Jesus Christ! Super-ripoff rant.

[therunningmonk]

Last night I endured the tour of Jesus Christ at the CIA. I have to admit I expected to be ripped off, £75 for any ticket, wherever sat, £10 programmes, and I avoided the merch. stall but no doubt they were astronomical prices. Now, I'm fully aware that theatre shows these days cash in on whatever they can but, having the audacity to then make a theme of the show 'profits over people', it's like the producers having an inside joke at the audiences expense. As if, Jessie J took all those people who illegally downloaded 'It's not about the money' to court over loss of earnings. The signage was a mess, some logos an incorporation of the multi colour sign with a faded original logo, others an attempt to rip off banksy.

Most of this can be looked over though if you have a good night right? Well, unfortunately it was awful. THe sound was horrific - band so loud you often couldn't hear the ensemble singing, mics turned up so load the sound distorted, was actually painful and mic feedback on more than one occasion. The staging was minimalistic - pretty much what you get for an arena tour - but cheap, you had to wonder what the 1000's of £75 went on.

"Actors" - horribly mis-cast. Tim Minchin and Mel C mostly sang well no doubt (excluding the sound problems) but could not act the part - Mel C sang I don't know as if she was on tour with the spice girls, however, Minchin murdered his reprise of the same song with over acting and horrendous singing. Jesus was a wet fish, a whiney emo type that, if the real Jesus had been even remotely similar to, would make you wonder if it would kickstart a religion that lasts to this day. The worst case of miscasting. Chris Moyles - went off him a long time ago due to his ego but, if anyone could ham it up and camp it up to the nines it's him, but he so underplayed it that king herod was just not funny. The remaining characters were just okay, Pilates mate did a lot of screeching - i think someone told the cast that shouting equals acting/singing. The whole thing had one dynamic = fff.

The production to look at was cheap and tacky - profits over people is a bad thing says a show that rather then sending up the reality contest age, cashes in on it with a 50p text in with Lord or Fraud - tasteless and tacky - what ALW has become known for.

The crucifixion was just painful, and not just for Jesus. It is hard to do a death scene on stage, especially the crucifixion but this Jesus chose to whine and screech his death that you just willed it all to end.

I've never seen the show, I've seen the movie, but can't help to think it could be so much better than it was, especially for £75. All of this, people clapping and screaming when someone they knew walked on or did what they were paid to do, but whats worse is it got a standing ovations - i've been to some amazing theatre that people don't stand for yet they stood for this rubbish, some people deserve to be ripped off - I was among the only ones to remain sitting, I've sat for far more deserving shows show peer pressure would not make me stand for this.

The odd song was very good but apart from that I spent most the evening willing them to crucify the Christ so we could all go home - and i'm a christian!

[The Scorpion]

I've never seen the show, I've seen the movie, but can't help to think it could be so much better than it was, especially for £75

Of course it could be -- anyone who saw the original at the Palace or the revival at the Lyceum could attest to that. It's sad to think how many people out there may be seeing JCS for the first time and get given this. Just as it saddens me to think there are still people out there who somehow still have not seen the original Phantom and have only the horrendous film, the substandard RAH event or the tacky new tour to go by.

The staging was minimalistic - pretty much what you get for an arena tour - but cheap, you had to wonder what the 1000's of £75 went on.

Welcome to the 2010s in which both ALW and Cameron Mackintosh have taken several leaves from Mr Kenwright's book. And to think their production companies were once synonymous with high quality. As for what the money goes on, probably ALW's pension. And I imagine RUG is still trying to get over the huge amounts of money wasted and lost on Paint Never Dries.

[dgjbear]

I saw the same show and enjoyed it. I am used to paying about £65 for the west end and much higher for arena concert so I don't feel ripped off. I liked the interpretation and setting it in the riots and bank protests. Thought Tim and Mel C were fine. Though Jesus couldn't act. Don't like Moyles, but it's only one song FFS. Thought Pilot and Caiaphas were both great. Generally had a good time

[therunningmonk]

Quote: "Welcome to the 2010s in which both ALW and Cameron Mackintosh have taken several leaves from Mr Kenwright's book. And to think their production companies were once synonymous with high quality. As for what the money goes on, probably ALW's pension. And I imagine RUG is still trying to get over the huge amounts of money wasted and lost on Paint Never Dries."

Completely agree, with the constant excuse of smaller theatre spaces when touring they mange to use cheap and basic scenery yet still expected to pay London prices. I don't find Macintosh's tours quite as bad as the ever cheapening ALW. It's a shame ALW has this overinflated ego, he's only ever good when he has the support of good people.

Quote: "I saw the same show and enjoyed it. I am used to paying about £65 for the west end and much higher for arena concert so I don't feel ripped off. I liked the interpretation and setting it in the riots and bank protests. Thought Tim and Mel C were fine. Though Jesus couldn't act. Don't like Moyles, but it's only one song FFS."

I too am used to, and fully happy, to pay £65 for tickets - usually top price (excluding the premiums) however I feel £75 for all tickets, no matter where you sit or the view is a rip off. I spent much of the time watching the screen as I couldn't see the actors faces. One song or one hundred, he's paid by my ticket fee and he opens himself up to critique.

[Mister Matt]

Sounds like you were subjected to the Ted Neeley JCS tour that's been kicking around the US for over a decade.

[Scripps2]

The best production of JCS that I've seen was the 2005 national tour which was directed by Kenwright and Bob Tomson.

They directed it from a Christian point of view rather than the Iscariot point of view that the authors intended.

Ironically it seemed to work much better that way!

[Phantom of London]

Not griping, but there is already a thread on this, started by yours truly. I posted my views of the show on here after seeing it.

http://westend.broadwayworld.com/board/readmessage.php?thread=1051138&dt=10&boardid=3#sthash.lEo3bMyx.dpbs

My view of the show, copy and pasted on the thread above:

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.