Anderson/Jewison

I've always enjoyed the heck out of this.  Carl Anderson was brilliant.  Later, he revived the role of Judas many times around the world, right up to the time of his unfortunate early demise from leukemia, age 59.

Not sure if the revivals were a good thing to do, but they happened. A Judas pushing 60 is a stretch, I think.

It's interesting that Anderson only got the original role after Ben Vereen fell ill and had to quit.  Vereen was the big star at the time, but I never cared for him.  Anderson could sing circles around him and was the understudy until fate prevailed.

I don't know a lot about musicals, but I know enough to tell you there are many of them that I do not care for.  Such is my opinion of pop culture in general, but this has to be one of the best of the breed.

Quite controversial at the time of its stage premiere, I think it has settled nicely into a niche reserved for classic Americana, a great work of art--though its director, Norman Jewison, now 87, is in fact Canadian.

Steeped in the style and myths of the sixties, it has a timeless feel, like the story itself.  I think a contemporary retelling would be best located in a corporate boardroom and the environs of Wall Street.

Maybe you've watched it recently. If not, have another go with it. Just superb.


TS