987 replies to this topic

[DanielWhit]

JonnyBoy, on 30 September 2012 - 09:14 PM, said:

I had an email that next Sunday's Manchester performance has had the start time put back from 730 to 800pm.  Anyone know why?

No idea, but the o2 evening performances were 8pm. I doubt it but as it's reasonably short perhaps they are pushing start time back so people feel it's longer coming out after 10pm?

Either that or is there something else going on in Manchester that day which they feel might mess up people getting to venue?

[Richey]

DanielWhit, on 30 September 2012 - 09:36 PM, said:

No idea, but the o2 evening performances were 8pm. I doubt it but as it's reasonably short perhaps they are pushing start time back so people feel it's longer coming out after 10pm?

Either that or is there something else going on in Manchester that day which they feel might mess up people getting to venue?

It started just after 8pm last night- not sure if the Labour party conference being in Manchester might have been the reason?

Anyway- really enjoyed the show despite being sat up in the cheap seats- All the leads were good, was really suprised by Tim's performance; I was expecting to hate it based on the clip from the Jonathan Ross show but he was excellent. The highlight for me had to be 'Gethsamane' it was absolutely astounding and gave me shivers.
Was a bit disappointed by Herod's Song, Chris Moyles didn't really do it for me but I did like the talent show references and his ad-lib at the end which made reference to Labour being in town.
The only major gripe i would have is that being so high up, parts of the action and the screen were partially obscured by speakers and also the crucifixion doesn't work from certain angles as the cross pieces didn't match up and it looked like he was just dangling in mid-air.
A few nice little touches were the cast joining in a mexican wave while they waited for Act 2 to start, and an appearance from the Lord himself, ALW, at the curtain call for one of his speeches (is he going on the whole tour?Lol)
Absolutely loved it and can't wait for the DVD!!

[DanielWhit]

Richey, on 01 October 2012 - 11:11 AM, said:

It started just after 8pm last night- not sure if the Labour party conference being in Manchester might have been the reason?

Good point, I am so used to conferences being held at seaside resorts I tend to forget they are further inland sometimes!

[Laughingmonsta]

Its been 8pm at all venues - probably due to them playing in Cities where major theatres all start at 7:30pm, plus the show with interval is only just 2hrs15mins

[sambda]

DanielWhit, on 30 September 2012 - 09:36 PM, said:

No idea, but the o2 evening performances were 8pm. I doubt it but as it's reasonably short perhaps they are pushing start time back so people feel it's longer coming out after 10pm?

Either that or is there something else going on in Manchester that day which they feel might mess up people getting to venue?

The Sunday O2 was 7.30pm.

[AnnT]

I can only speak about the O2 show I went to - when the shows originally went on sale back in May it was billed as starting at 7.30pm, the tickets themselves said 8pm.

I'm really taken by the soundtrack now, having seen the show.  Humming all day long ...

[dan]

Mixed feelings about the show....so much of it was really good. The setting against the riots was  appropriate and didn't jar anywhere near as much as other people had made out. Tim Minchin gave an amazing three dimensional Judas which didn't really fit with everyone elses thinly drawn characterisations. Ben Forster was good, becoming amazing in 'Gethsemane'. You can imagine him being told to reign it all in until then, but I was left open mouthed by his vocal power. The biggest downer was the shocking sound engineering. Cardiff Arena is quite tiny which might be at odds with the initial sound design for the show, but I got fed up of every note bouncing straight back at us from the ceiling/back wall...whatever it was causing it. And don't get me started on the amount of missed sound cues. Mics going up halfway through Mel C's first lines, ditto practically every entrance. I thought they'd been doing this a couple of weeks now. For £65 a pop I'd expect a bit of a sleeker production and for them to have ironed out the delays and sound issues. Other than that I really did love it.

[jigalojim]

My thoughts on last night's JCSS.  Copied from my post on Broadway World.  

Last night I endured the tour of Jesus Christ at the CIA. I have to admit I expected to be ripped off, £75 for any ticket, wherever sat, £10 programmes, and I avoided the merch. stall but no doubt they were astronomical prices. Now, I'm fully aware that theatre shows these days cash in on whatever they can but, having the audacity to then make a theme of the show 'profits over people', it's like the producers having an inside joke at the audiences expense. As if, Jessie J took all those people who illegally downloaded 'It's not about the money' to court over loss of earnings. The signage was a mess, some logos an incorporation of the multi colour sign with a faded original logo, others an attempt to rip off banksy.

Most of this can be looked over though if you have a good night right? Well, unfortunately it was awful. THe sound was horrific - band so loud you often couldn't hear the ensemble singing, mics turned up so load the sound distorted, was actually painful and mic feedback on more than one occasion. The staging was minimalistic - pretty much what you get for an arena tour - but cheap, you had to wonder what the 1000's of £75 went on.

"Actors" - horribly mis-cast. Tim Minchin and Mel C mostly sang well no doubt (excluding the sound problems) but could not act the part - Mel C sang I don't know as if she was on tour with the spice girls, however, Minchin murdered his reprise of the same song with over acting and horrendous singing. Jesus was a wet fish, a whiney emo type that, if the real Jesus had been even remotely similar to, would make you wonder if it would kickstart a religion that lasts to this day. The worst case of miscasting. Chris Moyles - went off him a long time ago due to his ego but, if anyone could ham it up and camp it up to the nines it's him, but he so underplayed it that king herod was just not funny. The remaining characters were just okay, Pilates mate did a lot of screeching - i think someone told the cast that shouting equals acting/singing. The whole thing had one dynamic = fff.

The production to look at was cheap and tacky - profits over people is a bad thing says a show that rather then sending up the reality contest age, cashes in on it with a 50p text in with Lord or Fraud - tasteless and tacky - what ALW has become known for.

The crucifixion was just painful, and not just for Jesus. It is hard to do a death scene on stage, especially the crucifixion but this Jesus chose to whine and screech his death that you just willed it all to end.

I've never seen the show, I've seen the movie, but can't help to think it could be so much better than it was, especially for £75. All of this, people clapping and screaming when someone they knew walked on or did what they were paid to do, but whats worse is it got a standing ovations - i've been to some amazing theatre that people don't stand for yet they stood for this rubbish, some people deserve to be ripped off - I was among the only ones to remain sitting, I've sat for far more deserving shows show peer pressure would not make me stand for this.

The odd song was very good but apart from that I spent most the evening willing them to crucify the Christ so we could all go home - and i'm a christian!

[bex1210]

Show Film First are giving away free tickets for tomorrow's show in Manchester if anyone's interested. I've just got 4

http://www.showfilmf....com/pin/940818

[Ghostmusicalfan]

Is this show going into the West End in 2013 or on the road?  On last nights 8 out of 10 cats on Channel 4 Mel C invited Shaun Lock to see the show next year!