a constant, at times almost frenetic, presence and carry the narrative in an alternate way. Judas played his role well and the non-traditional addition at the end brought a bit of closure to what has always be a bit of an "unfinished" feel to the story, given there isn't a resurrection. The set, although static, was very creative and effective. All in all, great singing and dancing in a somewhat less theatrical version of this classic

Marilyn from Vancouver, British Columbia

HARD TO SURPASS THE ORIGINAL

A lot of soul put into this musical. I felt Jesus wasn't the powerful character he needed to be in the beginning but he picked up steam. Interesting set and costumes kind of brought it into "modern times". This is a timeless musical and I feel like it lacked some of the lustre that made me love it from the beginning. All the singers were great.

Karen Swantek from New Brunswick, New Jersey

GREAT CONCERT BUT WISH THERE WAS MORE ACTING

The singing and music were phenomenal. This is my favorite score and they did it more than justice. That being said, I felt more like I was at a fantastic concert than a play. With the exception of Judas, there was very little acting. I felt like the singers did not, for the most part, connect with the lyrics at all, kind of like when you say the National Anthem - you know it so well that you don’t think about what you are saying. I enjoyed the dancing, and the creative set, etc., but would have liked to see some bonding of characters. I literally felt almost nothing, and that is not what you want from this material at all. Also, personal pet peeve, Jesus was weak and whiny, though he had some solid moments at the end. His singing was fantastic. Wish they would lose the guitar, and the mikes. I know it was intentional, but I did not like it. I would love to see a strong Jesus in this role. I did have a great time though, as this was a fantastic opportunity to hear this score live and to hear it done so amazingly.

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