Take Sides: Jesus Christ Superstar vs. Godspell

JCS, by a 1000 passus.

JCS anyway (though Godspell's is pretty great too)

Whoops. Brain not functioning. I find JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR to be the ENTIRELY UNLISTENABLE one. Godspell wins by a divine mile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiBi0xMF9UY

i watched john legend superstar TWICE yesterday. i loved it. could watch it again today.

my kid was in the pit band of his school's production of godspell in the big old theatre one town over this year and it was so awesome. they did a great job. made me want to cry.

both musicals make me want to cry because i know the songs so well and because childhood.

i was really impressed with john legend too. never really listened to his music but he really brought it as jesus.

it's on hulu if you missed it.

jesus christ superstar is fucking awesome

JCS is one of my favs. I played Pilate once.

I loved the Legend production although he was a bit disappointing (shied away from the high notes, didn't act all that much). but overall it was effing sweet.

when I was... 11? something like 11, my sister and I would just watch the '70s movie adaptation repeatedly, for hours (it was this and Grease); at the time I really wanted to hypothetically play Mary Magdalene (because that's what you do when you're 11 and watch musicals repeatedly) but now it would actually be Judas

ha, my daughter at 9 was doing the slinkier, Mae West Mary from Godspell, replete w/ boa. "See ya later, I'm going to the back of the thee-AY-ter..."

I saw the 2003 tour with the godawful Sebastian Bach as Jesus, and I knew it was going to suck, but I went because Carl Anderson (Judas from the 70s movie) was playing Judas on the tour. Even at 58 the dude could wail.

Couldn't believe he died shortly after. I met him and was starstruck.

meanwhile, I was half expecting Bach's Jesus to die on the cross with a bottle of Jack in his hand

carl anderson was such a badass

hearing those kids do "by my side" this year almost had me crying like a baby. i held it together though. i have such a pavlovian response to this song. both musicals remind me of my late sister a lot too and hearing the music come from her room. such a beautiful song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_R0v1ZWKao

yeah that one gets me hard too. And "On the Willows"

gets me hard? lol no

hits me hard!

i mean it *is* a moving song but

"By My Side" is great. it brings heavy feelings. an alum drama student from my high school had died tragically I think the year or so after she graduated, and she had been in Godspell, so the cast of the spring musical did "By My Side" in tribute after it ended and one of the audience members was just too emotional to watch the rest of it.

if anything JCS makes you really feel for Judas and makes you think God is a bit of a dick, which I expect is the point

I love JCS, mum used to play the Australian cast soundtrack all the time - the Jon English one from the 70s, and the Jon Stevens one from the 90s. The new John Legend et al production blew me away, I was made of tears by the end. Everyone was so good!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-RXLGxe-9c

Rewatched the film version of Godspell (1973) last night due to the current Wicked-mania and happened to see the film version of JCS (1973) in the theater with Ted Neely in attendance a few weeks back. Gosh Godspell really sucks! The music is OK and there are 2 or 3 real emotional bangers but it never actually ROCKS. The hippies as vaudeville hobo clowns has aged SO BAD. Jesus is so boring/inoffensive. Just a shallow/empty character in that show. Some killer performances in the movie despite the hokeyness (The DJ from The Warriors is awesome on Bless The Lord.)

On the other hand, Carl Anderson's Judas is more rockin' than ever, and Norman Jewison's direction is more poignant with age. (Filmed in Israel yikes!) There are a couple hokey shots but it mostly works!

I'm grateful both shows exist but damn Godspell is kind of a mess.