#jcs 2025

[mrspenmark]

Cynthia Erivo, Phillipa Soo and Adam Lambert perform Everything's Alright in Hollywood Bowl's Jesus Christ Superstar concert.

[mimsylost]

Might as well upload a bit here

last year’s and this year’s judas x jesus from Vienna JCS

2026: Drew Sarich / Serkan Kaya

2025: Oedo Kuipers / Serkan Kaya

[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.

[misosoupstarking]

Feral over the Hollywood bowl Jesus Christ Superstar?????? The camp. the social commentary. The perfection. Absolutely buck wild.

[wudipaohuimo]

很草但画都画了，我传！

[a-trick-or-two-with-lepers]

Crawling out of my cave to let everyone know that I saw the Hollywood bowl jcs. And yes, it was all that.

[lemonqueentm]

Gueeeeeees whooooooooooo :33

[judasspell]

word on the street is jcs is making a comeback …. of course i am obligated to share my opinions on the new adaptation, so here we gooo - forgive me for any confusing takes im a very yappy person :p

okay so to start this off I DID NOT GO SEE THIS IN PERSON this is all from clips i was able to snag on tiktok etc because im very. broke .

number one - cynthia erivo is absolutely the best choice that the casting directors could’ve gone with for jesus and even THAT is an understatement. i know everyone has said it a thousand times now so i wont dwell too long, but HOLY SHIT!!! that was the best version of gethsemane that ive ever heard since the original film !!! full body chills. i have no words. having a black queer woman play jesus is so symbolic for this day and age - i’m so glad that the people that are bashing her is only a vocal minority. god cynthia the woman you are!!

adam lambert is an EXCELLENT judas. seeing clips of him in cabaret as well only exemplifies his talent. i was worried initially with the direction that they were going to let him take the character in but i’m SO GLAD i held out. never would i ever have expected how much of a presence this man has theatrically!!

however i do think that judas’ death was. lacking. adam’s acting was FANTASTIC - my main gripes come from how they portrayed his su1cide. i feel like it simply could have been more impactful if the visuals were laid out differently. i feel like theater is afraid to show the cruel realities of su1cide and death, and i’m not surprised that they took the route they did when it comes to the hollywood bowl, but i really wanted more. not many productions do this scene justice in my eyes (but maybe i’m just morbid). i really would have loved to see something more hard hitting and visual rather than him just climbing away and the background flashing to red. once again, lambert’s acting is phenomenal - i just wish that this production took more risks.

extending onto my gripes - i have to say i DIDNT REALLY LIKE CAIAPHAS …. you can shoot me dead if youd like but to me personally bob bingham will always be the #1 chest outer haver ever and im highly considering buying that autographed picture from ted neeley’s website still. im not entirely sure what turns me off about him in HB’s production but it just doesn’t really …?? idk. his voice doesn’t stick with me and its not as powerful as some other actors. annas was pretty good, not many words about his acting - singing was absolutely crazy i looveee tenors 🥹🥹 whenever i hear an annas that isnt afraid to sing high and loud i almost cry /vpos

adding to that i didn’t really like pilate either …….. PLEASE DONT KILL ME ………. i have just seen better more desperate acting in this role before and i feel like making pilate more emotional and fearful is the way to go with his character rather than what this production did ………… IDK HOW TO EXPLAIN IT BUT I NEED MY PILATE TO BE SOPPING WET SAD AND PATHETIC ok thank you

also MARY??? HELLOOOOO ONE OF THE BEST MARYS IVE EVER SEEN. IM GENUINELY SO GEEKED OUT PHILLIPA SOO YOU ARE MY QUEEN. not enough people talk about mary and soo’s performance OHHH MY GOD WHATS THE BUZZ MADE ME ASCEND. i havent heard i dont know how to love him yet (considering its.. one of the lesser songs imo i just havent actively searched for it) but i am almosr 110% sure that soo did it justice. i dont like many mary actors for how they portray her and how meek or out of character they make her but soo might just be my new fav performance of her next to yvonne. GOD so sososo good

overall though i do think they could have been a bit more gruesome with some things. maybe its just me but i really would have loved to see some more visual violence in general - and it doesn’t have to be bloody or show too much !!! for example - the 2023 tour (with elvie ellis as judas, my personal favorite production of this show EVER but i may be a bit biased because it was one of my first exposures to jcs) is an excellent example of the whipping scene. i dont have a video on me BUT the main dancer they had the entire show was throwing glitter with each whip, and it covered his back by the end.. i just really wish that this performance added a bit more oomph to a couple of scenes that are MEANT to be violent and hard to watch. that is entirely just me though and i think this is a very good production regardless.

closing thoughts - i am in love with phillipa soo and cynthia erivo also this is now in my top 10 productions of this show of all time thank you and good night