Pop Star Superstar

[Phantom of London]

I went to see Jesus Christ Superstar at the 02 arena this evening, a very lackluster Superstar compared with the excellent Des McAnuff production I saw earlier this year in New York and Gale Edwards production at the Lyceum which played nearly 16 years ago, which both had a urgency and fluid which were missing tonight.

It is always going to be cringe worthy when you see 'stars' that cannot pull off their roles, I must of spent the whole evening cringing as Melanie C, Tim Minchin,* Chris Moyles and the TV superstar Ben Forester cannot sing and are all very forgettable and lame, thank god for Alexander Hanson, Michael Pickering and Pete Gallagher who could actually pull their roles off, but this was small beer in the end.

As for the staging was supposed to be deliberately simplistic, so why have a confetti cannons? I was high up in the cheaper expensive seats, right on the left hand of the stage and had a reasonable view, but the cross for the cruxifiction at the end was disjointed, from my seat the actors (cough, cough) still felt very distant, so I found myself watching the big screen, which for me deems the production irrelevant going to see a live show.

Not unexpected, but the brochure style programs came in at £10, a small fortune, which gave the obligatory history of Jesus Christ Superstar, a few photos, no bios, but opinion and when they first saw JCS, to sum it up a waste of money and a bit of I saw you coming.

A show on grand scale that delivered exactly nothing.

* Excused for the lush music and lyrics for Matilda, but still can't sing, nor act.

[peggyb2]

Poor Phantom-sounds much as I thought it would.I hope you didn't pay a lot for your ticket.Interesting how critics (apart from Mark Shenton) loved it but generally those on the forums hated it.Ah well.If it raises the profile of musical theatre I suppose it has to be a good thing...

[Musical-Matt]

i hope they film it as i dont know if ill get a chance to se it :)

[The Scorpion]

I'm not surprised - your view echoes what I've heard elsewhere.

I stayed away from this with the get-go...the casting, ALW doing the TV show without Tim Rice's consent and the show having second-rate creatives (*cough*LaurenceConnor*cough*) put me off completely.

[bob8rich]

I haven't seen the JCS production so I can't comment on that. But I would disagree totally that Laurence Connor is "second rate"! He did incredible work on Phantom and Les Mis and his direction of Miss Saigon in Australia garnered high praise and award nominations. I would rate him as one of the UK's undoubted FIRST RATE musical theatre directors (as would most people working in the Industry).

[songanddanceman2]

Yes i would also have to disagree with Laurence Connor and the Second Rate comment.

Tim M looks like he has had very good reviews for the show

[SoonerOrLater]

As I expected also, I'd be curious to watch the DVD recording (then again maybe not)

I heard Mel C's rendition of 'I don't know how to love him' on Elaine Paige this Sunday, and it wasn't as terrible as I'd feared, though I imagine live, in that setting it is.

The main issue (aside from casting) I have is the arena tour setting-I won't even go and see singers or comedians I like in arenas because they're horrendous for sound and staging so why stage a musical? sigh.

[dgjbear]

Interesting that the critics are generally liking it. Unless she lost her voice, Mel C can generally sing and the tiny bit I saw of Superstar on ITV, so can the guy that plays Jesus. But don't know about Tim Minchin, but he is being singled out by most critics for praise??? Seeing it on Tuesday so I suppose will make my own mind up then.

[sallyann]

I was at this performance and enjoyed it as did my companions. It was new to them but I saw the original production many moons ago.Might have been better in a smaller setting but still worked for me.

[The Scorpion]

I haven't seen the JCS production so I can't comment on that. But I would disagree totally that Laurence Connor is "second rate"! He did incredible work on Phantom and Les Mis and his direction of Miss Saigon in Australia garnered high praise and award nominations. I would rate him as one of the UK's undoubted FIRST RATE musical theatre directors (as would most people working in the Industry).

I haven't seen Connor's production of Miss Saigon, so I can't comment on that. As for everything else, entirely disagree. (Well, obviously, given what I wrote, which I stand by).

But I have seen his productions of Les Mis and Phantom. I liked the former but thought the direction was pretty much copy and pasted from the Nunn and Caird original; very little was different and it was hardly the reinvention it claimed to be. As for the latter, I thought it was substandard, to put it mildly. So much incoherence, so little understanding of the story; had that version of the show opened at Her Majesty's 25 years ago we wouldn't be talking about the show today. I'm convinced he's hired because he's cheap, at least compared to the likes of Hal Prince and Trevor Nunn.

I'd call people like Jamie Lloyd, Matthew Warchus, Rupert Goold, Michael Grandage, Stephen Daldry, Richard Eyre etc first-rate directors. Laurence Connor is nowhere close to their league. And if he is, I'd like to hear explanations of why neither Cameron nor Andrew have hired him for the original productions of anything they've done.

[AnythingGoes23]

I throught it was a good production. For this take on the show, Tim And Mel C I thought delivered the roles and sang well. Chris Moyles too, for a role which is 3minute comic relief number.

The problem is Ben. Who although was cast on TV is a seasoned stage performer, despite some great notes he lacks the presence and full vocal ability for the role causing Judas to really steal the show