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November is Board77 goes to Broadway Month!

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Iavas_Saar
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Posted: Tue 22 Nov , 2005 6:23 pm
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I hope you're not too jealous Enchie, but I've seen JCS twice on stage. :) It's definitely one of my favourites. Is there another musical that has as much raw energy?

And I agree with Alatar - the new DVD of the stage show is awesome. A lot better than the film IMO.

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enchantress
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Posted: Wed 23 Nov , 2005 12:09 am
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Alatar, Iavas, I have the soundtrack for that production - its good, but I still like the movie better musically...I really sw00n for neely and yvonne Elliman... I'll look into seeing this version dvd though if you recommend it.

Iavas, I AM jealous DAMMIT :P;)!

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gimli_axe_wielder
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Posted: Wed 23 Nov , 2005 12:26 am
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ooooooh :D:D:D

Yes I have to say I love the movie version of JCS!

I was lucky enough to see the play live with Carl Anderson in the role of Judas before he passed away. AMAZING! I especially loved the fact that he didn't sing every song exactly like the film. It really does give it a different feeling depending on how they sing.

Oddly enough Sebastian Bach played Jesus in the play I went to! :P:P Now THAT was interesting. He can't hit the high notes like Ted Neely does so you ended up with a much more "heavy metal" sound where he screamed the high parts that Neely actually sang. My mom and aunts didn't care for him, but me loving that sorta music, I thought it was ok. I still prefer Neely better but eh!

*swooooooooons* :love: :love: :love: :love: :love: :love:

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Lurker
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Posted: Wed 23 Nov , 2005 4:37 am
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enchantress wrote:
If anyone ever hears of a JCS stage production coming to Toronto, please PM me :)
Ench,
I'm sorry to tell you but you just missed JCS at the Canon Theatre last spring (May, I think). I couldn't remember the exact date but my wife and I watched it. It's her fave as well. The only comment that I remember her saying was that JCS should adapt to the times since she said this play was done during the Vietnam War era, she wants to see a "modernized version". It was great esp. the special effects they used for the show. I love the song that goes "If you are the Christ, the great Jesus Christ", sang by Pilate I think. I hum it sometimes. It was quite funny.

I know a local theatre near my place in Scarberia that shows JCS sometimes during the holy week. Ever heard of the Scarborough Village Theatre, it's for amateurs but they're pretty decent although the props are not that spectacular. I'll let you know, cause my apartment is just walking distance from the theatre and I play hockey at the arena (beside the theatre) from time to time, so it's no trouble. It will cost about $21.00 but definitely good seats bec. of the small venue.

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Alatar
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Posted: Wed 23 Nov , 2005 11:47 am
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I saw the revival production with Steve Balsamo and Zubin Varla. Yes. Balsamo did the huge note in Gethsemane. Yes. It was awesome. Yes. Zubin Varla is the greatest Judas of all time. Yes. You should all be jealous. :)

Here's a review I wrote at the time:
Quote:
Having just returned from London after seeing the new and Revamped Jesus Christ Superstar I felt that I really had to give it an In-depth review.

This production is simply superb! The atmosphere begins as soon as you enter the Lyceum and see the huge sprawling stage. The main playing area is circular with a central circular dais which at various stages through the production raises to become the table for the last supper and drops to become a pit during Christs' beating and Judas' suicide. Directly behind this is a small platform about ten feet higher than the main stage. It is accessed by ladders and from the side beams and scaffolding which surround the stage and encroach into the first three boxes on either side. There are three rows of seats on either side of the platform at the back of the stage which are nearly a part of the Set. The effect of this is to pull the audience right into the centre of the action. For scenes with Caiaphas, Annas and the other Scribes and Pharisees a giant stark metal bridgedrops into place, joining the scaffolding at either side of the stage. Although this all sounds quite elaborate and flashy, the reverse is actually the case. The whole aura of the setting is one of stark and somehow brutal simplicity. This may well have something to do with the fact that the set was designed by John Napier who was also responsible for the sets of Cats, Starlight Express, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon and Sunset Boulevard. A healthy pedigree in anyones book!

When the lights went down we saw that the conductor and orchestra were behind a gauze screen above and behind the small platform mentioned earlier, however we had little time to admire this as the first overdriven guitar notes cut through the air accompanied by a deep rumbling which literally shook the theatre and riveted us to our seats.... the show had begun!

Steve Balsamo's portrayal of Jesus was exquisite. His vocal qualities are obvious to anyone who has heard the new cast album but what is not immediately apparent is the quality of his acting and his staggering stage prescence. He immediately draws your focus and gives the role a depth not seen in many other portrayals. This is not the serene Christ of Robert Powell, but a confused and angry man who cannot understand why he has been forced down a path of betrayal and destruction. He is physical as well as cerebral and this is shown in his relationship with Mary Magdalene, played by Joanna Ampril. His singing is flawless, in fact he hits so many falsetto notes with absolute perfection that we began to feel that he could not impress us any more until he subsequently sang Gethsemane and floored us all. The song is vocally one of the most difficult songs to sing in any genre and this guy carries it off without apparent effort while simultaneously giving a breathtaking performance of acting at it's finest. For those singers among you who have been hoping that the inhuman falsetto note on the cast album was studio enhanced or lengthened I am afraid to say that it wasn't. He sang and held it almost exactly as on the album finishing the note just two beats before the climax. My chest hurt by the time the song was finished and I don't know whether it was from emotion, in sympathy or because I'd been holding my breath! An unforgettable experience.

Zubin Varla was an unusual Judas. Where Basalmo sang effortlessly, Varla seemed in a constant state of agony and confusion and this carried through to his singing. Don't get me wrong, he was never in any danger of not making the notes but his vocal delivery was extremely strenuous. His bearing was also quite strange, he carried himself in a pent up explosive manner which complemented the character beautifully but took a little getting used to. His acting was naturally superb and the scene where he finally realizes the enormity of his actions and takes his own life was portrayed with truly believable agony and passion. His despair filled reprise of I Don't Know How To Love Him was one of the show's highlights.

Joanna Ampril as the often overplayed Mary Magdalene was subtle and genuine and gave us a sincere and unromanticised portrayal. Her lead experience having played Kim in Miss Saigon gave this smaller role a much more rounded personality and character.

David Burt as Pontius Pilate was for me the biggest surprise of the show. Instead of the weak ineffectual Pilate we have come to know from many productions we got a powerhouse performance from a man who knows how to use his bearing and voice to maximum effect. He was in every sense a man in power who knew how to wield it. His decision to capitulate to the mob seems less driven by weakness and more by disdain. He fights for Christ against the mob but capitulates when Christ refuses to fight for himself. A fresh performance from an actor who truly made the part his own.

The one scene which has always annoyed me in productions of Superstar is the Herod scene. The song seems like it belongs in Joseph, not JCS. However I have to say that Nick Holder made the absolute best out of an appalling song by portraying Herod as a venomous, spiteful pervert. This was not a camped up perfomance with limp wrists and tap dancers everywhere, it was a seedy degenerate performance which somehow fitted the mood of the show much better. Strange, but true....

Production Highlights for me were the Can We Start Again Please number and the 39 Lashes. Gale Edwards' production was superb overall but in these two scenes in particular I thought she brought something fresh to the Show.

Can We Start Again Please was sung from the platform was Jesus was systematically brutalised before us on the main stage by three roman centurions. The poignancy of the song was multiplied tenfold and set the scene beautifully for Judas' line "My God I saw him, he looked three quarters dead....", truly a touch of genius.

The other main highlight for me was the clever effect used for the 39 lashes. Two ropes were thrown down from the scaffolds on either side of the stage and Jesus was stretched between them by his arms, facing the audience. Annas stood behind him with a large chalice of blood and as Pilate counted the lashes members of the mob each took a handful of blood and "lashed" Jesus with it. Not only was the effect horrifyingly brutal as blood spattered from his back and was rubbed in by viscous members of the mob but it also served to apportion the blame where it truly lay, namely the priests feeding the mob's blood lust. Brutally effective.

In conclusion, one of the best productions I have ever seen, go see it!

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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
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Posted: Thu 24 Nov , 2005 3:21 am
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I saw the revival of JCS with Eric Kunze (who replaced Sebastian Bach and was probably better) and was incredibly lucky to see Carl Anderson. :love: And it was the definition of fabulous. Judas has been one of my dream roles ever since I saw the movie and it was really incredible to get to see him live on stage. Although the woman I saw was good, Yvonne Elliman will always be *the* Mary Magdalene.

In fact, I almost missed seeing Carl Anderson as I was supposed to go to a matinee which he didn't end up performing in! But I saw him. And it was AWESOME. I also waited for two hours at the stage door, but he was sick and evaded the fans. :P

And now I must listen to the OCR. :D

Speaking of stage dooring, anyone have any fun or interesting stories?

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Lurker
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Posted: Thu 24 Nov , 2005 4:18 am
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MaidenOfTheShieldarm wrote:
Speaking of stage dooring, anyone have any fun or interesting stories?
I do. :)

I'm a huge Les Miserables fan. I took my ex-gf to the show and went back stage to meet Colm Wilkinson and the entire cast. It was winter time, and we were freezing, some people were waiting and one by one they left, only five us were there waiting for Colm for almost 2 hours I think. When he came out, he told me he doesn't want to give an autograph. I really got pissed off, so I said Mr. Wilkinson, we drove 10 hours from Canada just to see you here in NYC, can you sign my programme please. He kept walking and waving his hand (No! No!). I was really dissappointed and told my ex-gf we better go. We were about to leave when he called me and got out of the limo "Okay, just you. Nobody else." Then he started walking back and he even had a "special pen" (highlighter) and signed my programme. I thanked him. I think his conscience got to him since he called the other four people and signed theirs too. (Like I said in another thread, I'm very persistant, my wife can attest to that.)

The photo in TheMary's sig Eponine, I met as well during that Les Miserables play with Colm Wilkinson. I think her name is Lea Salonga. I saw her in Miss Saigon in NYC before and I think she is cute. She signed my programme as well and she even asked my ex-gf for a pen because she was signing autographs and her pen doesn't work. My ex-gf goes "Oh, I'm not going to lose this pen. She won Tony's Best Actress you know."

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enchantress
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Posted: Tue 29 Nov , 2005 7:26 pm
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Awwwwwww.... Thanks though Lurker, I'll appreciate if you can let me know.... how did I miss it last spring? :(... ggrrr... well hopefully it will happen again sometime....
I like the dated look of JCS... Im all into the hippy stuff so I think its perfectly great ;) In a weird way, the atmosphere somehow matches my Jesus-feel too.. :P

For Lurker ;) :

"..Jesus, I am overjoyed
To meet you face to face
You've been getting quite a name
All around the place
Healing cripples
Raising from the dead
Now I understand you're God
At least that's what you've said

So you are the Christ
You're the great Jesus Christ
Prove to me that you're divine
Change my water into wine
That's all you need do
Then I'll know it's all true
C'mon King of the Jews

Jesus you just won't believe
The hit you've made around here
You are all we talk about
You're the wonder of the year
Oh what a pity
If it's all a lie
Still I'm sure
That you can rock the cynics if you try

So if you are the Christ
Yes the great Jesus Christ
Prove to me that you're no fool
Walk across my swimming pool
If you do that for me
Then I'll let you go free
C'mon King of the Jews

I only ask what I'd ask any superstar
What is it that you have got
That puts you where you are? Oh, ho ho
I am waiting
Yes I'm a captive fan
I'm dying to be shown
That you are not just any man

So if you are the Christ
Yes the great Jesus Christ
Feed my household with this bread
You can do it on your head
Or has something gone wrong?
Jesus, why do you take so long?
Aw, c'mon King of the Jews

Hey! Aren't you scared of me Christ?
Mr. Wonderful Christ!
You're a joke, you're not the Lord
You are nothing but a fraud
Take him away
He's got nothing to say!
Get out you King of the
Get out you King of the,
Get out you King of the Jews!
Get out of here, you, you!
Get out of here, you!
Get out of my Life! ..."


~King Herod's song ;)

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Lurker
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Posted: Wed 30 Nov , 2005 3:56 am
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Ench,
Thanks, so it was Herod not Pilate. :) I like that song, man, now it's going to be in my head all week and I'm going to annoy my wife with that song. Starts printing the lyrics.

Yeah, it was last spring. I only learned about it cause my wife has season tickets to Mirvish productions. It was not advertised on TV, just on their website and the mail, which we get at home. It ran only 2-3 weeks. I think it was last minute cause my wife actually asked me to pick up our tickets instead of the theatre sending it to our apartment, so that means it's not in their season highlights. It's best to check Mirvish.com from time to time cause only subscribers get to learn about "spur of the moment" events.

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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
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Posted: Wed 30 Nov , 2005 6:49 am
Another bright red day
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Lurker, that's an awesome story! Good for you for being persistant. Divas are no fun. :neutral:

My own stage door story: prettyinpink and another friend of ours took me to see I Am My Own Wife for my birthday this year, and my mum and dad ended up coming too. (It's a one man show about a transvestite who survived the nazi and communist regimes in Germany.) Every one else left after the show, but the three of us hung around the stage door. We were the only ones there when Jefferson Mayes came out 20 minutes later. He signed our programmes, and we actually had a conversation. He asked where we went to school, if we were drama students, etc. And! He recognised us! :Q (We were in the front row). He even apologized for spitting on us during the show. (Our friend told him that it was an honour to be spat on by a Tony Award winner.)

And that's my favourite stage door story. :)

(Oh, and, we saw Spamalot tonight and met the guy in my sig AND David Hyde Pierce tonight!)

Enchie, :clap: :D wonderful song. And I love your new sig! Ted Neely is awesome.

Well, guys, today is officially the last day of Board77 goes to Broadway Month. So, please feel free to share any fun stories, parodies, swooning, anything goes! :D

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Alatar
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Posted: Wed 30 Nov , 2005 9:24 am
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Well what better way to end a "B77 goes to Broadway" thread than with the LotR Musical:

http://82.112.100.50/hosting/lotr/dvd-p ... -flash.htm

I posted this in Hall of Fire also...

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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
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Posted: Thu 01 Dec , 2005 3:23 am
Another bright red day
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Thanks for posting that, Alatar! It's very cool! I'll definitely be needing to see that. LOTR AND theatre all at once? Does it get any better? :D ;)

It's now officially December, so I guess I'll declare this show officially closed (not that it's not almost dead anyway ;) ).

Thanks for bearing with me, guys. It was fun. :)

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Jude
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 7:21 pm
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Bump!

I'm going to see Wicked in Toronto with my nieces on 28th Oct!!!

Just thought I'd mention it.

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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 8:54 pm
Another bright red day
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yay!!! That's very exciting, Jude! :D

(On a side note, I found out this summer that my grandfather's parents' names were Sam and Anna.)

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The Tennis Ball Kid
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 9:07 pm
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Am I the only one wondering who was named after who and if they were cute and golly doesn't this have potential for a smash hit?

Sam and Anna: The Musical


Sam: I am so cute.

Jude: He is so cute.

Anna: I am so cute.

Jude: She is so cute.

Jude: They are so cute! So, so cute that Cem and Louie came to moot!

Manweistas: So, so cute that Cem and Louie came to moot!

Chorus:
Manweistas: They are so cute, you cannot deny, well, you could, but it'd be a lie!
A lie! A lie!

Jude: A lie!

B77ers: A lie!



Mossy: I am related, to Sam and Anna!

B77: She is related, to Sam and Anna!

Jude: :Q

Manweista: But is she cute?

Jude: I think she's cute.

Manweista: Even if you aren't, you have nice boots!

Mossy: ....thanks.


Chorus:
Manweistas: They are so cute, you cannot deny, well, you could, but it'd be a lie!
A lie! A lie!

Jude: A lie!

B77ers: A lie!





ttbk

Last edited by The Tennis Ball Kid on Tue 05 Sep , 2006 10:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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elfshadow
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 10:04 pm
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Jude! Have a fabulous time at Wicked. :D I was lucky enough to be able to see it in Chicago last July with a whole group of TORCers. I liked the soundtrack when I listened to it (thanks again Mossy :love: ) but the performance was amazing. I was in awe. Be sure to tell us all about it after you've seen it!


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MaidenOfTheShieldarm
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 10:43 pm
Another bright red day
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Fuzzi, :clap:! It reminds me of Modern Major General for some reason.

While this thread is bumped, I have to say it. I didn't want to because I feel like I'm bragging, but that's not the intent. I just need to tell someone.

I went to closing night of Sweeney Todd on Sunday. It was the most intense theatrical experience I've ever had. Stephen Sondheim was there. I watched a show with Sondheim!

Now I'm a little obsessed. With Sweeney, not Sondheim.

That's all.

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Pippin4242
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Posted: Tue 05 Sep , 2006 10:51 pm
Hasta la victoria, siempre
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"Freely flows the blood of those who moralise!" :D

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Lurker
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Posted: Wed 06 Sep , 2006 12:56 am
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Hey Jude, that's awesome, man!

I was fortunate enough to watch Wicked last year on its first run in Toronto at the Canon Theatre. I tell you it was one the best musicals I've seen so far. The travelling cast did a good job! Have a great time!

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TheMary
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Posted: Sun 10 Sep , 2006 7:45 am
I took the stars from my eyes, and then I made a map, And knew that somehow I could find my way back; Then I heard your heart beating, you were in the darkness too - So I stayed in the darkness with you
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Have a great time Jude!!! :cheers:

Very cute ttbk :D

That's awesome Mossy! I always look forward to hearing about your experiences they are exciting, we won't think you're bragging.

I just watched Rent the movie again *sigh* soooo good. Makes me miss Broadway in Chicago :( I keep hopeing they'll put Wicked out on DVD like they did for Joseph.

To stay on topic, my Mom got us tickets to Mama Mia again for Dec 23rd since I'll be home. I can't wait!!

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Lay down
Your sweet and weary head
Night is falling
You’ve come to journey's end
Sleep now
And dream of the ones who came before
They are calling
From across the distant shore

Why do you weep?
What are these tears upon your face?
Soon you will see
All of your fears will pass away
Safe in my arms
You're only sleeping


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