chase_acow

Even though I live as an out and proud atheist now, I was a church raised Baptist brat. My dad was a deacon who could sub for the pastor, at least after the others decided that he'd redeemed himself from his divorce. My dad loved jesus christ superstar. Like, I'm pretty sure we wore out the first cassette tape we took on vacation. He was very jealous of a man who could manage a decent falsetto. I watched the movie when I was probably too young for it. All I knew was that a bunch of hippies drove out to the desert in the middle of nowhere, sang a lot of awesome music, then killed the guy that played Jesus and left his body behind.

Eventually I understood the story and connected it to the bible stories quoted at me twice on Sundays and once on Wednesdays. But, I couldn't ever really get over the change in Judas' story and how no one but Superstar ever showed him in a sympathetic light, or Jesus as an angsty sulk-monster. All that PLUS it's a ROCK OPERA?!? I'm just saying I quickly decided I was not giving it up when I made my switch to godlessness. It's still a great story especially if you watch it as either mythology or as if Jesus was just a poor deluded man.

Basically, as Judas goes, so goes I, and this might be my favorite Judas.

You can watch the whole special on NBC, and it is very watchable. Poor John Legend as Jesus kinda gets left behind in the musical theater department, but he sounds great and hits those high notes. For right or wrong, I always saw the movie as political to current events, and I do wish this could have featured a more recognizable bad guy to go with the punk disciples. Maybe a BLM reference.

Watch the special here! Though unfortunately the multiple commercial breaks really mess with the momentum. If you figure out how to watch it elsewhere without them, I'd suggest that. This really is an emphasis on rock opera concert, and I love how they use the musicians. Though I flinched hard when John Legend got the crowd to clapping. Death, taxes, and the fact that crowds do not clap in time.

I'm sure everybody but me recognized Brandon Victor Dixon from his Hamilton fame. Here he is singing the title song with a giant choir. Everyone looks like they're having so much fun. Well that video became unavailable, but here he is in his opening number:


I also had a fascination with Simon the Zealot, played here by Erik Grönwall of Sweden's Idol fame. I love this song.


I have a lot of feelings about Jesus Christ Superstar.