#jcs 1996

[fruchtchen]

Jesus Christ Superstar (1996) - Steve Balsamo (Jesus), David Burt (Pilate), Zubin Varla (Judas), Joanna Ampil (Mary)

https://www.jesuschristsuperstarzone.com/discography/london-lyceum-cast-1996/

[maikhiwi00]

Why should I die? Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain? Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR 1996 | West End Revival

[hobgoblinns]

OK i have held off for long enough. it's time for The Big Poll(s)

pls reblog! i only wanna know!

[evil-jcs-fanblog]

Glenn Carter as Simon in 1996 :3

[platadesangre]

ok but let's appreciate zubin varla judas for a bit. the way he looks just like that one judas painting on his wikipedia page. absolute slay.

[jtrocks]

[feerz]

Zubin Varla Judas' death. That's it, that's the post.

[beta-adjacent]

Why did my brain decide to focus on ranking every version of “I Don’t Know How To Love Him” on Spotify instead of the fucking driving test I have to take in 48 hours?!?

[fruchtchen]

what's that in the bread...

ref

[butcharyastark]

the longer im into jcs and the more other versions i see, the more i appreciate carl anderson's judas specifically

[eliounora]

in light of your latest rb, what is your preferred production of jesus christ superstar?? i've yet to see any but want to have fun with everyone & trust your taste on this :) ty in advance and also! i really love your art ^__^

you have come to the right neighbourhood... *puts on my pharisees hat* I am so happy to answer this question

I recommend you start with the 1996 west end revival (spotify, youtube). the insrumentation is great, the quality of the recording is crisp, and the performers are top-notch. steve balsamo as jesus is definitely the star of this one, his voice is very light and pure but he also portrays the character's inner conflict magnificently.

for comparison, there is also the original 1971 broadway cast recording (spotify, youtube). this is one of my favourite versions!

here is also the original 1972 west end production (youtube). also excellent!!!

if you actually want something to watch, there is the 1973 film (spotify, youtube, I think the film can be rented on YT as well, I borrowed the DVD from my local library haha). the film also has a magnificent cast, many people consider ted neeley the best jesus ever and he has an unique take on the role and a gorgeous voice. carl anderson as judas is also just superb. I think the best word to decribe this version is "raw", it's really haunting.

the original 1970 concept album (spotify, youtube) with ian gillan of deep purple as jesus and murray head as judas is also a must-listen! both singers are just divine, both their performances easily hold up against newer productions with ease, they're just divine.

there is also the 2000 film, watchable on youtube (the album on spotify). jerome pradon plays judas and he is absolutely glorious at it. dude is going absolutely off the rails and his voice is so whiny and he's so deliciously vindicative in the end. I've gotten the impression his performance can be sort of hit-or-miss, but I really like it!

for something more recent, there's also the 2012 arena tour (youtube) with ben forster as jesus and the legendary tim minchin as judas. a lot of people like this one, and while I personally don't like it much, maybe you will! there is also the 2018 live in concert (spotify, youtube). a solid, good production I think.

now I think every song in JCS is a solid banger, but good songs to look out for when listening is

heaven on their minds, sung by judas

everything's alright, sung primarily by mary (in many of the early productions, like the original concept album and the film, mary is played by yvonne elliman) while judas and jesus argue

this jesus must die, includes caiaphas, who has a bass voice, and annas

pilate's dream

I don't know how to love him, mary's ballad

gethsemane (I only wanted to say), jesus's power ballad. look out for his high note at "why should I die" (awesome compilation here)

king herod's song

superstar, judas questioning jesus from beyond the grave

good luck to you superstaring!!! I'm very normal about this musical

[strainedjoints]

June '24 Vinyl Arrivals — HOUSE MUSIC!

Fast Eddie Smith — "Make Some Noise" (1990) $15

Double 99 feat. Sneaker Pimps - "7th High" (2001) $13

Acid Horse - "No Name, No Slogan" (1989) $28

Stylz & Jizz (p.k.a. Marvelous JC) - "Don't Stop Shakin'! / I Can't Take The Power" (1992) $9

Abigail - "Constant Craving" (1993) $12

George Morel - "Morel's Grooves Part 1" (1992) $17

Vission and Lorimer presents XLR8 feat. Sugar - "Take Me Higher" (1996) $14

Reel 2 Real feat. The Mad Stuntman - "Can You Feel It?" (1994) $13

DJ Sneak - "Keep On Groovin'" (1996) $25

Angela - "All Hung Up" (1985) $12

Bass Freaks - Pump It Up Ladies / The Beat Is For The Freaks (1994) $10

React 2 Rhythm - "Whatever You Dream" (1992) $27

[jcs-study]

Someone recently told me that British and American fans of JCS have different preferences and I’ve been thinking about that a lot. So what differences do you know of? If you’re American or British what is your reaction to American vs. British productions you’ve seen? What about the original album which has a mix of British and American artists working together? I’m American, but I realized I think of JCS as primarily a British show, so perhaps my preferences lean toward British.

This... is a fantastic question. I apologize that my answer is not nearly as brief.

I feel that Danny Zolli (who has frequently played the roles of Jesus, Judas, and Annas over the years) sums it up best in his interview for our website, referring to the 2000 Broadway revival:

The Broadway production was, in my opinion, a very English-style production of the show. American audiences don’t tend to respond to that very well. American audiences want their Jesus and Judas to be willing to cough up a lung for them in the course of the show. It’s called “the Passion” for a reason — there has to be passion within the actors and actresses performing the roles to give the story its justice.

Maybe my years of voracious JCS consumption have been colored by that opinion somewhat, but I would tend to agree that's the main difference. The next question is why.

Well... in America, the concept album took off like a rocket. It's an icon right up there with Sgt. Pepper in the minds of many people who lived through the era. Such classics as “Heaven on Their Minds,” “Everything’s Alright,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” and “Superstar” racked up frequent radio airplay in their own right. The show’s earliest live success here came in the form of a concert tour (three of them, actually, hastily assembled to beat an already enormous band of pirates), not a theatrical run. Moreover, those early stage productions -- and the 1973 film -- were not a vast departure from that initial sound: raw, imperfect, rough, a little primitive, like the best of classic rock.

Overseas, however, the album did not sell the show. In England, the show only became successful once it was running in the West End, at one point becoming the longest-running musical in British history; in many European countries, the show is remembered much more fondly because of the film or because of the first major premiere in their neck of the woods. (In Spain, for example, it is incredibly difficult to separate JCS from the fact that it began life there as a Camilo Sesto vehicle. He's the benchmark like Ted Neeley or Ian Gillan would be for many English-speaking fans, and they just did a Fosse/Verdon-like TV series about his production over there that was a smash.)

Consequently, when Andrew Lloyd Webber looked back on the show once he controlled the rights, he was able to try to make it more like his later work: acrylic slickness and polish, some adjustments to the orchestrations, some revised lyrics from Tim Rice. It was more about the acting and less about the music, more of a theater piece and less of a rock show, and he put a lot of time and effort into making it so, putting that stamp on the first West End revival in 1996 and each production that followed.

Without weighing in on which version I prefer, I'll simply say there's a distinct difference between major JCS productions before and after 1996 that owes much to ALW's influence, and that's probably what your friend is referring to.

[platadesangre]

how the hell i did not notice glenn carter was simon when listening to jcs 1996 revival i'm deaf

[jtrocks]

[feerz]

Finally got new headphones !