[thebeautyisClara]

Ok, I've seen sooo many different concepts/settings of Superstar, what with various scenery and costumes. I'm just curious, what 'time period' do you prefer it in? Which did you use?

My theatre did a mix of things, with Jesus in a white tank & cargo pants for the first act, and then white robes. Herod had a white suit and Judas wore black leather. All of the Apostles wore torn tee shirts and jeans and all of the Apostle's women wore long flowy earth-tone skirts, and crushed-material tank tops.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

Umm...that's not an original take. That's what Gale Edwards did.

I'd do it in AD Tour style clothes. All of this modern stuff just makes the show bad.

[thebeautyisClara]

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

I know, no offense was intended.

Just my opinion.

[thebeautyisClara]

[FeralCats]

I'd keep it in biblical times.

The story is universal enough as it is.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

Exactly, AD style.

That's the way I'd do it. I can't get over the 2000 Movie and the 03 Bach Tour I saw. If there were good people performing, I wouldn't mind as much (I never saw Kunze and Clayton, although I have heard them).

But that's the reason I dislike modern setting: because of the 2000 movie.

[FeralCats]

[jcstar]

The AD tour was just the name of the National tour.

Jesus wore robes, but Judas was modern.

Andy.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

Exactly.

[FeralCats]

Just jokin' round people.

[B3TA07]

I saw a JCSS tour in Fall 2004, what was that take? I really don't remember too much about it. I think it was an AD take but it also had a huge cross that lit up...

[Brother Marvin Hinten, S.]

We prefer to call that the "ALW's Head Disappearing Up His Ass" version.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

S'true.

[B3TA07]

That works

[Pounce]

[jcstar]

[FeralCats]

What I (assume) Andy was going to say (based off of past discussions of this. Considering how many of these arguments he's been in, I can understand his reluctance to come back in) was that it's ALW's show, and he can do whatever he wants with it. He says 'Jump', you say 'How high'? and such.

I admit that ALW can do whatever he wants with it, but I don't think WHAT he's done with it are that great. An artist changes over time, and some artists feel the need to look back on their old work all the time instead of looking ahead (Which, to a degree, ALW has done). When that happens, they frequently think "I would have done that differently." Then, they go back and change their work to what their modern style is like.

In that sense, playing the new version of Superstar for people just makes them think of ALW. If I play them the concept album or movie, most seriously say, "There is no freakin' way that is Webber." And I agree-Superstar is unlike anything else Mr. Webber wrote. And it's the only thing I can say I enjoy wholheartedley. I actually hate much of his music outside Superstar(There are 4 good things about POTO- the four chords at the end of 'Music Of The Night').

It's like if Alice Cooper went back to his oldest albums and re-recorded them with session musicians and his modern-day studio gleam.

[B3TA07]

^A good example of someone like that is Spielburg. Someone said he should make another film like E.T., and I read that he said "I can't, because I'm not the same artist that I was when I made that film."

That's the gist of it, at least.

[FeralCats]

I will admit, however, that for the most part I am completley FOR that. Charles Ives, Frank Zappa...these people went back and changed their works rather frequently.

I think the main difference, however, is that at the core, the work stays THE SAME-never an almost total re-do as ALW's new superstar.

[Beagle On Stage]

I really like the idea of keeping it completely set in the Biblical period. You never see it done that way, and it's really very cool if you stick to that concept exclusively and don't try to work in anything modern.

[kittengoespop]

But in my mind, there are two "key" numbers that prevent keeping it strictly Biblical from being a possibility: "Herod's Song" and "Superstar".

"Herod's Song" is far too campy and includes far too many modern puns (i.e. "Walk across my swimming pool", etc.). If done strictly Biblically, this song feels silly and out of place.

"Superstar", however, is a decidedly, almost aggressively, modern piece. "If you'd come today, you would have reached a whole nation", essentially the message of the song is, "What if you were here today, Jesus? It certainly would have been different!" And how would you stage this song Biblically with Judas making references to things that won't happen for hundreds of years at least (e.g. Mohammed, Buddah)?

In my opinion, the only way to stage this show is conceptually, with a sort of feel of "transcending time" period.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

Actually, there were swimming pools, even back then (obviously they were smaller, more like small hot-tub size).

Superstar should be a timeless song. But I think the rest of JCS should be done with a Biblical setting.

[Brother Marvin Hinten, S.]

And besides, Buddha existed 500 years before Christ.

[jcstar]

[kittengoespop]

[thebeautyisClara]

[TheCaiaphas]

The 2000 "movie" was just the JCS Broadway revival (using almost all of the same stage cast) set to video...Sir Andrew likes to expose his works to as many people as possible...unfortunately, the revival was way too modern and "cold" for such a warm story. I saw it personally...it was like putting the cast of Matrix and Rent together. Simply not good.

[Lazarus (Adam G)]

I agree.

It was a terrible film AND a terrible Broadway show. The people who made it should be put down like the bad dogs they are.

[yagan2003]

Hi im a chilean Jcs maniac and im a member of "Ultima Escena".
We make, since 2004, a chilean performance of JCs and we´ve used three diferent style,
I invite you to visit our page
www.ultimaescena.tk
Greeteing...



pd: sorry, my english is not very good yet......=)

[superdave]

I think it is silly for people that do Superstar and Godspell in still a 70's flower child version. It makes it look really dumb. I think Superstar should evolve with the times, and be put in the modern times. But it should never HAVE been Broadway-ized like it did 2000. The preformers were horrible! I cannot listen to the Final Trial. And most of the tunes end, with unecessary Broadway finishes. Jesus Christ Superstar, is a rock opera...and it should be told in a raw, rock star fashion.

[DanUSGS]

THREAD NECROMANCING

See I'd only like a strictly modern show if it was unabashingly modern. The High Priests need cleric collars, the roman officers need to be dressed as cops. I'd also have a huge light bulb cross wired down to an electric chair for the crucifixion.

All in all I really like the mix in the original movie.

What would be interesting would be other historical concept shows. (Note I said "interesting" not "good")

[jcstar]

[Damn_Badgers]

I was involved in a JCS production recently and we staged it in the 1920's. It was a pretty cool idea, with the Priests being the equivalent of the Mafia etc. Worked quite well. Though again if you don't like straying from the original AD setting then it would not appeal.