Nonureva Really Surprised!

Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

FirstWitch A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Erica Derrick By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

oldguy7547 I bought the original Rock Opera back in the 70's (on vinyl) and played it endlessly. Needless to say when I watch the live broadcast I was expecting some of the voices to be the same or similar but alas they were not. I thought the main characters did not have the range that Ian Gillan, Murray Head, and Yvonne Elliman had they were super. I really like John Legend but sorry it was just not the same. The thing that really bothered me was the constant crowd noise why in the world pay a whole bunch of money only not to be able to hear it over your screaming? That ruined it for me.

maarten_kos I'm sorry but the funny faces John Legend makes trying to sing clean, has lack of acting skills and his not so strong and raspy voice ruined this production for me.

grw777-113-594581 The original version with Ian Gillan as Jesus is still the best. Neeley came close.Still a nice piece of musical fiction from the masters; Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.

Charles Herold (cherold) I used to sing along with the JCS album all the time as a kid. It was funny, and sharp, and tuneful, and shook off the stodgy holiness that marred most portrayals of Jesus. I used to picture how I would make it were I a film director; I would set it all in Washington D.C., with the pharisees in power suits.I was hugely disappointed by the 1973 movie, which seemed determined to squeeze back in a lot of the religious-picture stodginess.But this TV production gives me a JCS that captures the raw essence of the original album. There is an electric joyousness as the orchestra musicians play as they march across the stage. The show embraces diversity not just in ethnicity but in body shape; some of the dancers are far larger than what you normally see. The production is intense and electric and full of intense life.There are some terrific performances. Brandon Victor Dixon is wonderful as Judas, who is really more than star of the show than Jesus. And Ben Daniels is utterly amazing as Pontius Pilate.John Legend is quite good as Jesus, although as he arrives onstage he looks a bit more like a genial dad standing on the porch in his bathroom watching his kids than the incarnation of God on earth. Legend would probably make more sense as a pleasant Godspell-style Jesus, but ultimately I thought he was quite effective.I don't know if this is a version of the Broadway show or if this is an entirely knew production just for TV, but if the latter, I'm really impressed by how well thought-out it is, and if the former, well, that must be a hell of a show.I vote the people behind this do a TV production of one of my other loved-the-album-hated-the-movie shows, Hair. Come on, NBC, don't let me down!(Note: I watched this on DVR so didn't have to deal with the plethora of commercials that apparently ruined this for a lot of people.)