A Night at the Opera
Monday, December 24, 2007
... the rock opera, that is.
I was taken to see Jesus Christ Superstar the other night, live at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Ted Neeley - of Jesus Christ Superstar fame - was the title role, and Corey Glover - from the band Living Colour - played Judas.
It was a real treat to see this live. I saw it many years ago and enjoyed it immensely then, this production was quite different (though equally enjoyable). While the set in the first one was more active and "loud", the set on this was very austere. The most notable difference, however, was the inclusion of a new song. "How can they just include another song?" I asked myself. Well, I'm not sure but I can tell you that it honestly wasn't as good as the rest of the production. In fact, it really stood out as being "added on". Oh well.
The starkness of the set allowed the characters to stand out even more. The temple scene was one of the most powerful; when Jesus throws out the moneychangers, you know he's pissed. But it wasn't just that one - the whole production conveyed the characters and message well;
One thing about Jesus Christ Superstar: I've always liked the way they portray Judas. I'm a big fan of redemption and seeing the good in people; Judas gets a very sympathetic treatment which I think plays more into the "master plan" themes of the New Testament.
All in all, I'm privileged to have seen it, and thankful that I was able to.
I was taken to see Jesus Christ Superstar the other night, live at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Ted Neeley - of Jesus Christ Superstar fame - was the title role, and Corey Glover - from the band Living Colour - played Judas.
It was a real treat to see this live. I saw it many years ago and enjoyed it immensely then, this production was quite different (though equally enjoyable). While the set in the first one was more active and "loud", the set on this was very austere. The most notable difference, however, was the inclusion of a new song. "How can they just include another song?" I asked myself. Well, I'm not sure but I can tell you that it honestly wasn't as good as the rest of the production. In fact, it really stood out as being "added on". Oh well.
The starkness of the set allowed the characters to stand out even more. The temple scene was one of the most powerful; when Jesus throws out the moneychangers, you know he's pissed. But it wasn't just that one - the whole production conveyed the characters and message well;
One thing about Jesus Christ Superstar: I've always liked the way they portray Judas. I'm a big fan of redemption and seeing the good in people; Judas gets a very sympathetic treatment which I think plays more into the "master plan" themes of the New Testament.
All in all, I'm privileged to have seen it, and thankful that I was able to.
posted by Burton at 7:21 PM
1 Comments:
I saw Jesus Christ Superstar a few years ago when it made its way to the Hult Center in Eugene (also starring Ted Neeley in the role of Jesus). I have to admit that it's one of my two favorite Lloyd Webber productions... well, ok, I've only seen two... but still... it's an awesome show!
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