It's really underrated... and I think it's one of the few productions of it i've seen, and i've seen many (including the one on NBC last night) that actually made sense in terms of the mix of the story/setting/characters with the music and the costumes. Some of the costumes were a bit silly, but they were a mix of mostly mild present day and biblically influenced... not a bizarre fantasy interpretation of "rock", or doing a fully on the nose stylized version of present day as if it were happening now.
I am so tired of all these directors who think that because it's a "rock" opera they have to dress everyone in vaguely futuristic "rock" outfits. It immediately makes the show look ridiculous and I think undermines the statement/observation made about Jesus and this story by setting it to rock music in the first place when you don't let that juxtaposition work on its own and instead set it fully in some out of touch designer's version of rock fans or rock n roll musicians in present day or in the future.
And in the film you actually understand what's going on... at all times, if one can imagine! The story is very well told, much better than probably all productions I've seen, very much including NBC's. On top of that the cast is incredible, they can actually act it AND sing it the way it needs to be to sell it properly and impressively. |
