Staged Right - Episode 19: Jesus Christ Superstar 

Your two mentions of Quartermass at around 16:50 should have been to Quatermass.

You said St Paul's Cathedral instead of St Patrick's Cathedral.

And you said Paul Nichols played Jesus in London. It was Paul Nicholas.

@@MuswellSt. Paul's (featured) is in London. St. Patrick's (at least the one I think you mean) is in NY.

@@StagedRight What a great and well-researched piece! Lots of new information, even for a lifelong die-hard fan of JCS! Excellent stuff, thanks! (Muswell is referring to 31:50, where you're reading the letter from Steve Loventhall - the text on screen reads "St. Patrick's Cathedral", but your voice over says "St. Paul's Cathedral".)

It’s so damn good

As a whole piece of work, after all these years, Andrew Lloyd Webber has never topped his work on J.C.S

The twin acoustic guitar score for Pilate’s Dream is amazing as well.

my mind is clearer now

Hah, I (playing {Peter) was in a local community production of JCS. During the last dress rehearsal, the guitar player messed up that riff. So for every one of the the 10-12 performances during our run, my heart was in my mouth during the intro. But he never messed up again, thank God. The riff is so evocative - it sets the table for what comes after. It would have taken the air out that evening's show if it wasn't played right.

How could it not be with Ian Gillan?

​@@lindalou6105It's hard to conceive his performance on the album only took a couple of hours to record. Brilliance.

💯✨

Disagree. The movie version is much better.

Agreed! Although I think I somewhat prefer Carl Anderson's singing of Judas over Murray Head's.

I agree. I am a lifelong Atheist, but still to this day, I love JCS. I have the original album, and the movie. It's a great Fantasy story, put to good music.

I think JCS is quite anti Christian or, at least, anti religion. Judas is the hero of the piece after all.

Yep, my story is about the same as bobbysguitar.. atheist, etc. but that music was brilliant. I was 10 in 1970 when the album first came on the scene.

@@briantjepkema7758 Protagonist. Judas is treated sympathetically, but he's not the hero.

I can agree with that.@@aclark903

it's a fantastic work of fiction, just like the bible

Ditto. Also an atheist. Also love the hell out of JCSS. I wish I could sing like that. I think Judas is probably the best singer but I love that high C that Jesus does. The original 1970 recording of course.

I would think with evil rising all around us, a looming world war, the loss of reason and logic in the mainstream, the full out destruction of science (esp. medical sciences), one would start re-evaluating their spiritual belief system. Especially as it becomes clearer every day that some type of 'spirit' is running rough shod through society today.

you could be my long lost sibling 😂

Mine, too! Loved them both!

Mine too, but Im a millenial 😊

King Herod a la AL Capone?! Wish I'd seen THAT, lol!😅

I also wish I'd seen Ben Vereen's Judas. That sounds interesting.

Me too! (Age & appreciation of this work!)

I think for many non-Christians and atheists, the fact that the lyrics are never the slightest bit preachy allows everyone in for the experience. The lyrics ask many of the same questions agnostics and critics ask, and it gives decent and inspiring answers to those who are looking for that experience. But for the atheist, without the preachiness, what remains is an amazing story, which could be fiction, though even if taken as historical fact it doesn't contradict atheism. It's about a subversive social movement, its leader, its detractors, and the key players. Jesus doesn't even know if he's divine or just freaking out.

My personal favourite is the movie soundtrack. Gillan is amazing, but for me Ted Neely brings an emotional edge, anger and anguish to the vocals that I've never heard in any version before or since (plus the fact that he's still doing it 147 years later!) - and the late Carl Anderson just knocks it out of the park! For fun my friend & bandmate (also sadly no longer with us) Matt and I used to try and draw up a wish list of who we'd like to have in a recast version. We never got any further than this very short list because, as far as we were concerned, if you could get these 3 for the main parts you could draft in regional karaoke champions to fill out the rest of the cast! Like I said, it was just a bit of fun that we used to occasionally 'argue' about before and after gigs. So don't take it as (pardon the shit pun) gospel! Jesus: Chris Cornell (obviously!) Judas: Corey Glover (who did actually play the role for a while! I can't tell you how childishly excited and satisfied we were to hear his version of 'Heaven On Their Minds'!) Mary Magdalene: Skin from Skunk Anansie (ooh! A black shaven-headed lesbicle? How controversial! Balls to that - what a versatile, expressive voice!) I'd set up a website for anyone to put their own ideas forward, but I know that some numpty would suggest Sam Smith as Mary, at which point - being unable to actually punch the internet - I'd have to shut it down! 😉

Ian was awesome! Best version is with him.

@@ramsey6681 Chris Cornell... OMG you just rocked my world! I've got real goose bumps playing that in my head! Just think - in the very near future we'll be able to hear that through AI. The technology is there to do it right now. I would definitely pay for that download. (If the ghost of Chris Cornell isn't available, maybe Freddie Mercury?) Since this is a fantasy cast, I'd want to hear the Woodstock-era Joe Cocker as Judas. (Could you imagine his Heaven on their Minds?) Or for some cross-gender casting fun, how about Janis Joplin? Mary Magdalene has to go to another Woodstock-era legend, Grace Slick. I love Yvonne Elliman's Mary, but like you I think a stronger character would spice things up a bit. I think Mary M had to be a strong woman to make it in such a boys' club. I like the idea of a more intimidating Mary, and I think Grace Slick had the most amazing range with her voice, from jazz to rock to the Sesame Street number song. I think there are two other characters that need careful casting though. I would love to see Matt Lucas as Herod. He's an edgy, creepy British comedy actor - the short bald guy in Little Britain. If you haven't seen him in anything, you should. He can sing, though the part doesn't require a lot of vocal prowess, just a big, weird personality, and he's got it. The other is Simon Zealotes. I keep thinking Prince, but I don't think he could portray a follower. He's a bit too dom, but he's got the moves and the voice. Larry Marshall was just too good in that role. This is fun! Thanks for planting Chris Cornell in my mind. I'll be listening to that in my head now!

I agree. There's a low budget, subversive, underground vibe that I really appreciate.

@carolinewoodward1016 I love the movie, and to me that's the definitive JCS, but I agree they made a shambles with the music mix. The performances were all extraordinary, but the mix is atrocious. Did they run out of money and couldn't hire a professional?

@carolinewoodward1016 I love the movie, first and last, but you asked, and here'[s what I think is wrong with it (which Andrew also complained of during the video). The main problem with the mix is that the voices are all way, way too loud compared to the instruments. I don't like how dry they are either. I think those were directorial decisions made in a misguided attempt to make sure people could hear and understand the lyrics (no matter how bad their hearing was) and to keep focus on the characters, the story, and the lyrics rather than the music, but I think it failed horribly. It's a musical - a rock opera. It IS about the music as well as the characters. The music tells the story too. It's not an ordinary movie where you want the music supporting the drama and dialog while not pulling focus. They treated the singing as if it were mere dialog rather than part of something greater. They didn't mix it like that in the album or in the West End video production I bought a decade or so ago, only the movie version. If I'm right about their intent, by trying to keep the focus on the characters and treating the lyrics as dialog, they presented such a distracting mix that it pulls focus from the entire production, at least until the listener adjusts to it. People who are not fans of rock or other popular music styles might not notice anything more than maybe something unusual about how loud and clear the voices are, but for me it continues to be an annoyance every time I watch the movie, but again my bottom line is that I still watch the movie frequently because I absolutely love it. It's just an annoyance that sounds like someone didn't know what they were doing. It's a shame too because the instruments are all fantastic! The rock musicians are raw, imperfect, and powerful in their playing, and the symphonic stuff is huge and mind-blowing... until someone sings and you can hardly hear it anymore.

@carolinewoodward1016 The Tommy movie had a great sound mix, and it was no more or less important that the audience understand the words. But then the producers of Tommy had JCS to learn from. I think the vocal mix was clearly experimental in JCS. It was a risk, and my guess, like yours, is that they did it with a purpose. I just think the result of that experiment was awful. But it would take a lot more than a bad mix to ruin a movie that good! Going a little off-topic with you, I love the Tommy musical, everything except that stupid sappy duet they added because they thought it needed one big Broadway hit song... I Believe My Own Eyes I think. I saw it live when it came to Minnesota. I was disappointed at first because I wanted it to be more rock and less Broadway, but I found myself becoming quite emotionally involved. I don't know if this interests you, but there is a school production of the musical here on YT that features a rock band (guitar, bass, and drums only) emulating "Live at Leeds" era Who concerts, high on a stage above the play (where they belong, not in a hidden pit), and the band rocks!!! Here's a link to the show (as a playlist): ru-vid.com/group/PL4F513D81B18DC74F It's a special high school production with current, former, and future students and teachers in the cast. The kid playing the adult Tommy is... a high school play kinda actor, a good one, but nothing like a Broadway pro. (Some of the cast are pros now.) What's really worth watching is the band. The musical can rock! I have been a semi-pro bassist since I was 15 (56 now), and if I ever became involved in a production of Tommy, that's how I'd want it done. It's the music from the Broadway show, but it's played like The Who would have played it in 1970.

Agreed. Jesus and Chess are my favs.

I watch the movie every year on Palm Sunday, then I play the original album via CD throughout the Tridum .

I think I might re-watch it this weekend, for Easter.

After hearing that album daily for years growing up (played by my atheist mom), I was shocked maybe 15 years ago to learn that was Ian! But props to Ted. He came out of nowhere and defined the part, for most people I think.

Ted never had the voice.@@beenaplumber8379

​@@beenaplumber8379 the reason Ted got the film part was Ian was on tour with Deep Purple and was unavailable, To refund ticket sales, compensate venues, compensate the other 4 members of the band plus the road crew would have cost more than the film production company was prepared to pay ( a few hundred thousand pounds even then ) Ian laid down his tracks in a morning and never got paid ( ended up with Royalties ) as they did not have any money, though singers have been cursing Gillan ever since he took the notes so high which every other singer that has followed has had to hit.

Amen

Yes!!!@

I’d Love to see some sort of poll of that generation for which JCS was central, (I dunno, maybe DOB between 1950-1965 or so) and find out what % of us MEMORIZED this Epic. There’s Dozens of us just here in the comments. And I’m another. I have Numerous Good Tales surrounding the group recitation of JCS. Ask me some other time…

This IS one of the more interesting comment sections I've run across in a while.

hard agree. It's stunning.

I agree also!!!

YES I was shocked to hear it was considered to have “bombed”. My parents took us to see it multiple times in the movie theater. We were raised active Roman Catholic and they considered this movie important enough to pay for tickets multiple times for a family of 6. We also listened to the Soundtrack every year. And, Yes, watched it every year when the VHS version came out.

Hot on why

As a devout agnostic who grew up only experiencing the hatred and intolerance of true believers, JCSS was the first time I realized that Jesus may not have been as cruel and tribalistic as many/possibly most of his followers had shown themselves to be. I stopped associating Jesus with the reprehensible behavior of his "flock" through the ages and still have a positive opinion of the man. I imagine the play has converted many nonbelievers to Christianity- for whatever that's worth.

Totally agree

My first album, too, played on my first stereo!

Time to upgrade to an 8-track cartridge.

@@SecretAgentPaul I got really radical and purchased a top-secret tech called CD, which I'm pretty sure stands for "covert dossier".

Love this. My dad said he borrowed the LP from a high school friend and recorded it to tape. Only later did he have his own LP. When we got the CD years ago with that cleanness and restoration, it was truly like hearing it anew.

I agree but for me, I would add Pippin also.

@@LoisLane22 Heard pippin thanks to this comment. I can't see how that can compete with the holy monsters above honestly

Those Heavy Spirits weigh us ALL down, don't they!

@jimwilson5148 How cool! Was that at Public Hall? Do have any other memories of the show you can share, such as who performed ? Thanks!

@@jageroc Somewhere in my big trunk of stuff, I believe I still have my souvenir program from the show. I will try to dig it out this weekend. Since I watched this video, I've been curious myself. And yes, I believe it was at Public Hall.

​@@jagerocSorry it took me a little longer than I thought to post this, but here it is, as printed in the program. The first page is about the Broadway Stage Production at the Mark Hellinger Theater. This is the info starting on page two about the production I saw: Robert Stigwood in association with MCA Inc. by arrangement with David Land Presents JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Lyrics by Tim Rice Original Concert Production From the Cast Album With Soloists, Chorus, Rock Band, and Full Orchestra Orchestrations by Andrew Lloyd Webber Lighting Designed by Jules Fisher Entire Production under the Supervision of Robert Stigwood, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice .......... CAST THE SINGERS, IN THE ORDER OF THEIR APPEARANCE: Judas Iscariot - James Sbano Jesus Christ - Tom Westerman Mary Magdalene - Holly Lipton Priests - Frankie Madrid, Roger Cruz Caiaphas, High Priest - Stephen Klein Annas - Philip Toubus Simon Zealotes - Frankie Madrid Pontius Pilate - Lyle Countryman Maid by the Fire - Renee Morris Peter - Roger Cruz King Herod - Kris Johnson Other singers (Apostles, Priests, Roman soldiers, Merchants, crowds, etc.): Roger Cruz, Realinda Farrell, Lorraine Feather, Renee Morris, Kathryn Mary Selvester, Philip Toubus, Coletha Woodson. Understudies (Judas) Frankie Madrid; (Mary) Renee Morris; (Jesus) Philip Toubus. Featured Musicians Robert Huston - Guitars (Electric and Acoustic) David Hopkins - Clarinet, Sax, and Flute (Note: As I mentioned earlier, he was injured in an accident and was unable to perform at the show I saw) Skip Reed - Drums, Percussion Ronald Blanco - Bass Guitar James deSalvo - Piano, Organ, Electric Piano Gary Tabita - Rhythm Guitar The Superstar Orchestra Conductor: Irving Joseph The rest of the souvenir program (which cost $2) is pictures of the touring cast, pictures from the Broadway production, the libretto, and a story about the original recording

Really? He passed for 32?

@@UNUSUALUSERNAME220 He certainly had my attention. Now could he hit those high notes like he did in 1973? Absolutely. He totally rocked

@@Portugal2025 Alright. Good for him! He was great in the part. It's rare to be able to maintain a voice like that after so many years! I'm glad he took care of himself and can still get it done!

@@UNUSUALUSERNAME220 Ted at 80. He definitely can still manage it ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-kafVDGP2H8A.htmlsi=bwmrre_fd-KW5DtS

Ooooh...THAT sounds interesting.