A Broadway staging of the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber, which has been filmed live (2018).
I'm normally not a fan of musicals (with a few exceptions), so this was not really on my radar when it was performed on stage on Broadway in 2018. During the Easter time it was screened again on many channels around the world, so I got to see it and was impressed. Knowing the music very well from my childhood, it was interesting to see this modern production with great dancers and singers, which feels like a mixture between a rock concert and a musical.
The story of Jesus Christ does not really need to be explained, but if you've never seen or heard of this musical, here are the essentials: It was written in 1970 by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the probably most successful musical composer, with lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical retells the last few days in the life of Jesus based on the Gospels, focusing mainly on his relationships with Judas and Mary Magdalene, as well as the confrontations with Pontius Pilate and King Herod. It was controversial when released because of its depiction of religious content, but also wildly successful worldwide. If you accept the fact - no matter if you're religious or not - that Jesus and his disciples are expressing themselves with rock and pop music here, this is really worth watching.
The main reason why this new production is so great and won many awards is the cast. Should singer John Legend gives a great performance as Jesus, both vocally and emotionally. But he is not the only star on stage, as Mary Magdalene is sung by pop singer Sara Bareilles who is a perfect fit, and Alice Cooper sings King Herod and electrifies the audience. Besides those three big stars, there are several actors known from the screen, such as the great Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate, Norm Lewis as Caiaphas and Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas. The overall ensemble of singers and dancers performs really well, and the stage is breathtaking at times. An interesting production, at times electrifying and at others touching.
Depending on where you live, you can still see this online for free, for example on Arte and SRF for a few more weeks:
https://www.arte.tv/fr/videos/094463-000-A/jesus-christ-superstar-live-in-concert/
A first look video with some interviews is available on YouTube:
