#jcs 1996

[oranye766]

I would assume JCS fans roam the most around on Tumblr. So please take my fruitful offerings/studies. Thank you

[pontiuspilatess]

there is a god and it is david burt as pontius pilate in the 1996 west end jesus christ superstar revival

[glitteringpoet1685]

Of course I got obsessed with the one production of JCS that has like 3 total minutes of footage in existence. Nothing else hits the same as Zubin Varla's Judas.

[chlorine-tangerine]

Holy Trinity of Jesus Voice Types (from JCS)

The music of Jesus Christ Superstar always comes first for me no matter what, and I think the holy spirit possessed me and I've been thinking quite a bit about the different portrayals of Jesus. There's probably more voice types (I found clips of the 2024 Amsterdam production and that Jesus was VERY RnB), but I've identified three main types: Rock, Opera, and Theater-ish/Pop-ish Jesus.

None of this is absolute or really measurable, it's all based on vibes and my personal judgement. And this chart isn't an indicator of how much I like each rendition; for example, I love Cynthia's Gethsemane and I really dislike Glenn Carter's. I added the 9 versions that I've listened to at least once, but if there's more niche versions that I haven't seen, share it with me!

Comments about each Jesus' Gethsemane (in chronological order, with linked videos) under the cut.

Ian Gillan (1970 Original Concept Album) - there's not much to say for the OG. Gillan's voice is so strong and consistent and emotional while being classical rock.

Ted Neely (1973 Movie) - also another mainstream favorite. His melody changes are always stuck in my head, and although his voice is quite different from Gillan, they're both quintessential Rock Jesodes. A lot of riffs from later Jesodes in Gethsemane take after Neely's version, trendsetter fr fr.

Steve Balsamo (1996 London Lyceum) - this is the first version that I saved when I discovered JCS. It feels like a more "traditional" opera approach the way Balsamo controls his vibrato. Big fan of this specific recording in the way he came back down from the first "whyyyyy", it scratches my brain perfectly.

Glenn Carter (2000 Movie) - I won't hide the fact that I am not a fan of the music or singing of this version. Carter's voice in long notes lacks the intensity and expression others do, and relied a lot on acting out the lines which feels more theater-like. Though he can hit those notes, no doubt.

Ben Forster (2012 Arena Tour) - Forster also speaks the lines sometimes like Carter, but I felt like his timing was better. The small inflections he adds between notes makes it feel more "poppy" which is why I put Forster in the theater/pop corner.

Ola Salo (2014 Swedish production) - this is the last version on this list that I've listened to, and I was pleasantly surprised at Salo's rock quality after a lot of Jesodes that are less so. His vibratos also feel very consistent and I felt like there was a nice blend of rock and opera.

Park Eun-Tae (2015 Korean production) - his voice quality is quite K-pop, but there's also an undeniable operatic quality to it, so I put his version between both pop and opera. Popera?

John Legend (2018 NBC proshot) - huge miss by not attempting the falsetto or at least try to sing it at a lower, more comfortable note (like Erivo) Otherwise, he sang it like he would any other song, so it's quite contemporary in a sense.

Cynthia Erivo (2025 Hollywood Bowl) - I really didn't know how to place her rendition, because it feels too reductive to call it only "pop", but it doesn't fit into other categories. I think she is a very musical-theater-style singer, and for me this is THE theater Jesus.

[cecilpedia]

Zubin Varla Judas they'll never appreciate you the way I do

[fruchtchen]

Jesus Christ Superstar (1996) - Steve Balsamo (Jesus), David Burt (Pilate), Zubin Varla (Judas), Joanna Ampil (Mary)

https://www.jesuschristsuperstarzone.com/discography/london-lyceum-cast-1996/

[hobgoblinns]

OK i have held off for long enough. it's time for The Big Poll(s)

who is your favourite jcs jesus

ian gillan (1970 concept album)

ted neely (1973 film)

steve balsamo (1996 west end)

glenn carter (2000 film/broadway revival)

aaron finley (2011 village theatre)

ben forster (2012 arena tour)

ola salo (2014 swedish arena)

john legend (2018 nbc concert)

yaroslav bayarunas (2019 st petersburg)

other (tell me in the tags!)

Voting ended onMar 10, 2023

pls reblog! i only wanna know!

[a-rabble-rousing-mission]

@mahlowes , here you go!

Let me tell you what work it was finding 9 different versions of JCS to pull from lol

(from top left, going left to right)

Glenn Carter (JCS 2000)

Steve Balsamo (JCS 1996)

Ola Salo (JCS 2014 Swedish Tour)

John Legend (JCS 2018)

Ian Gillan (JCS 1970)

Ben Forster (JCS 2012 UK Arena)

Ted Neeley (JCS 1973)

Paul Alexander Nolan (JCS 2012 Broadway Revival)

Beto Cuevas (Jesucristo Superestrella)