This was
great! I loved it! I'd been wanting to get around to seeing this show, I'm glad I finally got an opportunity and it was a production that was so well done.
I actually was really unsure how much I would like it because I knew this is a very particularly stylized show that has things that will either work for you or just seem completely bizarre and if you don't get the, I don't know if you'd really call it symbolism, but the idea behind why something was depicted the way it was you have to be able to just roll with it and not get hung up on it. I was very pleased to find that nearly everything really worked for me, and in the few parts that didn't I was still able to get what they were trying to do with it so even though they didn't completely land with me personally I appreciated them in that regard.
For particular highlights, I'd have to say any scenes with the priests. Their songs were the catchiest, they were good singers, their costumes were awesome, and the feeling their presence gave was perfect. I felt like I could almost tangibly sense conniving, slimy vibes coming through the screen. Also, Judas was a great singer and really made you feel the various emotions he went through over his story. And
the ending! Just wow. What a visual.
This production was extremely well done though extremely different from anything NBC, or really any of the networks had done before. This was really unique. NBC's
previous shows have been stage versions of musicals, but not necessarily put on as a traditional stage show like it would have been all on one stage, there were sets. Stage type sets, if you know what I mean, but it was across multiple locations, it wasn't something you would sit down and watch in person, it was very much produced for tv. When Fox did
Grease it was on location and with an audience, but that was fully immersive it was absolutely not a stage show. NBC followed this format with their next show, Hairspray. Then Fox did
The Passion which was sort of the closest so far to this, but still substantially different because that wasn't actually a show, it was pretty much just a concert. Live audience before singers on a stage, but they were just standing there singing. This was a legitimate live stage production. The tv saw what the live audience saw, well a little more because of camera angles and access, but the point is everything was right there. One set space on the stage, a genuine musical show you would go see in person.
The show itself was unlike anything from before also. It's
entirely sung. I actually didn't realize this while watching, only reflecting back after it ended. There is no dialogue, it's a constant string of one song after another. You get a clear narrative from it though and the repeating lyrical themes connect points and ideas really effectively.