A while ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to see Jesus Christ Superstar. Now, I really REALLY love theatre, and theatre is what I plan to do with the rest of my life. So I wasn’t about to say no.
Especially if the tickets were free, given to him by a techie on the show.
Tonight we went to go see it–he (who I don’t name here because IDK if he’s okay with that…O_o), Jeff (Remember “Helpful Friend?”) and I–at my home-away-from-home, the Providence Performing Arts Center. It is absolutely the most beautiful theatre I’ve ever been in and likely the only good thing Rhode Island has.
(BESIDES ME THAT IS LOLOOLZORZ kidding.)
PPAC....PIC DUZ NOT DEW JUSTICE O_O
We ended up getting AWESOME seats (orchestra section, like 9 rows back IF that), and the show was amazing. Of course, it starred Ted Neeley (original Jeebus from movie), who gave an excellent performance, including his high note in Gethsamane which was so clear and pure and perfect (I distinctly remember thinking HOLY SHIT MAN, YOU GO! WHOO!), and I could not have asked for a better performance from everyone, really. Ted was awesome, but the chorus was SO good, too. Best show chorus I’ve ever seen I think. And the Judas (who I THINK was Louis Pardo) was REALLY good. I liked movie-Judas, but Louis Pardo was truly a theater Judas in his clarity of voice. And his acting was brilliant, I definitely welled up when he clutched Jesus, crying, just before his betrayal.
Judas ( I think. Lol.), only he had a beard. O_o
And goddammit, KUDOS to the lighting guy! The lights totally made the show. Totally, totally, totally. They were really really impressive, I can’t even tell you. O_O Jesus ACTUALLY looked like he was radiating this pure light. There were blood red lights for scenes with the….IDK whatever crazy group Ciaphus was part of lolo…which were intimidating, powerful strobes for Jesus’s rage in the temple (/marketplace [I’m not familiar with the song titles yet so…bear wiff me]), and the stars at night were just gorgeous. I definitely could have slept on that stage. XD BUT THE LEPERS, OH MY GOD. As they disappeared, this BLINDING light raised up and BEAMED in everyone’s eyes and it…like, shriveled my eyeballs. It hurt. BUT ART IS PAIN
Anyway.
My ONLY GRIPE was in Herod, played by Mark Baratelli as a FLAMING gay man, which was HILARIOUS, believe me. I was in tears. But I feel like he wasn’t paying enough attention to his lines–he was going more for comedy rather than truly emoting what he was saying, and some of the understanding of the song was lost. It was almost like he was on autopilot (or autoPilate lololo lame joke.)
Wicked funny, but didn't feel his part, really. :P
OH, AND THERE WAS A PRETTY EPIC ALMOST-BOOB SLIP DURING “SUPERSTAR” (the end song) WHICH NO ONE CAUGHT BUT ME. I was getting real nervous that thing was gonna come flying out. But it didn’t and I had no need to ph33r.
Understand I wasn’t very familiar with the show before…I saw the movie with Jeff (haha Ted was hawt in that movie, I’ll not lie XD) and liked it but other than that I was like um…Christianity, no thanks. But I loved the show, and taking it as just another fictional story it was very powerful and impressive.
Movie-Jesus. You know, for proof.
I TOTALLY cried during Jesus’s (spoiler!) crucifixion, where his death scene was prolonged–not really dragged out, but it was extended–and the final gasps of breath were heard amidst ominous sounds of wind and subtle moaning as Jesus writhed in pain, trying to pry his hands from the boards, and it REALLY hammered home the thoughts and emotions that went with “this guy is dying, and for what? He’s up on a cross, suspended only by nails driven into his flesh, and he is in pain, and he is dying.” It REALLY forced you to think about it.
So yeah, I cried. And you know what, I cried during the Lion King too when Mufasa died (the show AND the movie, thx), so shut up.
After the show, we waited around for a bit to meet Ted Neeley, who was incredibly kind and gracious and hugged people like crazy. The Unnamed Friend said to me, as Ted was talking to Jeff, “So you haven’t really said anything yet.” And I said “I’m very stoic.” Ted then looked at me and said “What a great word, stoic.” So after that when it was my turn to get stuff (my ticket & program) signed, because I’m SO AWKWARD, I immediately became flustered and just BABBLED like an idiot. I don’t even remember what I said, something like “So…hi…and um…aaah yeah. I don’t…I’m very flustered *insert arm flapping here* and I don’t kno…aaaagh” and completely embarrassed myself for a few very awkward moments when eventually he just looked at me and held his arms out. I was inwardly like “wow, thank God, or that would’ve continued.” As I went over for obligatory hugginz (Dude’s a good hugger. He better be, after how much practice he gets XD) from the original Jesus, he talked to me softly again about how the stoic ones were deepest, and the people who do most of the talking are too busy talking to learn anything (paraphrasing, lol). He was really very noble and wise, as I assume 35 years of being Jesus makes you. OH And he liked the spelling of my name! :DDD Hooray! (/easily delighted)
Complete relief of idiot-babble by Ted Neeley. Thanks for tolerating me, kind sir.
AND THEN IT HAPPENED.
I was grinning like an idiot, but I tried to control myself and STOP.
Well that was a BAD MOVE. Because my nervous, socially awkward body translated that into SEVERE mouth twitchery. Like really. My lips were Riverdancing like the freaking DICKENS. I couldn’t stop. I just couldn’t. So I bit my lip. That was no help. So this guy is talking to me, saying incredibly deep stuff, and I can’t even stop my TWITCHING for TWO GODDAMN (lol) SECONDS.
I searched for "twitchy mouth" on Google Images and this was the first thing I got. ITS A SIGN
Besides all that, it was an all-over awesome experience. It was sooo cool, and I’m glad to not only have witnessed such a performance but to have met such a respected and admired actor. Even if my mouth was Riverdancing.
HEY, SOMEBODY WROTE ON MY---oh okay.
(We took other pics but the other people with me were in them so I shall not post them until I receive their permission :P)
Whoo, dat was a long post. Worthy of the experience :P And now it is 5:20 AM so I’ma go on ter bed nao :D
Old guy in the middle pulled his pants down at one point during our line-waitery. True.
☠thesaurus at disposal☠ 