'JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR' RETURNS TO NEW YORK
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THE GLORIOUS CORNER
Story By: G. H. HARDING
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| Elizabeth Moss |
THE STRATEGY --- The last ten minutes of last Sunday’s Mad Men (“The Strategy”) was pure gold; perhaps the best three scenes ever in the Matt Weiner’s epic show. One scene with Peggy Olsen (Elizabeth Moss); one with the partners at SCP; and the ending one, sort of a group scene, which just blew me away. Simply dazzling.
Now in its last season (7) and split in half (the final show this year airs next week); it’s been a tough go, with fans lamenting its demise, while the pundits ready to champion something new.
One thing’s for sure, Jon Hamm, fully owns the role of the show’s Don Draper and once this show leaves the airwaves, there will indeed be a big hole in the TV framework.
Hamm, in a great cover story in the new Vanity Fair, fully admits that he'll never again have a role like Don Draper … and, that the creation is truly collaboration between him and Weiner.
JESUS AT MSG --- Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started as a rock opera concept recording before its first staging on Broadway in 1971. It was quite a cause celebre when it first came out. First: the dicey subject matter; second: the truly stellar performances from the cast; and, lastly: some rich, terrific music.
Now, apparently its been re-launched as an arena rock event. It’s here in NYC at Madison Square Garden in August. The cast include John Lydon (Sex Pistols) as King Herod; Michelle Williams as Mary Magdalene; Nsync’s JC Chasez as Pontius Pilate; and, Ben Forster as Jesus Christ.
I well remember the original release (on Decca Records) that featured several great rock numbers, such as “Everything’s Alright,” “What’s The Buzz,” and the classic “I Don’t Know How To love Him,” which was a hit for singer Yvonne Elliman.
The musical was first produced as an album before being staged on Broadway and later in London's West End. On the original album, the part of Jesus was sung by Ian Gillan, the lead singer of Deep Purple who later also worked with Black Sabbath, and that of Judas by Murray Head. The future Gary Glitter had a one-liner as a priest and Michael d'Abo appeared as Herod. The title song, "Superstar", sung by Judas (Head), as well as the Elliman track (about her relationship with Jesus) were both chart hits.
The original album has a rock flavor that is very different from Webber and Rice's later work.
The musical arrangements are often multi-layered, featuring rock and classical elements, and contain many abruptly shifting dynamics and time signatures. There’s also been a rumor for years, that Act 2 of the play … is really Act 1 in reverse. Talk about urban-legend.
Whatever, it’s a great work; in many ways the best thing Webber and Rice ever produced.
STRIKE BACK --- Varèse Sarabande Records will release Strike Back – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, on CD May 27, 2014. The soundtrack features the hard rocking original score composed by Scott Shields (from the UK rock band Gun) for the third and fourth seasons of the show. The album also features the main title theme song “Short Change Hero” performed by The Heavy.
Strike Back launched by BBC in the U. K. and season one ran in the US as Strike Back: Origins on Cinemax (starring amongst other people The Walking Dead’s Andrew Lincoln). “The sound now reflects the edgy kind of music that our heroes would listen to and gives a very contemporary feel to the show,” said Shields.
As a multi-instrumentalist and renowned rock musician, Scott has written, produced, and played with established acts such as Joe Strummer and The Mescaleros, KT Tunstall, The Beautiful South and GUN. It was through his collaborations with the iconic Strummer that Scott first ventured into the world of film in 2001, when he was invited to co-write the soundtrack to British comedy Gypsy Woman.
CLOSING NOTES --- Dick Parsons to run the L. A. Clippers? Parsons, in his storied career, has always been a lightning rod of controversy; be it Time-Warner or Dime Savings Bank. Buyer beware …
43 years after its original release, Francis Alexander Maloify, a lawyer for the trust of late Spirit-guitarist Randy California has filed a suit to block the release of the reissue of Led Zeppelin IV.
At issue is the intro to what is arguably Zeppelin's most famous track, Stairway to Heaven. The lawyer is claiming that those initial plucked guitar notes from the song are the same as the Spirit-instrumental track Taurus from their self-titled 1968 debut album. 43 years? Are they kidding? I predict this suit will be thrown out of court on the grounds of lunacy …
Singer/writer Dominick DiPietrantonio will be front and center at this weekend Monkees-show in Huntington. Working on his new record, Dom is about to announced a new recording deal. Stay tuned …
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