jesus christ superstar live nbc 2018

EMMY AWARD / ART DIRECTORS GUILD NOMINATION

SEE PROCESS/DESIGN PROCESS/JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE FOR A BEHIND-THE-SCENES LOOK AT DESIGN INSPIRATIONS, SKETCHES, RENDERINGS, PROCESS PHOTOS, AND MORE

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE NBC UNIVERSAL | Neil Meron, Craig Zadan, Marc Platt, John Legend, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Alex Rudzinski, Ty Stiklorius (executive producers); David Leveaux & Alex Rudzinski (directors); Jason Ardizzone-West (production designer); Al Gurdon (lighting designer); Paul Tazewell (costume designer); Camille A. Brown (choreographer); Melissa Shakun (art director); Dan Soule, Evan Alexander, Tijana Bjelajac, G. Warren Stiles, Emily Kollars, Jeff Hinchee (assistant art directors); Julia Torrant (scenic charge)

PRESS

ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER REVIEW
"I must've seen over 300 performances over the years, but what was absolutely thrilling about this for me was it was really, really live. It brought the whole thing back to the energy I always hoped it would be... For me, it was kind of like Superstar as I had always hoped it would be."
Andrew Lloyd Webber (ew.com)

PLAYBILL REVIEW
"Production designer Jason Ardizzone-West - who outdid himself with the massive decrepit-chapel-meets-industrial-warehouse set - together with lighting designer Al Gurdon (and, of course, with the vision of Leveaux and Rudzinski), devised an epic final image for Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert. John Legend as Jesus on the cross was lifted into the sky as the wall behind him separated to form a giant cross out of negative space. As golden lights swelled from behind, Jesus disappeared. Together with Lloyd Webber's score for the scene, it made for an emotional and powerful ending to the broadcast."
Playbill (Logan Culwell-Block, Ruthie Fierberg)

NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW
"A conceptual and artistic triumph, NBC's live telecast of "Jesus Christ Superstar" on Easter Sunday may have finally justified the recent live musical fad on network TV..."
"The set design and costuming were effectively minimalist, with a vaguely post-apocalyptic "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" feel. Exposed scaffolding, freshly painted graffiti and a teeming horde of shabby-looking extras added to the overall vibe of controlled chaos. That mayhem occasionally gave way to moments of startling clarity... and a miraculous bit of stagecraft during the crucifixion, in which Mr. Legend's Jesus seemed to disappear into another dimension.
"...from the multicultural cast to it's deconstruction of religious iconography, this "Jesus Christ Superstar" was as thoughtful and challenging as the show has ever been."
New York Times (Noel Murray)

VULTURE REVIEW
"Jesus' ascension goes on a short list of the most visually astonishing final images I've seen in anything..."
"Minute for minute, NBC's Easter spectacle was one of the most impressive things I've seen in the 20-plus years I've been writing about TV... This Superstar was the closest that live television has come to creating a hybrid new form, combining elements of epic cinema, the stage musical, and the concert film. It's a minor miracle."
Vulture (Matt Zoller Seitz)

VOX REVIEW
"...But that simplistic description drastically undersells what Leveaux, Rudzinski, and the production and lighting designers accomplished with this live production. Not only did the cross look as though it were levitating in the sky, but as the entire wall opened up behind Legend to reveal another enormous cross shape, the framing provided a terrible reminder of the moment's magnitude. It's not exactly subtle, but neither is "Jesus Christ Superstar". So it makes a perfect fit for what became a truly astonishing moment - one that's truly unlike any other live TV has attempted before. For all the NBC production's screaming grandiosity, this version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" was worth staging for this breathtaking moment alone."
Vox (Caroline Framke)

TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES PRESS Q&A
"Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert met the press, took photo's and talked about the highly anticipated live television event, which airs on Easter Sunday. Starting off the morning Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment introduced, moderator Dave Karger, Turner Classic Movies to interview Marc Platt, Executive Producer; Nigel Wright, Musical Director; Neil Meron, Executive Producer; Harvey Mason Jr.; Music Producer; Jason Ardizzone-West, Production Designer; Camille A. Brown, Choreographer; Paul Tazewell, Costume Designer; David Leveaux, Director, Alex Rudzinski, EP/Live Television Director." 
VIDEO: Times Square Chronicles
photos: Theater Mania

LIVE DESIGN ARTICLE
"Production Design For Jesus Christ Superstar Live" - Gallery & Interview Feature
Live Design (Ellen Lampert-Greaux)

WORCESTER TELEGRAM FEATURE
"Former Worcester Resident Designs Production for Live 'Jesus Christ Superstar' TV Broadcast" - Feature
Worcester Telegram

LIGHTING & SOUND AMERICA FEATURE
Lighting & Sound America Magazine - May 2018 Feature (David Barbour)
Live on Easter Sunday