Ep. 12: Megaconcerts: "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" 2018

May 16, 2018

What's the buzz, listeners? We'll tell you what's a'happenin'! The Broadway Babies are back and better than ever! Now it’s time to get petty and start our season of MEGA musicals. This season is comprised entirely of "doozies," starting with the NBC concert of the king of megamusicals’ tomb-quaking classic, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock musical entertains the 5,000 while providing commentary on what celebrity can do to the individual as well as the general public. Alex and Daisha discuss the themes of loneliness, celebrity, and tough choices woven through Webber’s motive-ridden classic. 

Podcast cover art: David Taylor

Twitter: @bwaybabies Facebook: Facebook.com/broadwaybabiespodcast

Cast recording: Amazon | iTunes | Spotify

Video: Hulu | NBC.com

Songs

• "Prologue"/"Heaven on their Minds" (performed by Orchestra/ Brandon Victor Dixon)
• "Everything is Alright" (by Sara Bareilles and Ensemble)
• "Gethsemane (I only want to say)" (by John Legend)
• "King Herod's Song" (by Alice Cooper)
• "Superstar" (by Brandon Victor Dixon and Ensemble)

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice book by God.

Released by Sony Masterworks.

Show Notes

• Who sang the “Gethsemane” high note (G5) the best? You decide!
• A behind-the-scenes documentary clip from the 2000 film about the idea of Rice’s and Webber’s making the story about Judas’ betrayal and his character
• We barely talked about it at all, but there was a 2012 Broadway revival of this show that was just as Tony nominated as any other production of this (Best Revival and Actor): Here are a couple highlights from the show
• John Legend discussing the role: “I think we've gotten used to seeing Jesus look like he came from Oslo, when, you know, obviously he was born and raised in the Middle East and probably looked a lot closer to me.”
• The second best thing to ever come from early 2000s reality TV (the first being New York from “Flavor of Love)