From someone that was in the show, take it from me, Michael Ball completely nails it! I was in the chorus of Jesus Christ Superstar in 1990. Michael Ball has me crying. 😭😭😭
Can't wait to see him in a few weeks again. This is my favourite performance of this song ever !! I have voted in his fan club for him to sing it on the tour. I've seen him sing it live once when he was touring with Alfie and although Alfie sang Bring him home for which he got a standing ovation, Michael got the biggest ovation of the night.. Cannot wait !!
Jesus Christ Superstar was the first musical i saw in the West End when i was in my teens back in the 70s and gave me a love of musical theatre ever since. I first saw Michael Ball back just before he was given the roll of Aspects and blew me away. This combination of Michael Ball and Gesheme is musical theatre perfection for me. I have seen him sing it live and it was amazing. I agree he is not right for the part but he does nail this song in a concert setting. He has an amazing stage presence whether in concert, in a dress in Hairspray or a singing Anthem in Chess.
Seriously, if you have a chance to see Michael Ball in concert - grab it! It is an emotional roller coaster. Every song sung with a passion you can’t imagine until you see w.
For someone that had never played the role I believe he completely nails it, hos breath control is phenomenal, his acting, the hopelessness and anger and bitterness and then resignation are heartbreaking and the long notes he holds and epic. I do hope that this is one of the three you review
I LOVE Michael Ball. Actually went to the UK several times just to follow Michael around on tour and was fortunate enough to actually hear him perform this song. He's an amazing entertainer in his concerts as well as musicals❤ even got picture with him! Hey...if I'm flying all the way over there I'm getting a picture 😂
This may be my favorite performance of this song,. I grew up with Ted Neeley and I love it, but Michael sounds like a real man, not over stylized. And I think the Cup of Poison line is the climax in this interpretation and I like that. If you're going to do more Michael, I love this: Michael Ball and Lesley Garrett - Phantom of the Opera
Michaels performance of this piece is unbelievably astounding!!! I watch this repeatedly. His skills are so amazing! When I watch this my chest tightens up, my eyes tear up, my breathing changes and I feel absolute love for this man! He is , without question, a gift to us. Many people can carry a tune and have pleasant voices, but Michael has such amazing skill. I am so grateful that I found him over 20 years ago. Ive adored him ever since he blew me away in The Dream Cast of Les Mis. Michael, keep singing and keep being the sweet person you already are. Love ya!!! 💗🤟
That is just amazing ❤️❤️ please,please review Steve Balsamo doing the same song, ideally the Ahoy festival performance..for me, this is THE greatest performance of this song I have ever seen!
I totally agree. I've requested a review of Steve Balsamo's Ahoy performance multiple times now, but unfortunately without success. Let's hope it comes soon.
The concert this performance came from, a tribute to Andrew Lloyd Webber's incredible career, is one of the best musical theatre celebrations I've every seen and heard (tied with the 10th anniversary concert of Les Mis that Michael also performed in). He did a glorious duet with Sara Brightman too singing Phantom's All I Ask of You.
He's so amazing. His performance of Love Changes Everything was my first introduction to him. You know that moment where you hear a song and no matter how long ago it was you can remember everything about the moment? I was introduced to Andrew Lloyd Webber in an unusual way I suppose. The National Air Force band was touring and hit my local High School one weekend when I was 24. My mom and I went, just to hear some beautiful music. This amazing man stood in the front and sang "The Music of the Night". I had never heard it before. I had no idea what it was from, who wrote it, or anything. Soon afterward I was at the record store buying everything by Andrew Lloyd Webber. I drove down to NY and sat in the theatre to witness that music in the original play. I FELL in LOVE that year with the physical Broadway. A song that changed my life. I'm not a performer, just a massive appreciator of music. Thank you for reminding me of that. :)
This performance is a great introduction to Michael Ball, but please don't let it end there. There are lots of videos of his solo concerts and performances with Alfie Boe all over RU-vid. Check them out, They're great!
Michael puts so emotion into any song he sings as you can see him doing Empty Table and Chairs and he's a brilliant radio 2 presenter on a Sundays as well brilliant man
The best Gethsemane I have heard is Michael Crawford fron the Royal Variety Performance, it was electric. I remember the first time I ever saw it, it blew me away and still does to this day
Absolute beast!! I watched that concert so many times! That was the first time I listened to Michael Ball. Got obsessed with his facial expressions! He says so much with his face! Did you react to Vaults Of Heaven, from that same concert?
The Jesus role always makes me think of different types of teenagers who are mad at their dads. Ted Neeley probably smoked a lot of weed and hung out in a van with his buddies playing acoustic anti-war songs. Ben Forster seems like he had a mid-2000s emo/pop-punk band and wrote bad yet earnest poetry. Michael Ball represents a neglected subset of angst: theater kid angst, which is clearly just as potent.
Michael Ball is awesome as always. JC Superstar has such a special place in my heart because we did it in Highschoool a hundred years ago. Our JC has been on Broadway for years proving that if you can perform this role as it should be done, you've got chops.
Always thought Ted Neely's original take in the 1973 film would never be surpassed until hearing Steve Balsamo's version at the re-opening of The Lyceum theatre in London. He made me believe he was born (or created) for the part. Loved Michael singing "Empty Chairs......." in Les Miserables.
Steve Balsamo also gives an inspired performance of the song. Even if you don’t do it for a reaction video, you should give it a glance. I think you would like it.
Wow, thanks for the suggestion, I just checked Steve Balsamo out. Amazing. While I loved Glen Carter in the 2000 film version, I understand he was Steve Balsamo’s understudy. Too bad they didn’t cast Steve in the movie. He would have been spectacular.
I had to sub to you, by the way. Excellent reaction video. I keep this version, and other versions, of Gethsemane as favorites in my playlist and this one tops all. The part when he spreads his arms and sings "nail me to your cross" and looks like he is on the cross. Just brings me literally to tears
I agree Michael Ball did a great job. But have you heard the Michael Crawford versions? I heard it years ago on his CD, and I just watched several live versions here on RU-vid. In Michael Crawford's version, I heard more of the human pain, fear, desperation, and anger, of a man knowing he's going to a painful, humiliating death. That said, I do love Michael Ball's singing.
I can't help but be slightly annoyed how this song transformed into "high notes - check ☑️" without paying attention to its meaning. Hence either recordings like this one get overlooked by the majority or other performances of high artistic value are reduced to a couple of seconds somewhere in the middle. Like this number is so truly iconic and we have to thank not only ALW, but Tim Rice as well. Probably the best written by either of them, so raw, so heart-wrenching, and, speaking of this particular performance, Michael Ball just brings everything he has into singing it and acting through it (like he always does tbh). He really isn't Jesus and I'm also glad he's never been one (I wish to point out that his roles usually fitted him quite well except for JVJ, but it was only once and a special occurrence, so..), but he's incredibly talented and indeed knows how to give a masterful, engaging performance. Huge respect!
I was 14 years old when I went to see JCS film with Ted Neely as Jesus.The Second Vatican Council in the Catholic church occurred bringing very elitist,complete with celebrations in Latin only,thereby leaving most of the people out of the loop.it was dubbed “opening up the windows” to renewal and allowing personal relationships with God.to happen . When I heard “ Geslhene I had an epiphany of my own.If Jesus questioned his role in salvation,wrestling with doubts ,fear, 18:33 why? then ,I am allowed to do so,as well.After all,thinking through questions of faith hopefully leads to a better relationship with God,and our loved ones,. As for Mchael Ball’s performance … amazing,beautiful.tear invoking.The fact the performance was supposed to be in the rock opera genre,there is plenty of room for different renditions.
I'm going to ramble here 1st:. Have you considered a public video comparing Ted Neely from the film to Ted Neely from 2016? Because I think the man did an amazing but differing (being from his 30s to a seventies would have something to do to with it) Gethsemane both times and it's worth analysis. 2nd:. I hope you cover Love Changes Everything. Kinda in memory of my grandma. She LOVED Michael Ball for that song in this concert. At the time, we both adored 2 Michael's. I loved Crawford and she loved Ball (I loved both). Every time one of their songs played, the one or the other of us would say: op, your boyfriend is on!! And we'd both laugh and sit together to listen.
The ‘notes’ you refer to are not actually written in the score; they are in fact only artists’ screeching and screaming as the show is a rock musical. Michael hits every note perfectly.
A couple of points. 1. I think Michael Ball is amazing and can sing practically anything well - even this, though he might not have been right for the role. 2, I love his version of "Gethsemene". He's still singing it and though his performance of the song varies it's always a stunner. 3. If you're going to go back in time to review Michael's work, you should really check out his one man show at the Donmar. (Michael Ball Live at the Donmar - 2001). It's an amazing tour de force of a performer stepping outside his comfort zone and creating something unexpected and truly special.
This song is incredible, full stop and Ball's voice is rich and powerful. I agree that I think he's a little too polished to play this role, but his skill is undeniable. Would really be interesting to hear your thoughts on John Legend in the NBC live version of Jesus Christ Superstar. I grew up listening to the original recording, and it's in my blood. My parents saw it in New Orleans with the original cast, and my mom still talks about it to this day. She talks about how loud it was and it just blew her away.
And now for something completely different - here is Michael Ball as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray, with the Monkees Micky Dolenz as her (or his) husband Wilbur "You're Timeless To Me. You should definitely react to this one. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-obYSHgfRPgg.html
I'm a child of the 70s and I was raised on the Ian Gillan/Murray Head version of JCS (had the whole show memorized by the age of 7, lol) and have seen so many other productions. While I love Michael Ball, I have to wonder if there is such a thing as too much purity and control when it comes to playing Jesus. I don't know if this has been addressed on Patreon yet, but I'd be interested to see your take on John Farnham's performance as Jesus. I wasn't a fan the first time I saw it but it has started to grow on me.
As much as i do love Michael Ball, and this rendition...i just can't get over dodging the written high notes that are signatures of this specific song.
It's not dodging, it's a concert arrangement of the song written for a legitimate voice. It doesn't need the screaming and the falsetto. If you've got the tone and power that Ball had at this age, the falsetto would be an unwelcome distraction. By the way, the high notes you speak of are not actually "written" in the score at all.
@@beethockmtee8565 Totally agree. Personally, I prefer hearing the song sung instead of shrieked.It's just as powerful and in some ways more affecting.
@@beethockmtee8565 I can’t believe that you thought Michael was missing “high notes” out. He’s singing the notes that were written and doesn’t have to shriek to convey the emotion and complexities of this wonderful song.
This in my honest opinion is the best version of this song ever. Michael has a fantastic voice and all the other versions I have heard do not have the passion this version has and are a bit screechy.
Empty Chairs at Empty Tables...10th Anniversary Les Mis. Amazing!!! Ad you’re right...this musical has so many great songs in it...the Ted Neeley movie was my first exposure to it....and different versions I have enjoyed throughout my life. The songs are singable! Much more so than Phantom. Also agree that Michael would not make a good Jesus. I absolutely love him, but I don’t like when he sings pop songs either....they don’t suit his voice/singing style. But sing something from Les Mis to me, and I’m a puddle on the floor.
How can you say pop songs don't suit his voice/singing style? Other than show tunes, he has built his career on pop music. I don't mean to sound snarky, but have you listened to any of his albums? Especially the more recent ones where he's writing some of his own songs? They're really good and he sounds great . He's gotten older and his voice is changing with age, so he doesn't sound the same as he did at the start of his career but he sure as hell can still sing anything from opera to pop!
Hi! New sub here. Loving the wholesome and cool vibes on this channel 👍. Have you considered reacting to Renee Rapp? She played Regina George in Mean Girls on Broadway. I’m not a vocal expert but she gives me a lil shudder! Suggestions: World Burn (official music video), Someone Gets Hurt (from the channel Broadwaycom). x
Wish they'd got someone who could sing it as written since Michael has lost those top notes, if he ever had them. I don't like the octave switching in that last section. And the repeat of "before I change my mind" is overkill," IMO. Leave it as is. Yeah. They needed someone who had a higher register, and give Michael a different song.
That has to be the worst version of this song I've ever heard. Rushed vocals yet still bland at the same time. His vibrato sounds like he's singing into a table fan. I agree with the other comment that it's disappointing that he dodged the high notes. If you can't sing the song, DON'T SING THE SONG
Honestly I find this rendition to be kinda sub par. Michael Ball is very talented but I think it's just short of hubris to perform this piece without hitting the high G at least once. Apart from that, I think the emotion is lacking and the physical acting is very annoying.