#jcs 2012 uk arena tour | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

feerz · 6 months

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Ben forster's Jesus is my newest and poorest little meow meow, so have some shitty jcs 2012 + text posts (pt1)

+ bonus Judas

Also ty to @judasisgayriot and their massive google doc for providing screencaps<3

#what can i say i was inspired #jesus christ superstar #jcs #jesus christ superstar 2012 #ben forster #tim minchin #jcs 2012 #jcs 2012 uk arena tour

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nel-nilson · 2 years

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i’m not sure if i’m sorry for making this

#jcs #jcs 2012 #jcs 2012 uk arena tour #tim minchin #ben forster #jcs judas #jcs jesus #judas #jesus #judas x jesus #jesus x judas #jesus christ superstar

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thats-what-u-say · 1 year

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I love that time of year where the jcs blogs revive themselves

#hehe pun intended #jcs #jesus christ superstar #jcs 2012 uk arena tour #jcs jesus #jcs judas

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jcsfangurl · 2 years

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Okay like am I the only one OBSESSING over the fact that Timdas has a tambourine in Superstar. I barely see anyone talking about it but it’s such an interesting thing that they put in the song and I haven’t seen any other production do it before.

#jcs judas #jcs 2012 #jcs #jesus christ superstar #tim minchin #tambourine #jcs 2012 uk arena tour #uk arena tour

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kitcat-italica · 2 years

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My JCS Opinions No One Asked For

At this point in my obsession with this show, I’ve tracked down and watched lots of different versions through various legally dubious means. Here are my thoughts on the ones I’ve seen so far! (In a list of each show chronologically because why not)

1973 movie: This one is both great and ehhhh for me. It’s great because it’s the original. I love Carl Anderson’s Judas. Ted Neely’s Gethsemane high note always tingles my spine. Yvonne Elliman’s Mary Magdalene is just soothing and lovely. The ensemble’s choreography always makes me chuckle, esp the cartwheeling before Simon’s song. The setting is fun! Hippies in the desert = basically what Jesus and Co were in 33AD.

Its ehhhh points are that it just doesn’t *grip* me? It doesn’t shake me upside down to make my brain fall out like other versions do. Besides Gethsemane, Jesus in this version is leaning into the stoic-divine-savior depiction of him? Which imo is not the point of JCS. The Pharisees are…making costume choices. Pilate is lame and forgettable. Herod is supposed to be a WTF moment in every production, but this version just makes me vaguely uncomfortable and idk why. And the slow tempo/boring choreography/weirdly-mixed sound during Superstar always puts me to sleep. Bonus points for Carl Anderson's heavenly leather fringe costume tho.

7/10

2000 movie: Here’s where things get interesting. I briefly posted about my thoughts on this one in particular a while back. This movie is such a trainwreck and I can’t stop watching it. I’ll put on clips of it when I’m feeling down and need a laugh. It’s…something.

The costume choices are just silly. The overacting is comical. The singing is either so weak (Jesus) or so overexaggerated (everyone else). My throat gets sympathy pains every time Jerome Pradon’s Judas opens his mouth; he’s not a high tenor like the part requires. But damn if he doesn’t sell the trash-man-surviving-on-Redbull-and-poor-life-choices version of this character in every single voice-cracking wail into the middle distance. The devastation in his acting kills meeeee. I also think Renee Castle might be my favorite Mary Magdalene? I love her voice and her sweetness :) I also like the Pharisees in this! They’re dressed like dollar store Matrix action figures and it absolutely works. I also laugh at Simon’s frosted tips every time he’s onscreen. The guy can sing tho! And it should be noted: between the costuming and the campiness and Judas’s every interaction with Jesus, this is one of the gayest versions out there. I’m not sure if it was on purpose or not, but I’m grateful for it either way.

Lastly, special mention must go to Leather Daddy Pontius Pilate. He absolutely fucks.

2/10 for actual quality, 9/10 for rewatch value

2012 Broadway revival: I like this one! A lot! It doesn’t *move* me, but it is extremely competent and everyone knows what they’re doing. Jesus is kinda dull in this, but I’m ok with him not being the main character lol. Josh Young’s Judas is aalskdjflsjdf yessss. Belt those notes in your blue flowy robe my dude!!! And the highlight is definitely the relationship between Jesus, Judas, and Mary. They are 100% in a polycule and honestly good for them. This is probably the only version where I will intentionally seek out the song Could We Start Again Please, just to see the three of them sing their verse together while holding hands. It’s beautiful and deserves all the accolades.

I think the biggest downside for me in this is that since it’s a bootleg recording from faraway I can’t connect with their facial expressions as well as I would actually seeing this live. That would probably make it one of my absolute favorites.

8/10

2012 UK Arena Tour: Oh, 2012 Arena Tour, my beloved. I am such trash for you. When I say that this show needs to latch onto my beating heart and refuse to let go, this is exactly what I’m talking about. I will watch a clip from this, only to end up watching the entire show again because I cannot put it down. It’s just. So. Good.

Lots of people have done write-ups in much more detail and eloquence about why they love this version, so I will be brief. The casting in this show is just. So top-notch. There is not a weak link among them. Often there will be parts I’ll skip in a JCS production because this or that character’s portrayal is kinda meh. BUT NOT THIS VERSION. I love everyone’s interpretations of their characters. Jesus. Judas. Mary Magdalene. Simon. Caiaphas. Annas. Pilate. Herod. WHY ARE THEY ALL SO GOOD?????

This one also strikes the perfect balance in tone. The ridiculous campy bits (like Herod’s song, Superstar, etc.) are played up as exactly that, but the serious bits are played deathly serious. Everyone’s making choices according to their character’s internal logic, and it sucks me right in. Ugh. I love it.

Jesus and Judas are, of course, always the highlights. And Ben Forster and Tim Minchin are just putting their whole hearts into this. The chemistry? The belting? The facial expressions? Every single choice they’re making, even when they’re not the focus of the scene? The pained looks? The eyerolls? The moments of anguished violence, followed by immediate regret? Ben’s Gethsemane (and making me care about his character’s emotional journey outside of Gethsemane)??? Tim’s death scene??? Superstar?????

Some people don’t like the modern aesthetic of this one. Their tastes and mine are very different, because I adore it. Some people say the autotune in the official recording ruins it for them. It doesn’t ruin it for me; the vocals are still powerful and shake me to my core. I can only imagine what it was like to see this live. Probably the closest thing to a religious experience I will ever have.

10/10. 10/10.

2014 Swedish Arena Tour: Oooooh baby. What a wild ride this is. We got metal biker rockstar Messiah in the house! Complete with leather pants and long flowing wigs :) I love it.

Peter Johansson’s Judas is def one of my favorites. He’s such a sarcastic slutty king. I adore him.

Speaking of slutty kings, did someone say Ola Salo’s Jesus???? This man is definitely hearing a voice in his head telling him he’s special, and thinking it’s God. He is 100% down to call himself one part of a Holy Trinity. His delivery of certain lines just gives me the happy wiggles. It’s both ethereal, detached, and bitchy all at once. My favorite is probably The Last Supper, when he’s taunting Judas with the lines “why don’t you go do it?” and “hurry, they are waiting”. I don’t know how to describe it, but those two lines in particular just get me to my core the way he says them.

Then there’s the famous kiss. Such a gay moment. So good.

My complaint about this version is that everything else besides Jesus and Judas is bland at best, deeply uncomfortable at worst. Yes, I am mostly talking about the Pharisees. There is a whole other post I could make about how, since this show is based on the Gospels in the New Testament, a case can be made that it rests on a foundation that flirts with anti-Semitism, so it must tread very carefully not to lean into that. (That also makes me question whether Christianity in itself is inherently anti-Semitic? Maybe, maybe not, but again, that’s a whole nother conversation.) And this version of JCS…misses the mark. Hard. And it prevents me from watching too much of this show beyond the big Jesus and Judas scenes.

9/10 for Jesus and Judas, 4/10 for everything else.

2018 Live In Concert: This one was a nope for me. I liked Judas okay in this one, and his glittery, belt-y Superstar is probably one of my favorite versions of the song. But John Legend was clearly cast as Jesus because he’s a big name music star who wanted that sweet sweet EGOT (and once he won an Emmy for being a producer on this show, he got it). But he is a baritone trying to sing a tenor part. I’m fine with him not going for the G5 in Gethsemane, but when he tries to climb up there for the “see how I die” part, *I* started getting lightheaded just watching him. It’s painful.

Everything else is just boring and forgettable. Not much else to say about it.

3/10.

Aaaand those are all the versions I’ve seen! If y’all know of any others, lemme know and I’ll check them out :)

#jcs #jcs 1973 #jcs 2000 #jcs 2012 broadway #jcs 2012 uk arena tour #jcs 2014 swedish arena tour #jcs 2018 concert #long post

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iivari-ii · 1 month

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eueeuugegegghh finally got around to making some more of these, please enjoy 🤲🤲

#jcs 2012 #jcs 2014 #jcs uk arena tour #jesus christ superstar #jesus x judas #jedas #jesus christ #judas iscariot #mary magdalene #ben forster #ola salo

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maikhiwi00 · 11 months

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And not only that, you've been paid for your efforts; pretty good wages for one little kiss.

#jesus christ superstar #jcs #jcs 2012 #jcs uk arena tour #judas iscariot #jesus christ #musicalgifs #musicaledit #jcsedit #mai gifs #i'm an idiot i just realized this can be read wrong SJKKSKJDKSJD anyway.

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agurkemad · 9 months

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where are my ben forster in the role of jesus christ fans

#been massively hyperfixating on jcs recently #jcs 2012 #bensus #jesus christ superstar uk arena tour

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colemckenzies · 1 year

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Jesus Christ Superstar: Ultimate Edition

this easter It Is Time. using my years of fixation and research i present to you The Best Version of every song from jesus christ superstar, plus commentary. obviously subjective opinion so do feel free to discourse in the tags bc as you may have picked up i enjoy talking about the relative merits of jcs productions. also i might not even stand by this in a week bc i find it hard to keep multiple versions in my head at the same time for comparison and there are so so many versions.

please note that acting, vocal quality, music direction, and where available staging have all been taken into account. act 2 in rb bc of link restrictions.

heaven on their minds - 2012 broadway revival

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obviously in terms of pure vocals carl anderson is unbeatable forever, but the staging of the 2012 broadway revival pips it for me. josh young's voice is still gorgeous and the judas/jesus/mary throuple is everything. i love versions where hotm is sung directly To jesus, and i love that in this version jesus actually listen and takes judas' concerns on board. the love and respect between all three of them is palpable and even though it is a serious disagreement, part of that disagreement comes from the fact that they care about each other so much. that's tragedy baby!

special mention to henrike tönnes on the 2022 rob carroll version, i specifically like the Ending of the song for that one. also the sarcastic clap along w the disciples that judas does in the 2013 hungary version.

what's the buzz/ strange thing mystifying - 2018 tv event

annoyingly this isn't on youtube but tbh the staging is nothing mindblowing. i think what's the buzz is a great song for showcasing the usp of each version and in this one i think being able to hear the real crowd actually cheering for jesus (john legend) really adds to the narrative. i also absolutely love brandon victor dixon and as i have said before he would be one of my favourite judases if judas were straight. sara bareilles does a great 'offended' face when he bitches about her lmao.

honourable mention to the 2012 uk arena tour for again showing off the conceit of 'modern day activists' really well in this song, not forgetting of course WOTS THE BUZZ #buzz tweet

then we are decided - 2013 hungary

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(starts at about 9:49) obviously not a huge amount of competition for this one, i wish more versions included it bc it's a great song :( anyway i loveee the staging choice to have everyone else freeze-framed on stage with the priests walking among them, and i freaking love this caiaphas. literally inserting it into what's the buzz also works nicely

i do miss kurt yaghjian from the 1973 film tho, forever obsessed with his voice and facial expressions. extra shout out to the striving artists version for simply existing.

everything's alright - 2006 austria

something about the musical direction in 90% of versions of this song goes right through me, like there is always some weird instrument that makes me Cringe. but this version is Nice :) really enjoy how Pissed this judas is. and i love the way the long notes last into the next section of the song. i will say i prefer the alt melody for 'people who are hungry' but you can't have everything

this is a really nice one on the all-female cast recording as well, obviously it's already the most female-heavy song of the show but shoshana bean's judas is particularly good here i think. also of course carl anderson with tears in his eyes grasping ted neely's hands while the music swells is ingrained on my brain for all time.

this jesus must die - 1994 studio cast

this album as a whole is probably my Least Favourite JCS Ever, but i will admit that this song fucks. the haunting eeriness at the beginning. the way it kicks into a funky little syncopated rhythm. the disembodied hosannas. unexpected delight.

2012 uk arena tour is unfortunately disqualified for having possibly the Most antisemitic portrayal of the priests, which is a shame because it's probably my favourite casting. one of my favourite annas portrayals, but in general all of them are distinct and fully embodied which does make that version very fun to watch. i also really enjoy the 2019 castaway productions version for this song, the way they play instruments while they sing like a lil band, and caiaphas' eye make-up is sick. 1973 film is obviously also iconic with the little scaffolding tippy taps, and the way kurt yaghjian sings 'a trick-or-two with lepers'. i love this song sorry.

hosanna - 2017 striving artists

i kind of don't have justification for this one LOL i just like it. i know there are versions that are sung better and really the staging is quite important for this song but idk i just find this version really calming. i don't know if it's the music direction? i don't know enough about music tbh

admittedly this is another one that works really well for the 2018 tv event, but doesn't quite win for me as the crowd don't cheer in all the right places and john legend doesn't react at all to the 'would you DIE for me?' line which is crucial. for good reaction to that line the 2000 film where it elevates the bitchy gay tension in the love triangle really nails it.

simon zealotes - 2011 austria

EASYYY WIN FOR ME this is actually the song that made me want to pick a best version for each one because this version IS so much better than any other one for me. the guitar!!!!!! rob's energy!! the music design for this one really fucks so severely and then there's just rob jumping around hyping up the crowd (there is a film version from 2008 on youtube, but i wanted to capture the music for this one). iconic.

big love also to hungary 2013 for having a simon who's in a wheelchair, particularly notable when it's really the highest energy role in the show. i do enjoy.

poor jerusalem - 2022 rob carroll

i cannot find any information about this album other than what's on spotify but i do enjoy the slight alt melodies in this version and i like his voice.

not a lot to go into for this song really. i like the ben forster version a lot as well, and the 1996 london cast version. 'close your eyes' is a better lyric than 'live a lie'. moving on.

pilate's dream - 2022 all-female cast

may be biased bc I LOVE ORFEH but i just think this version is so gorgeous. i love the little vocal drifts without going too overboard and distracting from the song. the music composition is especially pleasing as well.

there's a lot of honourable mentions i could give here bc i think pilate has so much potential for power and gravitas, but 1973 film, 2012 uk arena tour, 2013 hungary, and east end theatrical ensemble. are also big favs. in terms of staging i love the fact that 2019 castaway productions has jesus himself on stage playing the backing piano like he actually is haunting pilate.

the temple - 1992 australia

australia 1992 habitually has some of the most interesting and creative music direction and this is one of the songs where it particularly pays off. love the whistles. i also like that the second 'get out' is spoken, not screamed. the second half is appropriately creepy with the sustained 'chriiiist'. pretty boring staging but at least the costumes are fun.

i don't know how to love him - east end theatrical ensemble

possibly controversial choice but ugh i love this version i even love how low the sound quality is. like listening to a vinyl. i think her voice is so gorgeous and i love her accent. deeply soothing to listen to. i feel like im in the 70s rn.

i'm also a huge fan of the 1996 london cast recording, joanna ampil has such a sweet voice and the way she emotes so that you can really Hear it works well for this song. special shout out to 2012 uk arena tour which i don't think is a particularly amazing version but we get the absolute gunshow from mel c at the end so we love it.

damned for all time/blood money - 1973 film

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CARL!! I feel like 1973 film and 1996 london album are at a disadvantage in this bc they're what i grew up with so i kind of take them for granted but this is undeniably iconic. no one can commit to the tortured soul but belief he's doing the right thing like him. the way he can scream but it still sounds Good. i prefer versions that have annas suggest 'a fee' rather than caiaphas just repeating himself so that's here too. the weird keening way he sings 'on thursday night'. annas dropping the coins just as he reaches for them. UGH so good. a lot less brassy than other versions as well.

this is another song that kinda fucks in every version, but the original 1970 album and the 2018 tv event are particularly good i think. also that one bit in 2012 uk arena tour where annas is like '...... get up off the floor.'

#jesus christ superstar #jcs #jcsposting #please don't let this flop i spent all day on it.#will try to add act 2 on rb now otherwise it will be a new post lmao #Spotify

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feerz · 6 months

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Shitty jesus from jcs 2012 + textposts (pt 2)