This is perfection! Drew is absolutely the best voice I have ever heard perform this piece...and by far! The dancing and the choreography are superior to any performance I have ever seen of this play. Just fantastic!
Amazing choreography (and dancing)! Also love when Judas threw in, "What's the buzz, baby? Tell me what's happening." A nice reminded of the beginning of the show.
Amazing! I'm quite a fan of "Superstar," and have seen many, many versions and watched many, many clips and this is by far the BEST performance I have seen! The voice is fantastic. The acting incredible. - and he is having fun in the role! Thank you for posting this!
Whoever he is, he rocks it out! I love everything about it, Drew Sarich's interpretation, the costumes, the steps, the flawless figures on those gorgeous women. I could watch this a hundred times, and I'm an old JCS queen from way back.
I grew up listening/obsessing over the original cast version back in the day and have never heard or seen the power and energy that is poured into this one. Good Friday and I am sitting here weeping. Amazing work Drew and the girls!
You're right. I play music and sing, and the amazing thing is they can move like that still sing. Those angels are providing the harmony vocal and some amazing choreograhpy at the same time.
shoeshew dear, I was refering to the "hold that pose" at 1:08 and then again 1:59 and 2:05 with "What's the buzz" and blowing Christ a kiss at 2:05. Now this is some great correspondance, although I love those marvelous dancers.
I tend to prefer when Judas is played in white singing this song from a genuine state of "Who knows?" than this really sadistic, cynical version. I think both are valid takes, just my preference. Despite that, Sarich sings the hell out of this.
I recently read an interview were Drew himself said he didn’t enjoy this interpretation of Judas as the director wanted him to be pure evil and Drew didn’t get that philosophy.
I want to know: Indeed I want you to answer eight years later: I’m interested in that opinion regarding the “who knows” state. Could you elaborate? What do you mean by the “who knows” state?
@@crimsonmaverick8237 I think if you take away the red, devil like scenery of this portrayal (Drew rocked the song either way), then it's actually quite an ambiguous ending. The lyrics themselves are posed as a series of questions, asking Jesus: "Now why'd you choose such a backward time, and such a strange land?" i.e. If you planned on bringing a message to everyone, why'd you pick a time and place so hostile to you message? Wouldn't it have been better to come in the 21st century when we have mass communication systems that could've spread your words across the globe? "Who'd you think beside yourself was the pick of the crop?" i.e. Are you the only real one? Are Buddha and Mohammad divine as well, or are they fakers and just you're the real deal? "Did you plan to die like that, was that a mistake? Did you know your messy death Would be a record breaker?" i.e. So... was this the plan all along, or did you slip up? Did you literally plan to go out in a gruesome and memorable way so that you could become a martyr and more people would look to you? And of course the chorus... "Do you think you're what they say you are?" i.e. Quite literally asking Jesus if he really thinks he's the son of God, King of the Jews. The fundamental conflict of the musical, as established in Judas' opening song, is that whilst Judas loves and admires Jesus, he doesn't believe that Jesus is the son of God. In the beginning Judas sings "I remember when this whole thing began, no talk of God then we called you a man." Judas thinks of Jesus as an incredibly intelligent and compassionate man on a quest to help their people... but then Jesus started to become deified and Judas thinks things are getting out of control (in all fairness... he was right). I think a common issue with misinterpretations of this play is that people hear "Jesus Christ" and assume it's a passion play (hence why it gets played on NBC every Easter). But really, it's a rock opera telling the story of a group of young men (plus Mary who is basically portrayed as the female love interest) who are trying to change the world... and things roll quickly out of hand. The play ends with the crucifixion and not the resurrection, because it's up for the audience to decide if Jesus comes back to life as the Son of God, or if he's just a misguided martyr. Judas dies because, at least from his perspective, he was disloyal to Jesus and used by God. In the end he's the arbitrator, speaking for the audience to ask Jesus what the final verdict is... are you the son of God?
The way I've always interpreted this kind of performance (which I love) is that this isn't actually Judas, it's Lucifer using Judas's face to taunt and say "was it really worth it to turn me down? To go through all this? To see your friend fall like he did?"
I grew up just north of Motown, and play Bass, R&B and Funk, the rhythm section [drummer & me]lay down the groove . Here's one to ponder, "If you'd come today you could have reached a whole nation" what would the world be like without Christianity? Not to get too religious, but if you look around the world at non-Christian believing countries, life ain't so good, would there be a U.S. ,would we all be Muslim, Hindu,? Would Christ be accepted at all?
Realmente considero esta la mejor interpretación del papel de Judas. No me puedo despegar de escucharla ni de ver la coreografía montada. Cuanto talento!
The whole play was amazing...and, yes, can I get this on DVD? Awsome job. I always liked the seventies version, but I LOVED this...chuck from Oklahoma.
Now that you mention it, I remember that scene, he's basically rebuked by Christ and shortly after, is the payoff and the fateful kiss, and one verse with the groove to "what's the buzz?" accept this time "it's all over"
Every man is master of his own actions, because all men are born of FREE WILL. Because God is omniscent (in terms of time as well as thought) he KNOWS what someone's actions will be, because past, present, and future are all combined in his presence. That does not mean that anyone is being 'manipulated' or that he make choices for people, because everyone makes their own choices and every one is accountable for their own choices. That went for Judas like it does for everyone else.
Interpretation means exactly that. If you read the official description of this song on the Really Useful website, it is that Jesus is delirious - with pain and agony presumably - so that it is impossible to know what He was thinking. Therefore, there is no right or wrong interpretation. But Drew Sarich's portrayl of Judas is up there with the best.
DNA, What's Up?. I just ran across this video. This one is great. I'm going to the new live show in a couple of weeks. Ted Neeley is portraying Jesus, Cory Glover of Living Color as Judas, and 6 soul singer girls, only a 5 piece band ,no horns, but a worthy cast. I was enjoying our last correspondance, but I don't think some did. Peace, rHp
"For the Son of man goes as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been better for that man if he had not been born." - Mark 14:21
Please, PLEASE upload Hosanna! Who else is with me that wants to see how awesome a scene and song this group did (I especially want to see Drew's participation in it XD)
Snowshoe, Sounds as though you did your homework. I referred "boot" to the new JCS tour website. They don't publish a lot of these shows. I'm going to JCS live in a couple of weeks. I'll see if I can get some info, and hopefully get to shake hands with Ted Neeley.
snowshoe, Thanks for the reply and I'll let you know how the show was. Sounds like you've seen more than a few of these shows. This rendition is great. I think the live show with Ted as Christ should be pretty true to what was intended. I think in this vid, Judas is a little too condescending, although it is performed very well, and I love the dancers.
I love the fact that some people can sing brilliantly but can't dance for toffee. It actually just makes them so much better - Drew Sarich, Kate Bush, Bananarama, Paul Heaton, Bono, etc etc!
@dwade1962eagle EXACTLY RIGHT!...people have forgotten how to enjoy live theatre/music...always comparing it to othes....people, that's not how you listen to live music...you enjoy it for what it is...the variations, the musical interpretations, the difference in staging / rhythmic stressing not, "blah blah blah so & so was better.." or "blah blah blah this is not how it's supposed to be done" geesh this is a great version & stands strong as a performance for what looks like a community theatre.
They've got it! Unlike the 2000 version here at RU-vid, this one has an excellent rendition of the song and the lead singer is great. Overall, this video compares very favorably with the full-scale 1973 version.
I love the fact that some people can sing brilliantly but can't dance for toffee. They're so cool they don't really need to try. It actually just makes them so much better - Drew Sarich, Kate Bush, Bananarama, Paul Heaton, Bono, etc etc!
I don't understand exactly. Are you insinuating that this is a low budget version? because as far as i can tell it is not, the costumes are first class and so is the set, and the pit is a full orchestration. There is projection, scrims, and lots more. what more could there be? PS: thanks for uploading this video, drew's an awsome Judas, even better than his Jesus.
Snowshoe, I received your reply did you get the message? I just saw the live show, Ted's fairwell tour, very gripping when seen live. Cory Glover has that coarse voice, similar to Carl Anderson. The show was very well done. The stage was smaller than the one in this video.
OK, did you get the other messages? I went to a bad link. I think one of the most chilling scenes is "then we are decided" with Bob Bingham and that baritone voice,where Christ's fate is sealed. Judas really play's into Ciaphas' hands, and throughout the Movie has many mixed emotions.
In this version it almost seems as though Judas I almost helping Jesus through, where the 2003 version, Judas is taunting Jesus and turning his back on him.
I gather it looks like a stage because its a theater performance.. In some ways it is like Judas taunting Jesus, but he's basically asking Jesus all the "why" questions most people tend to have. Believing? Do you mean in Jesus? The single song is based on many theories about the history and area in which Jesus was from.. To conclude that you won't believe in Jesus after a single song simply means your faith isn't strong to begin with. I know plenty of Christians who love this musical.
snoeshoe, What edition of the Movie is this exactly? I thought that Jerome Pradon played Judas in the 2000 version, and that Tony Vincent was Simon. Is this a British version? You mentioned that there is more of Drew's part as Judas Available. P.S. got my tickets today for the live show in 2 weeks. I hope we can greet the cast afterwards.
I've probably watched this video a good 500 times over the last two years, and I really haven't been able to find anyone who comes close to Drew on this.
Okay, but take a look at the middle dancer starting at 1:25 and again at 2:18 in the 1973 version. She's still "less meaty" than I like, but I could have made an exception for her :-)
