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Exodus: Gods and Kings

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Exodus: Gods and Kings
Exodus2014Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Ridley Scott
Produced by
Peter Chernin
Ridley Scott
Jenno Topping
Michael Schaefer
Mark Huffam

Written by
Adam Cooper
Bill Collage
Jeffrey Caine
Steven Zaillian

Starring
Christian Bale
Joel Edgerton
John Turturro
Aaron Paul
Ben Mendelsohn
María Valverde
Sigourney Weaver
Ben Kingsley

Music by
Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography
Dariusz Wolski
Edited by
Billy Rich

Production
 companies

Chernin Entertainment
Scott Free Productions
Babieka
Volcano Films

Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

December 12, 2014 (United States)


Running time
 150 minutes[1]
Country
United States
United Kingdom
Spain[2]

Language
English
Budget
$140 million[3]
Box office
$268 million[4]
Exodus: Gods and Kings is a 2014 biblically-inspired epic fantasy film directed by Ridley Scott. It was written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian. The film stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, María Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, and Ben Kingsley. It is a loose interpretation of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt as led by Moses and related in the Book of Exodus.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Filming
3.3 Post-production
4 Music
5 Release
6 Reception 6.1 Box office
6.2 Critical response
7 Controversies 7.1 Race in casting
7.2 Biblical accuracy
7.3 Local adaptation and censorship
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1300 BC, Moses, a general and member of the royal family, prepares to attack the Hittite army with Prince Ramesses. A High Priestess divines a prophecy from animal intestines, which she relates to Ramesses' father, Seti I. He tells the two men of the prophecy, in which one (of Moses and Ramesses) will save the other and become a leader. During the attack on the Hittites, Moses saves Ramesses' life, leaving both men troubled. Later, Moses is sent to the city of Pithom to meet with the Viceroy Hegep, who oversees the Hebrew slaves. Upon his arrival, he encounters the slave Joshua and is appalled by the horrific conditions of the slaves. Shortly afterwards, Moses meets Nun, who informs him of his true lineage; he is the child of Hebrew parents who was sent by his sister Miriam to be raised by Pharaoh's daughter. Moses is stunned at the revelation and leaves angrily. However, two Hebrews also overhear Nun's story and report their discovery to Hegep.
Seti dies soon after Moses' return to Memphis, and Ramesses becomes the new Pharaoh (Ramesses II). Hegep arrives to reveal Moses' true identity, but Ramesses is conflicted about whether to believe the story. At the urging of Queen Tuya, he interrogates the servant Miriam, who denies being Moses' sister. When Ramesses threatens to cut off Miriam's arm, Moses comes to her defense, revealing he is a Hebrew. Although Tuya wants Moses to be put to death, Ramesses decides to send him into exile. Before leaving Egypt, Moses meets with his adopted mother and Miriam, who refer to him by his birth name of Moishe. Following a journey into the desert, Moses comes to Midian where he meets Zipporah and her father, Jethro. Moses becomes a shepherd, marries Zipporah and has a son Gershom.
Nine years later, Moses gets injured during a rockslide. He comes face to face with a burning bush and a boy called Malak, who serves as a representation of God. While recovering, Moses confesses his past to Zipporah and reveals what God has asked him to do. This drives a wedge between the couple, because Zipporah fears he will leave their family. After he arrives in Egypt, Moses reunites with Nun and Joshua, as well as meeting his brother Aaron for the first time. Moses returns to confront Ramesses, demanding the Hebrews be released from servitude. Ramesses refuses to listen, insisting that to free the slaves would be economically impossible. Upon Moses threatening Ramesses life, Ramesses orders the death of Moses, executing random Hebrew families until he is found. Using his military skills, Moses trains the slaves in the art of war. The Hebrews start attacking the Egyptians, prompting Ramesses to raid slave villages. Malak appears to Moses and explains that ten plagues will affect Egypt. All the water in the land turns to blood, and the Egyptians are further afflicted by the arrival of frogs, lice, and flies. The plagues of the death of livestock, boils, hail and thunder, locusts, and darkness continue to affect the Egyptians. While conversing with Malak, Moses is horrified at learning the tenth plague will be the death of all firstborn sons. The Hebrews protect themselves by covering their doors with the blood of lambs, as instructed by Moses. Ramesses is devastated over his son's death and relents, telling Moses and the Hebrews to leave.
During the exodus from Egypt, the Hebrews follow Moses' original path through the desert and towards the Red Sea. Still grieving for his son, Ramesses decides to go after the Hebrews with his army. After making their way through a dangerous mountain pass, Moses and the Hebrews arrive at the edge of the sea, uncertain about what to do. Moses flings his sword into the water, which begins to recede. Ramesses and his army pursue the Hebrews, but Moses stays behind to confront them. The Red Sea reverts to its normal state, drowning the majority of the Egyptians (crossing the Red Sea). Moses survives and makes his way back to the Hebrews. Ramesses is revealed to have survived, but he is distraught over the destruction of his army. Moses leads the Hebrews back to Midian, where he reunites with Zipporah and Gershom. At Mount Sinai, after seeing Malak's displeasure at the Hebrews' construction of the Golden Calf, Moses transcribes the Ten Commandments. Years later, an elderly Moses riding with the Ark of the Covenant sees Malak walking with the Hebrews through the desert.
Cast[edit]
Christian Bale as Moses
Joel Edgerton as Ramesses II
John Turturro as Seti I
Aaron Paul as Joshua
Ben Mendelsohn as Hegep[5]
María Valverde as Zipporah
Sigourney Weaver as Tuya
Ben Kingsley as Nun
Indira Varma as High Priestess[6]
Hiam Abbass as Bithiah
Kevork Malikyan as Jethro
Anton Alexander as Dathan
Golshifteh Farahani as Nefertari
Tara Fitzgerald as Miriam
Dar Salim as Khyan[7]
Andrew Tarbet as Aaron
Isaac Andrews as Malak
Ghassan Massoud as Ramesses II's Grand Vizier
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
In June 2012, Ridley Scott announced that he was developing an adaptation of the Book of Exodus, tentatively titled Moses.[8][9] On March 15, 2013, Deadline.com reported Scott wanted Christian Bale to star in the film;[10] in August he confirmed the role to be Moses himself.[11] On the same day, Joel Edgerton joined the cast to play Ramses and production was set to begin in September.[12] The studio announced the casting calls in Spain's Almería and Pechina for 3,000 to 4,000 extras and with another 1,000 to 2,000 extras on the island of Fuerteventura.[13] On August 27, Aaron Paul joined the film to play Joshua.[14] Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and John Turturro were then still in talks about joining the cast.[15] On March 27, 2014, the studio changed the title of the film from Exodus to Exodus: Gods and Kings.[16]
Filming[edit]



Exodus set in Pechina, Andalusia, Spain
Shooting of the film began in October 2013 in Almería.[17] Additional filming was scheduled at Pinewood Studios, England. Shooting begun on October 22 in Tabernas (Almería) as the first and main location is Ouarzazate (Morocco), and in Sierra Alhamilla (Almería).[18][19] The Red Sea scene was filmed at a beach on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.[20] Shooting also reportedly took place in Almeria and in Fuerteventura and lasted 74 days.[21]
Post-production[edit]
VFX supervisor Peter Chiang supervised the film's visual effects.[20] He said that "Ridley wanted to convey the sense that everything could be natural phenomenon, like an eclipse or tsunami, not just someone waving a stick at the sea."[22]
It took more than 1,500 visual effects shots to digitally bolster the ranks of the Hebrews and to help authentically render plagues of hail, locusts and frogs,[21] although 400 actual real life frogs were used on the set.[20] Around 30 to 40 people accompanied Bale while crossing the Red Sea, the rest being computer generated, along with the 180-foot wave, the horses and the chariots; there were 400,000 humans depicted in all.[20] In close-ups of people fleeing across the sea bed, the filmmakers used the beach's real waters.[20] For the hailstorm scene, the film's special effects team built special cannons that would fire polymer balls that would bounce and shatter with the same characteristics as an ice ball. About 30 such cannons were used in the film. For the distant hail, computer simulation were used.[20]
In an interview for Access Hollywood, Scott claimed there was a "final" cut of the film that was 4 hours,[23] implying that the version released in theaters was reduced by 90 minutes.
Music[edit]
On July 8, 2014, it was announced that Alberto Iglesias would be scoring the music for the film with additional music by Harry Gregson-Williams.[24]
Release[edit]
The film was released on the first weekend of December 4 and 5 in 6,462 screens and in markets such as South Korea, Mexico, Hong Kong, India.[25]
The film saw a nationwide release in North America on December 12 in 3,503 theaters.[26] It was released in the United Kingdom on December 26.
The film was released in conventional 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D.[27]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Exodus: Gods and Kings grossed $65 million in the U.S. and Canada and $203 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $268 million.[4]
It opened in North America on December 12, 2014 across 3,503 theatres.[26] It earned $8.7 million on its opening day (including previews).[28][29] The film topped the box office during its opening weekend with $24.1 million which was significantly lower than the opening of Noah ($43.7 million), another biblically-inspired film of 2014.[30]
Outside North America, the film was released in 10 markets on December 4–5 and earned $23.1 million from 6,462 screens on its opening weekend.[25] The following week it earned $17.8 million from 27 international markets coming at second place at the box office behind The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.[31] The film went No. 1 in 13 markets.[32] In its third week, the film added $30.9 million from 39 markets and was still halted at #2 behind The Battle of the Five Armies.[33]
The highest openings came from Russia ($8 million),[34] Brazil ($6.68 million), South Korea ($6.2 million), Mexico ($5.4 million), France ($5.35 million), the UK ($4.25 million), Spain ($3.7 million) and Germany ($3.64 million).[33][35][36] At the end of its theatrical run, Russia proved to be the most successful country with $14.2 million followed by the U.K., Ireland and Malta with $11.4 million and Australia with $7 million.[37]
Critical response[edit]
Exodus: Gods and Kings received mixed to negative reviews from critics.[38] It received praise for its acting performances and technical achievements, but was criticized for its pacing, thin screenwriting, lack of character development, and overall feeling of emptiness.[39] The film has a "rotten" score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 10. The critical consensus states, "While sporadically stirring, and suitably epic in its ambitions, Exodus: Gods and Kings can't quite live up to its classic source material."[40] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 52 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[41]
Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review and said, "Scott did a great job reviving the Roman sand-and-sandals epic when he made the Oscar-winning Gladiator. This Egyptian saga is not quite in the same league, but it confirms the director's flair of widescreen imagery. Exodus has the added kick of 3D technology, and it has enough eye-popping set pieces to please adventure fans."[42] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was positive of the film and said, "Exodus is a biblical epic that comes at you at maximum velocity but stays stirringly, inspiringly human."[43] Reagan Gavin Rasquinha of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Exodus: Gods and Kings is 'spectacle' with a capital 'S' and in more ways than one, definitely epic."[44] Catherine Shoard of The Guardian gave 3 out of 5 stars and said, "It’s impossible not to feel some awe at the spectacle, but more shocks would have helped see you through the two-and-a-half hour running time."[45] Phillips Hawker of The Sydney Morning Herald gave a mixed review and awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Exodus: Gods And Kings... lacks Gladiator's full-on intensity and committed central performances, however; it's a mixture of the grand and the bland, and when it's not spectacular it's a little plodding."[46] Justin Chang of Variety said, "Some may well desire a purer, fuller version of the story, one more faithful to the text and less clearly shaped by the demands of the Hollywood blockbuster. But on its own grand, imperfect terms, "Exodus: Gods and Kings" is undeniably transporting, marked by a free-flowing visual splendor that plays to its creator’s unique strengths: Given how many faith-based movies are content to tell their audiences what to think or feel, it’s satisfying to see one whose images alone are enough to compel awestruck belief."[47] Jim Vejvoda of IGN said, "Director Ridley Scott gets lost in the desert at times in Exodus: Gods and Kings, his epic, but not entirely effective take on the story of Moses' journey from Prince of Egypt to Hebrew leader.[48]
On the negative side, Scott Mendelson of Forbes criticized the film for being too "dark" and "gritty," saying that the film lacked in humor or excitement, offering little nuance and little artistic interpretation beyond hitting the expected goal posts. He added, "Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings is a terrible film. It is a badly acted and badly written melodrama that takes what should be a passionate and emotionally wrenching story and drains it of all life and all dramatic interest."[49] Pete Hammond of Deadline.com in his review said, "Ridley Scott [can] do a plague well, and here, he gets to do 10 of them. But is this oh-so-familiar tale still fresh enough to get people into theaters in the droves needed to make back the very high production values that we see on screen?"[50] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap also gave a negative review and said, "If you're going into Exodus: Gods and Kings thinking that director Ridley Scott is going to give the Moses story anything we didn't already get from Cecil B. DeMille in two versions of The Ten Commandments, prepare to be disappointed."[51]
Controversies[edit]

Unbalanced scales.svg
 This article's Criticism or Controversy section may compromise the article's neutral point of view of the subject. Please integrate the section's contents into the article as a whole, or rewrite the material. (December 2014)
Race in casting[edit]
The Sydney Morning Herald and Christian Today reported that the casting of white actors in the lead roles was being protested.[52][53] Four white actors were cast to play the lead roles (Hebrew and ancient Egyptian characters): Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Ramses II, Sigourney Weaver as Queen Tuya, and Aaron Paul as Joshua. The Sydney Morning Herald also reported the online community's observations that the Great Sphinx of Giza in the film has a European profile.[52] Christian Today reported that an online petition was under way. It also compared Exodus to the 1956 film The Ten Commandments with its all-white cast and said, "The racial climate, number of black actors, and opportunities provided to them were very different in 1956, however."[53] Some Twitter users called for a boycott of the film.[54][55]
More so, Forbes' Scott Mendelson said that the film didn't need to be "whitewashed" and stated that "Even if we accept the argument that Moses had to be played by a world-renowned movie star and that in all likelihood that meant a white actor, I do not accept the idea that the rest of the main cast needed to be filled out with Caucasian actors of varying recognisably."[56]
Scott responded that without the casting of big-name actors, the film would never have been made, by saying "I can't mount a film of this budget...and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such...I'm just not going to get financed",[57][58] and that those seeking to boycott the movie on such grounds should "get a life."[59]
Biblical accuracy[edit]
Before the film's release, some controversy arose over statements from Ridley Scott that he would be looking to natural causes for the miracles, including drainage from a tsunami for the parting of the Red Sea.[60] This, combined with statements from Christian Bale about Moses, whom he portrayed ("I think the man was likely schizophrenic and was one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life"),[61] raised criticism. Those who voiced their concern included author Brian Godawa saying, "It's accurate to portray Moses as an imperfect hero, so Christians won't take issue with that, but to be so extreme as to call him one of the most barbaric people in history, that sounds like he's going out of his way to distance himself from the very people you’d think he wants to appeal to."[62] Another was the CEO of Faith-Driven Consumer, Chris Stone, saying about Bale's comments "There's nothing in the biblical history that supports that. It's an indication that there will be a tremendous disconnect between Bale’s interpretation and the expectations of the market"[62] and suggesting that Christians will not go to cinemas to see the film.[63] According to Scott, the parting of the Red Sea was inspired by a tsunami believed to have been triggered by an underwater earthquake off the Italian coast around 3000 BC.[21]
In her review, Ellen White (a senior editor at the Biblical Archaeology Society), highlighted the Biblical inaccuracies of the film. She notes that all theological points in the Biblical plagues have been removed for the film version, there are fewer than ten plagues in the film, the plagues themselves are of a different nature (crocodiles, for example), and the Israelites were afflicted by the plagues along with the Egyptians. She summarized her assessment of the inaccuracies by stating, "Their story was so different that if they didn't use the Biblical names and released the same movie with a different title, I might not have even recognized it".[64] Peter Enns of Patheos responded to the widespread reaction of criticism with a satirical article arguing that Scott's interpretation of the text may be "plausibly" accurate, to parallel defenses of biblical inerrancy.[65]
Local adaptation and censorship[edit]
In Morocco the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) initially approved the film's screening, only for officials to ban it on the day before its premiere because of the personification of the voice of God. After some of the film's dialogue had been edited, the film was subsequently approved for screening.[66]
Exodus was banned in Egypt.[67] The Egyptian culture minister described it as "a Zionist film", and said it was banned because of "historical inaccuracies", such as creating a false impression that Moses and the Jews built the pyramids.[68][69][70] Unlike other biblical epics, Exodus was not censored by the Ministry of Culture. In Islam, Moses is considered to be a prophet of Allah, but the country's top religion institution, Al-Azhar, did not object to the contents of the movie, as it had with the 2014 film on Noah.[71]
The film was also denied release in the United Arab Emirates. Authorities said they had found "many mistakes" in the story. The director of Media Content Tracking at the National Media Council explained: "This movie is under our review and we found that there are many mistakes not only about Islam but other religions too. So, we will not release it in the UAE."[72]
The film was also banned in Kuwait.
References[edit]
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2.Jump up ^ "Exodus Gods and Kings (2014)". British Film Institute. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
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8.Jump up ^ Ridley Scott (June 4, 2012). Q+A: Ridley Scott's Star Wars. Esquire. Interview with Eric Spitznagel (Hearst Corporation). Retrieved April 18, 2015. "I've got something else in the works. I'm already doing it. It's called Moses...Seriously, seriously. It's going to happen."
9.Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 4, 2012). "Ridley Scott Says He’s Working on the Biblical Adaptation MOSES". Collider.com. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
10.Jump up ^ "Christian Bale Eyeing Moses?". deadline.com. March 14, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
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12.Jump up ^ "Joel Edgerton to Battle Christian Bale in ‘Exodus’". variety.com. August 13, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
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15.Jump up ^ "Ridley Scott In ‘Exodus’ Talks With Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul". deadline.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
16.Jump up ^ Tapley, Kristopher (March 27, 2014). "Ridley Scott's 'Exodus' with Christian Bale gets a title change". hitfix.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
17.Jump up ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (July 1, 2014). "First look: Christian Bale as Moses in Ridley Scott's 'Exodus'". ew.com. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
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19.Jump up ^ "Christian Bale looks ready for battle as filming on Ridley Scott's biblical epic Exodus gets underway in Spain". dailymail.co.uk. October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
20.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Don Steinberg (November 16, 2015). "Special Effects Enliven ‘Exodus’ Epic". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c Gina Mcintyre (December 4, 2014). "Ridley Scott's 'Exodus' casts a wide net of spectacle and family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Scott Bowles (November 25, 2015). "Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings presented VFX challenges of biblical proportions.". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
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24.Jump up ^ "Alberto Iglesias to Score Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’". filmmusicreporter.com. July 8, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
25.^ Jump up to: a b Pamela McClintock (December 8, 2014). "Global Box Office: 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Delivers $23 Million in Early Foreign Launch". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
26.^ Jump up to: a b Ray Subers (December 11, 2014). "Forecast: 'Exodus' to Reign Supreme at the Box Office This Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
27.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings An IMAX 3D Experience". imax.com. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
28.Jump up ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 12, 2014). "Exodus’, ‘Top Five’ Kickstart Weekend With Thursday Shows — UPDATE". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
29.Jump up ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 13, 2014). "Moses Battles Plague Of Holiday Shoppers On Friday – Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
30.Jump up ^ Ray Subers (December 14, 2014). "Weekend Report: 'Exodus' is Weak 'King'". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
31.Jump up ^ Ray Subers (December 14, 2014). "Around-the-World Roundup: 'Hobbit' Finale Opens to $122 Million Overseas". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
32.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (December 14, 2014). "Footloose ‘Hobbit’ Grows; ‘Mockingjay’ Tempers ‘Fire': Intl Box Office Final". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
33.^ Jump up to: a b Nancy Tartaglione (December 29, 2014). "‘Hobbit’, ‘Exodus’ Lead XMas Frame; Euro, Korea Pics Boom Locally: Intl BO Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
34.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (January 4, 2015). "‘Hobbit’ Passes $500M; ‘American Sniper’, ‘Taken 3′ Skillful: Intl Box Office Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
35.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (December 7, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ Commands $23.1M In Overseas Debut: Intl Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
36.Jump up ^ Phil Hoad (December 10, 2014). "Global box office: Exodus grapples with Noah for top prophet margins". The Guardian. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
37.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
38.Jump up ^ Faughdner, Ryan (December 12, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings' rides in with $1.2 million Thursday night". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
39.Jump up ^ Sandy Schaefer (December 2, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Early Reviews: Ridley Scott’s Epic Draws Mixed Reaction". Screenrant. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
40.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
41.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Stephen Farber (November 29, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
43.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (December 11, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings". The Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
44.Jump up ^ Reagan Gavin Rasquinha (December 4, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Times of India. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
45.Jump up ^ Catherine Shoard (November 29, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings review – holy Moses, wholly acceptable for the devout". The Guardian. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
46.Jump up ^ Phillipa Hawker (December 5, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings review: Ridley Scott's biblical epic is equally inspired and plagued". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
47.Jump up ^ Justin Chang (November 29, 2014). "Film Review: ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
48.Jump up ^ Jim Vejvoda (December 3, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings Review". IGN. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
49.Jump up ^ Scott Mendelson (December 5, 2014). "Review: 'Exodus' Is God-Awful". Forbes. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
50.Jump up ^ Pete Hammond (December 9, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ Review: Pete Hammond On Great Hair And Great Plagues". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
51.Jump up ^ Alonso Duralde (November 29, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Review: Christian Bale Makes a Stiff White Moses in Ridley Scott's Stolid Epic". The Wrap. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
52.^ Jump up to: a b Begley, Patrick (July 29, 2014). "Ridley Scott's Exodus film cops complaints about 'racist' casting of Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
53.^ Jump up to: a b Marie, Brownie (July 21, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings' faces boycott calls over all-white lead cast". Christian Today. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
54.Jump up ^ Dickerson, Jessica (July 8, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings' Film Sparks Backlash For Whitewashing Characters". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
55.Jump up ^ Diaz, Evelyn (August 8, 2014). "Ridley Scott's Exodus Accused of Racism - Biblical epic features only white heroes, Black slaves and villains.". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
56.Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott (December 15, 2014). "Why 'Exodus' Didn't Need to Be Whitewashed". Forbes. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
57.Jump up ^ http://variety.com/2014/film/news/ridley-scott-exodus-gods-and-kings-christian-bale-1201363668/
58.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v8nj3/film-2014-episode-13
59.Jump up ^ "Scott, Bale defend 'Exodus' casting". Associated Press. December 8, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (October 23, 2014). "How Ridley Scott looked to science -- not miracles -- to part the Red Sea in 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
61.Jump up ^ Kumar, Anugrah (October 26, 2014). "Moses was 'Barbaric, Schizophrenic,' Says 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Actor Christian Bale". The Christian Post. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
62.^ Jump up to: a b Bond, Paul (October 25, 2014). "Christian Bale Calls Moses "Barbaric," "Schizophrenic" Ahead of 'Exodus' Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
63.Jump up ^ Herman, Barbara (October 28, 2014). "'Exodus' Controversies: Christian Bale's 'Barbaric' Moses And All-White Cast Stir Up Critics". International Business Times. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
64.Jump up ^ White, Ellen (December 18, 2014). "Excruciating Exodus Movie Exudes Errors". Biblical Archaeology Review. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
65.Jump up ^ Enns, Peter (December 17, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings–unless you’re a biased blasphemer, the movie is utterly historically plausible". Patheos. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
66.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (January 7, 2015). "Morocco Clears ‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ For Release, With Tweaks (Report)". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
67.Jump up ^ Awford, Jenny (December 26, 2014). "Now Egypt bans Hollywood bible epic Exodus because of 'historical inaccuracies'". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
68.Jump up ^ "Egypt bans 'Zionist' film Exodus and cites 'historical inaccuracies'". The Guardian. December 26, 2014.
69.Jump up ^ "Egypt Reported to Ban Latest U.S. ‘Exodus’ Film". The New York Times. December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
70.Jump up ^ "Egypt bans 'inaccurate' Exodus film". December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
71.Jump up ^ "Noah film should be banned says Egypt's top Islamic body". The Telegraph. March 6, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
72.Jump up ^ Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (December 27, 2014). "‘Exodus’ will not release in the UAE". Gulf News. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
External links[edit]
Official website
Exodus: Gods and Kings at the Internet Movie Database
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Box Office Mojo
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Rotten Tomatoes
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Metacritic


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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus:_Gods_and_Kings












Exodus: Gods and Kings

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Exodus: Gods and Kings
Exodus2014Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Ridley Scott
Produced by
Peter Chernin
Ridley Scott
Jenno Topping
Michael Schaefer
Mark Huffam

Written by
Adam Cooper
Bill Collage
Jeffrey Caine
Steven Zaillian

Starring
Christian Bale
Joel Edgerton
John Turturro
Aaron Paul
Ben Mendelsohn
María Valverde
Sigourney Weaver
Ben Kingsley

Music by
Alberto Iglesias
Cinematography
Dariusz Wolski
Edited by
Billy Rich

Production
 companies

Chernin Entertainment
Scott Free Productions
Babieka
Volcano Films

Distributed by
20th Century Fox

Release dates

December 12, 2014 (United States)


Running time
 150 minutes[1]
Country
United States
United Kingdom
Spain[2]

Language
English
Budget
$140 million[3]
Box office
$268 million[4]
Exodus: Gods and Kings is a 2014 biblically-inspired epic fantasy film directed by Ridley Scott. It was written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, Jeffrey Caine and Steven Zaillian. The film stars Christian Bale, Joel Edgerton, John Turturro, Aaron Paul, Ben Mendelsohn, María Valverde, Sigourney Weaver, and Ben Kingsley. It is a loose interpretation of the exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt as led by Moses and related in the Book of Exodus.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Filming
3.3 Post-production
4 Music
5 Release
6 Reception 6.1 Box office
6.2 Critical response
7 Controversies 7.1 Race in casting
7.2 Biblical accuracy
7.3 Local adaptation and censorship
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
In 1300 BC, Moses, a general and member of the royal family, prepares to attack the Hittite army with Prince Ramesses. A High Priestess divines a prophecy from animal intestines, which she relates to Ramesses' father, Seti I. He tells the two men of the prophecy, in which one (of Moses and Ramesses) will save the other and become a leader. During the attack on the Hittites, Moses saves Ramesses' life, leaving both men troubled. Later, Moses is sent to the city of Pithom to meet with the Viceroy Hegep, who oversees the Hebrew slaves. Upon his arrival, he encounters the slave Joshua and is appalled by the horrific conditions of the slaves. Shortly afterwards, Moses meets Nun, who informs him of his true lineage; he is the child of Hebrew parents who was sent by his sister Miriam to be raised by Pharaoh's daughter. Moses is stunned at the revelation and leaves angrily. However, two Hebrews also overhear Nun's story and report their discovery to Hegep.
Seti dies soon after Moses' return to Memphis, and Ramesses becomes the new Pharaoh (Ramesses II). Hegep arrives to reveal Moses' true identity, but Ramesses is conflicted about whether to believe the story. At the urging of Queen Tuya, he interrogates the servant Miriam, who denies being Moses' sister. When Ramesses threatens to cut off Miriam's arm, Moses comes to her defense, revealing he is a Hebrew. Although Tuya wants Moses to be put to death, Ramesses decides to send him into exile. Before leaving Egypt, Moses meets with his adopted mother and Miriam, who refer to him by his birth name of Moishe. Following a journey into the desert, Moses comes to Midian where he meets Zipporah and her father, Jethro. Moses becomes a shepherd, marries Zipporah and has a son Gershom.
Nine years later, Moses gets injured during a rockslide. He comes face to face with a burning bush and a boy called Malak, who serves as a representation of God. While recovering, Moses confesses his past to Zipporah and reveals what God has asked him to do. This drives a wedge between the couple, because Zipporah fears he will leave their family. After he arrives in Egypt, Moses reunites with Nun and Joshua, as well as meeting his brother Aaron for the first time. Moses returns to confront Ramesses, demanding the Hebrews be released from servitude. Ramesses refuses to listen, insisting that to free the slaves would be economically impossible. Upon Moses threatening Ramesses life, Ramesses orders the death of Moses, executing random Hebrew families until he is found. Using his military skills, Moses trains the slaves in the art of war. The Hebrews start attacking the Egyptians, prompting Ramesses to raid slave villages. Malak appears to Moses and explains that ten plagues will affect Egypt. All the water in the land turns to blood, and the Egyptians are further afflicted by the arrival of frogs, lice, and flies. The plagues of the death of livestock, boils, hail and thunder, locusts, and darkness continue to affect the Egyptians. While conversing with Malak, Moses is horrified at learning the tenth plague will be the death of all firstborn sons. The Hebrews protect themselves by covering their doors with the blood of lambs, as instructed by Moses. Ramesses is devastated over his son's death and relents, telling Moses and the Hebrews to leave.
During the exodus from Egypt, the Hebrews follow Moses' original path through the desert and towards the Red Sea. Still grieving for his son, Ramesses decides to go after the Hebrews with his army. After making their way through a dangerous mountain pass, Moses and the Hebrews arrive at the edge of the sea, uncertain about what to do. Moses flings his sword into the water, which begins to recede. Ramesses and his army pursue the Hebrews, but Moses stays behind to confront them. The Red Sea reverts to its normal state, drowning the majority of the Egyptians (crossing the Red Sea). Moses survives and makes his way back to the Hebrews. Ramesses is revealed to have survived, but he is distraught over the destruction of his army. Moses leads the Hebrews back to Midian, where he reunites with Zipporah and Gershom. At Mount Sinai, after seeing Malak's displeasure at the Hebrews' construction of the Golden Calf, Moses transcribes the Ten Commandments. Years later, an elderly Moses riding with the Ark of the Covenant sees Malak walking with the Hebrews through the desert.
Cast[edit]
Christian Bale as Moses
Joel Edgerton as Ramesses II
John Turturro as Seti I
Aaron Paul as Joshua
Ben Mendelsohn as Hegep[5]
María Valverde as Zipporah
Sigourney Weaver as Tuya
Ben Kingsley as Nun
Indira Varma as High Priestess[6]
Hiam Abbass as Bithiah
Kevork Malikyan as Jethro
Anton Alexander as Dathan
Golshifteh Farahani as Nefertari
Tara Fitzgerald as Miriam
Dar Salim as Khyan[7]
Andrew Tarbet as Aaron
Isaac Andrews as Malak
Ghassan Massoud as Ramesses II's Grand Vizier
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
In June 2012, Ridley Scott announced that he was developing an adaptation of the Book of Exodus, tentatively titled Moses.[8][9] On March 15, 2013, Deadline.com reported Scott wanted Christian Bale to star in the film;[10] in August he confirmed the role to be Moses himself.[11] On the same day, Joel Edgerton joined the cast to play Ramses and production was set to begin in September.[12] The studio announced the casting calls in Spain's Almería and Pechina for 3,000 to 4,000 extras and with another 1,000 to 2,000 extras on the island of Fuerteventura.[13] On August 27, Aaron Paul joined the film to play Joshua.[14] Sigourney Weaver, Ben Kingsley and John Turturro were then still in talks about joining the cast.[15] On March 27, 2014, the studio changed the title of the film from Exodus to Exodus: Gods and Kings.[16]
Filming[edit]



Exodus set in Pechina, Andalusia, Spain
Shooting of the film began in October 2013 in Almería.[17] Additional filming was scheduled at Pinewood Studios, England. Shooting begun on October 22 in Tabernas (Almería) as the first and main location is Ouarzazate (Morocco), and in Sierra Alhamilla (Almería).[18][19] The Red Sea scene was filmed at a beach on Fuerteventura, one of the Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa.[20] Shooting also reportedly took place in Almeria and in Fuerteventura and lasted 74 days.[21]
Post-production[edit]
VFX supervisor Peter Chiang supervised the film's visual effects.[20] He said that "Ridley wanted to convey the sense that everything could be natural phenomenon, like an eclipse or tsunami, not just someone waving a stick at the sea."[22]
It took more than 1,500 visual effects shots to digitally bolster the ranks of the Hebrews and to help authentically render plagues of hail, locusts and frogs,[21] although 400 actual real life frogs were used on the set.[20] Around 30 to 40 people accompanied Bale while crossing the Red Sea, the rest being computer generated, along with the 180-foot wave, the horses and the chariots; there were 400,000 humans depicted in all.[20] In close-ups of people fleeing across the sea bed, the filmmakers used the beach's real waters.[20] For the hailstorm scene, the film's special effects team built special cannons that would fire polymer balls that would bounce and shatter with the same characteristics as an ice ball. About 30 such cannons were used in the film. For the distant hail, computer simulation were used.[20]
In an interview for Access Hollywood, Scott claimed there was a "final" cut of the film that was 4 hours,[23] implying that the version released in theaters was reduced by 90 minutes.
Music[edit]
On July 8, 2014, it was announced that Alberto Iglesias would be scoring the music for the film with additional music by Harry Gregson-Williams.[24]
Release[edit]
The film was released on the first weekend of December 4 and 5 in 6,462 screens and in markets such as South Korea, Mexico, Hong Kong, India.[25]
The film saw a nationwide release in North America on December 12 in 3,503 theaters.[26] It was released in the United Kingdom on December 26.
The film was released in conventional 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D.[27]
Reception[edit]
Box office[edit]
Exodus: Gods and Kings grossed $65 million in the U.S. and Canada and $203 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $268 million.[4]
It opened in North America on December 12, 2014 across 3,503 theatres.[26] It earned $8.7 million on its opening day (including previews).[28][29] The film topped the box office during its opening weekend with $24.1 million which was significantly lower than the opening of Noah ($43.7 million), another biblically-inspired film of 2014.[30]
Outside North America, the film was released in 10 markets on December 4–5 and earned $23.1 million from 6,462 screens on its opening weekend.[25] The following week it earned $17.8 million from 27 international markets coming at second place at the box office behind The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies.[31] The film went No. 1 in 13 markets.[32] In its third week, the film added $30.9 million from 39 markets and was still halted at #2 behind The Battle of the Five Armies.[33]
The highest openings came from Russia ($8 million),[34] Brazil ($6.68 million), South Korea ($6.2 million), Mexico ($5.4 million), France ($5.35 million), the UK ($4.25 million), Spain ($3.7 million) and Germany ($3.64 million).[33][35][36] At the end of its theatrical run, Russia proved to be the most successful country with $14.2 million followed by the U.K., Ireland and Malta with $11.4 million and Australia with $7 million.[37]
Critical response[edit]
Exodus: Gods and Kings received mixed to negative reviews from critics.[38] It received praise for its acting performances and technical achievements, but was criticized for its pacing, thin screenwriting, lack of character development, and overall feeling of emptiness.[39] The film has a "rotten" score of 28% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 172 reviews, with an average rating of 4.9 out of 10. The critical consensus states, "While sporadically stirring, and suitably epic in its ambitions, Exodus: Gods and Kings can't quite live up to its classic source material."[40] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 52 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[41]
Stephen Farber of The Hollywood Reporter gave a positive review and said, "Scott did a great job reviving the Roman sand-and-sandals epic when he made the Oscar-winning Gladiator. This Egyptian saga is not quite in the same league, but it confirms the director's flair of widescreen imagery. Exodus has the added kick of 3D technology, and it has enough eye-popping set pieces to please adventure fans."[42] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone was positive of the film and said, "Exodus is a biblical epic that comes at you at maximum velocity but stays stirringly, inspiringly human."[43] Reagan Gavin Rasquinha of The Times of India gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Exodus: Gods and Kings is 'spectacle' with a capital 'S' and in more ways than one, definitely epic."[44] Catherine Shoard of The Guardian gave 3 out of 5 stars and said, "It’s impossible not to feel some awe at the spectacle, but more shocks would have helped see you through the two-and-a-half hour running time."[45] Phillips Hawker of The Sydney Morning Herald gave a mixed review and awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, saying, "Exodus: Gods And Kings... lacks Gladiator's full-on intensity and committed central performances, however; it's a mixture of the grand and the bland, and when it's not spectacular it's a little plodding."[46] Justin Chang of Variety said, "Some may well desire a purer, fuller version of the story, one more faithful to the text and less clearly shaped by the demands of the Hollywood blockbuster. But on its own grand, imperfect terms, "Exodus: Gods and Kings" is undeniably transporting, marked by a free-flowing visual splendor that plays to its creator’s unique strengths: Given how many faith-based movies are content to tell their audiences what to think or feel, it’s satisfying to see one whose images alone are enough to compel awestruck belief."[47] Jim Vejvoda of IGN said, "Director Ridley Scott gets lost in the desert at times in Exodus: Gods and Kings, his epic, but not entirely effective take on the story of Moses' journey from Prince of Egypt to Hebrew leader.[48]
On the negative side, Scott Mendelson of Forbes criticized the film for being too "dark" and "gritty," saying that the film lacked in humor or excitement, offering little nuance and little artistic interpretation beyond hitting the expected goal posts. He added, "Ridley Scott’s Exodus: Gods and Kings is a terrible film. It is a badly acted and badly written melodrama that takes what should be a passionate and emotionally wrenching story and drains it of all life and all dramatic interest."[49] Pete Hammond of Deadline.com in his review said, "Ridley Scott [can] do a plague well, and here, he gets to do 10 of them. But is this oh-so-familiar tale still fresh enough to get people into theaters in the droves needed to make back the very high production values that we see on screen?"[50] Alonso Duralde of The Wrap also gave a negative review and said, "If you're going into Exodus: Gods and Kings thinking that director Ridley Scott is going to give the Moses story anything we didn't already get from Cecil B. DeMille in two versions of The Ten Commandments, prepare to be disappointed."[51]
Controversies[edit]

Unbalanced scales.svg
 This article's Criticism or Controversy section may compromise the article's neutral point of view of the subject. Please integrate the section's contents into the article as a whole, or rewrite the material. (December 2014)
Race in casting[edit]
The Sydney Morning Herald and Christian Today reported that the casting of white actors in the lead roles was being protested.[52][53] Four white actors were cast to play the lead roles (Hebrew and ancient Egyptian characters): Christian Bale as Moses, Joel Edgerton as Ramses II, Sigourney Weaver as Queen Tuya, and Aaron Paul as Joshua. The Sydney Morning Herald also reported the online community's observations that the Great Sphinx of Giza in the film has a European profile.[52] Christian Today reported that an online petition was under way. It also compared Exodus to the 1956 film The Ten Commandments with its all-white cast and said, "The racial climate, number of black actors, and opportunities provided to them were very different in 1956, however."[53] Some Twitter users called for a boycott of the film.[54][55]
More so, Forbes' Scott Mendelson said that the film didn't need to be "whitewashed" and stated that "Even if we accept the argument that Moses had to be played by a world-renowned movie star and that in all likelihood that meant a white actor, I do not accept the idea that the rest of the main cast needed to be filled out with Caucasian actors of varying recognisably."[56]
Scott responded that without the casting of big-name actors, the film would never have been made, by saying "I can't mount a film of this budget...and say that my lead actor is Mohammad so-and-so from such-and-such...I'm just not going to get financed",[57][58] and that those seeking to boycott the movie on such grounds should "get a life."[59]
Biblical accuracy[edit]
Before the film's release, some controversy arose over statements from Ridley Scott that he would be looking to natural causes for the miracles, including drainage from a tsunami for the parting of the Red Sea.[60] This, combined with statements from Christian Bale about Moses, whom he portrayed ("I think the man was likely schizophrenic and was one of the most barbaric individuals that I ever read about in my life"),[61] raised criticism. Those who voiced their concern included author Brian Godawa saying, "It's accurate to portray Moses as an imperfect hero, so Christians won't take issue with that, but to be so extreme as to call him one of the most barbaric people in history, that sounds like he's going out of his way to distance himself from the very people you’d think he wants to appeal to."[62] Another was the CEO of Faith-Driven Consumer, Chris Stone, saying about Bale's comments "There's nothing in the biblical history that supports that. It's an indication that there will be a tremendous disconnect between Bale’s interpretation and the expectations of the market"[62] and suggesting that Christians will not go to cinemas to see the film.[63] According to Scott, the parting of the Red Sea was inspired by a tsunami believed to have been triggered by an underwater earthquake off the Italian coast around 3000 BC.[21]
In her review, Ellen White (a senior editor at the Biblical Archaeology Society), highlighted the Biblical inaccuracies of the film. She notes that all theological points in the Biblical plagues have been removed for the film version, there are fewer than ten plagues in the film, the plagues themselves are of a different nature (crocodiles, for example), and the Israelites were afflicted by the plagues along with the Egyptians. She summarized her assessment of the inaccuracies by stating, "Their story was so different that if they didn't use the Biblical names and released the same movie with a different title, I might not have even recognized it".[64] Peter Enns of Patheos responded to the widespread reaction of criticism with a satirical article arguing that Scott's interpretation of the text may be "plausibly" accurate, to parallel defenses of biblical inerrancy.[65]
Local adaptation and censorship[edit]
In Morocco the state-run Moroccan Cinema Centre (CCM) initially approved the film's screening, only for officials to ban it on the day before its premiere because of the personification of the voice of God. After some of the film's dialogue had been edited, the film was subsequently approved for screening.[66]
Exodus was banned in Egypt.[67] The Egyptian culture minister described it as "a Zionist film", and said it was banned because of "historical inaccuracies", such as creating a false impression that Moses and the Jews built the pyramids.[68][69][70] Unlike other biblical epics, Exodus was not censored by the Ministry of Culture. In Islam, Moses is considered to be a prophet of Allah, but the country's top religion institution, Al-Azhar, did not object to the contents of the movie, as it had with the 2014 film on Noah.[71]
The film was also denied release in the United Arab Emirates. Authorities said they had found "many mistakes" in the story. The director of Media Content Tracking at the National Media Council explained: "This movie is under our review and we found that there are many mistakes not only about Islam but other religions too. So, we will not release it in the UAE."[72]
The film was also banned in Kuwait.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS [2D] (12A)". British Board of Film Classification. November 21, 2014. Retrieved November 21, 2014.
2.Jump up ^ "Exodus Gods and Kings (2014)". British Film Institute. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
3.Jump up ^ "‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Director Ridley Scott on Creating His Vision of Moses". Variety. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
4.^ Jump up to: a b "Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
5.Jump up ^ "EXODUS: Gods and Kings". Exodus: Gods and Kings.
6.Jump up ^ "EXODUS: Gods and Kings". Exodus: Gods and Kings.
7.Jump up ^ "EXODUS: Gods and Kings". Exodus: Gods and Kings.
8.Jump up ^ Ridley Scott (June 4, 2012). Q+A: Ridley Scott's Star Wars. Esquire. Interview with Eric Spitznagel (Hearst Corporation). Retrieved April 18, 2015. "I've got something else in the works. I'm already doing it. It's called Moses...Seriously, seriously. It's going to happen."
9.Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 4, 2012). "Ridley Scott Says He’s Working on the Biblical Adaptation MOSES". Collider.com. Retrieved April 18, 2015.
10.Jump up ^ "Christian Bale Eyeing Moses?". deadline.com. March 14, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
11.Jump up ^ "‘EXODUS’ Confirms Christian Bale as Moses, Casting Joel Edgerton as Ramses". screencrush.com. August 13, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
12.Jump up ^ "Joel Edgerton to Battle Christian Bale in ‘Exodus’". variety.com. August 13, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
13.Jump up ^ "‘Moses’ Calls For Extras In Spain; Masses Flock". deadline.com. August 20, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
14.Jump up ^ "‘Breaking Bad’ Star Aaron Paul Joins Christian Bale in Moses Biblical Drama ‘Exodus’". variety.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
15.Jump up ^ "Ridley Scott In ‘Exodus’ Talks With Ben Kingsley, John Turturro, Sigourney Weaver, Aaron Paul". deadline.com. August 27, 2013. Retrieved September 16, 2013.
16.Jump up ^ Tapley, Kristopher (March 27, 2014). "Ridley Scott's 'Exodus' with Christian Bale gets a title change". hitfix.com. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
17.Jump up ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (July 1, 2014). "First look: Christian Bale as Moses in Ridley Scott's 'Exodus'". ew.com. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
18.Jump up ^ "'Exodus': Filmmaker Ridley Scott begins filming in Almeria, Spain". digitaljournal.com. October 24, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
19.Jump up ^ "Christian Bale looks ready for battle as filming on Ridley Scott's biblical epic Exodus gets underway in Spain". dailymail.co.uk. October 22, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
20.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Don Steinberg (November 16, 2015). "Special Effects Enliven ‘Exodus’ Epic". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c Gina Mcintyre (December 4, 2014). "Ridley Scott's 'Exodus' casts a wide net of spectacle and family". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Scott Bowles (November 25, 2015). "Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings presented VFX challenges of biblical proportions.". Deadline.com. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
23.Jump up ^ "Christian Bale & Ridley Scott: The Role CGI Plays In 'Exodus'". accesshollywood.com. December 1, 2014. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
24.Jump up ^ "Alberto Iglesias to Score Ridley Scott’s ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’". filmmusicreporter.com. July 8, 2014. Retrieved July 12, 2014.
25.^ Jump up to: a b Pamela McClintock (December 8, 2014). "Global Box Office: 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Delivers $23 Million in Early Foreign Launch". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
26.^ Jump up to: a b Ray Subers (December 11, 2014). "Forecast: 'Exodus' to Reign Supreme at the Box Office This Weekend". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
27.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings An IMAX 3D Experience". imax.com. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
28.Jump up ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 12, 2014). "Exodus’, ‘Top Five’ Kickstart Weekend With Thursday Shows — UPDATE". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
29.Jump up ^ Anthony D'Alessandro (December 13, 2014). "Moses Battles Plague Of Holiday Shoppers On Friday – Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
30.Jump up ^ Ray Subers (December 14, 2014). "Weekend Report: 'Exodus' is Weak 'King'". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
31.Jump up ^ Ray Subers (December 14, 2014). "Around-the-World Roundup: 'Hobbit' Finale Opens to $122 Million Overseas". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
32.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (December 14, 2014). "Footloose ‘Hobbit’ Grows; ‘Mockingjay’ Tempers ‘Fire': Intl Box Office Final". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
33.^ Jump up to: a b Nancy Tartaglione (December 29, 2014). "‘Hobbit’, ‘Exodus’ Lead XMas Frame; Euro, Korea Pics Boom Locally: Intl BO Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 29, 2014.
34.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (January 4, 2015). "‘Hobbit’ Passes $500M; ‘American Sniper’, ‘Taken 3′ Skillful: Intl Box Office Update". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 5, 2015.
35.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (December 7, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ Commands $23.1M In Overseas Debut: Intl Box Office". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
36.Jump up ^ Phil Hoad (December 10, 2014). "Global box office: Exodus grapples with Noah for top prophet margins". The Guardian. Retrieved December 11, 2014.
37.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 18, 2015.
38.Jump up ^ Faughdner, Ryan (December 12, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings' rides in with $1.2 million Thursday night". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
39.Jump up ^ Sandy Schaefer (December 2, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Early Reviews: Ridley Scott’s Epic Draws Mixed Reaction". Screenrant. Retrieved December 4, 2014.
40.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved January 21, 2015.
41.Jump up ^ "Exodus: Gods and Kings Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 13, 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Stephen Farber (November 29, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
43.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (December 11, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings". The Rolling Stone. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
44.Jump up ^ Reagan Gavin Rasquinha (December 4, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings". Times of India. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
45.Jump up ^ Catherine Shoard (November 29, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings review – holy Moses, wholly acceptable for the devout". The Guardian. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
46.Jump up ^ Phillipa Hawker (December 5, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings review: Ridley Scott's biblical epic is equally inspired and plagued". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
47.Jump up ^ Justin Chang (November 29, 2014). "Film Review: ‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’". Variety. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
48.Jump up ^ Jim Vejvoda (December 3, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings Review". IGN. Retrieved December 7, 2014.
49.Jump up ^ Scott Mendelson (December 5, 2014). "Review: 'Exodus' Is God-Awful". Forbes. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
50.Jump up ^ Pete Hammond (December 9, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ Review: Pete Hammond On Great Hair And Great Plagues". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 10, 2014.
51.Jump up ^ Alonso Duralde (November 29, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods and Kings’ Review: Christian Bale Makes a Stiff White Moses in Ridley Scott's Stolid Epic". The Wrap. Retrieved December 8, 2014.
52.^ Jump up to: a b Begley, Patrick (July 29, 2014). "Ridley Scott's Exodus film cops complaints about 'racist' casting of Joel Edgerton and Sigourney Weaver". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
53.^ Jump up to: a b Marie, Brownie (July 21, 2014). "'Exodus: Gods and Kings' faces boycott calls over all-white lead cast". Christian Today. Retrieved July 29, 2014.
54.Jump up ^ Dickerson, Jessica (July 8, 2014). "‘Exodus: Gods And Kings' Film Sparks Backlash For Whitewashing Characters". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
55.Jump up ^ Diaz, Evelyn (August 8, 2014). "Ridley Scott's Exodus Accused of Racism - Biblical epic features only white heroes, Black slaves and villains.". Black Entertainment Television. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
56.Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott (December 15, 2014). "Why 'Exodus' Didn't Need to Be Whitewashed". Forbes. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
57.Jump up ^ http://variety.com/2014/film/news/ridley-scott-exodus-gods-and-kings-christian-bale-1201363668/
58.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b04v8nj3/film-2014-episode-13
59.Jump up ^ "Scott, Bale defend 'Exodus' casting". Associated Press. December 8, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ Vilkomerson, Sara (October 23, 2014). "How Ridley Scott looked to science -- not miracles -- to part the Red Sea in 'Exodus: Gods and Kings'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
61.Jump up ^ Kumar, Anugrah (October 26, 2014). "Moses was 'Barbaric, Schizophrenic,' Says 'Exodus: Gods and Kings' Actor Christian Bale". The Christian Post. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
62.^ Jump up to: a b Bond, Paul (October 25, 2014). "Christian Bale Calls Moses "Barbaric," "Schizophrenic" Ahead of 'Exodus' Release". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
63.Jump up ^ Herman, Barbara (October 28, 2014). "'Exodus' Controversies: Christian Bale's 'Barbaric' Moses And All-White Cast Stir Up Critics". International Business Times. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
64.Jump up ^ White, Ellen (December 18, 2014). "Excruciating Exodus Movie Exudes Errors". Biblical Archaeology Review. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
65.Jump up ^ Enns, Peter (December 17, 2014). "Exodus: Gods and Kings–unless you’re a biased blasphemer, the movie is utterly historically plausible". Patheos. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
66.Jump up ^ Nancy Tartaglione (January 7, 2015). "Morocco Clears ‘Exodus: Gods And Kings’ For Release, With Tweaks (Report)". Deadline.com. Retrieved January 7, 2015.
67.Jump up ^ Awford, Jenny (December 26, 2014). "Now Egypt bans Hollywood bible epic Exodus because of 'historical inaccuracies'". Daily Mail. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
68.Jump up ^ "Egypt bans 'Zionist' film Exodus and cites 'historical inaccuracies'". The Guardian. December 26, 2014.
69.Jump up ^ "Egypt Reported to Ban Latest U.S. ‘Exodus’ Film". The New York Times. December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
70.Jump up ^ "Egypt bans 'inaccurate' Exodus film". December 26, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
71.Jump up ^ "Noah film should be banned says Egypt's top Islamic body". The Telegraph. March 6, 2014. Retrieved January 17, 2015.
72.Jump up ^ Radhakrishnan, Manjusha (December 27, 2014). "‘Exodus’ will not release in the UAE". Gulf News. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
External links[edit]
Official website
Exodus: Gods and Kings at the Internet Movie Database
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Box Office Mojo
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Rotten Tomatoes
Exodus: Gods and Kings at Metacritic


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Noah (2014 film)

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 This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (August 2014)

Noah
Noah2014Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster with international IMAX 3D release

Directed by
Darren Aronofsky
Produced by
Scott Franklin
Darren Aronofsky
Mary Parent
Arnon Milchan

Written by
Darren Aronofsky
Ari Handel

Starring
Russell Crowe
Jennifer Connelly
Ray Winstone
Emma Watson
Logan Lerman
Douglas Booth
Anthony Hopkins

Music by
Clint Mansell
Cinematography
Matthew Libatique
Edited by
Andrew Weisblum

Production
 company

Regency Enterprises
Protozoa Pictures

Distributed by
Paramount Pictures

Release dates

March 10, 2014 (Mexico City premiere)
March 28, 2014 (United States)


Running time
 138 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$125 million[2][3]
Box office
$362.6 million[4]
Noah is a 2014 American biblically inspired epic directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Aronofsky and Ari Handel, and inspired by the story of Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis.[5] The film stars Russell Crowe as Noah, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins. The film was released in North American theaters on March 28, 2014, in 2D and IMAX, while several countries released a version of the film converted to 3D and IMAX 3D.[6]
Noah received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $362 million worldwide, but generated controversy with audiences.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
3.4 Post-production
3.5 Music
3.6 Themes
3.7 Test screenings
4 Reception 4.1 Release and box office
4.2 Events
4.3 Critical reception
4.4 Racial issues
4.5 Christian and Jewish response
4.6 Muslim response and censorship
4.7 Home media
5 References
6 External links

Plot[edit]
As a young boy, Noah witnesses his father, Lamech, killed by a young Tubal-cain. Many years later an adult Noah is living with his wife Naameh and their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After seeing a flower grow instantly from the ground and being haunted by dreams of a great flood, Noah takes them to visit his grandfather Methuselah.
They encounter a group of people recently killed and adopt the lone survivor, a girl named Ila. Noah and his family are chased by Tubal-cain and his men but seek refuge with the fallen angels known as the "Watchers", confined on Earth as stone golems (nephilim) for helping humans banished from the Garden of Eden. Methuselah gives Noah a seed from Eden and tells Noah that he was chosen for a reason. Returning to his tent that night, Noah plants the seed into the ground. The Watchers arrive the next morning and debate whether they should help Noah until they see water spout from the spot where Noah planted the seed. Once a forest grows quickly, the Watchers agree to help Noah and his family build an ark.
After birds fly to the ark, Tubal-cain arrives with his followers and confronts Noah. Noah defies Tubal-cain and remarks that there is no escape for the line of Cain. Tubal-cain retreats and decides to build weapons to defeat the Watchers and take the ark. As the ark nears completion, animals of various species enter the ark and are put to sleep with incense.
With Ila having become enamored of Shem, Noah goes to a nearby settlement to find wives for Ham and Japheth. Upon witnessing the settler's cannibalism, he abandons his effort and begins believing that the creator wants all of humanity dead. Back at the ark, he tells his family that he will not seek wives for his younger sons. After the flood they will be the last humans and there will be no new human generations.
Devastated that he will be alone his entire life, Ham runs into the forest. Naameh begs Noah to reconsider but, when he will not, she goes to Methuselah for help. Later, in the forest, Ila encounters Methuselah who cures her sterility. Meanwhile Ham, searching for a wife on his own, befriends the refugee Na'el.
After rain starts falling, Tubal-cain becomes angry that he was not chosen to be saved. The followers of Tubal-cain make a run for the ark. Noah finds Ham in the forest and forces Ham to save himself but leave Na'el to die when she is caught in an animal trap. Noah's family enter the ark except for Methuselah, who remains in the forest and is swept away by the rushing waters. The Watchers hold off Tubal-cain and his followers as long as possible, sacrificing themselves to protect the ark from the mob and ascending to heaven. As the flood drowns the remaining humans, an injured Tubal-cain climbs onto the ark and solicits Ham, playing on anger toward Noah for allowing Na'el to die.
Ila discovers that she is pregnant as the rains stop and begs the creator to let the child live. Noah interprets the ending of the rain to mean he must ensure the extinction of humans and, against his wife's protests, resolves that, if the child is a girl, he will kill her. Months pass, and Ila and Shem build a raft to escape Noah's resolve, but Noah discovers and burns it. Ila gives birth to twin girls. Tubal-cain convinces Ham to help kill Noah, who is then attacked by Tubal-cain, Ham, and Shem. As they fight, the ark strikes a mountain and Ham kills Tubal-cain. Noah seizes Ila's twins, but he spares them upon looking at his granddaughters and only feeling love.
Upon exiting the ark, Noah goes into isolation in a nearby cave and Ham leaves his kin to live alone. Having reconciled at the behest of Ila, Noah blesses the family as the beginning of a new human race and all witness an immense rainbow.
Cast[edit]
Russell Crowe as Noah[7]
Jennifer Connelly as Naameh, Noah's wife[8]
Ray Winstone as Tubal-cain, Noah's nemesis and descendant of Cain[9][10]
Douglas Booth as Shem, Noah's son[11]
Emma Watson as Ila, Noah's daughter-in-law and Shem's wife[12]
Logan Lerman as Ham, Noah's son[11]
Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah, Noah's grandfather[13]
Leo McHugh Carroll as Japheth, Noah's son
Frank Langella as Og, a Watcher who helps Noah[14]
Dakota Goyo as a young Noah[15]
Marton Csokas as Lamech, Noah's father[16][17]
Finn Wittrock as a young Tubal-cain[18]
Madison Davenport as Na'el, Ham's love interest[19]
Nick Nolte as Samyaza, leader of the Watchers[20]
Mark Margolis as Magog, a Watcher[20]
Kevin Durand as Rameel, a Watcher
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Aronofsky first got interested in the story of Noah in the seventh grade. As part of a creative writing assignment he submitted a poem about Noah entitled "The Dove".[21] Years later after finishing the movie Pi, Aronofsky was searching for ideas for his next movie and thought that a movie about Noah would be a good idea.[21] Work on the script began in 2000 but Aronofsky put the project on hold when he learned Hallmark was already working on a similar movie. Work on the draft resumed sometime later with a first draft being completed in 2003.[21]
In adapting the story for a feature film Aronofsky struggled with how to adapt it to feature length—the story in the Bible is only four chapters and doesn't include names for his wife or his sons' wives.[21] The text does mention Noah getting drunk after the flood and getting into an altercation with one of his sons, which provided Aronofsky and his team with ideas into what events could have taken place on the ark.[21]
Aronofsky first discussed Noah with The Guardian in April 2007, explaining that he saw Noah as "a dark, complicated character" who experiences "real survivor's guilt" after the flood. Aronofsky was working on early drafts of the script for Noah around the time his first attempt to make The Fountain fell through when actor Brad Pitt left the project.[22]
Ari Handel—Aronofsky's collaborator on The Fountain, The Wrestler, and Black Swan—helped Aronofsky develop the script. Before they found financial backing for Noah, they collaborated with Canadian artist Niko Henrichon to adapt the script into a graphic novel. The first volume of the graphic novel was released in the French language by Belgian publisher Le Lombard in October 2011 under the title Noé: Pour la cruauté des hommes (Noah: For the Cruelty of Men).[23] After the creation of the graphic novel, Aronofsky struck a deal with Paramount and New Regency to produce a feature film of Noah with a budget of $130 million.[24][25] Screenwriter John Logan was asked to re-draft the script alongside Aronofsky but is not credited for his contributions.[26]
In October 2012, Emma Watson commented on the setting of the film: "I think what Darren's going for is a sense that it could be set in any time. It could be set sort of like a thousand years in the future or a thousand years in the past. ... You shouldn't be able to place it too much."[27]
Casting[edit]
Aronofsky had previously offered the role of Noah to Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender, both of whom were unable to take the part due to previous commitments. Bale went on to star as Moses in Ridley Scott's religious epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings.[28]
Dakota Fanning was originally cast in the role of Ila, but departed due to a scheduling conflict.[29]
Julianne Moore was also considered for the role of Naameh.[29]
Liam Neeson, Liev Schreiber, and Val Kilmer were also considered for the part of Tubal-cain. Aronofsky reportedly wanted an actor "with the grit and size to be convincing as he goes head-to-head against Crowe's Noah character".[9]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began in July 2012 in Dyrhólaey, Fossvogur, Reynisfjara, and other locations in southern Iceland.[30][31]
Filming also took place in New York state. A set representing Noah's Ark was built at the Planting Fields Arboretum in Upper Brookville, New York.[32] In September 2012, while on break from a location on Long Island, Russell Crowe and a friend, both of whom had been kayaking for several hours, were rescued by the Coast Guard near Cold Spring Harbor.[33] Production was put on hold while Hurricane Sandy subjected New York to heavy rain and flooding during late October 2012.[34]
Post-production[edit]
Post-production lasted over 14 months, with Aronofsky attempting some of the most complicated and extensive effects ever used in film. Industrial Light and Magic said their work on the film represented "the most complicated rendering in the company's history."[35]
To make the fallen angels' movements realistic, VFX supervisor Ben Snow and Aronofsky studied footage of real ballet dancers from the director’s Oscar-winning drama Black Swan.[36] Snow and Industrial Light Magic also teamed for the movie’s water scenes. "We created this great effect of geysers from the ground shooting water that meets rain falling to Earth," says Snow, currently overseeing special effects on the Avengers sequel. "That’s the thrill: to create something you’ve never done, or something people have never seen."[36]
Regarding the film's extensive use of visual effects, Aronofsky said he and his crew "had to create an entire animal kingdom"[35] using no real animals in the production but instead "slightly tweaked" versions of real creatures.[37] Besides the fictional land-based animals in the film, ILM was also responsible for creating the Watchers, the forest that sprouted from the seed, the deluge sequence during the battle between the Watchers and Tubal-cain and his army, and the two-minute long sequence of the history of Earth's creation.[38]
Music[edit]
The musical score for Noah was composed by Clint Mansell, who scored the music for all of Aronofsky's previous feature films, and is performed by Kronos Quartet.[39] A soundtrack album was released by Nonesuch Records on March 26, 2014.[40]
The score also features an original song by Patti Smith, which is a lullaby sung by both Russell Crowe and Emma Watson's characters during the film. Smith performs the song herself over the end credits.[40]
Themes[edit]
The president of the National Religious Broadcasters stated that the Noah film includes "major biblical themes" including "sin, judgment, righteousness, and God as Creator."[41] In addition, the film promotes the concept of evolutionary creation.[41][42] Ari Handel, the scriptwriter for the Noah film stated that “The story of Noah starts with this concept of strong justice, that the wickedness of man will soon be met with justice, and it ends when the rainbow comes and it says, even though the heart of man is filled with wickedness, I will never again destroy the world... So it ends with this idea of mercy. God somehow goes from this idea of judging the wickedness to mercy and grace. So we decided that was a powerful and emotional arc to go through, and we decided to give that arc to Noah.”[43] Commenting on God's mercy, Wesley Hill in First Things notes that "near the end of the film, Emma Watson’s character, Ila...says to Noah that perhaps God preserved him because God knew that he had a merciful heart", "the film ends up locating the rationale for God’s mercy in some native spark of goodness in Noah that will, viewers hope, make the new, post-flood world more livable than the antediluvian one."[44]
Test screenings[edit]
During mid 2013, Aronofsky and Paramount began sparring over final cut, with Paramount seeking to test unfinished, unscored, and alternate cuts of the film despite Aronofsky's objections.[45] Paramount proceeded with the test-screenings nonetheless, prompting "Worrisome" responses from largely religious audiences at test screenings in October 2013.[46] "They tried what they wanted to try, and eventually they came back. My version of the film hasn't been tested... It's what we wrote and what was green lighted." After much discussion and compromise, the studio announced on February 12 that Darren Aronofsky's version, not any of the studio's alternate versions, would be the final cut of Noah.[46]
Under pressure from Christian religious groups, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer to marketing materials in February 2014, saying:

"The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis."[47]
Reception[edit]
Release and box office[edit]
Noah had its world premiere in Mexico City on March 10, 2014.[48] In North America, the film grossed a little over $43.7 million during its opening box office weekend, becoming Aronofsky's highest opening weekend and his first film to open at No. 1.[49] The opening weekend was also the biggest ever for Russell Crowe as a lead actor.[50]
Overseas, the film's releases in Russia and Brazil were the largest ever for a non-sequel, and were the fourth biggest openings of all time with $17.2 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The opening in Russia was the largest ever for a Paramount film.[51] In South Korea, the film grossed $1.1 million on its opening day, the highest in 2014 for the territory.[52]
Noah grossed $101,200,044 in North America and $261,437,429 in other countries, making a worldwide gross of $362,637,473.[53] The film was declared "an unmitigated hit... by almost every measure."[54]
Events[edit]
In connection with the release of the film in North America, Aronofsky commissioned artists to create original works inspired by the Biblical story of Noah, stating that "The Noah story belongs to all of us - every religion, every culture, every citizen of planet Earth." The collection, titled Fountains of the Deep: Visions of Noah and Flood was open to the public for the month of March 2014 in the Soho district of New York City. Contributing artists included Ugo Rondinone, Karen Kilimnik, Mike Nelson, Nan Goldin, Jim Lee, Robert Liefeld, Jim Woodring, Simon Bisley, graffiti duo FAILE and James Jean.[55]
On the eve of the film's release in Reykjavik, Iceland, Aronofsky teamed up with Björk to host an environmental benefit concert in response to proposed anti-conservationist policy changes by the Icelandic government, with guest performances by Björk, Patti Smith, Lykke Li, Russell Crowe and Of Monsters and Men.[56]
Critical reception[edit]
Noah received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 6.6/10 based on 204 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "With sweeping visuals grounded by strong performances in service of a timeless tale told on a human scale, Darren Aronofsky's Noah brings the Bible epic into the 21st century."[57] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[58]
Movieline's Pete Hammond said that "It stays with you long after you leave the theatre. This 'Noah' is unlike any other film of its kind—an intimate and stirring new take on a biblical story we only thought we knew."[59][unreliable source?] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said of the film: "a film of grit, grace, and visual wonders that for all its tech-head modernity is built on a spiritual core... In this flawed, fiercely relevant film, wonders never cease."[60] Time's Richard Corliss said, "Darren Aronofsky brings out wild ambition and thrilling artistry to one of the Old Testament's best-known, most dramatic, least plausible stories- Noah and the Ark- with Russell Crowe infusing the role of God's first seaman and zookeeper with all his surly majesty."[61]
Kathleen Parker, writing in The Washington Post, called the movie "Noah's Arc of Triumph" and said of the film: "If you like Braveheart, Gladiator, Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings, Indiana Jones, or Titanic, you will like Noah. If you like two or more of the above, you will love Noah."[62]
Richard Roeper called it "One of the most dazzling and unforgettable Biblical epics ever put on film."[63]
The movie also had its detractors. IndieWire claimed "Aronofsky's worst movie is an epic misfire that, like the source material, offers plenty of lessons even if you don't buy the whole package."[64] The Wrap called the film "Darren Aronofsky's Biblical Waterworld".[65] The New Yorker's David Denby wrote: "Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'- an epic farrago of tumultuous water, digital battle, and environmentalist rage... is the craziest big movie in years. 'Noah' may not make much sense, but only an artist could have made it.[66]
Racial issues[edit]
The film was challenged for its lack of African Americans and other persons of color in general. Reverend Wil Gafney, associate professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, sees the film as a throwback to the Hollywood era of all white casts and considers it worrisome in today's more multi-ethnic America. She goes on to state that "The Bible is the most multicultural piece of literature that most people will ever read. So a film about the Bible should reflect that diversity."[67]
Efrem Smith, of Los Angeles-based World Impact, critiques the film as a throwback to the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments, where an all-white cast played Moses and Pharaoh. Smith states that Noah deals with the curse of Ham by "simply erasing people of color from the story."[67]
Anthea Butler, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the casting choices send a worrying message: "It's a world where only white people get saved... this doesn't look like the world that God created."[68][69]
Co-writer Ari Handel addressed the issues around race in an interview, where he stated, "From the beginning, we were concerned about casting, the issue of race. What we realized is that this story is functioning at the level of myth, and as a mythical story, the race of the individuals doesn't matter."[70][71]
Christian and Jewish response[edit]
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, called the Noah film "interesting and thought-provoking" after the film's lead star, Russell Crowe travelled to Lambeth Palace in order to discuss with him "faith and spirituality" after the movie's British premiere.[72][73] In addition, several Christian organizations have expressed support for the Noah film, "including Leaders from organizations like the American Bible Society, National Catholic Register, The King's College, Q Ideas, Hollywood Prayer Network, and Focus on the Family."[74] Focus on the Family president Jim Daly stated that: "[Noah] is a creative interpretation of the scriptural account that allows us to imagine the deep struggles Noah may have wrestled with as he answered God’s call on his life. This cinematic vision of Noah’s story gives Christians a great opportunity to engage our culture with the biblical Noah, and to have conversations with friends and family about matters of eternal significance."[75] Cultural commenter Fr. Robert Barron praised the film for its inclusion of "God, creation, providence, sin, obedience, salvation: not bad for a major Hollywood movie!"[76] In addition, The Biologos Foundation stated that they "saw the importance of stories as explanations—my favorite part of the whole movie was when Noah retold the Genesis creation accounts to his sons, and we saw the evolutionary creation of the world up to some mysterious Adam and Eve figures."[77]
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, an orthodox Jewish rabbi leader, hailed Noah as "a valuable film, especially for our times."[78] In order to create "a story that tries to explicate Noah's relationship with God and God's relationship with the world as it has become", director of the film Darren Aronofsky himself stated that he was working in "the tradition of Jewish Midrash".[79]
Noah has also been the subject of controversy with Christians who take issue with how the story has been portrayed. Ken Ham and Ray Comfort, both young earth creationists, objected to the film, with the latter apologist creating his own documentary, Noah and the Last Days as a response.[80][81][82] The director angered many in the religious community by stating that his version of “Noah” was the “least biblical biblical film ever made.”[83] Despite references to "The Creator", some still disliked the movie because God is not mentioned by name. Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, did not like the director’s description of Noah as the “first environmentalist”. Johnson called the film’s “insertion of the extremist environmental agenda” a major concern.[83]
Producer Scott Franklin told Entertainment Weekly, "Noah is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to take some creative expression in it. But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn't really deviate from the Bible, despite the six-armed angels."[84] Kevin Hall, Ph.D., professor of biblical and theological studies and the Ida Elizabeth and J.W. Hollums chair of Bible at Oklahoma Baptist University observed that "the story in Genesis is extremely concise, so some creativity with the tale — especially by Hollywood — is hardly a surprise."[47]
Muslim response and censorship[edit]
See also: Noah in Islam
The film was banned in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Indonesia prior to its release because it is seen by the governments of those countries as contradicting the teachings of Islam. A representative of Paramount Pictures stated, "Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries."[85] The film was also disapproved by the Al-Azhar University in Egypt since it violates Islamic law and could "provoke the feelings of believers".[86] Mohammad Zareef from Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors said they tended to steer clear of films with a religious theme, adding, "We haven't seen it yet, but I don't think it can go to the cinemas in Pakistan." However, the DVD release will be available in Pakistan.[87] In many Islamic juristic schools, the portrayal of prophets such as Noah is forbidden.[88]
Home media[edit]
Noah was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 29, 2014.[89] In August 2014 a 3D Blu-ray edition was also released in Italy and Germany.[90]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "NOAH (12A)". Paramount Pictures. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved March 30, 2014.
2.Jump up ^ "Noah (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
3.Jump up ^ Child, Ben (March 11, 2014). "Studio cut of Noah 'featured religious montage and Christian rock song'". The Guardian.
4.Jump up ^ "Noah (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
5.Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam (October 25, 2012). "First Look at Ray Winstone on the Set of Darren Aronofsky’s NOAH [Updated with Images of Russell Crowe, Douglas Booth, and Logan Lerman]". Collider.com. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
6.Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott (February 6, 2014). "Paramount's 'Noah' To Go 3D, But Not In America". Forbes. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
7.Jump up ^ Ng, Philiana (April 22, 2012). "It's Official: Russell Crowe to Star in Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
8.Jump up ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (June 18, 2012). "Jennifer Connelly Officially In Talks For Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'". indiewire.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Child, Ben (June 12, 2012). "Ray Winstone set to star opposite Russell Crowe in Noah's ark epic". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
10.Jump up ^ Truitt, Brian (August 10, 2012). "'Noah' director Aronofsky tweets up a storm". USA Today. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
11.^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Mike (June 4, 2012). "Douglas Booth And Logan Lerman Board Boat For 'Noah'". deadline.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
12.Jump up ^ Nepales, Ruben V (September 15, 2012). "Emma Watson shares updates on ‘Bling Ring,’ 'Noah' and ‘50 Shades’". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved September 15, 2012.
13.Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam (June 9, 2012). "Anthony Hopkins to Play Methuselah in Darren Aronofsky’s NOAH". collider.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
14.Jump up ^ Scott, A. O. (March 27, 2014). "Rain, Heavy at Times: Russell Crowe Confonts Life's Nasty Weather in 'Noah'". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
15.Jump up ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (July 19, 2012). "Kevin Durand, Marton Csokas & Dakota Goyo Book Passage On Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'". indiewire.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
16.Jump up ^ The Deadline Team (July 18, 2012). "Marton Csokas Cast In ‘Rogue’, 'Noah'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
17.Jump up ^ "Marton Csokas Bio" (PDF). Sue Barnett & Assosiates. April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 24, 2013.
18.Jump up ^ http://www.nytimes.com/movies/movie/467175/Noah/cast
19.Jump up ^ Patten, Dominic (August 9, 2012). "Movie Casting Round-Up: 'Noah' Adds A Wife, ‘The Heat’ Adds A Villain". Deadline.com. Retrieved August 13, 2012.
20.^ Jump up to: a b "Nolte joins Noah at last minute". The Irish Independent. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
21.^ Jump up to: a b c d e Bailey, Sarah Pulliam (March 28, 2014). "A conversation with Noah director Darren Aronofsky". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 6, 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Gilbey, Ryan (April 27, 2007). "Just say Noah". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
23.Jump up ^ "HORS COLLECTION LE LOMBARD". Le Lombard. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
24.Jump up ^ Sciretta, Peter (October 3, 2011). "Paramount and New Regency to Make Darren Aronofsky’s $150 Million Biblical Epic ‘Noah’". slashfilm.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
25.Jump up ^ Fischer, Russ (October 20, 2011). "First Volume of Graphic Novel Version of Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ Available in Europe; See Pages and a Trailer". slashfilm.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ Douglas, Edward (November 21, 2011). "Exclusive: John Logan on Noah and Skyfall". comingsoon.net. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
27.Jump up ^ Maytum, Matt (October 3, 2012). "Emma Watson on her future projects: video interview". totalfilm.com. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
28.Jump up ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 30, 2011). "Christian Bale passes on 'Noah'; Fassbender in?". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
29.^ Jump up to: a b Sneider, Jeff (June 7, 2012). "Emma Watson called to 'Noah' role". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
30.Jump up ^ Hnefill, Örlygur (August 6, 2012). "Russell Crowe and Emma Watson filming in Iceland". goiceland.is. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
31.Jump up ^ "Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ Begins Filming – Starring Russell Crowe, Ray Winstone & Emma Watson". flicksandbits.com. July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
32.Jump up ^ "First look at the set of ‘Noah’ in New York". On Location Vacations. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
33.Jump up ^ "Russell Crowe gets lost on kayaking trip". BBC News. September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012. "The coastguard officers lifted the pair and their kayaks into the boat and ferried them to Huntington Bay, 10 miles from where the pair had set out on their trip."
34.Jump up ^ "Sandy halts production of Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'". CNN. October 30, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
35.^ Jump up to: a b Anderson, John. (Fall 2013). The Many Worlds of Darren Aronofsky. Director's Guild of America. Retrieved October 16, 2013 from http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1304-Fall-2013/Darren-Aronofsky.aspx
36.^ Jump up to: a b Scott Bowles (November 25, 2014). "Almighty Affect Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings presented VFX challenges of biblical proportions.". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
37.Jump up ^ Masters, Kim. Darren Aronofsky, Paramount Spar Over 'Noah' Final Cut (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013 from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/darren-aronofsky-paramount-spar-noah-648777
38.Jump up ^ Failes, Ian. "Character Ark: the visual effects of Noah". fxguide. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
39.Jump up ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 11, 2012). "Darren Aronofsky Confirms Clint Mansell Is Scoring 'Noah,' Discusses Their Working Relationship". indiewire.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
40.^ Jump up to: a b "'Noah' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
41.^ Jump up to: a b Warren Cole Smith (February 25, 2014). "Signs and Wonders: Noah needs ‘based on a true story’ disclaimer". WORLD. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Billy Hallowell (February 26, 2014). "Honest Assessment of New 'Noah' Movie". TheBlaze. Retrieved March 25, 2014. "For instance, at one point Noah is preaching to his family and telling the story of creation – one that is presented through an evolutionary lens, albeit a theistic one."
43.Jump up ^ Alter, Charlotte (March 24, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Approved by Religious Leaders". Time. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
44.Jump up ^ Hill, Wesley (March 31, 2014). "A Pauline Exegete Watches Aronofsky’s Noah | First Thoughts". First Things. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
45.Jump up ^ Friend, Tad. "HEAVY WEATHER: Darren Aronofsky gets Biblical". The New Yorker.
46.^ Jump up to: a b "Rough Seas on 'Noah': Darren Aronofsky Opens Up on the Biblical Battle to Woo Christians (and Everyone Else)". The Hollywood Reporter. February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
47.^ Jump up to: a b Hinton, Carla (March 29, 2014). "Flood of imagery: 'Noah' movie goes beyond familiar Sunday school Bible story". News OK. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
48.Jump up ^ "'Noah' World Premiere in Mexico City Gets Mixed Reception". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
49.Jump up ^ Boxoffice Media, Llc (March 28, 2014). "BoxOffice — Noah". Boxoffice.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
50.Jump up ^ Stiles, Nancy. "http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/03/noah-box-office". Complex Magazine. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
51.Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy. "‘Noah’ Crosses $300M In Global Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
52.Jump up ^ Nikara, Johns. "‘Noah’ Has Strong Start in South Korea With $1.1 Million". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
53.Jump up ^ Box Office Mojo. "Noah (2014) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
54.Jump up ^ Bowles, Scott. "'Noah' is a hit, yet film fans may not believe in it". USA Today. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
55.Jump up ^ Billington, Alex. "Take a Look Inside Darren Aronofsky's Stunning NYC Noah Art Show". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
56.Jump up ^ Shannen, Lisa. "Darren Aronofsky's Noah to Premier in Reykjavik With Special Guest Performances by Bjork, Patti Smith & Lykke Li". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
57.Jump up ^ "Noah (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
58.Jump up ^ "Noah Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
59.Jump up ^ van Movieline. "Noah 2014 Movie Review". YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (March 27, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
61.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard. "Darren Aronofsky’s Noah Movie: Better Than the Book". Time. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
62.Jump up ^ Parker, Kathleen. "Noah’s arc of triumph". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
63.Jump up ^ http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/noah.aspx
64.Jump up ^ "Review: Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Is a Biblical Mess, But That's What Makes It Worth Talking About". Indiewire.com. October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
65.Jump up ^ "'Noah' Review: Darren Aronofsky's Biblical 'Waterworld' Mostly Runs Aground (Video)". TheWrap. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
66.Jump up ^ Denby, David (April 7, 2014). "MAN OVERBOARD". The New Yorker (April 7th, 2014): 74. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
67.^ Jump up to: a b Smietana, Bob. "Does 'Noah' Have A Race Problem? Biblical Film Draws Criticism For Lack Of Diversity". Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
68.Jump up ^ http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/is-noah-2014s-most-controversial-film-209827395779 Is 'Noah' 2014's most controversial film?
69.Jump up ^ http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-04/noah-blockbuster-has-almost-everything-going-it-except-diversity Critics find ‘Noah’ lacking in ethnic diversity
70.Jump up ^ http://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/2014/04/noah-co-writer-ari-handel-explains-why-there-werent-any-black-people-in-noah/ ‘Noah’ Co-Writer Ari Handel Explains (Badly) Why There Weren’t Any Black People In Noah
71.Jump up ^ http://www.thehighcalling.org/culture/noah#.U8_O_PmSypf Stewardship of Creation: An Interview with "Noah" Screenwriter, Ari Handel
72.Jump up ^ "Crowe meets Anglican leader after 'Noah' premiere". London: ADN. Associated Press. April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
73.Jump up ^ "Russell Crowe meets archbishop to discuss Noah film". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
74.Jump up ^ "'Noah' Film Receives Praise From Christian Evangelicals Unfazed By 'Creative Interpretation'". Huffington Post. March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
75.Jump up ^ Charlotte Alter (March 24, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Approved by Religious Leaders". Time. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
76.Jump up ^ Barron, Robert. "Noah: A Post-Modern Midrash". wordonfire.org.
77.Jump up ^ Stump, Jim (April 2, 2014). "The Noah Movie". The Biologos Foundation. Retrieved April 2, 2014. "And we saw the importance of stories as explanations—my favorite part of the whole movie was when Noah retold the Genesis creation accounts to his sons, and we saw the evolutionary creation of the world up to some mysterious Adam and Eve figures."
78.Jump up ^ Hoffman, Jordan (March 27, 2014). "Hollywood 'Noah' is kosher, says celebrity rabbi". The Times of Israel. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "I think it is a valuable film, especially for our times."
79.Jump up ^ "For his hot-button 'Noah,' Darren Aronofsky gave ark builder an arc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "Working in what he calls "the tradition of Jewish Midrash" (stories based on the Bible by scholars), in which he and Handel work to fill gaps in the biblical narrative, Aronofsky created a story that tries to explicate Noah's relationship with God and God's relationship with the world as it has become."
80.Jump up ^ Thompson, Jen (March 25, 2014). "Ray Comfort: 'Noah' Movie Listed as Entertaining 'Fantasy' in Hollywood". Charisma Magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
81.Jump up ^ "Christian Filmmaker Ray Comfort Blasts Hollywood's 'Noah' Movie; Will Release His Own Film on Noah". The Christian Post. March 2, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has urged Pope Francis to watch his biblical epic "Noah," but Christian evangelist and award-winning filmmaker Ray Comfort says the "sensational" film cannot be called a "biblical adventure." Comfort has produced his own version of "Noah.""
82.Jump up ^ Ham, Ken. "Ken Ham: The Unbiblical Noah Is a Fable of a Film". Time. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
83.^ Jump up to: a b "Russell Crowe hits 'Noah' critics: ‘Bordering on absolute stupidity’". The Washington Times. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
84.Jump up ^ Smith, Grady (January 25 – February 1, 2013). "Hollywood Finds God (Again)". Entertainment Weekly (New York). p. 22.
85.Jump up ^ "Movie Banned in Bahrain, Qatar and UAE". Reuters. March 8, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
86.Jump up ^ "Middle East ban for Hollywood's Noah epic". BBC News. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
87.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26568107
88.Jump up ^ "Noah film should be banned says Egypt's top Islamic body". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Noah is also banned in Indonesia, with the censorship institution stating "religious reasons" for the ban but declining to further comment on the matter.
89.Jump up ^ http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14076
90.Jump up ^ amazon.de amazon.it
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Noah (2014 film)
Official website
Noah at the Internet Movie Database
Noah at the TCM Movie Database
Noah at Rotten Tomatoes
Noah at Metacritic
Noah at AllMovie


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Categories: 2014 films
English-language films
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2014 3D films
American epic films
Films about angels
Films directed by Darren Aronofsky
Film scores by Clint Mansell
Films set on ships
Films shot in Iceland
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Noah (2014 film)

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 This article's lead section may not adequately summarize key points of its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the article. (August 2014)

Noah
Noah2014Poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster with international IMAX 3D release

Directed by
Darren Aronofsky
Produced by
Scott Franklin
Darren Aronofsky
Mary Parent
Arnon Milchan

Written by
Darren Aronofsky
Ari Handel

Starring
Russell Crowe
Jennifer Connelly
Ray Winstone
Emma Watson
Logan Lerman
Douglas Booth
Anthony Hopkins

Music by
Clint Mansell
Cinematography
Matthew Libatique
Edited by
Andrew Weisblum

Production
 company

Regency Enterprises
Protozoa Pictures

Distributed by
Paramount Pictures

Release dates

March 10, 2014 (Mexico City premiere)
March 28, 2014 (United States)


Running time
 138 minutes[1]
Country
United States
Language
English
Budget
$125 million[2][3]
Box office
$362.6 million[4]
Noah is a 2014 American biblically inspired epic directed by Darren Aronofsky, written by Aronofsky and Ari Handel, and inspired by the story of Noah's Ark from the Book of Genesis.[5] The film stars Russell Crowe as Noah, along with Jennifer Connelly, Ray Winstone, Emma Watson, Logan Lerman, and Anthony Hopkins. The film was released in North American theaters on March 28, 2014, in 2D and IMAX, while several countries released a version of the film converted to 3D and IMAX 3D.[6]
Noah received generally positive reviews from critics and grossed over $362 million worldwide, but generated controversy with audiences.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Casting
3.3 Filming
3.4 Post-production
3.5 Music
3.6 Themes
3.7 Test screenings
4 Reception 4.1 Release and box office
4.2 Events
4.3 Critical reception
4.4 Racial issues
4.5 Christian and Jewish response
4.6 Muslim response and censorship
4.7 Home media
5 References
6 External links

Plot[edit]
As a young boy, Noah witnesses his father, Lamech, killed by a young Tubal-cain. Many years later an adult Noah is living with his wife Naameh and their sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After seeing a flower grow instantly from the ground and being haunted by dreams of a great flood, Noah takes them to visit his grandfather Methuselah.
They encounter a group of people recently killed and adopt the lone survivor, a girl named Ila. Noah and his family are chased by Tubal-cain and his men but seek refuge with the fallen angels known as the "Watchers", confined on Earth as stone golems (nephilim) for helping humans banished from the Garden of Eden. Methuselah gives Noah a seed from Eden and tells Noah that he was chosen for a reason. Returning to his tent that night, Noah plants the seed into the ground. The Watchers arrive the next morning and debate whether they should help Noah until they see water spout from the spot where Noah planted the seed. Once a forest grows quickly, the Watchers agree to help Noah and his family build an ark.
After birds fly to the ark, Tubal-cain arrives with his followers and confronts Noah. Noah defies Tubal-cain and remarks that there is no escape for the line of Cain. Tubal-cain retreats and decides to build weapons to defeat the Watchers and take the ark. As the ark nears completion, animals of various species enter the ark and are put to sleep with incense.
With Ila having become enamored of Shem, Noah goes to a nearby settlement to find wives for Ham and Japheth. Upon witnessing the settler's cannibalism, he abandons his effort and begins believing that the creator wants all of humanity dead. Back at the ark, he tells his family that he will not seek wives for his younger sons. After the flood they will be the last humans and there will be no new human generations.
Devastated that he will be alone his entire life, Ham runs into the forest. Naameh begs Noah to reconsider but, when he will not, she goes to Methuselah for help. Later, in the forest, Ila encounters Methuselah who cures her sterility. Meanwhile Ham, searching for a wife on his own, befriends the refugee Na'el.
After rain starts falling, Tubal-cain becomes angry that he was not chosen to be saved. The followers of Tubal-cain make a run for the ark. Noah finds Ham in the forest and forces Ham to save himself but leave Na'el to die when she is caught in an animal trap. Noah's family enter the ark except for Methuselah, who remains in the forest and is swept away by the rushing waters. The Watchers hold off Tubal-cain and his followers as long as possible, sacrificing themselves to protect the ark from the mob and ascending to heaven. As the flood drowns the remaining humans, an injured Tubal-cain climbs onto the ark and solicits Ham, playing on anger toward Noah for allowing Na'el to die.
Ila discovers that she is pregnant as the rains stop and begs the creator to let the child live. Noah interprets the ending of the rain to mean he must ensure the extinction of humans and, against his wife's protests, resolves that, if the child is a girl, he will kill her. Months pass, and Ila and Shem build a raft to escape Noah's resolve, but Noah discovers and burns it. Ila gives birth to twin girls. Tubal-cain convinces Ham to help kill Noah, who is then attacked by Tubal-cain, Ham, and Shem. As they fight, the ark strikes a mountain and Ham kills Tubal-cain. Noah seizes Ila's twins, but he spares them upon looking at his granddaughters and only feeling love.
Upon exiting the ark, Noah goes into isolation in a nearby cave and Ham leaves his kin to live alone. Having reconciled at the behest of Ila, Noah blesses the family as the beginning of a new human race and all witness an immense rainbow.
Cast[edit]
Russell Crowe as Noah[7]
Jennifer Connelly as Naameh, Noah's wife[8]
Ray Winstone as Tubal-cain, Noah's nemesis and descendant of Cain[9][10]
Douglas Booth as Shem, Noah's son[11]
Emma Watson as Ila, Noah's daughter-in-law and Shem's wife[12]
Logan Lerman as Ham, Noah's son[11]
Anthony Hopkins as Methuselah, Noah's grandfather[13]
Leo McHugh Carroll as Japheth, Noah's son
Frank Langella as Og, a Watcher who helps Noah[14]
Dakota Goyo as a young Noah[15]
Marton Csokas as Lamech, Noah's father[16][17]
Finn Wittrock as a young Tubal-cain[18]
Madison Davenport as Na'el, Ham's love interest[19]
Nick Nolte as Samyaza, leader of the Watchers[20]
Mark Margolis as Magog, a Watcher[20]
Kevin Durand as Rameel, a Watcher
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Aronofsky first got interested in the story of Noah in the seventh grade. As part of a creative writing assignment he submitted a poem about Noah entitled "The Dove".[21] Years later after finishing the movie Pi, Aronofsky was searching for ideas for his next movie and thought that a movie about Noah would be a good idea.[21] Work on the script began in 2000 but Aronofsky put the project on hold when he learned Hallmark was already working on a similar movie. Work on the draft resumed sometime later with a first draft being completed in 2003.[21]
In adapting the story for a feature film Aronofsky struggled with how to adapt it to feature length—the story in the Bible is only four chapters and doesn't include names for his wife or his sons' wives.[21] The text does mention Noah getting drunk after the flood and getting into an altercation with one of his sons, which provided Aronofsky and his team with ideas into what events could have taken place on the ark.[21]
Aronofsky first discussed Noah with The Guardian in April 2007, explaining that he saw Noah as "a dark, complicated character" who experiences "real survivor's guilt" after the flood. Aronofsky was working on early drafts of the script for Noah around the time his first attempt to make The Fountain fell through when actor Brad Pitt left the project.[22]
Ari Handel—Aronofsky's collaborator on The Fountain, The Wrestler, and Black Swan—helped Aronofsky develop the script. Before they found financial backing for Noah, they collaborated with Canadian artist Niko Henrichon to adapt the script into a graphic novel. The first volume of the graphic novel was released in the French language by Belgian publisher Le Lombard in October 2011 under the title Noé: Pour la cruauté des hommes (Noah: For the Cruelty of Men).[23] After the creation of the graphic novel, Aronofsky struck a deal with Paramount and New Regency to produce a feature film of Noah with a budget of $130 million.[24][25] Screenwriter John Logan was asked to re-draft the script alongside Aronofsky but is not credited for his contributions.[26]
In October 2012, Emma Watson commented on the setting of the film: "I think what Darren's going for is a sense that it could be set in any time. It could be set sort of like a thousand years in the future or a thousand years in the past. ... You shouldn't be able to place it too much."[27]
Casting[edit]
Aronofsky had previously offered the role of Noah to Christian Bale and Michael Fassbender, both of whom were unable to take the part due to previous commitments. Bale went on to star as Moses in Ridley Scott's religious epic film Exodus: Gods and Kings.[28]
Dakota Fanning was originally cast in the role of Ila, but departed due to a scheduling conflict.[29]
Julianne Moore was also considered for the role of Naameh.[29]
Liam Neeson, Liev Schreiber, and Val Kilmer were also considered for the part of Tubal-cain. Aronofsky reportedly wanted an actor "with the grit and size to be convincing as he goes head-to-head against Crowe's Noah character".[9]
Filming[edit]
Principal photography began in July 2012 in Dyrhólaey, Fossvogur, Reynisfjara, and other locations in southern Iceland.[30][31]
Filming also took place in New York state. A set representing Noah's Ark was built at the Planting Fields Arboretum in Upper Brookville, New York.[32] In September 2012, while on break from a location on Long Island, Russell Crowe and a friend, both of whom had been kayaking for several hours, were rescued by the Coast Guard near Cold Spring Harbor.[33] Production was put on hold while Hurricane Sandy subjected New York to heavy rain and flooding during late October 2012.[34]
Post-production[edit]
Post-production lasted over 14 months, with Aronofsky attempting some of the most complicated and extensive effects ever used in film. Industrial Light and Magic said their work on the film represented "the most complicated rendering in the company's history."[35]
To make the fallen angels' movements realistic, VFX supervisor Ben Snow and Aronofsky studied footage of real ballet dancers from the director’s Oscar-winning drama Black Swan.[36] Snow and Industrial Light Magic also teamed for the movie’s water scenes. "We created this great effect of geysers from the ground shooting water that meets rain falling to Earth," says Snow, currently overseeing special effects on the Avengers sequel. "That’s the thrill: to create something you’ve never done, or something people have never seen."[36]
Regarding the film's extensive use of visual effects, Aronofsky said he and his crew "had to create an entire animal kingdom"[35] using no real animals in the production but instead "slightly tweaked" versions of real creatures.[37] Besides the fictional land-based animals in the film, ILM was also responsible for creating the Watchers, the forest that sprouted from the seed, the deluge sequence during the battle between the Watchers and Tubal-cain and his army, and the two-minute long sequence of the history of Earth's creation.[38]
Music[edit]
The musical score for Noah was composed by Clint Mansell, who scored the music for all of Aronofsky's previous feature films, and is performed by Kronos Quartet.[39] A soundtrack album was released by Nonesuch Records on March 26, 2014.[40]
The score also features an original song by Patti Smith, which is a lullaby sung by both Russell Crowe and Emma Watson's characters during the film. Smith performs the song herself over the end credits.[40]
Themes[edit]
The president of the National Religious Broadcasters stated that the Noah film includes "major biblical themes" including "sin, judgment, righteousness, and God as Creator."[41] In addition, the film promotes the concept of evolutionary creation.[41][42] Ari Handel, the scriptwriter for the Noah film stated that “The story of Noah starts with this concept of strong justice, that the wickedness of man will soon be met with justice, and it ends when the rainbow comes and it says, even though the heart of man is filled with wickedness, I will never again destroy the world... So it ends with this idea of mercy. God somehow goes from this idea of judging the wickedness to mercy and grace. So we decided that was a powerful and emotional arc to go through, and we decided to give that arc to Noah.”[43] Commenting on God's mercy, Wesley Hill in First Things notes that "near the end of the film, Emma Watson’s character, Ila...says to Noah that perhaps God preserved him because God knew that he had a merciful heart", "the film ends up locating the rationale for God’s mercy in some native spark of goodness in Noah that will, viewers hope, make the new, post-flood world more livable than the antediluvian one."[44]
Test screenings[edit]
During mid 2013, Aronofsky and Paramount began sparring over final cut, with Paramount seeking to test unfinished, unscored, and alternate cuts of the film despite Aronofsky's objections.[45] Paramount proceeded with the test-screenings nonetheless, prompting "Worrisome" responses from largely religious audiences at test screenings in October 2013.[46] "They tried what they wanted to try, and eventually they came back. My version of the film hasn't been tested... It's what we wrote and what was green lighted." After much discussion and compromise, the studio announced on February 12 that Darren Aronofsky's version, not any of the studio's alternate versions, would be the final cut of Noah.[46]
Under pressure from Christian religious groups, Paramount Pictures added a disclaimer to marketing materials in February 2014, saying:

"The film is inspired by the story of Noah. While artistic license has been taken, we believe that this film is true to the essence, values and integrity of a story that is a cornerstone of faith for millions of people worldwide. The biblical story of Noah can be found in the book of Genesis."[47]
Reception[edit]
Release and box office[edit]
Noah had its world premiere in Mexico City on March 10, 2014.[48] In North America, the film grossed a little over $43.7 million during its opening box office weekend, becoming Aronofsky's highest opening weekend and his first film to open at No. 1.[49] The opening weekend was also the biggest ever for Russell Crowe as a lead actor.[50]
Overseas, the film's releases in Russia and Brazil were the largest ever for a non-sequel, and were the fourth biggest openings of all time with $17.2 million and $9.8 million, respectively. The opening in Russia was the largest ever for a Paramount film.[51] In South Korea, the film grossed $1.1 million on its opening day, the highest in 2014 for the territory.[52]
Noah grossed $101,200,044 in North America and $261,437,429 in other countries, making a worldwide gross of $362,637,473.[53] The film was declared "an unmitigated hit... by almost every measure."[54]
Events[edit]
In connection with the release of the film in North America, Aronofsky commissioned artists to create original works inspired by the Biblical story of Noah, stating that "The Noah story belongs to all of us - every religion, every culture, every citizen of planet Earth." The collection, titled Fountains of the Deep: Visions of Noah and Flood was open to the public for the month of March 2014 in the Soho district of New York City. Contributing artists included Ugo Rondinone, Karen Kilimnik, Mike Nelson, Nan Goldin, Jim Lee, Robert Liefeld, Jim Woodring, Simon Bisley, graffiti duo FAILE and James Jean.[55]
On the eve of the film's release in Reykjavik, Iceland, Aronofsky teamed up with Björk to host an environmental benefit concert in response to proposed anti-conservationist policy changes by the Icelandic government, with guest performances by Björk, Patti Smith, Lykke Li, Russell Crowe and Of Monsters and Men.[56]
Critical reception[edit]
Noah received generally positive reviews from critics. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 77% approval rating with an average rating of 6.6/10 based on 204 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "With sweeping visuals grounded by strong performances in service of a timeless tale told on a human scale, Darren Aronofsky's Noah brings the Bible epic into the 21st century."[57] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 68 out of 100, based on 46 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[58]
Movieline's Pete Hammond said that "It stays with you long after you leave the theatre. This 'Noah' is unlike any other film of its kind—an intimate and stirring new take on a biblical story we only thought we knew."[59][unreliable source?] Peter Travers of Rolling Stone said of the film: "a film of grit, grace, and visual wonders that for all its tech-head modernity is built on a spiritual core... In this flawed, fiercely relevant film, wonders never cease."[60] Time's Richard Corliss said, "Darren Aronofsky brings out wild ambition and thrilling artistry to one of the Old Testament's best-known, most dramatic, least plausible stories- Noah and the Ark- with Russell Crowe infusing the role of God's first seaman and zookeeper with all his surly majesty."[61]
Kathleen Parker, writing in The Washington Post, called the movie "Noah's Arc of Triumph" and said of the film: "If you like Braveheart, Gladiator, Star Wars, The Lord of The Rings, Indiana Jones, or Titanic, you will like Noah. If you like two or more of the above, you will love Noah."[62]
Richard Roeper called it "One of the most dazzling and unforgettable Biblical epics ever put on film."[63]
The movie also had its detractors. IndieWire claimed "Aronofsky's worst movie is an epic misfire that, like the source material, offers plenty of lessons even if you don't buy the whole package."[64] The Wrap called the film "Darren Aronofsky's Biblical Waterworld".[65] The New Yorker's David Denby wrote: "Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'- an epic farrago of tumultuous water, digital battle, and environmentalist rage... is the craziest big movie in years. 'Noah' may not make much sense, but only an artist could have made it.[66]
Racial issues[edit]
The film was challenged for its lack of African Americans and other persons of color in general. Reverend Wil Gafney, associate professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, sees the film as a throwback to the Hollywood era of all white casts and considers it worrisome in today's more multi-ethnic America. She goes on to state that "The Bible is the most multicultural piece of literature that most people will ever read. So a film about the Bible should reflect that diversity."[67]
Efrem Smith, of Los Angeles-based World Impact, critiques the film as a throwback to the 1956 classic The Ten Commandments, where an all-white cast played Moses and Pharaoh. Smith states that Noah deals with the curse of Ham by "simply erasing people of color from the story."[67]
Anthea Butler, an associate professor of religious studies at the University of Pennsylvania, said the casting choices send a worrying message: "It's a world where only white people get saved... this doesn't look like the world that God created."[68][69]
Co-writer Ari Handel addressed the issues around race in an interview, where he stated, "From the beginning, we were concerned about casting, the issue of race. What we realized is that this story is functioning at the level of myth, and as a mythical story, the race of the individuals doesn't matter."[70][71]
Christian and Jewish response[edit]
Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, called the Noah film "interesting and thought-provoking" after the film's lead star, Russell Crowe travelled to Lambeth Palace in order to discuss with him "faith and spirituality" after the movie's British premiere.[72][73] In addition, several Christian organizations have expressed support for the Noah film, "including Leaders from organizations like the American Bible Society, National Catholic Register, The King's College, Q Ideas, Hollywood Prayer Network, and Focus on the Family."[74] Focus on the Family president Jim Daly stated that: "[Noah] is a creative interpretation of the scriptural account that allows us to imagine the deep struggles Noah may have wrestled with as he answered God’s call on his life. This cinematic vision of Noah’s story gives Christians a great opportunity to engage our culture with the biblical Noah, and to have conversations with friends and family about matters of eternal significance."[75] Cultural commenter Fr. Robert Barron praised the film for its inclusion of "God, creation, providence, sin, obedience, salvation: not bad for a major Hollywood movie!"[76] In addition, The Biologos Foundation stated that they "saw the importance of stories as explanations—my favorite part of the whole movie was when Noah retold the Genesis creation accounts to his sons, and we saw the evolutionary creation of the world up to some mysterious Adam and Eve figures."[77]
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, an orthodox Jewish rabbi leader, hailed Noah as "a valuable film, especially for our times."[78] In order to create "a story that tries to explicate Noah's relationship with God and God's relationship with the world as it has become", director of the film Darren Aronofsky himself stated that he was working in "the tradition of Jewish Midrash".[79]
Noah has also been the subject of controversy with Christians who take issue with how the story has been portrayed. Ken Ham and Ray Comfort, both young earth creationists, objected to the film, with the latter apologist creating his own documentary, Noah and the Last Days as a response.[80][81][82] The director angered many in the religious community by stating that his version of “Noah” was the “least biblical biblical film ever made.”[83] Despite references to "The Creator", some still disliked the movie because God is not mentioned by name. Jerry Johnson, president of the National Religious Broadcasters, did not like the director’s description of Noah as the “first environmentalist”. Johnson called the film’s “insertion of the extremist environmental agenda” a major concern.[83]
Producer Scott Franklin told Entertainment Weekly, "Noah is a very short section of the Bible with a lot of gaps, so we definitely had to take some creative expression in it. But I think we stayed very true to the story and didn't really deviate from the Bible, despite the six-armed angels."[84] Kevin Hall, Ph.D., professor of biblical and theological studies and the Ida Elizabeth and J.W. Hollums chair of Bible at Oklahoma Baptist University observed that "the story in Genesis is extremely concise, so some creativity with the tale — especially by Hollywood — is hardly a surprise."[47]
Muslim response and censorship[edit]
See also: Noah in Islam
The film was banned in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, and Indonesia prior to its release because it is seen by the governments of those countries as contradicting the teachings of Islam. A representative of Paramount Pictures stated, "Censors for Qatar, Bahrain and the UAE officially confirmed this week that the film will not release in their countries."[85] The film was also disapproved by the Al-Azhar University in Egypt since it violates Islamic law and could "provoke the feelings of believers".[86] Mohammad Zareef from Pakistan's Central Board of Film Censors said they tended to steer clear of films with a religious theme, adding, "We haven't seen it yet, but I don't think it can go to the cinemas in Pakistan." However, the DVD release will be available in Pakistan.[87] In many Islamic juristic schools, the portrayal of prophets such as Noah is forbidden.[88]
Home media[edit]
Noah was released on Blu-ray and DVD on July 29, 2014.[89] In August 2014 a 3D Blu-ray edition was also released in Italy and Germany.[90]
References[edit]
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3.Jump up ^ Child, Ben (March 11, 2014). "Studio cut of Noah 'featured religious montage and Christian rock song'". The Guardian.
4.Jump up ^ "Noah (2014)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
5.Jump up ^ Chitwood, Adam (October 25, 2012). "First Look at Ray Winstone on the Set of Darren Aronofsky’s NOAH [Updated with Images of Russell Crowe, Douglas Booth, and Logan Lerman]". Collider.com. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
6.Jump up ^ Mendelson, Scott (February 6, 2014). "Paramount's 'Noah' To Go 3D, But Not In America". Forbes. Retrieved March 29, 2014.
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9.^ Jump up to: a b Child, Ben (June 12, 2012). "Ray Winstone set to star opposite Russell Crowe in Noah's ark epic". The Guardian. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
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11.^ Jump up to: a b Fleming, Mike (June 4, 2012). "Douglas Booth And Logan Lerman Board Boat For 'Noah'". deadline.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
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20.^ Jump up to: a b "Nolte joins Noah at last minute". The Irish Independent. January 16, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
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25.Jump up ^ Fischer, Russ (October 20, 2011). "First Volume of Graphic Novel Version of Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ Available in Europe; See Pages and a Trailer". slashfilm.com. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ Douglas, Edward (November 21, 2011). "Exclusive: John Logan on Noah and Skyfall". comingsoon.net. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
27.Jump up ^ Maytum, Matt (October 3, 2012). "Emma Watson on her future projects: video interview". totalfilm.com. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
28.Jump up ^ Sneider, Jeff (November 30, 2011). "Christian Bale passes on 'Noah'; Fassbender in?". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
29.^ Jump up to: a b Sneider, Jeff (June 7, 2012). "Emma Watson called to 'Noah' role". Variety. Retrieved July 25, 2012.
30.Jump up ^ Hnefill, Örlygur (August 6, 2012). "Russell Crowe and Emma Watson filming in Iceland". goiceland.is. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
31.Jump up ^ "Darren Aronofsky’s ‘Noah’ Begins Filming – Starring Russell Crowe, Ray Winstone & Emma Watson". flicksandbits.com. July 20, 2012. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
32.Jump up ^ "First look at the set of ‘Noah’ in New York". On Location Vacations. July 20, 2012. Retrieved July 29, 2012.
33.Jump up ^ "Russell Crowe gets lost on kayaking trip". BBC News. September 3, 2012. Retrieved September 3, 2012. "The coastguard officers lifted the pair and their kayaks into the boat and ferried them to Huntington Bay, 10 miles from where the pair had set out on their trip."
34.Jump up ^ "Sandy halts production of Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah'". CNN. October 30, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
35.^ Jump up to: a b Anderson, John. (Fall 2013). The Many Worlds of Darren Aronofsky. Director's Guild of America. Retrieved October 16, 2013 from http://www.dga.org/Craft/DGAQ/All-Articles/1304-Fall-2013/Darren-Aronofsky.aspx
36.^ Jump up to: a b Scott Bowles (November 25, 2014). "Almighty Affect Noah and Exodus: Gods and Kings presented VFX challenges of biblical proportions.". Deadline.com. Retrieved December 28, 2014.
37.Jump up ^ Masters, Kim. Darren Aronofsky, Paramount Spar Over 'Noah' Final Cut (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. October 15, 2013. Retrieved October 16, 2013 from http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/darren-aronofsky-paramount-spar-noah-648777
38.Jump up ^ Failes, Ian. "Character Ark: the visual effects of Noah". fxguide. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
39.Jump up ^ Jagernauth, Kevin (December 11, 2012). "Darren Aronofsky Confirms Clint Mansell Is Scoring 'Noah,' Discusses Their Working Relationship". indiewire.com. Retrieved December 11, 2012.
40.^ Jump up to: a b "'Noah' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. March 13, 2014. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
41.^ Jump up to: a b Warren Cole Smith (February 25, 2014). "Signs and Wonders: Noah needs ‘based on a true story’ disclaimer". WORLD. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
42.Jump up ^ Billy Hallowell (February 26, 2014). "Honest Assessment of New 'Noah' Movie". TheBlaze. Retrieved March 25, 2014. "For instance, at one point Noah is preaching to his family and telling the story of creation – one that is presented through an evolutionary lens, albeit a theistic one."
43.Jump up ^ Alter, Charlotte (March 24, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Approved by Religious Leaders". Time. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
44.Jump up ^ Hill, Wesley (March 31, 2014). "A Pauline Exegete Watches Aronofsky’s Noah | First Thoughts". First Things. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
45.Jump up ^ Friend, Tad. "HEAVY WEATHER: Darren Aronofsky gets Biblical". The New Yorker.
46.^ Jump up to: a b "Rough Seas on 'Noah': Darren Aronofsky Opens Up on the Biblical Battle to Woo Christians (and Everyone Else)". The Hollywood Reporter. February 12, 2014. Retrieved February 19, 2014.
47.^ Jump up to: a b Hinton, Carla (March 29, 2014). "Flood of imagery: 'Noah' movie goes beyond familiar Sunday school Bible story". News OK. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
48.Jump up ^ "'Noah' World Premiere in Mexico City Gets Mixed Reception". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
49.Jump up ^ Boxoffice Media, Llc (March 28, 2014). "BoxOffice — Noah". Boxoffice.com. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
50.Jump up ^ Stiles, Nancy. "http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2014/03/noah-box-office". Complex Magazine. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
51.Jump up ^ Tartaglione, Nancy. "‘Noah’ Crosses $300M In Global Box Office". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
52.Jump up ^ Nikara, Johns. "‘Noah’ Has Strong Start in South Korea With $1.1 Million". Variety. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
53.Jump up ^ Box Office Mojo. "Noah (2014) - Box Office Mojo". boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
54.Jump up ^ Bowles, Scott. "'Noah' is a hit, yet film fans may not believe in it". USA Today. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
55.Jump up ^ Billington, Alex. "Take a Look Inside Darren Aronofsky's Stunning NYC Noah Art Show". FirstShowing.net. Retrieved 28 May 2014.
56.Jump up ^ Shannen, Lisa. "Darren Aronofsky's Noah to Premier in Reykjavik With Special Guest Performances by Bjork, Patti Smith & Lykke Li". Retrieved 27 May 2014.
57.Jump up ^ "Noah (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
58.Jump up ^ "Noah Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
59.Jump up ^ van Movieline. "Noah 2014 Movie Review". YouTube. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
60.Jump up ^ Peter Travers (March 27, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Reviews". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
61.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard. "Darren Aronofsky’s Noah Movie: Better Than the Book". Time. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
62.Jump up ^ Parker, Kathleen. "Noah’s arc of triumph". The Washington Post. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
63.Jump up ^ http://www.richardroeper.com/reviews/noah.aspx
64.Jump up ^ "Review: Darren Aronofsky's 'Noah' Is a Biblical Mess, But That's What Makes It Worth Talking About". Indiewire.com. October 26, 2012. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
65.Jump up ^ "'Noah' Review: Darren Aronofsky's Biblical 'Waterworld' Mostly Runs Aground (Video)". TheWrap. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
66.Jump up ^ Denby, David (April 7, 2014). "MAN OVERBOARD". The New Yorker (April 7th, 2014): 74. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
67.^ Jump up to: a b Smietana, Bob. "Does 'Noah' Have A Race Problem? Biblical Film Draws Criticism For Lack Of Diversity". Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 August 2014.
68.Jump up ^ http://www.msnbc.com/all-in/watch/is-noah-2014s-most-controversial-film-209827395779 Is 'Noah' 2014's most controversial film?
69.Jump up ^ http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-04/noah-blockbuster-has-almost-everything-going-it-except-diversity Critics find ‘Noah’ lacking in ethnic diversity
70.Jump up ^ http://uproxx.com/filmdrunk/2014/04/noah-co-writer-ari-handel-explains-why-there-werent-any-black-people-in-noah/ ‘Noah’ Co-Writer Ari Handel Explains (Badly) Why There Weren’t Any Black People In Noah
71.Jump up ^ http://www.thehighcalling.org/culture/noah#.U8_O_PmSypf Stewardship of Creation: An Interview with "Noah" Screenwriter, Ari Handel
72.Jump up ^ "Crowe meets Anglican leader after 'Noah' premiere". London: ADN. Associated Press. April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
73.Jump up ^ "Russell Crowe meets archbishop to discuss Noah film". British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). April 1, 2014. Retrieved April 2, 2014.
74.Jump up ^ "'Noah' Film Receives Praise From Christian Evangelicals Unfazed By 'Creative Interpretation'". Huffington Post. March 22, 2014. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
75.Jump up ^ Charlotte Alter (March 24, 2014). "'Noah' Movie Approved by Religious Leaders". Time. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
76.Jump up ^ Barron, Robert. "Noah: A Post-Modern Midrash". wordonfire.org.
77.Jump up ^ Stump, Jim (April 2, 2014). "The Noah Movie". The Biologos Foundation. Retrieved April 2, 2014. "And we saw the importance of stories as explanations—my favorite part of the whole movie was when Noah retold the Genesis creation accounts to his sons, and we saw the evolutionary creation of the world up to some mysterious Adam and Eve figures."
78.Jump up ^ Hoffman, Jordan (March 27, 2014). "Hollywood 'Noah' is kosher, says celebrity rabbi". The Times of Israel. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "I think it is a valuable film, especially for our times."
79.Jump up ^ "For his hot-button 'Noah,' Darren Aronofsky gave ark builder an arc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "Working in what he calls "the tradition of Jewish Midrash" (stories based on the Bible by scholars), in which he and Handel work to fill gaps in the biblical narrative, Aronofsky created a story that tries to explicate Noah's relationship with God and God's relationship with the world as it has become."
80.Jump up ^ Thompson, Jen (March 25, 2014). "Ray Comfort: 'Noah' Movie Listed as Entertaining 'Fantasy' in Hollywood". Charisma Magazine. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
81.Jump up ^ "Christian Filmmaker Ray Comfort Blasts Hollywood's 'Noah' Movie; Will Release His Own Film on Noah". The Christian Post. March 2, 2014. Retrieved April 1, 2014. "Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe has urged Pope Francis to watch his biblical epic "Noah," but Christian evangelist and award-winning filmmaker Ray Comfort says the "sensational" film cannot be called a "biblical adventure." Comfort has produced his own version of "Noah.""
82.Jump up ^ Ham, Ken. "Ken Ham: The Unbiblical Noah Is a Fable of a Film". Time. Retrieved April 1, 2014.
83.^ Jump up to: a b "Russell Crowe hits 'Noah' critics: ‘Bordering on absolute stupidity’". The Washington Times. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
84.Jump up ^ Smith, Grady (January 25 – February 1, 2013). "Hollywood Finds God (Again)". Entertainment Weekly (New York). p. 22.
85.Jump up ^ "Movie Banned in Bahrain, Qatar and UAE". Reuters. March 8, 2014. Retrieved April 8, 2014.
86.Jump up ^ "Middle East ban for Hollywood's Noah epic". BBC News. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
87.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-26568107
88.Jump up ^ "Noah film should be banned says Egypt's top Islamic body". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 20, 2014. Noah is also banned in Indonesia, with the censorship institution stating "religious reasons" for the ban but declining to further comment on the matter.
89.Jump up ^ http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=14076
90.Jump up ^ amazon.de amazon.it
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Noah (2014 film)
Official website
Noah at the Internet Movie Database
Noah at the TCM Movie Database
Noah at Rotten Tomatoes
Noah at Metacritic
Noah at AllMovie


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Films directed by Darren Aronofsky


Pi (1998) ·
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Categories: 2014 films
English-language films
American films
American 3D films
2014 3D films
American epic films
Films about angels
Films directed by Darren Aronofsky
Film scores by Clint Mansell
Films set on ships
Films shot in Iceland
Films shot in New York
Dolby Atmos films
IMAX films
Noah's Ark in film
Paramount Pictures films
Regency Enterprises films
Religious epic films
Screenplays by Darren Aronofsky
Seafaring films
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Depictions of Adam and Eve













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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the 1999 straight-to-video film version of the immensely popular Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast[1]
3 Musical Numbers
4 Release
5 Reception
6 See also
7 References

Plot[edit]
The plot of the film follows the same story of Joseph's life as the Broadway musical. The only change is the addition of a very brief subplot in which the actors begin the film as "teachers" in a school where the "students" become the children's chorus of the musical. This subplot opens the film and doesn't reappear until the very end during the credit role. For a full plot summary, see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Cast[1][edit]
Donny Osmond as Joseph
Maria Friedman as Narrator
Richard Attenborough as Jacob
Robert Torti as Pharaoh
Ian McNeice as Potiphar
Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar
Christopher Biggins as Baker
Alex Jennings as Butler
Nicolas Colicos as Reuben
Jeff Blumenkrantz as Simeon
David J. Higgins as Levi
Patrick Clancey as Issachar
Shaun Henson as Napthali
Martin Callaghan as Asher
Sebastien Torkia as Dan
Michael Small as Zebulun
Peter Challis as Gad
Nick Holmes as Benjamin
Gerry McIntyre as Judah
Musical Numbers[edit]
Prologue - Narrator
Any Dream Will Do - Joseph, Children
Jacob and Sons/Joseph's Coat - Jacob, Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Dreams - Narrator, Brothers, Joseph
Poor, Poor Joseph - Narrator, Brothers, Children
One More Angel in Heaven - Reuben, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Jacob, Children
Potiphar - Children, Narrator, Male Ensemble, Mrs Potiphar, Potiphar, Joseph
Close Every Door - Joseph, Children
Go, Go, Go Joseph - Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Joseph, Guru, Children
Pharaoh's Story - Narrator, Children
Poor, Poor Pharaoh - Narrator, Butler, Pharaoh, Children
Song of the King - Pharaoh, Ensemble
Pharaoh's Dream Explained - Joseph, Ensemble, Children
Stone the Crows - Narrator, Pharaoh, Children, Joseph, Female Ensemble
Those Canaan Days - Simeon, Jacob, Brothers
The Brothers Come To Egypt/Grovel, Grovel - Narrator, Brothers, Joseph, Female Ensemble, Children
Who's the Thief? - Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble
Benjamin Calypso - Judah, Brothers (but Benjamin), Female Ensemble
Joseph All the Time - Narrator, Joseph, Children
Jacob in Egypt - Narrator, Jacob, Children, Ensemble
Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)/Give Me My Colored Coat - Joseph, Narrator, Children, Ensemble
Joseph Megamix - Ensemble
Release[edit]
The film was originally shot as a feature film, but ended up being released directly to video.[2] The film was shot in the beginning months of 1999 at Pinewood Studios in London.The release of the film was advertised by a brief series of sing-along performances that Osmond starred in as a Fathom Event.[3] The film was released by PolyGram.[4]
Reception[edit]
Reviews of the film were generally positive. The film has maintained an 83% approval rating on the film aggregate "Rotten Tomatoes."[5] The film has been described by PBS as being a "lively interpretation."[6] Michael Dequina, online film critic for "TheMovieReport.com", described the film as a "sweet, candy-colored confection for the entire family."[7]
See also[edit]
List of films featuring slavery
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Cast List". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 11/5/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
2.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)". The New York Times. Retrieved 11/5/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
3.Jump up ^ "Donny Osmond and 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' coming to movie theaters (video)". M Live. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
4.Jump up ^ "Lloyd Webber catalog repackaged for video.". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
5.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
6.Jump up ^ "Introduction". PBS. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
7.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat". TheMovieReport. Retrieved 11/10/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  


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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the 1999 straight-to-video film version of the immensely popular Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast[1]
3 Musical Numbers
4 Release
5 Reception
6 See also
7 References

Plot[edit]
The plot of the film follows the same story of Joseph's life as the Broadway musical. The only change is the addition of a very brief subplot in which the actors begin the film as "teachers" in a school where the "students" become the children's chorus of the musical. This subplot opens the film and doesn't reappear until the very end during the credit role. For a full plot summary, see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Cast[1][edit]
Donny Osmond as Joseph
Maria Friedman as Narrator
Richard Attenborough as Jacob
Robert Torti as Pharaoh
Ian McNeice as Potiphar
Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar
Christopher Biggins as Baker
Alex Jennings as Butler
Nicolas Colicos as Reuben
Jeff Blumenkrantz as Simeon
David J. Higgins as Levi
Patrick Clancey as Issachar
Shaun Henson as Napthali
Martin Callaghan as Asher
Sebastien Torkia as Dan
Michael Small as Zebulun
Peter Challis as Gad
Nick Holmes as Benjamin
Gerry McIntyre as Judah
Musical Numbers[edit]
Prologue - Narrator
Any Dream Will Do - Joseph, Children
Jacob and Sons/Joseph's Coat - Jacob, Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Dreams - Narrator, Brothers, Joseph
Poor, Poor Joseph - Narrator, Brothers, Children
One More Angel in Heaven - Reuben, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Jacob, Children
Potiphar - Children, Narrator, Male Ensemble, Mrs Potiphar, Potiphar, Joseph
Close Every Door - Joseph, Children
Go, Go, Go Joseph - Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Joseph, Guru, Children
Pharaoh's Story - Narrator, Children
Poor, Poor Pharaoh - Narrator, Butler, Pharaoh, Children
Song of the King - Pharaoh, Ensemble
Pharaoh's Dream Explained - Joseph, Ensemble, Children
Stone the Crows - Narrator, Pharaoh, Children, Joseph, Female Ensemble
Those Canaan Days - Simeon, Jacob, Brothers
The Brothers Come To Egypt/Grovel, Grovel - Narrator, Brothers, Joseph, Female Ensemble, Children
Who's the Thief? - Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble
Benjamin Calypso - Judah, Brothers (but Benjamin), Female Ensemble
Joseph All the Time - Narrator, Joseph, Children
Jacob in Egypt - Narrator, Jacob, Children, Ensemble
Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)/Give Me My Colored Coat - Joseph, Narrator, Children, Ensemble
Joseph Megamix - Ensemble
Release[edit]
The film was originally shot as a feature film, but ended up being released directly to video.[2] The film was shot in the beginning months of 1999 at Pinewood Studios in London.The release of the film was advertised by a brief series of sing-along performances that Osmond starred in as a Fathom Event.[3] The film was released by PolyGram.[4]
Reception[edit]
Reviews of the film were generally positive. The film has maintained an 83% approval rating on the film aggregate "Rotten Tomatoes."[5] The film has been described by PBS as being a "lively interpretation."[6] Michael Dequina, online film critic for "TheMovieReport.com", described the film as a "sweet, candy-colored confection for the entire family."[7]
See also[edit]
List of films featuring slavery
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Cast List". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 11/5/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
2.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)". The New York Times. Retrieved 11/5/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
3.Jump up ^ "Donny Osmond and 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' coming to movie theaters (video)". M Live. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
4.Jump up ^ "Lloyd Webber catalog repackaged for video.". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
5.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
6.Jump up ^ "Introduction". PBS. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
7.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing technicolor Dreamcoat". TheMovieReport. Retrieved 11/10/13. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  


Categories: 1999 films




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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Joseph and the Amazing
 Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.jpg
1991 Revivals Logo

Music
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics
Tim Rice
Basis
The story of Joseph in Genesis
Productions
1968 Colet Court cantata
 1973 West End
 1978 West End
 1979 West End
 1982 Broadway
 1991 West End revival
 1992 Toronto
 1993 Australia
 1993 Broadway revival
 2003 West End revival
 2005, 2007 United States Tour
 2007 West End revival
 2010–present UK tour
 2014 United States Tour
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical or operetta with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly. (Their first musical, The Likes of Us, written in 1965, was not performed until 2005.)
The show has little spoken dialogue; it is completely sung-through. Its family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music have resulted in numerous productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; according to the Really Useful Group, by 2008 more than 20,000 schools and amateur theatre groups had successfully put on productions.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Development
2 Early stage performances and recordings 2.1 1969 concept album
2.2 1971 recording
2.3 Young Vic production and recordings
2.4 1975–1979
3 Professional productions in the U.S.
4 1990s
5 2000s
6 Synopsis
7 Characters
8 Musical numbers
9 Awards and nominations 9.1 Original Broadway production
9.2 1991 London revival
9.3 2003 London revival
10 Film adaptation
11 Published music
12 References
13 External links

Development[edit]
Joseph was first presented as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London in 1968 and was recorded as a concept album in 1969. After the success of the next Lloyd Webber and Rice piece, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph received stage productions beginning in 1970 and expanded recordings in 1971 and 1972. While still undergoing various transformations and expansions, the musical was produced in the West End in 1973, and in its full format was recorded in 1974 and opened on Broadway in 1982. Several major revivals and a 1999 straight-to-video film, starring Donny Osmond, followed.
Lloyd Webber's composer father, William, felt the show had the seeds of greatness. He encouraged and arranged for a second performance — at his church, Westminster Central Hall — with a revised and expanded format. The boys of Colet Court sang at this performance in May 1968,[2] which also included the Mixed Bag. It received positive reviews: London's Sunday Times said it was a new pop oratorio. By its third performance at St Paul's Cathedral in November 1968, it had been expanded to 35 minutes and included songs such as "Potiphar".[2]
Novello agreed to publish the work, and Decca Records recorded it in 1969 as a concept album. David Daltrey, front man of British psychedelic band Tales of Justine, played the role of Joseph; and Tim Rice was Pharaoh. Other vocalists included Terry Saunders and Malcolm Parry of the Mixed Bag.[3][4][5]
In 1969, Lloyd Webber and Rice used the popularity of their second rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, to promote Joseph, which was advertised in America as a "follow-up" to Superstar.[6] Riding on Superstar's coattails proved profitable for Joseph, as the U.S. Decca recording of Superstar had been in the top of America's charts for three months. The first American production of Joseph was in May 1970, at Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York. Following this, according to Lloyd Webber's Really Useful site, "there followed huge interest from colleges and schools."[7]
Early stage performances and recordings[edit]
1969 concept album[edit]
Decca Records recorded Joseph in 1969 as a concept album, credited to the Joseph Consortium. David Daltrey, front man of British EMI psychedelic band Tales of Justine, played the role of Joseph and lead guitar; and Tim Rice was Pharaoh. Other vocalists included members of the Mixed Bag group such as Terry Saunders and Malcolm Parry, and the choir of Colet Court School.[3][4][5] Daltrey, although not part of the Mixed Bag group, was managed by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the time, and fellow EMI colleague Martin Wilcox had suggested the Mixed Bag to Tim Rice to help out as a backing group on the album.
1971 recording[edit]
A recording of the musical with 19 tracks was issued in the U.S. on Scepter Records in 1971. It was a reissue of the 1969 Decca UK album, capitalizing on the success of 1970's Jesus Christ Superstar in the U.S. It featured David Daltrey as Joseph, Tim Rice as Pharaoh, Dr. William S. Lloyd Webber on the Hammond organ, Alan Doggett conducting, various solo vocalists and instrumentalists, and the Colet Court choir as the chorus.[8][9]
Young Vic production and recordings[edit]
In late August and September 1972, Joseph was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival by the Young Vic Theatre Company, directed by Frank Dunlop. It starred Gary Bond in the title role, Peter Reeves as the narrator, and Gordon Waller as Pharaoh. In October the production played at London's Young Vic Theatre, and in November at the Roundhouse. The production was part of a double bill called Bible One: Two Looks at the Book of Genesis. Part I, entitled The Genesis Mediaeval Mystery Plays: The Creation to Jacob (at the Young Vic originally called simply Mediaeval Mystery Plays), was Dunlop's reworking of the first six of the medieval Wakefield Mystery Plays, with music by Alan Doggett. Part II was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[6] The Young Vic production was recorded for an LP released on the RSO label in 1972. This production was also televised in the UK by Granada Television in 1972.[10]
In February 1973, theatre producer Michael White and impresario Robert Stigwood mounted the Young Vic production at the Albery Theatre in the West End, where it ran for 243 performances.[11] The mystery plays which had preceded the original Young Vic productions were dropped, and instead the musical was preceded by a piece called Jacob's Journey, with music and lyrics by Lloyd Webber and Rice and a book by television comedy writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The new opening piece, Jacob's Journey, which contained a great deal of spoken dialogue, was eventually phased out in favour of a completely sung-through score. The first production of the show in its modern, final form was at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester, which presented the musical several times in the mid- to late-1970s.[6][12]
A recording of the full musical was released on the MCA label in 1974, again featuring Gary Bond, Peter Reeves, and Gordon Waller. This is the earliest recording of Joseph to eventually go to CD. Gordon Waller also appeared on another recording in 1979, featuring Tim Rice as the Narrator and Paul Jones as Joseph, on the Music For Pleasure label.
1975–1979[edit]
In 1975 Miranda Enterprises in association with Leicester Theatre Company presented a production of Joseph at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. It was directed by Paul Tomlinson, Choreographed by David Thornton, and Designed by Hugh Durrant, with Chris Littlewood as the Musical Director. This production starred Patrick Ryecart as Joseph, David Sadgrove as Pharaoh, and had three Narrators: Nigel Baldwin, Ben Bazell, and Patrick Reilley.
Ken Hill directed a large-scale production of Joseph at the Westminster Theatre, London, which ran from November 1978 to February 1979, and again from November 1979 to February 1980. This production starred Paul Jones as Joseph, John Golder as the Narrator, and Leonard Whiting as Pharaoh. The producer was Martin Gates, the Musical Director was Jack Forsyth, the Lighting Designer was Francis Reed, and the Designer was Saul Radomsky. A recording of this production with additional narration spoken by children was broadcast on BBC radio, produced by Richard Wilcox.
Professional productions in the U.S.[edit]
The musical ran at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1976 and in 1977 as "holiday fare". In the 1976 production, which opened on 30 December, direction was by John Dunlop, with a cast that featured Cleavon Little as the Narrator and David-James Carroll as Joseph.[13] In the 1977 production, running in December through 1 January 1978, staging was by Graciela Daniele, and David-James Carroll played Joseph, Alan Weeks played the Narrator and William Parry played Pharaoh/Elvis.[14]
Joseph opened in an Off-Broadway production at the Entermedia Theatre on 18 November 1981, and ran through 24 January 1982. Directed by Tony Tanner, the cast starred Bill Hutton as Joseph, Laurie Beechman as the Narrator, and Tom Carder as Pharaoh. The New York Times review noted that the musical had previously played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and that this 1981 Entermedia Theatre production was the "professional Manhattan premiere".[15][16]
The musical transferred to Broadway at the Royale Theatre on 27 January 1982 and ran through 4 September 1983, with 747 performances.[17] Directed and choreographed by Tony Tanner, the off-Broadway cast reprised their roles, with Bill Hutton as Joseph, Laurie Beechman as the Narrator, and Tom Carder as Pharaoh. This production was recorded for release on the Chrysalis label, and is the first to feature the Prologue (dubbed on the Chrysalis release "You are what you feel"). The show received several Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Original Score. David Cassidy took over the role of Joseph in March 1983 through September 10, 1983 and performed in the touring cast in 1983/1984.[18]
A new North American touring production began on March 4, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio starring Diana DeGarmo as the Narrator and Ace Young as Joseph.[19]
2014 marks the 20th Anniversary performance of Joseph at the State Theatre in New Jersey. The Production has been Produced through the regional theatre group Plays in the Park, located in Edison, New Jersey. The production has been running every year, since 1995, with this years performance dates December 26, 27 and 28.
1990s[edit]
With Jason Donovan in the lead, the expanded show was restaged in 1991 at the London Palladium with Steven Pimlott as director, winning the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for set design. The cast album of this production was the #1 UK album for two weeks in September 1991, and the single "Any Dream Will Do" from it was also the #1 UK single for two weeks in June–July 1991. When Donovan left, former children's TV presenter Phillip Schofield portrayed Joseph.
The musical opened in Toronto at the Elgin Theatre in July 1992, with Donny Osmond as Joseph and Janet Metz as the Narrator.[20]
The show was revived in the United States in 1993, playing in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre for 18 weeks[21] and in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre for an 8-week run[21] before moving to Broadway, playing at the Minskoff Theatre from November 10, 1993 to May 29, 1994 for 231 performances.[22] Directed by Steven Pimlott and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, the cast featured Michael Damian (Joseph), Kelli Rabke (Narrator), Clifford David (Jacob), and Robert Torti (Pharaoh).[23][24]
In 1999, a video version with Donny Osmond in the title role was released, directed by David Mallet. Osmond had toured North America in the role after opening the Toronto revival in 1992. Maria Friedman appears as the Narrator, Richard Attenborough as Jacob, Ian McNeice as Potiphar, Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar and Robert Torti as Pharaoh.[25]
2000s[edit]
A modest production starring former Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, "with cartoon cut-out sets and props and naff panto choreography", previewed in Oxford in December 2002, before moving to Liverpool over Christmas 2002. This production reached the West End at the New London Theatre in March 2003.[26]
A U.S. national tour began in September 2005 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and starred Patrick Cassidy.[27]
A 2007 revival of the London Palladium production at the Adelphi Theatre was the subject of BBC One's second search for a West End star, capitalizing on the success of the BBC's 2006 Lloyd Webber talent search series, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. This new talent search show, Any Dream Will Do, with the participation of Lloyd Webber and other theatre luminaries, sought a new leading man to play Joseph. More than 3 million viewers cast votes during the 9 June 2007 series finale, and made 25-year-old Lee Mead "officially the people's Joseph". Mead had given up his ensemble role in The Phantom of the Opera, where he also understudied Raoul. The new Joseph production, which began on 6 July 2007, used Steven Pimlott's (who had died since staging the Palladium production) original direction, with Bombay Dreams star Preeya Kalidas as the Narrator.[28]
Tickets for the show's originally-planned six-month run sold so fast that in three weeks all tickets for the first three months were sold out, and the producers had extended the show's run — and Mead's contract — until 7 June 2008. Before opening night, the producers had banked £10 million in receipts from advance ticket sales. In his review for Variety, David Benedict wrote, "Mead delivers.... [He] is contracted for at least a year. For as long as Mead chooses to continue in it, Joseph is, commercially speaking, the safest of bets." Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group donated all receipts from two special performances to the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal. Additionally, the money normally given to the cast for first-night gifts in July 2007 went instead to Children in Need. In January 2009 Mead left the show and was replaced by Gareth Gates. The production closed in May 2009.
The long-running UK touring production, which was re-cast in 2010, starred Keith Jack as Joseph as of July 2010, opposite Jennifer Potts as narrator.[29]
On the 10th of December 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber confirmed on BBC's The One Show that he had signed off a new film version of Joseph following the success of recent musical films such as Les Miserables.[30]
Synopsis[edit]
Act I
The story is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, found in the Book of Genesis. It is set in a frame in which a narrator is telling a story (sometimes to children, encouraging them to dream). She then tells the story of Joseph, another dreamer ("Prologue," "Any Dream Will Do"). In the beginning of the main story Jacob and his 12 sons are introduced ("Jacob and Sons"). Joseph's brothers are jealous of him for his coat of many colours, a symbol of their father's preference for him ("Joseph's Coat"). It is clear from Joseph's dreams that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To get rid of him and prevent the dreams from coming true, they attempt fratricide, but then they sell Joseph as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites ("Poor, Poor Joseph"), who take him to Egypt.
Back home, his brothers, led by Reuben and accompanied by their wives, break the news to Jacob that Joseph has been killed. They show his tattered coat smeared with his blood – really goat blood – as proof that what they say is true ("One More Angel in Heaven"). After the bereft Jacob leaves, the brothers and their wives happily celebrate the loss of Joseph.
In Egypt, Joseph is the slave of Egyptian millionaire Potiphar. He rises through the ranks of slaves and servants until he is running Potiphar's house. When Mrs. Potiphar makes advances, Joseph spurns her. She removes his shirt, feels his chest and back, squeezes his rear and blows him kisses. Potiphar overhears, barges in, sees the two together – and jumps to conclusions ("Potiphar"). Outraged, he throws Joseph in jail. Depressed, Joseph laments the situation ("Close Every Door") – but his spirits rise when he helps two prisoners put in his cell. Both are former servants of the Pharaoh and both have had bizarre dreams. Joseph interprets them. One cellmate, the Baker, will be executed, but the other, the Butler, will be returned to service. Upon hearing this, the rest of the prisoners surround Joseph and encourage him to go after his dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph").
Act II
The Narrator tells of impending changes in Joseph's fortunes ("A Pharaoh Story") because the Pharaoh is having dreams that no one can interpret. Now freed, the Butler tells Pharaoh (acted in the style of Elvis Presley) of Joseph and his dream-interpretation skills ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh orders Joseph to be brought in and the king tells him his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn ("Song of the King").
Joseph interprets the dream as seven plentiful years of crops followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). An astonished Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of carrying out the preparations needed to endure the impending famine, and Joseph becomes the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself ("Stone the Crows"). (In the 2007 London revival, Pharaoh has a new song, "King of my Heart").
Back home, the famine has caught up with Joseph's brothers, who – led by the brother Simeon – express regret at selling him and deceiving their father ("Those Canaan Days"). They hear that Egypt still has food and decide to go there to beg for mercy and to be fed, not realising that they will be dealing with Joseph ("The Brothers Come to Egypt"). Joseph gives them sacksful of food and sends them on their way, but plants a golden cup in the sack of his youngest brother, Benjamin ("Grovel, Grovel"). When the brothers try to leave, Joseph stops them, asking about the "stolen cup". Each brother empties his sack, and it is revealed that Benjamin has the cup. Joseph then accuses Benjamin of robbery ("Who's the Thief?"). The other brothers, led by Judah, beg for mercy for Benjamin, imploring that Joseph take them prisoner and set Benjamin free ("Benjamin Calypso").
Seeing their selflessness and penitence, Joseph reveals himself ("Joseph All the Time") and sends for his father. The two are reunited ("Jacob in Egypt") for a happy conclusion and Joseph dons his coloured coat once more ("Finale: Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)/Give Me My Coloured Coat").
In some productions, the finale is followed by a rock/disco medley of most of the musical's major numbers ("Joseph Megamix").
Characters[edit]
Narrator: A woman (in original productions, a man), not of the time or place of the action. The Narrator tells the story through word and song, guiding the audience gently through the story of Joseph and his brothers, usually gives meaning to the story with her/his words.
Jacob: The father of twelve sons, his favorite being Joseph. At times he may appear unfair and shallow, but he is, more importantly, the prophet who recognizes the future and the calling of Joseph, thus saving the House of Israel.
Joseph: Obviously his father’s favorite, Joseph early on shows a talent for interpreting dreams and telling the future. This gets him into trouble with his brothers when he predicts his future will include ruling over the other eleven. However, it saves his life when in Egypt he correctly interprets Pharaoh’s dreams. In the end he has risen to a great position of power, but he still forgives his brothers and brings his family to Egypt to partake of the bounty he has accumulated there.
Ishmaelites: Men of the desert, they buy Joseph as a slave, take him to Egypt, and sell him to Potiphar.
Potiphar: A powerful and rich Egyptian, Potiphar purchases Joseph and puts him to work in his household, where he soon realizes that Joseph is honest, hard-working, and a great addition to his pool of help. When he grows suspicious of Mrs. Potiphar and Joseph, however, he grows angry and has Joseph thrown into prison.
Mrs. Potiphar: Beautiful and scheming, Mrs. Potiphar tries to seduce Joseph, but is unsuccessful. However, she does manage to rip off much of his clothing just as her husband comes into the room, thus condemning him to prison.
Baker: One of Pharaoh servants, the Baker is in prison with Joseph who correctly interprets his dreams and predicts that he will be put to death.
Butler: Another of Pharaoh servants, the Butler is also in prison with Joseph who also correctly interprets his dreams, this time that he will be released and taken back into Pharaoh's household. It is the Butler who tells Pharaoh about Joseph and his uncanny ability with dreams.
Pharaoh: The most powerful man in Egypt, Pharaoh is considered a god on earth. When Joseph interprets his dreams, he promotes him to one of the highest positions in his government. In most productions, Pharaoh is portrayed as an Elvis Presley-style figure.
Joseph's Eleven Brothers: Although acting usually as a group, they each have their own different personalities, talents, and flaws. As a group they sell Joseph into slavery, but as individuals they deal with the following years and how they can make amends. They sing and dance their way through many situations and places. The performers also double as Egyptians in many cases. Reuben: Eldest son of Jacob; showed kindness to Joseph and was the means of saving his life when his other brothers would have put him to death.
Simeon: Second son of Jacob; detained by Joseph in Egypt as a hostage.
Levi: Third son of Jacob, by Leah; he went down with Jacob into Egypt.
Judah: Fourth son of Jacob; he pleads with Joseph when Benjamin is falsely arrested for theft of a goblet; one of his descendants was to be the Messiah.
Dan: Fifth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid.
Naphtali: Sixth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid.
Gad: Seventh son of Jacob, by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid.
Asher: Eighth son of Jacob, by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid.
Issachar: Ninth son of Jacob.
Zebulun: Tenth son of Jacob; he had three sons.
Benjamin: Twelfth son of Jacob. Joseph accuses him of stealing the golden cup. After Joseph went missing, Benjamin was beloved.
The Wives: The wives of the eleven brothers.
Adult chorus
Children's chorus
Musical numbers[edit]
Act I[31]Overture – Orchestra
Prologue – Narrator
Any Dream Will Do – Joseph, Children
Jacob and Sons – Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Coat – Jacob, Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Dreams – Narrator, Brothers, Joseph
Poor, Poor Joseph – Narrator, Brothers, Children
One More Angel in Heaven – Reuben, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Jacob, Children
Potiphar – Children, Narrator, Male Ensemble, Mrs Potiphar, Potiphar, Joseph
Close Every Door – Joseph, Children
Go, Go, Go Joseph – Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Joseph, Guru, Children
 Act IIEntr'acte – Children
Pharaoh's Story – Narrator, Children
Poor, Poor Pharaoh – Narrator, Butler, Pharaoh, Children
Song of the King – Pharaoh, Ensemble
Pharaoh's Dream Explained – Joseph, Ensemble, Children
Stone the Crows – Narrator, Pharaoh, Children, Joseph, Female Ensemble
King of My Heart – Pharaoh
Those Canaan Days – Simeon, Jacob, Brothers
The Brothers Come To Egypt/Grovel, Grovel – Narrator, Brothers, Joseph, Female Ensemble, Children
Who's the Thief? – Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
Benjamin Calypso – Judah, Brothers (but Benjamin), Female Ensemble, Children
Joseph All the Time – Narrator, Joseph, Children
Jacob in Egypt – Narrator, Jacob, Children, Ensemble
Any Dream Will Do (Reprise) – Joseph, Narrator, Jacob, Ensemble, Children
Joseph Megamix – Full Company


 Notable in the composition of the music is the variety of styles used by Lloyd Webber, including parodies of French ballads ("Those Canaan Days"), Elvis-inspired rock and roll ("Song of the King"), western ("One More Angel In Heaven"), 1920s Charleston ("Potiphar"), and Calypso ("Benjamin Calypso"). Often, productions will make costume and prop changes to reflect each of the various musical styles.
"Prologue" is a late addition to the show, not included in any recordings produced before the 1982 Broadway production; the use of "Any Dream Will Do" at the start of the show (and the renaming of the closing version as per the above list) dates from the 1991 revival.
The UK touring production circa 1983-1987 (produced by Bill Kenwright), included an additional song "I Don't Think I'm Wanted Back At Home", which was originally part of Jacob's Journey.[32] Sung by the title character, the brothers jokingly throw Joseph out of the family home, throwing a number of props at the lone Joseph who is seen in a spotlight – first a suitcase, then a cane and top hat, leaving our hero to tap-dance his way to the end of the number. The tune has been recycled into numbers in By Jeeves and The Likes of Us.
Awards and nominations[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
1982 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated
Best Book of a Musical Tim Rice Nominated
Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Bill Hutton Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Laurie Beechman Nominated
Best Choreography Tony Tanner Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Laurie Beechman Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Tony Tanner Nominated
1991 London revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
1992 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
Best Actor in a Musical Jason Donovan Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical Linzi Hateley Nominated
Best Director of a Musical Steven Pimlott Nominated
Best Theatre Choreographer Anthony Van Laast Nominated
Best Set Designer Mark Thompson Won
2003 London revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
2004 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
Film adaptation[edit]
According to BroadwayWorld.com, Andrew Lloyd Webber stated that a 2014 film version of Joseph has been discussed for years. However, due to the success of the recent musical adaptation Les Miserables, Lloyd Webber officially confirmed a film based on the show.[33]
Published music[edit]


 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2013)
A piano/vocal/guitar edition of most of the show's major vocal selections has been published. A vocal score of the original production is also available. And when the 2007 London revival opened, Lloyd Webber and Rice produced a new updated vocal score which contains all of the additional material, including the prologue, new dance music, and updated arrangements.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Joseph benefits BBC Children in Need". The Really Useful Group. June 29, 2007.
2.^ Jump up to: a b The Really Useful Group. "About The Show". Retrieved 2008-12-29.
3.^ Jump up to: a b 1969 Decca Concept Album (vocalists)
4.^ Jump up to: a b 1969 Decca Concept Album – Credits
5.^ Jump up to: a b Compiled information on the 1969 Decca album
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Vocal Selections: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. 1994. ISBN 0-7935-3427-5.
7.Jump up ^ "About the Show" reallyuseful.com, accessed March 17, 2011
8.Jump up ^ "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Listing, Scepter Records, SPS-588X, 1971" discogs.com, accessed March 17, 2011
9.Jump up ^ Q&A regarding the original Decca and Scepter albums
10.Jump up ^ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (TV, 1972) at the Internet Movie Database
11.Jump up ^ Chronology, 1973 guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed March 17, 2011
12.Jump up ^ Garratt, David. "The Haymarket Theatre, Leicester". ArthurLloyd.co.uk, accessed March 18, 2011
13.Jump up ^ Barnes, Clive. "Stage:Technicolor Dreamcoat", The New York Times, December 31, 1976, p. 37
14.Jump up ^ Rockwell, John."Rock: 'Joseph and Dreamcoat'" The New York Times (abstract), December 16, 1977, p. 88
15.Jump up ^ Gussow, Mel."Theater: 'Joseph And The Dreamcoat'" The New York Times, November 19, 1981
16.Jump up ^ "'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' listing, 1981" Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
17.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' Listing, 1982". Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
18.Jump up ^ "David Cassidy Fan Site" David Cassidy Fan Site
19.Jump up ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Diana-DeGarmo-and-Ace-Young-to-Lead-JOSEPH-AND-THE-AMAZING-TECHNICOLOR-DREAMCOAT-National-Tour-Launches-34-in-Cleveland-20130819
20.Jump up ^ Murray, Karen."Review: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" Variety (subscription required), June 1992
21.^ Jump up to: a b Slate, Libby (30 May 1993). "On View : The Many Stages of Michael Damian". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Bloom, Ken (2003). Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 552. ISBN 9781135950194.
23.Jump up ^ "'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', 1993" Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
24.Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben (11 November 1993). "Review/Theater: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Joseph And His Brothers, To Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
25.Jump up ^ "IMDB listing for 1999 video". Retrieved 2007-08-17.
26.Jump up ^ Shenton, Mark."Review: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", 2003" whatsonstage.com, 4 March 2003
27.Jump up ^ Hernandez, Ernio.Patrick Cassidy and "American Idol" Starlet Tour with 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" Playbill.com, 15 June 2005
28.Jump up ^ de Jongh, Nicholas."Review:'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" This is London, 18 July 2007
29.Jump up ^ Probst, Andy Keith Jack to Join U.K. 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' Tour in July" at the Wayback Machine (archived January 12, 2012) Theater Mania, 9 April 2010
30.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03ktcd7/The_One_Show_09_12_2013/
31.Jump up ^ Musical Numbers, JosephTheMusical.com. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
32.Jump up ^ "TimRice.com". Retrieved 2007-07-05.
33.Jump up ^ Cerasaro, Pat (December 10, 2013). "Andrew Lloyd Webber Confirms New JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Movie". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Internet Broadway Database
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Internet Movie Database
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Official Site
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group website
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Tim Rice's Official Site (links on left for production history)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Plot summary and character descriptions on StageAgent.com
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – 2007 London revival website
Any Dream Will Do! – BBC show website
Preceded by
Metallica by Metallica UK number one album
 31 August 1991 – 13 September 1991 Succeeded by
From Time to Time - The Singles Collection
 by Paul Young


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Categories: 1968 musicals
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Compositions by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Musicals by Tim Rice
Musicals by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice
Musicals based on religious traditions
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Compositions with a narrator
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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

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Joseph and the Amazing
 Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.jpg
1991 Revivals Logo

Music
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics
Tim Rice
Basis
The story of Joseph in Genesis
Productions
1968 Colet Court cantata
 1973 West End
 1978 West End
 1979 West End
 1982 Broadway
 1991 West End revival
 1992 Toronto
 1993 Australia
 1993 Broadway revival
 2003 West End revival
 2005, 2007 United States Tour
 2007 West End revival
 2010–present UK tour
 2014 United States Tour
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical or operetta with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The story is based on the "coat of many colors" story of Joseph from the Bible's Book of Genesis. This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly. (Their first musical, The Likes of Us, written in 1965, was not performed until 2005.)
The show has little spoken dialogue; it is completely sung-through. Its family-friendly storyline, universal themes and catchy music have resulted in numerous productions of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; according to the Really Useful Group, by 2008 more than 20,000 schools and amateur theatre groups had successfully put on productions.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Development
2 Early stage performances and recordings 2.1 1969 concept album
2.2 1971 recording
2.3 Young Vic production and recordings
2.4 1975–1979
3 Professional productions in the U.S.
4 1990s
5 2000s
6 Synopsis
7 Characters
8 Musical numbers
9 Awards and nominations 9.1 Original Broadway production
9.2 1991 London revival
9.3 2003 London revival
10 Film adaptation
11 Published music
12 References
13 External links

Development[edit]
Joseph was first presented as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London in 1968 and was recorded as a concept album in 1969. After the success of the next Lloyd Webber and Rice piece, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph received stage productions beginning in 1970 and expanded recordings in 1971 and 1972. While still undergoing various transformations and expansions, the musical was produced in the West End in 1973, and in its full format was recorded in 1974 and opened on Broadway in 1982. Several major revivals and a 1999 straight-to-video film, starring Donny Osmond, followed.
Lloyd Webber's composer father, William, felt the show had the seeds of greatness. He encouraged and arranged for a second performance — at his church, Westminster Central Hall — with a revised and expanded format. The boys of Colet Court sang at this performance in May 1968,[2] which also included the Mixed Bag. It received positive reviews: London's Sunday Times said it was a new pop oratorio. By its third performance at St Paul's Cathedral in November 1968, it had been expanded to 35 minutes and included songs such as "Potiphar".[2]
Novello agreed to publish the work, and Decca Records recorded it in 1969 as a concept album. David Daltrey, front man of British psychedelic band Tales of Justine, played the role of Joseph; and Tim Rice was Pharaoh. Other vocalists included Terry Saunders and Malcolm Parry of the Mixed Bag.[3][4][5]
In 1969, Lloyd Webber and Rice used the popularity of their second rock opera, Jesus Christ Superstar, to promote Joseph, which was advertised in America as a "follow-up" to Superstar.[6] Riding on Superstar's coattails proved profitable for Joseph, as the U.S. Decca recording of Superstar had been in the top of America's charts for three months. The first American production of Joseph was in May 1970, at Cathedral College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglaston, New York. Following this, according to Lloyd Webber's Really Useful site, "there followed huge interest from colleges and schools."[7]
Early stage performances and recordings[edit]
1969 concept album[edit]
Decca Records recorded Joseph in 1969 as a concept album, credited to the Joseph Consortium. David Daltrey, front man of British EMI psychedelic band Tales of Justine, played the role of Joseph and lead guitar; and Tim Rice was Pharaoh. Other vocalists included members of the Mixed Bag group such as Terry Saunders and Malcolm Parry, and the choir of Colet Court School.[3][4][5] Daltrey, although not part of the Mixed Bag group, was managed by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the time, and fellow EMI colleague Martin Wilcox had suggested the Mixed Bag to Tim Rice to help out as a backing group on the album.
1971 recording[edit]
A recording of the musical with 19 tracks was issued in the U.S. on Scepter Records in 1971. It was a reissue of the 1969 Decca UK album, capitalizing on the success of 1970's Jesus Christ Superstar in the U.S. It featured David Daltrey as Joseph, Tim Rice as Pharaoh, Dr. William S. Lloyd Webber on the Hammond organ, Alan Doggett conducting, various solo vocalists and instrumentalists, and the Colet Court choir as the chorus.[8][9]
Young Vic production and recordings[edit]
In late August and September 1972, Joseph was presented at the Edinburgh International Festival by the Young Vic Theatre Company, directed by Frank Dunlop. It starred Gary Bond in the title role, Peter Reeves as the narrator, and Gordon Waller as Pharaoh. In October the production played at London's Young Vic Theatre, and in November at the Roundhouse. The production was part of a double bill called Bible One: Two Looks at the Book of Genesis. Part I, entitled The Genesis Mediaeval Mystery Plays: The Creation to Jacob (at the Young Vic originally called simply Mediaeval Mystery Plays), was Dunlop's reworking of the first six of the medieval Wakefield Mystery Plays, with music by Alan Doggett. Part II was Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.[6] The Young Vic production was recorded for an LP released on the RSO label in 1972. This production was also televised in the UK by Granada Television in 1972.[10]
In February 1973, theatre producer Michael White and impresario Robert Stigwood mounted the Young Vic production at the Albery Theatre in the West End, where it ran for 243 performances.[11] The mystery plays which had preceded the original Young Vic productions were dropped, and instead the musical was preceded by a piece called Jacob's Journey, with music and lyrics by Lloyd Webber and Rice and a book by television comedy writers Ray Galton and Alan Simpson.
The new opening piece, Jacob's Journey, which contained a great deal of spoken dialogue, was eventually phased out in favour of a completely sung-through score. The first production of the show in its modern, final form was at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester, which presented the musical several times in the mid- to late-1970s.[6][12]
A recording of the full musical was released on the MCA label in 1974, again featuring Gary Bond, Peter Reeves, and Gordon Waller. This is the earliest recording of Joseph to eventually go to CD. Gordon Waller also appeared on another recording in 1979, featuring Tim Rice as the Narrator and Paul Jones as Joseph, on the Music For Pleasure label.
1975–1979[edit]
In 1975 Miranda Enterprises in association with Leicester Theatre Company presented a production of Joseph at the Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch. It was directed by Paul Tomlinson, Choreographed by David Thornton, and Designed by Hugh Durrant, with Chris Littlewood as the Musical Director. This production starred Patrick Ryecart as Joseph, David Sadgrove as Pharaoh, and had three Narrators: Nigel Baldwin, Ben Bazell, and Patrick Reilley.
Ken Hill directed a large-scale production of Joseph at the Westminster Theatre, London, which ran from November 1978 to February 1979, and again from November 1979 to February 1980. This production starred Paul Jones as Joseph, John Golder as the Narrator, and Leonard Whiting as Pharaoh. The producer was Martin Gates, the Musical Director was Jack Forsyth, the Lighting Designer was Francis Reed, and the Designer was Saul Radomsky. A recording of this production with additional narration spoken by children was broadcast on BBC radio, produced by Richard Wilcox.
Professional productions in the U.S.[edit]
The musical ran at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York in 1976 and in 1977 as "holiday fare". In the 1976 production, which opened on 30 December, direction was by John Dunlop, with a cast that featured Cleavon Little as the Narrator and David-James Carroll as Joseph.[13] In the 1977 production, running in December through 1 January 1978, staging was by Graciela Daniele, and David-James Carroll played Joseph, Alan Weeks played the Narrator and William Parry played Pharaoh/Elvis.[14]
Joseph opened in an Off-Broadway production at the Entermedia Theatre on 18 November 1981, and ran through 24 January 1982. Directed by Tony Tanner, the cast starred Bill Hutton as Joseph, Laurie Beechman as the Narrator, and Tom Carder as Pharaoh. The New York Times review noted that the musical had previously played at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, and that this 1981 Entermedia Theatre production was the "professional Manhattan premiere".[15][16]
The musical transferred to Broadway at the Royale Theatre on 27 January 1982 and ran through 4 September 1983, with 747 performances.[17] Directed and choreographed by Tony Tanner, the off-Broadway cast reprised their roles, with Bill Hutton as Joseph, Laurie Beechman as the Narrator, and Tom Carder as Pharaoh. This production was recorded for release on the Chrysalis label, and is the first to feature the Prologue (dubbed on the Chrysalis release "You are what you feel"). The show received several Tony Award nominations including Best Musical and Best Original Score. David Cassidy took over the role of Joseph in March 1983 through September 10, 1983 and performed in the touring cast in 1983/1984.[18]
A new North American touring production began on March 4, 2014 in Cleveland, Ohio starring Diana DeGarmo as the Narrator and Ace Young as Joseph.[19]
2014 marks the 20th Anniversary performance of Joseph at the State Theatre in New Jersey. The Production has been Produced through the regional theatre group Plays in the Park, located in Edison, New Jersey. The production has been running every year, since 1995, with this years performance dates December 26, 27 and 28.
1990s[edit]
With Jason Donovan in the lead, the expanded show was restaged in 1991 at the London Palladium with Steven Pimlott as director, winning the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for set design. The cast album of this production was the #1 UK album for two weeks in September 1991, and the single "Any Dream Will Do" from it was also the #1 UK single for two weeks in June–July 1991. When Donovan left, former children's TV presenter Phillip Schofield portrayed Joseph.
The musical opened in Toronto at the Elgin Theatre in July 1992, with Donny Osmond as Joseph and Janet Metz as the Narrator.[20]
The show was revived in the United States in 1993, playing in Los Angeles at the Pantages Theatre for 18 weeks[21] and in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Theatre for an 8-week run[21] before moving to Broadway, playing at the Minskoff Theatre from November 10, 1993 to May 29, 1994 for 231 performances.[22] Directed by Steven Pimlott and choreographed by Anthony Van Laast, the cast featured Michael Damian (Joseph), Kelli Rabke (Narrator), Clifford David (Jacob), and Robert Torti (Pharaoh).[23][24]
In 1999, a video version with Donny Osmond in the title role was released, directed by David Mallet. Osmond had toured North America in the role after opening the Toronto revival in 1992. Maria Friedman appears as the Narrator, Richard Attenborough as Jacob, Ian McNeice as Potiphar, Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar and Robert Torti as Pharaoh.[25]
2000s[edit]
A modest production starring former Boyzone singer Stephen Gately, "with cartoon cut-out sets and props and naff panto choreography", previewed in Oxford in December 2002, before moving to Liverpool over Christmas 2002. This production reached the West End at the New London Theatre in March 2003.[26]
A U.S. national tour began in September 2005 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and starred Patrick Cassidy.[27]
A 2007 revival of the London Palladium production at the Adelphi Theatre was the subject of BBC One's second search for a West End star, capitalizing on the success of the BBC's 2006 Lloyd Webber talent search series, How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?. This new talent search show, Any Dream Will Do, with the participation of Lloyd Webber and other theatre luminaries, sought a new leading man to play Joseph. More than 3 million viewers cast votes during the 9 June 2007 series finale, and made 25-year-old Lee Mead "officially the people's Joseph". Mead had given up his ensemble role in The Phantom of the Opera, where he also understudied Raoul. The new Joseph production, which began on 6 July 2007, used Steven Pimlott's (who had died since staging the Palladium production) original direction, with Bombay Dreams star Preeya Kalidas as the Narrator.[28]
Tickets for the show's originally-planned six-month run sold so fast that in three weeks all tickets for the first three months were sold out, and the producers had extended the show's run — and Mead's contract — until 7 June 2008. Before opening night, the producers had banked £10 million in receipts from advance ticket sales. In his review for Variety, David Benedict wrote, "Mead delivers.... [He] is contracted for at least a year. For as long as Mead chooses to continue in it, Joseph is, commercially speaking, the safest of bets." Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group donated all receipts from two special performances to the BBC's Children in Need charity appeal. Additionally, the money normally given to the cast for first-night gifts in July 2007 went instead to Children in Need. In January 2009 Mead left the show and was replaced by Gareth Gates. The production closed in May 2009.
The long-running UK touring production, which was re-cast in 2010, starred Keith Jack as Joseph as of July 2010, opposite Jennifer Potts as narrator.[29]
On the 10th of December 2013, Andrew Lloyd Webber confirmed on BBC's The One Show that he had signed off a new film version of Joseph following the success of recent musical films such as Les Miserables.[30]
Synopsis[edit]
Act I
The story is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, found in the Book of Genesis. It is set in a frame in which a narrator is telling a story (sometimes to children, encouraging them to dream). She then tells the story of Joseph, another dreamer ("Prologue," "Any Dream Will Do"). In the beginning of the main story Jacob and his 12 sons are introduced ("Jacob and Sons"). Joseph's brothers are jealous of him for his coat of many colours, a symbol of their father's preference for him ("Joseph's Coat"). It is clear from Joseph's dreams that he is destined to rule over them ("Joseph's Dreams"). To get rid of him and prevent the dreams from coming true, they attempt fratricide, but then they sell Joseph as a slave to some passing Ishmaelites ("Poor, Poor Joseph"), who take him to Egypt.
Back home, his brothers, led by Reuben and accompanied by their wives, break the news to Jacob that Joseph has been killed. They show his tattered coat smeared with his blood – really goat blood – as proof that what they say is true ("One More Angel in Heaven"). After the bereft Jacob leaves, the brothers and their wives happily celebrate the loss of Joseph.
In Egypt, Joseph is the slave of Egyptian millionaire Potiphar. He rises through the ranks of slaves and servants until he is running Potiphar's house. When Mrs. Potiphar makes advances, Joseph spurns her. She removes his shirt, feels his chest and back, squeezes his rear and blows him kisses. Potiphar overhears, barges in, sees the two together – and jumps to conclusions ("Potiphar"). Outraged, he throws Joseph in jail. Depressed, Joseph laments the situation ("Close Every Door") – but his spirits rise when he helps two prisoners put in his cell. Both are former servants of the Pharaoh and both have had bizarre dreams. Joseph interprets them. One cellmate, the Baker, will be executed, but the other, the Butler, will be returned to service. Upon hearing this, the rest of the prisoners surround Joseph and encourage him to go after his dreams ("Go, Go, Go Joseph").
Act II
The Narrator tells of impending changes in Joseph's fortunes ("A Pharaoh Story") because the Pharaoh is having dreams that no one can interpret. Now freed, the Butler tells Pharaoh (acted in the style of Elvis Presley) of Joseph and his dream-interpretation skills ("Poor, Poor Pharaoh"). Pharaoh orders Joseph to be brought in and the king tells him his dream involving seven fat cows, seven skinny cows, seven healthy ears of corn, and seven dead ears of corn ("Song of the King").
Joseph interprets the dream as seven plentiful years of crops followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"). An astonished Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of carrying out the preparations needed to endure the impending famine, and Joseph becomes the most powerful man in Egypt, second only to Pharaoh himself ("Stone the Crows"). (In the 2007 London revival, Pharaoh has a new song, "King of my Heart").
Back home, the famine has caught up with Joseph's brothers, who – led by the brother Simeon – express regret at selling him and deceiving their father ("Those Canaan Days"). They hear that Egypt still has food and decide to go there to beg for mercy and to be fed, not realising that they will be dealing with Joseph ("The Brothers Come to Egypt"). Joseph gives them sacksful of food and sends them on their way, but plants a golden cup in the sack of his youngest brother, Benjamin ("Grovel, Grovel"). When the brothers try to leave, Joseph stops them, asking about the "stolen cup". Each brother empties his sack, and it is revealed that Benjamin has the cup. Joseph then accuses Benjamin of robbery ("Who's the Thief?"). The other brothers, led by Judah, beg for mercy for Benjamin, imploring that Joseph take them prisoner and set Benjamin free ("Benjamin Calypso").
Seeing their selflessness and penitence, Joseph reveals himself ("Joseph All the Time") and sends for his father. The two are reunited ("Jacob in Egypt") for a happy conclusion and Joseph dons his coloured coat once more ("Finale: Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)/Give Me My Coloured Coat").
In some productions, the finale is followed by a rock/disco medley of most of the musical's major numbers ("Joseph Megamix").
Characters[edit]
Narrator: A woman (in original productions, a man), not of the time or place of the action. The Narrator tells the story through word and song, guiding the audience gently through the story of Joseph and his brothers, usually gives meaning to the story with her/his words.
Jacob: The father of twelve sons, his favorite being Joseph. At times he may appear unfair and shallow, but he is, more importantly, the prophet who recognizes the future and the calling of Joseph, thus saving the House of Israel.
Joseph: Obviously his father’s favorite, Joseph early on shows a talent for interpreting dreams and telling the future. This gets him into trouble with his brothers when he predicts his future will include ruling over the other eleven. However, it saves his life when in Egypt he correctly interprets Pharaoh’s dreams. In the end he has risen to a great position of power, but he still forgives his brothers and brings his family to Egypt to partake of the bounty he has accumulated there.
Ishmaelites: Men of the desert, they buy Joseph as a slave, take him to Egypt, and sell him to Potiphar.
Potiphar: A powerful and rich Egyptian, Potiphar purchases Joseph and puts him to work in his household, where he soon realizes that Joseph is honest, hard-working, and a great addition to his pool of help. When he grows suspicious of Mrs. Potiphar and Joseph, however, he grows angry and has Joseph thrown into prison.
Mrs. Potiphar: Beautiful and scheming, Mrs. Potiphar tries to seduce Joseph, but is unsuccessful. However, she does manage to rip off much of his clothing just as her husband comes into the room, thus condemning him to prison.
Baker: One of Pharaoh servants, the Baker is in prison with Joseph who correctly interprets his dreams and predicts that he will be put to death.
Butler: Another of Pharaoh servants, the Butler is also in prison with Joseph who also correctly interprets his dreams, this time that he will be released and taken back into Pharaoh's household. It is the Butler who tells Pharaoh about Joseph and his uncanny ability with dreams.
Pharaoh: The most powerful man in Egypt, Pharaoh is considered a god on earth. When Joseph interprets his dreams, he promotes him to one of the highest positions in his government. In most productions, Pharaoh is portrayed as an Elvis Presley-style figure.
Joseph's Eleven Brothers: Although acting usually as a group, they each have their own different personalities, talents, and flaws. As a group they sell Joseph into slavery, but as individuals they deal with the following years and how they can make amends. They sing and dance their way through many situations and places. The performers also double as Egyptians in many cases. Reuben: Eldest son of Jacob; showed kindness to Joseph and was the means of saving his life when his other brothers would have put him to death.
Simeon: Second son of Jacob; detained by Joseph in Egypt as a hostage.
Levi: Third son of Jacob, by Leah; he went down with Jacob into Egypt.
Judah: Fourth son of Jacob; he pleads with Joseph when Benjamin is falsely arrested for theft of a goblet; one of his descendants was to be the Messiah.
Dan: Fifth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid.
Naphtali: Sixth son of Jacob, by Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid.
Gad: Seventh son of Jacob, by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid.
Asher: Eighth son of Jacob, by Zilpah, Leah's handmaid.
Issachar: Ninth son of Jacob.
Zebulun: Tenth son of Jacob; he had three sons.
Benjamin: Twelfth son of Jacob. Joseph accuses him of stealing the golden cup. After Joseph went missing, Benjamin was beloved.
The Wives: The wives of the eleven brothers.
Adult chorus
Children's chorus
Musical numbers[edit]
Act I[31]Overture – Orchestra
Prologue – Narrator
Any Dream Will Do – Joseph, Children
Jacob and Sons – Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Coat – Jacob, Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Ensemble
Joseph's Dreams – Narrator, Brothers, Joseph
Poor, Poor Joseph – Narrator, Brothers, Children
One More Angel in Heaven – Reuben, Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Jacob, Children
Potiphar – Children, Narrator, Male Ensemble, Mrs Potiphar, Potiphar, Joseph
Close Every Door – Joseph, Children
Go, Go, Go Joseph – Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Joseph, Guru, Children
 Act IIEntr'acte – Children
Pharaoh's Story – Narrator, Children
Poor, Poor Pharaoh – Narrator, Butler, Pharaoh, Children
Song of the King – Pharaoh, Ensemble
Pharaoh's Dream Explained – Joseph, Ensemble, Children
Stone the Crows – Narrator, Pharaoh, Children, Joseph, Female Ensemble
King of My Heart – Pharaoh
Those Canaan Days – Simeon, Jacob, Brothers
The Brothers Come To Egypt/Grovel, Grovel – Narrator, Brothers, Joseph, Female Ensemble, Children
Who's the Thief? – Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
Benjamin Calypso – Judah, Brothers (but Benjamin), Female Ensemble, Children
Joseph All the Time – Narrator, Joseph, Children
Jacob in Egypt – Narrator, Jacob, Children, Ensemble
Any Dream Will Do (Reprise) – Joseph, Narrator, Jacob, Ensemble, Children
Joseph Megamix – Full Company


 Notable in the composition of the music is the variety of styles used by Lloyd Webber, including parodies of French ballads ("Those Canaan Days"), Elvis-inspired rock and roll ("Song of the King"), western ("One More Angel In Heaven"), 1920s Charleston ("Potiphar"), and Calypso ("Benjamin Calypso"). Often, productions will make costume and prop changes to reflect each of the various musical styles.
"Prologue" is a late addition to the show, not included in any recordings produced before the 1982 Broadway production; the use of "Any Dream Will Do" at the start of the show (and the renaming of the closing version as per the above list) dates from the 1991 revival.
The UK touring production circa 1983-1987 (produced by Bill Kenwright), included an additional song "I Don't Think I'm Wanted Back At Home", which was originally part of Jacob's Journey.[32] Sung by the title character, the brothers jokingly throw Joseph out of the family home, throwing a number of props at the lone Joseph who is seen in a spotlight – first a suitcase, then a cane and top hat, leaving our hero to tap-dance his way to the end of the number. The tune has been recycled into numbers in By Jeeves and The Likes of Us.
Awards and nominations[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
1982 Tony Award Best Musical Nominated
Best Book of a Musical Tim Rice Nominated
Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Bill Hutton Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Laurie Beechman Nominated
Best Choreography Tony Tanner Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Musical Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical Laurie Beechman Nominated
Outstanding Director of a Musical Tony Tanner Nominated
1991 London revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
1992 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
Best Actor in a Musical Jason Donovan Nominated
Best Actress in a Musical Linzi Hateley Nominated
Best Director of a Musical Steven Pimlott Nominated
Best Theatre Choreographer Anthony Van Laast Nominated
Best Set Designer Mark Thompson Won
2003 London revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
2004 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
Film adaptation[edit]
According to BroadwayWorld.com, Andrew Lloyd Webber stated that a 2014 film version of Joseph has been discussed for years. However, due to the success of the recent musical adaptation Les Miserables, Lloyd Webber officially confirmed a film based on the show.[33]
Published music[edit]


 This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2013)
A piano/vocal/guitar edition of most of the show's major vocal selections has been published. A vocal score of the original production is also available. And when the 2007 London revival opened, Lloyd Webber and Rice produced a new updated vocal score which contains all of the additional material, including the prologue, new dance music, and updated arrangements.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Joseph benefits BBC Children in Need". The Really Useful Group. June 29, 2007.
2.^ Jump up to: a b The Really Useful Group. "About The Show". Retrieved 2008-12-29.
3.^ Jump up to: a b 1969 Decca Concept Album (vocalists)
4.^ Jump up to: a b 1969 Decca Concept Album – Credits
5.^ Jump up to: a b Compiled information on the 1969 Decca album
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Vocal Selections: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Milwaukee, WI: Hal Leonard. 1994. ISBN 0-7935-3427-5.
7.Jump up ^ "About the Show" reallyuseful.com, accessed March 17, 2011
8.Jump up ^ "Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Listing, Scepter Records, SPS-588X, 1971" discogs.com, accessed March 17, 2011
9.Jump up ^ Q&A regarding the original Decca and Scepter albums
10.Jump up ^ Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (TV, 1972) at the Internet Movie Database
11.Jump up ^ Chronology, 1973 guidetomusicaltheatre.com, accessed March 17, 2011
12.Jump up ^ Garratt, David. "The Haymarket Theatre, Leicester". ArthurLloyd.co.uk, accessed March 18, 2011
13.Jump up ^ Barnes, Clive. "Stage:Technicolor Dreamcoat", The New York Times, December 31, 1976, p. 37
14.Jump up ^ Rockwell, John."Rock: 'Joseph and Dreamcoat'" The New York Times (abstract), December 16, 1977, p. 88
15.Jump up ^ Gussow, Mel."Theater: 'Joseph And The Dreamcoat'" The New York Times, November 19, 1981
16.Jump up ^ "'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' listing, 1981" Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
17.Jump up ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' Listing, 1982". Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
18.Jump up ^ "David Cassidy Fan Site" David Cassidy Fan Site
19.Jump up ^ http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Diana-DeGarmo-and-Ace-Young-to-Lead-JOSEPH-AND-THE-AMAZING-TECHNICOLOR-DREAMCOAT-National-Tour-Launches-34-in-Cleveland-20130819
20.Jump up ^ Murray, Karen."Review: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" Variety (subscription required), June 1992
21.^ Jump up to: a b Slate, Libby (30 May 1993). "On View : The Many Stages of Michael Damian". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
22.Jump up ^ Bloom, Ken (2003). Broadway: An Encyclopedia. Routledge. p. 552. ISBN 9781135950194.
23.Jump up ^ "'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat', 1993" Internet Broadway Database, accessed March 17, 2011
24.Jump up ^ Brantley, Ben (11 November 1993). "Review/Theater: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat; Joseph And His Brothers, To Music". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
25.Jump up ^ "IMDB listing for 1999 video". Retrieved 2007-08-17.
26.Jump up ^ Shenton, Mark."Review: 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", 2003" whatsonstage.com, 4 March 2003
27.Jump up ^ Hernandez, Ernio.Patrick Cassidy and "American Idol" Starlet Tour with 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" Playbill.com, 15 June 2005
28.Jump up ^ de Jongh, Nicholas."Review:'Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'" This is London, 18 July 2007
29.Jump up ^ Probst, Andy Keith Jack to Join U.K. 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' Tour in July" at the Wayback Machine (archived January 12, 2012) Theater Mania, 9 April 2010
30.Jump up ^ http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b03ktcd7/The_One_Show_09_12_2013/
31.Jump up ^ Musical Numbers, JosephTheMusical.com. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
32.Jump up ^ "TimRice.com". Retrieved 2007-07-05.
33.Jump up ^ Cerasaro, Pat (December 10, 2013). "Andrew Lloyd Webber Confirms New JOSEPH & THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Movie". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved July 2, 2014.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Internet Broadway Database
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Internet Movie Database
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Official Site
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Andrew Lloyd Webber's Really Useful Group website
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Tim Rice's Official Site (links on left for production history)
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Plot summary and character descriptions on StageAgent.com
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – 2007 London revival website
Any Dream Will Do! – BBC show website
Preceded by
Metallica by Metallica UK number one album
 31 August 1991 – 13 September 1991 Succeeded by
From Time to Time - The Singles Collection
 by Paul Young


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Categories: 1968 musicals
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The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)

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For the American film of The Gospel, see The Visual Bible: Matthew.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew
Pasolini Gospel Poster.jpg
Original Italian release poster

Directed by
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Produced by
Alfredo Bini
Written by
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Based on
Gospel of Matthew
Starring
Enrique Irazoqui
Music by
Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Uncredited:
Carlo Rustichelli
Cinematography
Tonino Delli Colli
Edited by
Nino Baragli
Distributed by
Titanus Distribuzione S.p.a.

Release dates

4 September 1964 (Venice)
2 October 1964 (Italy)


Running time
 137 minutes[1]
Country
Italy
Language
Italian
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Italian: Il Vangelo secondo Matteo) is a 1964 Italian biographical drama film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection.
The dialogue is primarily taken directly from the Gospel of Matthew, as Pasolini felt that "images could never reach the poetic heights of the text."[2] He reportedly chose Matthew's Gospel over the others because he had decided that "John was too mystical, Mark too vulgar, and Luke too sentimental."[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Background and pre-production
3.2 Filming and style
3.3 Music
4 Reception
5 Awards
6 Alternate versions
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
In Palestine during the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ of Nazareth travels around the country with his disciples preaching to the people about God and salvation of their souls. He is the son of God and the prophesied messiah, but not everyone believes his tale. He is arrested by the Romans and crucified. He rises from the dead after three days.
Cast[edit]
##Enrique Irazoqui as Christ ##Enrico Maria Salerno as Christ's voice
##Margherita Caruso as Mary (younger) ##Susanna Pasolini as older Mary
##Marcello Morante as Joseph ##Gianni Bonagura as Joseph's voice
##Mario Socrate as John the Baptist ##Pino Locchi as John's voice
##Settimio Di Porto as Peter
##Alfonso Gatto as Andrew
##Luigi Barbini as James
##Giacomo Morante as John
##Giorgio Agamben as Phillip
##Guido Cerretani as Bartholomew
##Rosario Migale as Thomas
##Ferruccio Nuzzo as Matthew
##Marcello Galdini as James, son of Alphaeus
##Elio Spaziani as Thaddaeus
##Enzo Siciliano as Simon
##Otello Sestili as Judas Iscariot
##Juan Rodolfo Wilcock as Caiaphas
##Alessandro Clerici as Pontius Pilate
##Amerigo Bevilacqua as Herod the Great
##Francesco Leonetti as Herod Antipas
##Franca Cupane as Herod
##Paola Tedesco as Salome
##Rossana Di Rocco as Angel of the Lord
##Renato Terra as Possessed one
##Eliseo Boschi as Joseph of Arimathea
##Natalia Ginzburg as Mary of Bethany
##Ninetto Davoli (uncredited) as a shepherd
##Umberto Bevilacqua (uncredited) as a soldier
Production[edit]
Background and pre-production[edit]
In 1963, Pier Paolo Pasolini had depicted the life of Christ in his short film La ricotta, included in the omnibus film RoGoPaG, which led to controversy and a jail sentence for the allegedly blasphemous and obscene content in the film.[4] According to Barth David Schwartz’s book Pasolini Requiem (1992), the impetus for the film took place in 1962. Pasolini had accepted Pope John XXIII’s invitation for a new dialogue with non-Catholic artists, and subsequently visited the town of Assisi to attend a seminar at a Franciscan monastery there. The papal visit caused traffic jams in the town, leaving Pasolini confined to his hotel room; there, he came across a copy of the New Testament. Pasolini read all four Gospels straight through, and he claimed that adapting a film from one of them "threw in the shade all the other ideas for work I had in my head."[5] Unlike previous cinematic depictions of Jesus' life, Pasolini's film does not embellish the biblical account with any literary or dramatic inventions, nor does it present an amalgam of the four Gospels (subsequent films which would adhere as closely as possible to one Gospel account are 1979's Jesus, based on the Gospel of Luke, and 2003's The Gospel of John). Pasolini stated that he decided to "remake the Gospel by analogy" and the film's sparse dialogue all comes directly from the Bible.[6]
Given Pasolini's well-known reputation as an atheist, a homosexual, and a Marxist, the reverential nature of his film was surprising[to whom?], especially after the controversy of La ricotta. At a press conference in 1966, Pasolini was asked why he, an unbeliever, had made a film which dealt with religious themes; his response was, "If you know that I am an unbeliever, then you know me better than I do myself. I may be an unbeliever, but I am an unbeliever who has a nostalgia for a belief."[7] The film begins with an announcement that it is "dedicato alla cara, lieta, familiare memoria di Giovanni XXIII" ("dedicated to the dear, joyous, familiar memory of Pope John XXIII"), as John XXIII was indirectly responsible for the film's creation, but had died before its completion.
Filming and style[edit]
Pasolini employed some of the techniques of Italian neorealism in the making of his film. Most of the actors he hired were non-professionals. Enrique Irazoqui (Jesus) was a 19-year-old economics student from Spain, and the rest of the cast were mainly locals from Barile, Matera, and Massafra, where the film was shot (Pasolini visited the Holy Land but found the locations unsuitable and "commercialized").[8] Pasolini cast his own mother, Susanna, as the elderly mother of Jesus. The cast also included noted intellectuals such as writers Enzo Siciliano and Alfonso Gatto, poets Natalia Ginzburg and Juan Rodolfo Wilcock, and philosopher Giorgio Agamben. In addition to the original biblical source, Pasolini used references to "2,000 years of Christian painting and sculptures" throughout the film. The look of the characters is also eclectic and, in some cases, anachronistic, resembling artistic depictions of different eras (the costumes of the Roman soldiers and the Pharisees, for example, are influenced by Renaissance art, whereas Jesus' appearance has been likened to that in Byzantine art as well as the work of Expressionist artist Georges Rouault).[6] Pasolini later described the film as "the life of Christ plus 2,000 years of storytelling about the life of Christ."[9]
Pasolini described his experience filming The Gospel According to St. Matthew as very different from his previous films. He stated that while his shooting style on his previous film Accattone was "reverential," when his shooting style was applied to a biblical source it "came out rhetorical. ... And then when I was shooting the baptism scene near Viterbo I threw over all my technical preconceptions. I started using the zoom, I used new camera movements, new frames which were not reverential, but almost documentary [combining] an almost classical severity with the moments that are almost Godardian, for example in the two trials of Christ shot like "cinema verite." ... The Point is that ... I, a non-believer, was telling the story through the eyes of a believer. The mixture at the narrative level produced the mixture stylistically."[6]
Music[edit]
The score of the film is eclectic, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach (e.g. Mass in B Minor and St Matthew Passion) to Odetta ("Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child"), to Blind Willie Johnson ("Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground"), to the Jewish ceremonial declaration "Kol Nidre" and the "Gloria" from the Congolese Missa Luba. Pasolini stated that all of the film's music was of a sacred or religious nature from all parts of the world and multiple cultures or belief systems.[6]
Reception[edit]
The film received mostly good reviews from critics, including several Christian critics. Philip French called it "a noble film," and Alexander Walker said that "it grips the historical and psychological imagination like no other religious film I have seen. And for all its apparent simplicity, it is visually rich and contains strange, disturbing hints and undertones about Christ and his mission."[9]
Some Marxist film critics gave the film poor reviews. Oswald Stack criticized the films "abject concessions to reactionary ideology." In response to criticism from the far left, Pasolini admitted that in his opinion "there are some horrible moments I am ashamed of. ... The Miracle of the loaves and the fishes and Christ walking on water are disgusting Pietism." He also stated that the film was "a reaction against the conformity of Marxism. The mystery of life and death and of suffering — and particularly of religion ... is something that Marxists do not want to consider. But these are and have always been questions of great importance for human beings."[9]
The Gospel According to St. Matthew was ranked number 10 (in 2010) and number 7 (in 2011) in the Arts and Faith website's Top 100 Films,[10] also is in the Vatican's list of 45 great films and Roger Ebert's Great Movies list.[11][12]
The film currently has an approval rating of 94% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with 30 "fresh" and 2 "rotten" reviews.[13]
Awards[edit]
At the 1964 Venice Film Festival, The Gospel According to St. Matthew was screened in competition for the Golden Lion, and won the OCIC Award and the Special Jury Prize. At the film's premiere, a crowd gathered to boo Pasolini but cheered him after the film was over. The film later won the Grand Prize at the International Catholic Film Office.[9]
The Gospel According to St. Matthew was released in the United States in 1966 and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Art Direction (Luigi Scaccianoce), Costume Design (Danilo Donati), and Score.[14]
Alternate versions[edit]
The 2007 Region 1 DVD release from Legend Films features a colorized, English-dubbed version of the film, in addition to the original, black-and-white Italian-language version. (The English-dubbed version is significantly shorter than the original, with a running time of 91 minutes — roughly 40 minutes shorter than the standard version.)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 4 November 1964. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
2.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
3.Jump up ^ [2][dead link]
4.Jump up ^ Wakeman. John. World Film Directors, Volume 2. The H. W. Wilson Company. 1988. pp. 746.
5.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (14 March 2004). "The Gospel According to St. Matthew". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d Wakeman. pp. 746.
7.Jump up ^ "Pasolini". Cinemaseekers.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
8.Jump up ^ lchadbou-326-26592 (11 July 1965). "Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo (1965)". IMDb. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d Wakeman. pp. 747.
10.Jump up ^ "Arts & Faith Top 100: The Gospel According to Matthew". Arts & Faith. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
11.Jump up ^ "USCCB - (Film and Broadcasting) - Vatican Best Films List". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
12.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (14 March 2004). "The Gospel According to St. Matthew Movie Review (1964)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
13.Jump up ^ The Gospel According to St. Matthew at Rotten Tomatoes
14.Jump up ^ "Movie Review - The Gospel According to St Matthew - Screen:The Life of Jesus:Pasolini's Film Opens at the Fine Arts - NYTimes.com". Retrieved 3 January 2015.
Sources##Bart Testa, "To Film a Gospel ... and Advent of the Theoretical Stranger," in Patrick Rumble and Bart Testa (eds.), Pier Paolo Pasolini: Contemporary Perspectives. University of Toronto Press, Inc., 1994, pp. 180–209. ISBN 0-8020-7737-4.
##"Pasolini, Il Cristo dell'Eresia (Il Vangelo secondo Matteo). Sacro e censura nel cinema di Pier Paolo Pasolini (Edizioni Joker, 2009) by Erminia Passannanti, ISBN 978-88-7536-252-2
External links[edit]
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at the Internet Movie Database
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at the TCM Movie Database
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at AllMovie
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at Rotten Tomatoes

Awards
Preceded by
The Fire Within
 tied with Introduction to Life Special Jury Prize, Venice
 1964
 tied with Hamlet Succeeded by
Simon of the Desert, I Am Twenty
 and Modiga Mindre Män


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Pier Paolo Pasolini


Films directed



Fiction feature

Accattone ·
 Mamma Roma ·
 The Gospel According to St. Matthew ·
 The Hawks and the Sparrows ·
 Oedipus Rex ·
 Teorema ·
 Pigsty ·
 Medea ·
 The Decameron ·
 The Canterbury Tales ·
 Arabian Nights ·
 Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
 


Documentary

La rabbia ·
 Love Meetings ·
 Location Hunting in Palestine ·
 Appunti per un film sull'India ·
 Notes Towards an African Orestes
 


Short or segment

"La ricotta" in Ro.Go.Pa.G. ·
 "La Terra vista dalla Luna" in The Witches ·
 "Che cosa sono le nuvole?" in Caprice Italian Style ·
 "La sequenza del fiore di carta" in Love and Anger
 


Literary works
Ragazzi di vita ·
 Affabulazione ·
 Petrolio
 

Works about
Who Killed Pasolini? ·
 Sacred Poet ·
 Pasolini
 

  


Categories: 1964 films
Italian-language films
1960s drama films
Biographical films about Jesus
Films directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Films about communism
Gospel of Matthew
Italian drama films
Depictions of John the Baptist
Marxist works
Pope John XXIII
Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film
Religious epic films
Venice Grand Special Jury Prize winners
Film scores by Luis Bacalov











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This page was last modified on 8 April 2015, at 07:48.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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The Gospel According to St. Matthew (film)

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For the American film of The Gospel, see The Visual Bible: Matthew.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew
Pasolini Gospel Poster.jpg
Original Italian release poster

Directed by
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Produced by
Alfredo Bini
Written by
Pier Paolo Pasolini
Based on
Gospel of Matthew
Starring
Enrique Irazoqui
Music by
Luis Enríquez Bacalov
Uncredited:
Carlo Rustichelli
Cinematography
Tonino Delli Colli
Edited by
Nino Baragli
Distributed by
Titanus Distribuzione S.p.a.

Release dates

4 September 1964 (Venice)
2 October 1964 (Italy)


Running time
 137 minutes[1]
Country
Italy
Language
Italian
The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Italian: Il Vangelo secondo Matteo) is a 1964 Italian biographical drama film directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It is a retelling of the story of Jesus Christ, from the Nativity through the Resurrection.
The dialogue is primarily taken directly from the Gospel of Matthew, as Pasolini felt that "images could never reach the poetic heights of the text."[2] He reportedly chose Matthew's Gospel over the others because he had decided that "John was too mystical, Mark too vulgar, and Luke too sentimental."[3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Background and pre-production
3.2 Filming and style
3.3 Music
4 Reception
5 Awards
6 Alternate versions
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
In Palestine during the Roman Empire, Jesus Christ of Nazareth travels around the country with his disciples preaching to the people about God and salvation of their souls. He is the son of God and the prophesied messiah, but not everyone believes his tale. He is arrested by the Romans and crucified. He rises from the dead after three days.
Cast[edit]
##Enrique Irazoqui as Christ ##Enrico Maria Salerno as Christ's voice
##Margherita Caruso as Mary (younger) ##Susanna Pasolini as older Mary
##Marcello Morante as Joseph ##Gianni Bonagura as Joseph's voice
##Mario Socrate as John the Baptist ##Pino Locchi as John's voice
##Settimio Di Porto as Peter
##Alfonso Gatto as Andrew
##Luigi Barbini as James
##Giacomo Morante as John
##Giorgio Agamben as Phillip
##Guido Cerretani as Bartholomew
##Rosario Migale as Thomas
##Ferruccio Nuzzo as Matthew
##Marcello Galdini as James, son of Alphaeus
##Elio Spaziani as Thaddaeus
##Enzo Siciliano as Simon
##Otello Sestili as Judas Iscariot
##Juan Rodolfo Wilcock as Caiaphas
##Alessandro Clerici as Pontius Pilate
##Amerigo Bevilacqua as Herod the Great
##Francesco Leonetti as Herod Antipas
##Franca Cupane as Herod
##Paola Tedesco as Salome
##Rossana Di Rocco as Angel of the Lord
##Renato Terra as Possessed one
##Eliseo Boschi as Joseph of Arimathea
##Natalia Ginzburg as Mary of Bethany
##Ninetto Davoli (uncredited) as a shepherd
##Umberto Bevilacqua (uncredited) as a soldier
Production[edit]
Background and pre-production[edit]
In 1963, Pier Paolo Pasolini had depicted the life of Christ in his short film La ricotta, included in the omnibus film RoGoPaG, which led to controversy and a jail sentence for the allegedly blasphemous and obscene content in the film.[4] According to Barth David Schwartz’s book Pasolini Requiem (1992), the impetus for the film took place in 1962. Pasolini had accepted Pope John XXIII’s invitation for a new dialogue with non-Catholic artists, and subsequently visited the town of Assisi to attend a seminar at a Franciscan monastery there. The papal visit caused traffic jams in the town, leaving Pasolini confined to his hotel room; there, he came across a copy of the New Testament. Pasolini read all four Gospels straight through, and he claimed that adapting a film from one of them "threw in the shade all the other ideas for work I had in my head."[5] Unlike previous cinematic depictions of Jesus' life, Pasolini's film does not embellish the biblical account with any literary or dramatic inventions, nor does it present an amalgam of the four Gospels (subsequent films which would adhere as closely as possible to one Gospel account are 1979's Jesus, based on the Gospel of Luke, and 2003's The Gospel of John). Pasolini stated that he decided to "remake the Gospel by analogy" and the film's sparse dialogue all comes directly from the Bible.[6]
Given Pasolini's well-known reputation as an atheist, a homosexual, and a Marxist, the reverential nature of his film was surprising[to whom?], especially after the controversy of La ricotta. At a press conference in 1966, Pasolini was asked why he, an unbeliever, had made a film which dealt with religious themes; his response was, "If you know that I am an unbeliever, then you know me better than I do myself. I may be an unbeliever, but I am an unbeliever who has a nostalgia for a belief."[7] The film begins with an announcement that it is "dedicato alla cara, lieta, familiare memoria di Giovanni XXIII" ("dedicated to the dear, joyous, familiar memory of Pope John XXIII"), as John XXIII was indirectly responsible for the film's creation, but had died before its completion.
Filming and style[edit]
Pasolini employed some of the techniques of Italian neorealism in the making of his film. Most of the actors he hired were non-professionals. Enrique Irazoqui (Jesus) was a 19-year-old economics student from Spain, and the rest of the cast were mainly locals from Barile, Matera, and Massafra, where the film was shot (Pasolini visited the Holy Land but found the locations unsuitable and "commercialized").[8] Pasolini cast his own mother, Susanna, as the elderly mother of Jesus. The cast also included noted intellectuals such as writers Enzo Siciliano and Alfonso Gatto, poets Natalia Ginzburg and Juan Rodolfo Wilcock, and philosopher Giorgio Agamben. In addition to the original biblical source, Pasolini used references to "2,000 years of Christian painting and sculptures" throughout the film. The look of the characters is also eclectic and, in some cases, anachronistic, resembling artistic depictions of different eras (the costumes of the Roman soldiers and the Pharisees, for example, are influenced by Renaissance art, whereas Jesus' appearance has been likened to that in Byzantine art as well as the work of Expressionist artist Georges Rouault).[6] Pasolini later described the film as "the life of Christ plus 2,000 years of storytelling about the life of Christ."[9]
Pasolini described his experience filming The Gospel According to St. Matthew as very different from his previous films. He stated that while his shooting style on his previous film Accattone was "reverential," when his shooting style was applied to a biblical source it "came out rhetorical. ... And then when I was shooting the baptism scene near Viterbo I threw over all my technical preconceptions. I started using the zoom, I used new camera movements, new frames which were not reverential, but almost documentary [combining] an almost classical severity with the moments that are almost Godardian, for example in the two trials of Christ shot like "cinema verite." ... The Point is that ... I, a non-believer, was telling the story through the eyes of a believer. The mixture at the narrative level produced the mixture stylistically."[6]
Music[edit]
The score of the film is eclectic, ranging from Johann Sebastian Bach (e.g. Mass in B Minor and St Matthew Passion) to Odetta ("Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child"), to Blind Willie Johnson ("Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground"), to the Jewish ceremonial declaration "Kol Nidre" and the "Gloria" from the Congolese Missa Luba. Pasolini stated that all of the film's music was of a sacred or religious nature from all parts of the world and multiple cultures or belief systems.[6]
Reception[edit]
The film received mostly good reviews from critics, including several Christian critics. Philip French called it "a noble film," and Alexander Walker said that "it grips the historical and psychological imagination like no other religious film I have seen. And for all its apparent simplicity, it is visually rich and contains strange, disturbing hints and undertones about Christ and his mission."[9]
Some Marxist film critics gave the film poor reviews. Oswald Stack criticized the films "abject concessions to reactionary ideology." In response to criticism from the far left, Pasolini admitted that in his opinion "there are some horrible moments I am ashamed of. ... The Miracle of the loaves and the fishes and Christ walking on water are disgusting Pietism." He also stated that the film was "a reaction against the conformity of Marxism. The mystery of life and death and of suffering — and particularly of religion ... is something that Marxists do not want to consider. But these are and have always been questions of great importance for human beings."[9]
The Gospel According to St. Matthew was ranked number 10 (in 2010) and number 7 (in 2011) in the Arts and Faith website's Top 100 Films,[10] also is in the Vatican's list of 45 great films and Roger Ebert's Great Movies list.[11][12]
The film currently has an approval rating of 94% on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with 30 "fresh" and 2 "rotten" reviews.[13]
Awards[edit]
At the 1964 Venice Film Festival, The Gospel According to St. Matthew was screened in competition for the Golden Lion, and won the OCIC Award and the Special Jury Prize. At the film's premiere, a crowd gathered to boo Pasolini but cheered him after the film was over. The film later won the Grand Prize at the International Catholic Film Office.[9]
The Gospel According to St. Matthew was released in the United States in 1966 and was nominated for three Academy Awards: Art Direction (Luigi Scaccianoce), Costume Design (Danilo Donati), and Score.[14]
Alternate versions[edit]
The 2007 Region 1 DVD release from Legend Films features a colorized, English-dubbed version of the film, in addition to the original, black-and-white Italian-language version. (The English-dubbed version is significantly shorter than the original, with a running time of 91 minutes — roughly 40 minutes shorter than the standard version.)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MATTHEW (U)". British Board of Film Classification. 4 November 1964. Retrieved 30 December 2012.
2.Jump up ^ [1][dead link]
3.Jump up ^ [2][dead link]
4.Jump up ^ Wakeman. John. World Film Directors, Volume 2. The H. W. Wilson Company. 1988. pp. 746.
5.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (14 March 2004). "The Gospel According to St. Matthew". Rogerebert.suntimes.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c d Wakeman. pp. 746.
7.Jump up ^ "Pasolini". Cinemaseekers.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
8.Jump up ^ lchadbou-326-26592 (11 July 1965). "Sopralluoghi in Palestina per il vangelo secondo Matteo (1965)". IMDb. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d Wakeman. pp. 747.
10.Jump up ^ "Arts & Faith Top 100: The Gospel According to Matthew". Arts & Faith. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
11.Jump up ^ "USCCB - (Film and Broadcasting) - Vatican Best Films List". United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
12.Jump up ^ Roger Ebert (14 March 2004). "The Gospel According to St. Matthew Movie Review (1964)". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
13.Jump up ^ The Gospel According to St. Matthew at Rotten Tomatoes
14.Jump up ^ "Movie Review - The Gospel According to St Matthew - Screen:The Life of Jesus:Pasolini's Film Opens at the Fine Arts - NYTimes.com". Retrieved 3 January 2015.
Sources##Bart Testa, "To Film a Gospel ... and Advent of the Theoretical Stranger," in Patrick Rumble and Bart Testa (eds.), Pier Paolo Pasolini: Contemporary Perspectives. University of Toronto Press, Inc., 1994, pp. 180–209. ISBN 0-8020-7737-4.
##"Pasolini, Il Cristo dell'Eresia (Il Vangelo secondo Matteo). Sacro e censura nel cinema di Pier Paolo Pasolini (Edizioni Joker, 2009) by Erminia Passannanti, ISBN 978-88-7536-252-2
External links[edit]
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at the Internet Movie Database
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at the TCM Movie Database
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at AllMovie
##The Gospel According to St. Matthew at Rotten Tomatoes

Awards
Preceded by
The Fire Within
 tied with Introduction to Life Special Jury Prize, Venice
 1964
 tied with Hamlet Succeeded by
Simon of the Desert, I Am Twenty
 and Modiga Mindre Män


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Pier Paolo Pasolini


Films directed



Fiction feature

Accattone ·
 Mamma Roma ·
 The Gospel According to St. Matthew ·
 The Hawks and the Sparrows ·
 Oedipus Rex ·
 Teorema ·
 Pigsty ·
 Medea ·
 The Decameron ·
 The Canterbury Tales ·
 Arabian Nights ·
 Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
 


Documentary

La rabbia ·
 Love Meetings ·
 Location Hunting in Palestine ·
 Appunti per un film sull'India ·
 Notes Towards an African Orestes
 


Short or segment

"La ricotta" in Ro.Go.Pa.G. ·
 "La Terra vista dalla Luna" in The Witches ·
 "Che cosa sono le nuvole?" in Caprice Italian Style ·
 "La sequenza del fiore di carta" in Love and Anger
 


Literary works
Ragazzi di vita ·
 Affabulazione ·
 Petrolio
 

Works about
Who Killed Pasolini? ·
 Sacred Poet ·
 Pasolini
 

  


Categories: 1964 films
Italian-language films
1960s drama films
Biographical films about Jesus
Films directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
Films about communism
Gospel of Matthew
Italian drama films
Depictions of John the Baptist
Marxist works
Pope John XXIII
Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film
Religious epic films
Venice Grand Special Jury Prize winners
Film scores by Luis Bacalov











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The Gospel of John (film)

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Jump to: navigation, search


The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John (film).jpg
Directed by
Philip Saville
Produced by
Garth Drabinsky
Chris Chrisafis
Written by
John Goldsmith
Starring
Henry Ian Cusick
Narrated by
Christopher Plummer
Music by
Jeff Danna
Cinematography
Mirosław Baszak
Edited by
Michel Archand
Distributed by
Visual Bible International
THINKFilm

Release dates
 September 26, 2003

Running time
 180 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 Canada
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$16 million
Box office
$4,068,087
The Gospel of John is a 2003 film that is the story of Jesus' life as recounted by the Gospel of John.[1] It is a motion picture that has been adapted for the screen on a word-for-word basis from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. This three-hour epic feature film follows John's Gospel precisely, without additions to the story from other Gospels, nor omission of complex passages.
This film was created by a constituency of artists from Canada and the United Kingdom, along with academic and theological consultants from around the world. The cast was selected primarily from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Soulpepper Theatre Company, as well as Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre. The musical score, composed by Jeff Danna and created for the film, is partially based on the music of the Biblical period. The film was produced by Visual Bible International.
The film is narrated by Christopher Plummer and stars Scottish-Peruvian actor Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus. Others cast include British actors Stuart Bunce (John), Richard Lintern (Leading Pharisee), Scott Handy (John the Baptist), Lynsey Baxter (Mary Magdalene), and Canadian actors Diego Matamoros (Nicodemus), Stephen Russell (Pontius Pilate), Daniel Kash (Simon Peter), Cedric Smith (Caiaphas) and Nancy Palk (Samaritan Woman).
The film was directed by Philip Saville and co-produced by Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky and British producer Chris Chrisafis.
Executive producers were Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron Gottlieb and Martin Katz.
Also involved were screenwriter John Goldsmith, production designer Don Taylor, sound mixer David Lee, makeup artist Trefor Proud, costume designer Debra Hanson, and director of photography and film editors Miroslaw Baszak and Michel Arcand.
The filming production was shot in Toronto, Ontario and Almeria, Andalucia, Spain.
See also[edit]
The Visual Bible: Matthew
The Visual Bible: Acts
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ John F. A. SawyerThe Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture 2012 "Overshadowed by The Passion is British director Philip Saville's The Gospel of John (2003) a film whose text is the Gospel of John, ... The film is narrated by Christopher Plummer, whose authoritative voice makes the text sound like gospel"
External links[edit]
The Gospel of John at the Internet Movie Database
Enthusiastic review by Andy Naselli
Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films list
The Blog on The Gospel of John Film
  


Categories: English-language films
2003 films
Canadian films
British films
Religious epic films
Gospel of John
Biographical films about Jesus
Films directed by Philip Saville
Depictions of John the Baptist
Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film


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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_of_John_(film)















The Gospel of John (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


The Gospel of John
The Gospel of John (film).jpg
Directed by
Philip Saville
Produced by
Garth Drabinsky
Chris Chrisafis
Written by
John Goldsmith
Starring
Henry Ian Cusick
Narrated by
Christopher Plummer
Music by
Jeff Danna
Cinematography
Mirosław Baszak
Edited by
Michel Archand
Distributed by
Visual Bible International
THINKFilm

Release dates
 September 26, 2003

Running time
 180 minutes
Country
United Kingdom
 Canada
 United States
Language
English
Budget
$16 million
Box office
$4,068,087
The Gospel of John is a 2003 film that is the story of Jesus' life as recounted by the Gospel of John.[1] It is a motion picture that has been adapted for the screen on a word-for-word basis from the American Bible Society's Good News Bible. This three-hour epic feature film follows John's Gospel precisely, without additions to the story from other Gospels, nor omission of complex passages.
This film was created by a constituency of artists from Canada and the United Kingdom, along with academic and theological consultants from around the world. The cast was selected primarily from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Soulpepper Theatre Company, as well as Britain's Royal Shakespeare Company and Royal National Theatre. The musical score, composed by Jeff Danna and created for the film, is partially based on the music of the Biblical period. The film was produced by Visual Bible International.
The film is narrated by Christopher Plummer and stars Scottish-Peruvian actor Henry Ian Cusick as Jesus. Others cast include British actors Stuart Bunce (John), Richard Lintern (Leading Pharisee), Scott Handy (John the Baptist), Lynsey Baxter (Mary Magdalene), and Canadian actors Diego Matamoros (Nicodemus), Stephen Russell (Pontius Pilate), Daniel Kash (Simon Peter), Cedric Smith (Caiaphas) and Nancy Palk (Samaritan Woman).
The film was directed by Philip Saville and co-produced by Canadian producer Garth Drabinsky and British producer Chris Chrisafis.
Executive producers were Sandy Pearl, Joel B. Michaels, Myron Gottlieb and Martin Katz.
Also involved were screenwriter John Goldsmith, production designer Don Taylor, sound mixer David Lee, makeup artist Trefor Proud, costume designer Debra Hanson, and director of photography and film editors Miroslaw Baszak and Michel Arcand.
The filming production was shot in Toronto, Ontario and Almeria, Andalucia, Spain.
See also[edit]
The Visual Bible: Matthew
The Visual Bible: Acts
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ John F. A. SawyerThe Blackwell Companion to the Bible and Culture 2012 "Overshadowed by The Passion is British director Philip Saville's The Gospel of John (2003) a film whose text is the Gospel of John, ... The film is narrated by Christopher Plummer, whose authoritative voice makes the text sound like gospel"
External links[edit]
The Gospel of John at the Internet Movie Database
Enthusiastic review by Andy Naselli
Arts & Faith Top100 Spiritually Significant Films list
The Blog on The Gospel of John Film
  


Categories: English-language films
2003 films
Canadian films
British films
Religious epic films
Gospel of John
Biographical films about Jesus
Films directed by Philip Saville
Depictions of John the Baptist
Portrayals of the Virgin Mary in film


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Deutsch
Polski
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Edit links
This page was last modified on 20 December 2014, at 17:52.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gospel_of_John_(film)












Jesus Christ Superstar (album)

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Jesus Christ Superstar

Original UK cover

Studio album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Released
September 1970
Recorded
10 October 1969 ("Superstar" single)
 1970 in Olympic Studios, London
Genre
Rock, passion music, art rock, progressive rock
Length
86:56
Label
Decca/MCA/Decca Broadway
Producer
Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber

Singles from Jesus Christ Superstar
1."Superstar"
 Released: 21 November 1969
2."I Don't Know How to Love Him"
 Released: 13 May 1971

Alternative cover

US Edition Cover, May 1971


Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album musical is a musical dramatisation of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion. It was originally banned by the BBC on grounds of being "sacrilegious."[2] [3]
The album's story is based in large part on the Synoptic Gospels and Fulton J. Sheen's Life of Christ, which compares and calibrates all four Gospels. However, greater emphasis is placed on the interpersonal relationships of the major characters, in particular, Jesus, Judas and Mary Magdalene, relationships that are not described in depth in the Gospels.
The album topped the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums in 1971[4] and served as a launching pad for numerous stage productions on Broadway and in the West End. The original 1970 boxed-set issue of this 2-record set was packaged in the U.S. with a special thin brown cardboard outer box which contained the 2 vinyl records and a 28-page libretto. The album was listed as the top-selling LP on the U.S. Billboard Pop chart of 1971.[5] It is also the sixth most successful album of all time in Norway, peaking at No. 3 and staying on the charts for 87 weeks.[6]


Contents  [hide]
1 Track listing
2 Credits
3 Reissue
4 Charts 4.1 Peak positions
4.2 Year-end charts
4.3 Certifications
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Track listing[edit]
All compositions written by Tim Rice (lyrics and book) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (music). "Herod's Song (Try It and See)" is reworked from an older song, "Try It and See", by the same authors.

Side one

No.
Title
Length

1. "Overture"   2:07
2. "Heaven on Their Minds"   4:23
3. "What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying"   4:13
4. "Everything's Alright"   4:36
5. "This Jesus Must Die"   5:11

Side two

No.
Title
Length

1. "Hosanna"   1:30
2. "Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem"   4:49
3. "Pilate's Dream"   1:28
4. "The Temple"   4:43
5. "Everything's Alright (reprise)"   0:34
6. "I Don't Know How to Love Him"   3:41
7. "Damned for All Time/Blood Money"   4:36

Side three

No.
Title
Length

1. "The Last Supper"   7:10
2. "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"   5:33
3. "The Arrest"   3:24
4. "Peter's Denial"   1:27
5. "Pilate and Christ"   2:46
6. "Herod's Song (Try It and See)"   3:02

Side four

No.
Title
Length

1. "Judas' Death"   4:17
2. "Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)"   5:13
3. "Superstar"   4:16
4. "The Crucifixion"   4:04
5. "John Nineteen: Forty-One[7]"   2:10
Credits[edit]
Main PlayersIan Gillan – Jesus Christ
Murray Head – Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman – Mary Magdalene
Victor Brox – Caiaphas, High Priest
Brian Keith – Annas
John Gustafson – Simon Zealotes
Barry Dennen – Pontius Pilate
Paul Davis – Peter
Mike d'Abo – King Herod
Supporting PlayersAnnette Brox – Maid by the Fire
Paul Raven – Priest
Pat Arnold – Background vocals
Tony Ashton – Background vocals
Tim Rice – Background vocals
Peter Barnfeather – Background vocals
Madeline Bell – Background vocals
Brian Bennett – Background vocals
Lesley Duncan – Background vocals
Kay Garner – Background vocals
Barbara Kay – Background vocals
Neil Lancaster – Background vocals
Alan M. O'Duffy – Background vocals
Terry Saunders – Background vocals
Choir conducted by Geoffrey Mitchell
Children's choir conducted by Alan Doggett on "Overture"
The Trinidad Singers, under the leadership of Horace James, on "Superstar"
MusiciansNeil Hubbard – electric guitar
Henry McCullough – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Chris Mercer – tenor sax
Peter Robinson – piano, electric piano, organ, positive organ
Bruce Rowland – drums, percussion
Allan Spenner – bass guitar
Other musiciansHarold Beckett – trumpet
Anthony Brooke – bassoon
James Browne – horns
Jim Buck, Sr. – horns
Jim Buck, Jr. – horns
John Burdon – horns
Joseph Castaldini – bassoon
Norman Cave – piano
Jeff Clyne – bass guitar
Ciclone – Saxophone
Les Condon – trumpet
Keith Christie – trombone
Alan Doggett – principal Conductor, Moog synthesizer
Ian Hamer – trumpet
Ian Herbert – clarinet
Clive Hicks – guitar
Karl Jenkins – piano
Frank Jones – trombone
Bill LeSage – drums
John Marshall – drums
Andrew McGavin – horns
Anthony Moore – trombone
Douglas Moore – horns
Peter Morgan – bass guitar
Chris Spedding – guitar
Louis Stewart – guitar
Chris Taylor – flute
Steve Vaughan – guitar
Mike Vickers – Moog synthesizer
Brian Warren – flute
Mick Weaver – piano, organ
Andrew Lloyd Webber – piano, organ, Moog synthesizer
Alan Weighall – bass guitar
Kenny Wheeler – trumpet
Strings of the City of London Ensemble
Production
Alan O'Duffy - chief engineer
Reissue[edit]
Original Concept Recording. 'Jesus Christ Superstar - "A Rock Opera" '. Universal City, CA: MCA Records Inc.[USA], ©1993 (released 24 SEP 1996). Cat. No. MCAD2-11542 [2 CDs], UPC 008811154226
(N.B.: Black title on front and back cover; gold 'angels' logo; gold lettering on the spine. Depending on the retailer, an outer sticker may state that the album was 'Digitally Remastered [Complete on 2 CDs]' and/or 'Original Artwork and Libretto'. This information is not found on the inner packaging.)
Charts[edit]

Peak positions[edit]

Chart
Position

Australian Kent Music Report[8] 6
Austrian Albums Chart[9] 4
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[10] 1
Dutch Albums Chart[11] 10
Italian Albums Chart[12] 16
Norwegian Albums Chart[13] 3
UK Albums Chart[14] 23
US Billboard 200[4] 1
West German Media Control Albums Chart[15] 11

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1971)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[8] 4
Italian Albums Chart[12] 41
US Billboard Pop Albums[5] 1

Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification


United States (RIAA)[16]
Gold

See also[edit]
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar (film)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jesus Christ Superstar > Album Overview at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2006.
2.Jump up ^ "... the BBC banned it, they banned this record, because they thought it was sacrilegious." – Ted Neeley, in conversation with Norman Jewison [1]
3.Jump up ^ Autobiography of Norman Jewison
4.^ Jump up to: a b "Allmusic: Jesus Christ Superstar : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b 1971 Year-end Albums – The Billboard Pop Albums. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
6.Jump up ^ "BEST OF ALL TIME – ALBUMS". VG-lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
7.Jump up ^ Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had ever yet been laid.
8.^ Jump up to: a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9.Jump up ^ "Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera - austriancharts.at". Retrieved 3 May 2013.
10.Jump up ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 15, No. 3". RPM. 6 March 1971. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
11.Jump up ^ "dutchcharts.nl Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
12.^ Jump up to: a b "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1971" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
13.Jump up ^ "norwegiancharts.com Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP). Retrieved 1 May 2012.
14.Jump up ^ "Album Search Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
15.Jump up ^ "Album Search: Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
16.Jump up ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Jesus Christ Superstar _Original Cast_". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH



External links[edit]
jesuschristsuperstar.com: The Album
Jesus Christ Superstar at Discogs (list of releases)
Jesus Christ Superstar Lyrics
Preceded by
All Things Must Pass by George Harrison Billboard 200 number-one album
 20 – 26 February 1971 Succeeded by
Pearl by Janis Joplin
Preceded by
Pearl by Janis Joplin Billboard 200 number-one album
 1 – 14 May 1971 Succeeded by
4 Way Street by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Billboard Year-End number one albums











































































[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Jesus Christ Superstar





























[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musicals














































  


Categories: Albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
1970 albums
Concept albums
Rock operas
Jesus Christ Superstar
English-language albums
Decca Records albums
MCA Records albums
Andrew Lloyd Webber albums
Tim Rice albums
Albums produced by Tim Rice
Albums produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber










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Jesus Christ Superstar (album)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Jesus Christ Superstar

Original UK cover

Studio album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

Released
September 1970
Recorded
10 October 1969 ("Superstar" single)
 1970 in Olympic Studios, London
Genre
Rock, passion music, art rock, progressive rock
Length
86:56
Label
Decca/MCA/Decca Broadway
Producer
Tim Rice, Andrew Lloyd Webber

Singles from Jesus Christ Superstar
1."Superstar"
 Released: 21 November 1969
2."I Don't Know How to Love Him"
 Released: 13 May 1971

Alternative cover

US Edition Cover, May 1971


Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 4.5/5 stars[1]
Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album musical is a musical dramatisation of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion. It was originally banned by the BBC on grounds of being "sacrilegious."[2] [3]
The album's story is based in large part on the Synoptic Gospels and Fulton J. Sheen's Life of Christ, which compares and calibrates all four Gospels. However, greater emphasis is placed on the interpersonal relationships of the major characters, in particular, Jesus, Judas and Mary Magdalene, relationships that are not described in depth in the Gospels.
The album topped the U.S. Billboard Pop Albums in 1971[4] and served as a launching pad for numerous stage productions on Broadway and in the West End. The original 1970 boxed-set issue of this 2-record set was packaged in the U.S. with a special thin brown cardboard outer box which contained the 2 vinyl records and a 28-page libretto. The album was listed as the top-selling LP on the U.S. Billboard Pop chart of 1971.[5] It is also the sixth most successful album of all time in Norway, peaking at No. 3 and staying on the charts for 87 weeks.[6]


Contents  [hide]
1 Track listing
2 Credits
3 Reissue
4 Charts 4.1 Peak positions
4.2 Year-end charts
4.3 Certifications
5 See also
6 References
7 External links

Track listing[edit]
All compositions written by Tim Rice (lyrics and book) and Andrew Lloyd Webber (music). "Herod's Song (Try It and See)" is reworked from an older song, "Try It and See", by the same authors.

Side one

No.
Title
Length

1. "Overture"   2:07
2. "Heaven on Their Minds"   4:23
3. "What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying"   4:13
4. "Everything's Alright"   4:36
5. "This Jesus Must Die"   5:11

Side two

No.
Title
Length

1. "Hosanna"   1:30
2. "Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem"   4:49
3. "Pilate's Dream"   1:28
4. "The Temple"   4:43
5. "Everything's Alright (reprise)"   0:34
6. "I Don't Know How to Love Him"   3:41
7. "Damned for All Time/Blood Money"   4:36

Side three

No.
Title
Length

1. "The Last Supper"   7:10
2. "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"   5:33
3. "The Arrest"   3:24
4. "Peter's Denial"   1:27
5. "Pilate and Christ"   2:46
6. "Herod's Song (Try It and See)"   3:02

Side four

No.
Title
Length

1. "Judas' Death"   4:17
2. "Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)"   5:13
3. "Superstar"   4:16
4. "The Crucifixion"   4:04
5. "John Nineteen: Forty-One[7]"   2:10
Credits[edit]
Main PlayersIan Gillan – Jesus Christ
Murray Head – Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman – Mary Magdalene
Victor Brox – Caiaphas, High Priest
Brian Keith – Annas
John Gustafson – Simon Zealotes
Barry Dennen – Pontius Pilate
Paul Davis – Peter
Mike d'Abo – King Herod
Supporting PlayersAnnette Brox – Maid by the Fire
Paul Raven – Priest
Pat Arnold – Background vocals
Tony Ashton – Background vocals
Tim Rice – Background vocals
Peter Barnfeather – Background vocals
Madeline Bell – Background vocals
Brian Bennett – Background vocals
Lesley Duncan – Background vocals
Kay Garner – Background vocals
Barbara Kay – Background vocals
Neil Lancaster – Background vocals
Alan M. O'Duffy – Background vocals
Terry Saunders – Background vocals
Choir conducted by Geoffrey Mitchell
Children's choir conducted by Alan Doggett on "Overture"
The Trinidad Singers, under the leadership of Horace James, on "Superstar"
MusiciansNeil Hubbard – electric guitar
Henry McCullough – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
Chris Mercer – tenor sax
Peter Robinson – piano, electric piano, organ, positive organ
Bruce Rowland – drums, percussion
Allan Spenner – bass guitar
Other musiciansHarold Beckett – trumpet
Anthony Brooke – bassoon
James Browne – horns
Jim Buck, Sr. – horns
Jim Buck, Jr. – horns
John Burdon – horns
Joseph Castaldini – bassoon
Norman Cave – piano
Jeff Clyne – bass guitar
Ciclone – Saxophone
Les Condon – trumpet
Keith Christie – trombone
Alan Doggett – principal Conductor, Moog synthesizer
Ian Hamer – trumpet
Ian Herbert – clarinet
Clive Hicks – guitar
Karl Jenkins – piano
Frank Jones – trombone
Bill LeSage – drums
John Marshall – drums
Andrew McGavin – horns
Anthony Moore – trombone
Douglas Moore – horns
Peter Morgan – bass guitar
Chris Spedding – guitar
Louis Stewart – guitar
Chris Taylor – flute
Steve Vaughan – guitar
Mike Vickers – Moog synthesizer
Brian Warren – flute
Mick Weaver – piano, organ
Andrew Lloyd Webber – piano, organ, Moog synthesizer
Alan Weighall – bass guitar
Kenny Wheeler – trumpet
Strings of the City of London Ensemble
Production
Alan O'Duffy - chief engineer
Reissue[edit]
Original Concept Recording. 'Jesus Christ Superstar - "A Rock Opera" '. Universal City, CA: MCA Records Inc.[USA], ©1993 (released 24 SEP 1996). Cat. No. MCAD2-11542 [2 CDs], UPC 008811154226
(N.B.: Black title on front and back cover; gold 'angels' logo; gold lettering on the spine. Depending on the retailer, an outer sticker may state that the album was 'Digitally Remastered [Complete on 2 CDs]' and/or 'Original Artwork and Libretto'. This information is not found on the inner packaging.)
Charts[edit]

Peak positions[edit]

Chart
Position

Australian Kent Music Report[8] 6
Austrian Albums Chart[9] 4
Canadian RPM Albums Chart[10] 1
Dutch Albums Chart[11] 10
Italian Albums Chart[12] 16
Norwegian Albums Chart[13] 3
UK Albums Chart[14] 23
US Billboard 200[4] 1
West German Media Control Albums Chart[15] 11

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1971)
Position

Australian Albums Chart[8] 4
Italian Albums Chart[12] 41
US Billboard Pop Albums[5] 1

Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification


United States (RIAA)[16]
Gold

See also[edit]
Jesus Christ Superstar
Jesus Christ Superstar (film)
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ Jesus Christ Superstar > Album Overview at AllMusic. Retrieved 28 September 2006.
2.Jump up ^ "... the BBC banned it, they banned this record, because they thought it was sacrilegious." – Ted Neeley, in conversation with Norman Jewison [1]
3.Jump up ^ Autobiography of Norman Jewison
4.^ Jump up to: a b "Allmusic: Jesus Christ Superstar : Charts & Awards : Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
5.^ Jump up to: a b 1971 Year-end Albums – The Billboard Pop Albums. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
6.Jump up ^ "BEST OF ALL TIME – ALBUMS". VG-lista. Hung Medien. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
7.Jump up ^ Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden. In the garden was a new tomb in which no man had ever yet been laid.
8.^ Jump up to: a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
9.Jump up ^ "Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera - austriancharts.at". Retrieved 3 May 2013.
10.Jump up ^ "Top Albums/CDs - Volume 15, No. 3". RPM. 6 March 1971. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
11.Jump up ^ "dutchcharts.nl Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP). Hung Medien (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
12.^ Jump up to: a b "Hit Parade Italia – Gli album più venduti del 1971" (in Italian). hitparadeitalia.it. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
13.Jump up ^ "norwegiancharts.com Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP). Retrieved 1 May 2012.
14.Jump up ^ "Album Search Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
15.Jump up ^ "Album Search: Musical / Andrew Lloyd Webber – Jesus Christ Superstar: A Rock Opera" (ASP) (in German). Media Control. Retrieved 1 May 2013.
16.Jump up ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – Jesus Christ Superstar _Original Cast_". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH



External links[edit]
jesuschristsuperstar.com: The Album
Jesus Christ Superstar at Discogs (list of releases)
Jesus Christ Superstar Lyrics
Preceded by
All Things Must Pass by George Harrison Billboard 200 number-one album
 20 – 26 February 1971 Succeeded by
Pearl by Janis Joplin
Preceded by
Pearl by Janis Joplin Billboard 200 number-one album
 1 – 14 May 1971 Succeeded by
4 Way Street by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Billboard Year-End number one albums











































































[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Jesus Christ Superstar





























[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musicals














































  


Categories: Albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America
1970 albums
Concept albums
Rock operas
Jesus Christ Superstar
English-language albums
Decca Records albums
MCA Records albums
Andrew Lloyd Webber albums
Tim Rice albums
Albums produced by Tim Rice
Albums produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber










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This page was last modified on 15 January 2015, at 07:27.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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Jesus Christ Superstar (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the 1973 film. For the rock opera album, see Jesus Christ Superstar (album). For the musical production, see Jesus Christ Superstar.

Jesus Christ Superstar
JCSuperstarFilmCover.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Norman Jewison
Produced by
Norman Jewison
Robert Stigwood
Screenplay by
Melvyn Bragg
 Norman Jewison
Based on
Jesus Christ Superstar
 by Tim Rice
Starring
Ted Neeley
Carl Anderson
Yvonne Elliman
Barry Dennen
Music by
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Cinematography
Douglas Slocombe
Edited by
Antony Gibbs
Distributed by
Universal Pictures

Release dates

August 15, 1973


Running time
 106 minutes[1]
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Box office
$24,477,615[2]
Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1973 British musical film directed by Canadian film director Norman Jewison. A film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera of the same name, the film stars Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman and Barry Dennen. The film centers on the conflict between Judas and Jesus[3] during the week before the crucifixion of Jesus. Neeley and Anderson were nominated for two Golden Globe Awards in 1974 for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas, respectively. Although it attracted criticism from some religious groups, reviews for the film were still positive.[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Production
5 Remakes
6 Reception 6.1 American Film Institute Recognition
7 Soundtrack
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
The film is framed as a group of performers who travel to the desert to re-enact the Passion of Christ. The film begins with them arriving on a bus, assembling their props, and getting into costume. One of the group (Neeley) is surrounded by the others, puts on a white robe, and emerges as Jesus Christ.
The story begins with Judas (Anderson), who is worried about Jesus' popularity. He is being hailed as a God, but Judas feels he is just a man, and fears the consequences of their growing movement ("Heaven on Their Minds"). The other disciples badger Jesus for information about his plans for the future, but Jesus will not give them any ("What's the Buzz?"). Judas' arrival and subsequent declaration that Jesus should not associate with Mary (Elliman) dampens the mood. Angrily, Jesus tells Judas that he should leave Mary alone, because his slate is not clean. He then accuses all the apostles of not caring about him ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Caiaphas (Bingham) is worried that the people will crown Jesus King, which will upset the Romans. Annas (Yaghjian) tries to calm him, but he finally sees Caiaphas' point, and suggests that he convene the council and explain his fears to them. Caiaphas agrees ("Then We Are Decided"). Judas later says that the money spent on ointment should have been given to the poor. Jesus rebukes him again, telling him that the poor will be there always, but Jesus will not ("Everything's Alright").
Meanwhile, the council of the Priests discuss their fears about Jesus. Caiaphas tells them that there is only one solution: like John the Baptist, Jesus must be executed for the sake of the nation ("This Jesus Must Die"). Jesus and his followers joyfully arrive in Jerusalem, but Caiaphas orders Jesus to disband the crowd for fear of a riot. Jesus refuses and speaks to the crowd ("Hosanna"). Later, the apostle Simon Zealotes (Marshall) and a crowd of followers, voice their admiration for Jesus ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus appreciates this, but becomes worried when Simon suggests directing the crowd towards an uprising against their Roman occupiers. Jesus sadly dismisses this suggestion, saying that they do not understand his true purpose ("Poor Jerusalem").
Pilate (Dennen), the Roman governor of Judea, reveals that he has dreamed about a Galilean man (Jesus) and that he will be blamed for this man's death ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus and his followers arrive at the temple, which has been taken over by money changers and prostitutes. To Judas' horror and as the priests watch in the background, a furious Jesus destroys the stalls and forces them to leave. Jesus wanders alone outside the city, but is confronted by a crowd of lepers, all wanting to be healed. Jesus tries to heal as many of them as possible, but is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and eventually gives up, screaming at them to leave him alone ("The Temple"). Mary comforts Jesus and Jesus goes to sleep. Mary loves Jesus, but is worried because he is so unlike any other man she has met ("I Don't Know How to Love Him"). Judas goes to the Priests and expresses his concerns, but he is worried about the consequences of betraying Jesus ("Damned for All Time"). The Priests take advantage of his doubts, and offer him money if he will lead them to Jesus. Judas initially refuses, but Caiaphas wins him over by reminding him that he could use the money to help the poor ("Blood Money").
At the Last Supper, Jesus reveals that he knows Peter (Toubus) will deny him and Judas will betray him. A bitter argument between Jesus and Judas ensues, in which Judas asks what if he ruined Jesus' ambition and stayed there without helping him to reach the Glory. Judas leaves ("The Last Supper"). As the apostles fall asleep, Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray about his imminent death ("Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"). Jesus waits for Judas, who arrives and betrays him with a kiss, accompanied by guards. The disciples offer to fight the guards, but Jesus will not allow it. Jesus is taken to the High Priest's House, found guilty of blasphemy, and sent to Pilate ("The Arrest"). Peter, meanwhile, fearfully denies Jesus three times after being accused of being one of Jesus' followers ("Peter's Denial"). Jesus is taken to Pilate's house, where the governor, unaware that Jesus is the man from his dream, mocks him. Since he does not deal with Jews, Pilate sends him to Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). The flamboyant King Herod (Josh Mostel) is excited to finally meet Jesus, for he has heard the hype. He tries to persuade Jesus to perform various miracles. When Jesus refuses to answer, Herod orders the guards to remove him ("Herod's Song (Try It and See)").
The apostles and Mary Magdalene remember how things began, and wish they had not gotten so out of hand ("Could We Start Again Please?"). Jesus is flung into a cell, where he is seen by Judas, who runs to tell the priests that he regrets his part in the arrest. He hurls his money to the ground and curses at the priests before running into the desert. Filled with regret for betraying Jesus, he blames God for his woes for giving him the role of the traitor and hangs himself ("Judas' Death"). Jesus is taken back to Pilate, who questions him; Herod is also present. Pilate realizes that, although he thinks Jesus is mad, he has committed no crime and has Jesus scourged; Herod is gleeful at first but eventually sickened. Pilate's bemused indifference turns to a frenzy of confusion and anger, both at the crowd's irrational bloodthirstiness and Jesus' inexplicable resignation. Pilate realizes he has no option but to kill Jesus, or the masses will grow violent ("Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)"). After Pilate washes his hands of Jesus' fate, Jesus' appearance transforms, the heavens open, and a white-jumpsuit clad Judas descends on a silver cross. Judas laments that if Jesus had returned as the Messiah today, he would have been more popular and his message easier to spread. Judas also wonders what Jesus thinks of other religions' prophets. He ultimately wants to know if Jesus thinks he is who they say he is ("Superstar"). Judas' questions go unanswered, and Jesus is sent to die ("The Crucifixion"), with ominous, atonal music, with Jesus saying some of his final words before dying.
As the film ends, the performers, out of costume, board their bus and drive away, but Jesus is notably absent; Neeley had already stripped away his costume and disappeared into the cast beforehand. The final shot of the film shows the empty cross against a setting sun, as a shepherd and his flock cross the hillside.
Cast[edit]
Ted Neeley as Jesus
Carl Anderson as Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham as Caiaphas
Kurt Yaghjian as Annas
Josh Mostel as King Herod
Philip Toubus as Peter
Larry Marshall as Simon Zealotes
Richard Orbach as John
Robert LuPone as James
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Overture"
2."Heaven on Their Minds"
3."What's the Buzz?"
4."Strange Thing Mystifying"
5."Then We Are Decided"
6."Everything's Alright"
7."This Jesus Must Die"
8."Hosanna"
9."Simon Zealotes"
10."Poor Jerusalem"
11."Pilate's Dream"
12."The Temple"
13."Everything's Alright (Reprise)"
14."I Don't Know How to Love Him"
15."Damned for All Time"
16."Blood Money"
17."The Last Supper"
18."Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"
19."The Arrest"
20."Peter's Denial"
21."Pilate and Christ"
22."Hosanna (Reprise)"
23."King Herod's Song (Try It and See)"
24."Could We Start Again Please?"
25."Judas' Death"
26."Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)"
27."Superstar"
28."The Crucifixion"
29."John 19: 41"
Production[edit]



 Yvonne Elliman and Ted Neeley as Mary Magdalene and Jesus.
During the filming of Fiddler on the Roof, Barry Dennen, who played Pilate on the concept album, suggested to Norman Jewison that he should direct Jesus Christ Superstar as a film. After hearing the album, Jewison agreed to do it. The film was shot in Israel (primarily at the ruins of Avdat) and other Middle Eastern locations in 1972. The cast consisted mostly of actors from the Broadway show, with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson starring as Jesus and Judas respectively. Neeley had played a reporter and a leper in the Broadway version, and understudied the role of Jesus. Likewise, Anderson understudied Judas, but took over the role on Broadway and Los Angeles when Ben Vereen fell ill. Along with Dennen, Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), and Bob Bingham (Caiaphas) reprised their Broadway roles in the film (Elliman, like Dennen, had also appeared on the original concept album). Originally, Jewison wanted Ian Gillan, who played Jesus on the concept album, to reprise the role for the film, but Gillan turned down the offer, deciding that he would please fans more by touring with Deep Purple. The producers also considered Micky Dolenz (from The Monkees) and David Cassidy to play Jesus before deciding to go with Neeley.[5]
Like the stage show, the film gave rise to controversy even with changes made to the script. Some of the lyrics were changed for the film, partly enriching its content ("Hosanna", "The Temple") and partly making it more acceptable for a Christian audience. The reprise of "Everything's Alright", sung before the song "I Don't Know How To Love Him" by Mary to Jesus, was abridged, leaving only the closing lyric "Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax, think of nothing tonight" intact, while the previous lyrics were omitted, including Jesus' line. ("And I think I shall sleep well tonight."). In a scene where a group of beggars/lepers overwhelms Jesus, "Heal yourselves!" was changed to "Leave me alone!", and in "Judas' Death", Caiaphas' line "What you have done will be the saving of Israel" was changed to "What you have done will be the saving of everyone." The lyrics of "Trial Before Pilate" contain some notable alterations and additions: Jesus' line "There may be a kingdom for me somewhere else, if I only knew" is changed to "There may be a kingdom for me somewhere else, if you only knew." The film version of the song also gives Pilate more lines (first used in the original Broadway production) in which he addresses the mob with contempt when they invoke the name of Caesar: "Well, this is new!/Respect for Caesar?/'Till now this has been noticeably lacking!/Who is this Jesus? Why is he different?/You Jews produce messiahs by the sackful!" and "Behold the man/Behold your shattered king/You hypocrites!/You hate us more than him!" These lines for Pilate have since been in every production of the show.
The soundtrack contains two songs that are not on the original concept album. "Then We Are Decided," in which the troubles and fears of Annas and Caiaphas regarding Jesus are better developed, is original to the film. The soundtrack also retains the song "Could We Start Again Please?" which had been added to the Broadway show. Most of these changes have not been espoused by later productions and recordings, although most productions tend to retain the expanded version of "Trial Before Pilate."
Remakes[edit]
Another film version was made for video in 2000, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus, Jérôme Pradon as Judas, and Reneé Castle as Mary Magdalene. It was shot entirely on indoor sets including graffiti on the wall. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has stated in the making-of documentary that this was the version closest to what he had originally envisioned for the project. He chose Gale Edwards to direct after seeing her interpretation of the musical in Dublin, which featured a more modernistic and sinister approach than the original stage productions.
In a 2008 interview with Variety magazine, film producer Marc Platt stated that he was in discussions with several filmmakers for a remake of Jesus Christ Superstar.[citation needed]
Reception[edit]


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)
The movie was very popular earning North American rentals of $10.8 million in 1973.[6] Years later the film was still popular, winning a 2012 Huffington Post competition for "Best Jesus Movie."[7]
The film as well as the musical were criticized by some religious groups.[4] A New York Times review said, "When the stage production opened in October, 1971, it was criticized not only by some Jews as anti-Semitic, but also by some Catholics and Protestants as blasphemous in its portrayal of Jesus as a young man who might even be interested in sex."[8]
Tim Rice said Jesus was seen through Judas' eyes as a mere human being. Some Christians[who?] found this remark, as well as the fact that the musical did not show the resurrection, to be blasphemous. While the actual resurrection was not shown, the closing & final scene of the movie conveys the resurrection through symbolism as a lone shepherd is seen leading a long line of following sheep in front of the rising sun alluding to both Jesus as the "Good Shepherd" in concert with the simultaneous image of a rising sun (either to reflect as new beginning and/or symbolizing the rising "son"). Some found Judas too sympathetic; in the film, it states that he wants to give the thirty pieces of silver to the poor, which, although Biblical, leaves out his ulterior motives (see also "Everything's Alright"). Biblical purists pointed out a small number of deviations from biblical text as additional concerns; for example, Pilate himself having the dream instead of his wife, and Catholics argue the line "for all you care, this bread could be my body" is too Protestant in theology, although Jesus does say in the next lines, "This is my blood you drink/This is my body you eat".
In the 1980 book The Golden Turkey Awards by Michael Medved and Harry Medved, Ted Neeley was given an award for "The Worst Performance by an Actor as Jesus Christ",[9] yet Neeley and Anderson received Golden Globe nominations for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas in the film version and had subsequently gone on to recreate the roles in numerous national stage tours from 1993-2014 (2004 for Anderson, as he died of leukemia).
American Film Institute Recognition[edit]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs: "I Don't Know How To Love Him" – Nominated

Soundtrack[edit]
The soundtrack for the film was released on vinyl by MCA Records in 1973. It was re-released on CD in 1993 and 1998.
Side one1."Overture" – 5:26
2."Heaven on Their Minds" – 4:22
3."What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying" – 4:26
4."Then We Are Decided" – 2:32
5."Everything's Alright" – 3:36
6."This Jesus Must Die" – 3:45
Side two7."Hosanna" – 2:32
8."Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem" – 6:28
9."Pilate's Dream" – 1:45
10."The Temple" – 5:26
11."Everything's Alright (reprise)"/"I Don't Know How to Love Him" – 3:55
12."Damned for All Time/Blood Money" – 4:37
 Side three1."The Last Supper" – 7:12
2."Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" – 5:39
3."The Arrest" – 3:15
4."Peter's Denial" – 1:26
5."Pilate and Christ"/"Hosanna (reprise)" – 2:57
6."King Herod's Song (Try it and See)" – 3:13
Side four7."Could We Start Again Please?" – 2:44
8."Judas' Death" – 4:38
9."Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)" – 6:47
10."Superstar" – 3:56
11."The Crucifixion" – 2:40
12."John 19:41" – 2:20

The soundtrack for the film was released in the USA on vinyl by MCA Records (MCA 2-11000) in 1973, as: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR / The Original Motion Picture Sound Track Album.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (A)". CIC. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
2.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ In Jewison's original conception, "... the conflict between Jesus and Judas would drive the film."
4.^ Jump up to: a b Forster, Arnold; Epstein, Benjamin (1974). The New Anti-Semitism. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. pp. 91–101.
5.Jump up ^ Richard H. Campbell and M. R. Pitts. "The Bible On Film: A Checklist, 1897-1980." Scarecrow Press, 1981
6.Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 19
7.Jump up ^ Huffington Post Jesus Movie competition
8.Jump up ^ Greenhouse, Linda (8 August 1973). "SUPERSTAR' FILM RENEWS DISPUTES:Jewish Groups Say Opening Could Stir Anti-Semitism Reasons Given Company Issues Statement". The New York Times.
9.Jump up ^ Harry Medved and Michael Medved, The golden turkey awards: nominees and winners, the worst achievements in Hollywood history, Putnam, 1980, p. 95.
External links[edit]
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Internet Movie Database
Jesus Christ Superstar at the TCM Movie Database
Jesus Christ Superstar at AllMovie
Jesus Christ Superstar at Rotten Tomatoes
Ted Neeley's Official Website


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Categories: 1973 films
English-language films
Jesus Christ Superstar
1970s drama films
1970s musical films
American musical drama films
American rock musicals
Films directed by Norman Jewison
Films based on musicals
Portrayals of Jesus in film
Sung-through musical films
Universal Pictures films
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_Christ_Superstar_(film)














Jesus Christ Superstar (film)

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This article is about the 1973 film. For the rock opera album, see Jesus Christ Superstar (album). For the musical production, see Jesus Christ Superstar.

Jesus Christ Superstar
JCSuperstarFilmCover.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Norman Jewison
Produced by
Norman Jewison
Robert Stigwood
Screenplay by
Melvyn Bragg
 Norman Jewison
Based on
Jesus Christ Superstar
 by Tim Rice
Starring
Ted Neeley
Carl Anderson
Yvonne Elliman
Barry Dennen
Music by
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Cinematography
Douglas Slocombe
Edited by
Antony Gibbs
Distributed by
Universal Pictures

Release dates

August 15, 1973


Running time
 106 minutes[1]
Country
United Kingdom
Language
English
Box office
$24,477,615[2]
Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1973 British musical film directed by Canadian film director Norman Jewison. A film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera of the same name, the film stars Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, Yvonne Elliman and Barry Dennen. The film centers on the conflict between Judas and Jesus[3] during the week before the crucifixion of Jesus. Neeley and Anderson were nominated for two Golden Globe Awards in 1974 for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas, respectively. Although it attracted criticism from some religious groups, reviews for the film were still positive.[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Production
5 Remakes
6 Reception 6.1 American Film Institute Recognition
7 Soundtrack
8 References
9 External links

Plot[edit]
The film is framed as a group of performers who travel to the desert to re-enact the Passion of Christ. The film begins with them arriving on a bus, assembling their props, and getting into costume. One of the group (Neeley) is surrounded by the others, puts on a white robe, and emerges as Jesus Christ.
The story begins with Judas (Anderson), who is worried about Jesus' popularity. He is being hailed as a God, but Judas feels he is just a man, and fears the consequences of their growing movement ("Heaven on Their Minds"). The other disciples badger Jesus for information about his plans for the future, but Jesus will not give them any ("What's the Buzz?"). Judas' arrival and subsequent declaration that Jesus should not associate with Mary (Elliman) dampens the mood. Angrily, Jesus tells Judas that he should leave Mary alone, because his slate is not clean. He then accuses all the apostles of not caring about him ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Caiaphas (Bingham) is worried that the people will crown Jesus King, which will upset the Romans. Annas (Yaghjian) tries to calm him, but he finally sees Caiaphas' point, and suggests that he convene the council and explain his fears to them. Caiaphas agrees ("Then We Are Decided"). Judas later says that the money spent on ointment should have been given to the poor. Jesus rebukes him again, telling him that the poor will be there always, but Jesus will not ("Everything's Alright").
Meanwhile, the council of the Priests discuss their fears about Jesus. Caiaphas tells them that there is only one solution: like John the Baptist, Jesus must be executed for the sake of the nation ("This Jesus Must Die"). Jesus and his followers joyfully arrive in Jerusalem, but Caiaphas orders Jesus to disband the crowd for fear of a riot. Jesus refuses and speaks to the crowd ("Hosanna"). Later, the apostle Simon Zealotes (Marshall) and a crowd of followers, voice their admiration for Jesus ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus appreciates this, but becomes worried when Simon suggests directing the crowd towards an uprising against their Roman occupiers. Jesus sadly dismisses this suggestion, saying that they do not understand his true purpose ("Poor Jerusalem").
Pilate (Dennen), the Roman governor of Judea, reveals that he has dreamed about a Galilean man (Jesus) and that he will be blamed for this man's death ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus and his followers arrive at the temple, which has been taken over by money changers and prostitutes. To Judas' horror and as the priests watch in the background, a furious Jesus destroys the stalls and forces them to leave. Jesus wanders alone outside the city, but is confronted by a crowd of lepers, all wanting to be healed. Jesus tries to heal as many of them as possible, but is overwhelmed by the sheer numbers and eventually gives up, screaming at them to leave him alone ("The Temple"). Mary comforts Jesus and Jesus goes to sleep. Mary loves Jesus, but is worried because he is so unlike any other man she has met ("I Don't Know How to Love Him"). Judas goes to the Priests and expresses his concerns, but he is worried about the consequences of betraying Jesus ("Damned for All Time"). The Priests take advantage of his doubts, and offer him money if he will lead them to Jesus. Judas initially refuses, but Caiaphas wins him over by reminding him that he could use the money to help the poor ("Blood Money").
At the Last Supper, Jesus reveals that he knows Peter (Toubus) will deny him and Judas will betray him. A bitter argument between Jesus and Judas ensues, in which Judas asks what if he ruined Jesus' ambition and stayed there without helping him to reach the Glory. Judas leaves ("The Last Supper"). As the apostles fall asleep, Jesus goes to Gethsemane to pray about his imminent death ("Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"). Jesus waits for Judas, who arrives and betrays him with a kiss, accompanied by guards. The disciples offer to fight the guards, but Jesus will not allow it. Jesus is taken to the High Priest's House, found guilty of blasphemy, and sent to Pilate ("The Arrest"). Peter, meanwhile, fearfully denies Jesus three times after being accused of being one of Jesus' followers ("Peter's Denial"). Jesus is taken to Pilate's house, where the governor, unaware that Jesus is the man from his dream, mocks him. Since he does not deal with Jews, Pilate sends him to Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). The flamboyant King Herod (Josh Mostel) is excited to finally meet Jesus, for he has heard the hype. He tries to persuade Jesus to perform various miracles. When Jesus refuses to answer, Herod orders the guards to remove him ("Herod's Song (Try It and See)").
The apostles and Mary Magdalene remember how things began, and wish they had not gotten so out of hand ("Could We Start Again Please?"). Jesus is flung into a cell, where he is seen by Judas, who runs to tell the priests that he regrets his part in the arrest. He hurls his money to the ground and curses at the priests before running into the desert. Filled with regret for betraying Jesus, he blames God for his woes for giving him the role of the traitor and hangs himself ("Judas' Death"). Jesus is taken back to Pilate, who questions him; Herod is also present. Pilate realizes that, although he thinks Jesus is mad, he has committed no crime and has Jesus scourged; Herod is gleeful at first but eventually sickened. Pilate's bemused indifference turns to a frenzy of confusion and anger, both at the crowd's irrational bloodthirstiness and Jesus' inexplicable resignation. Pilate realizes he has no option but to kill Jesus, or the masses will grow violent ("Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)"). After Pilate washes his hands of Jesus' fate, Jesus' appearance transforms, the heavens open, and a white-jumpsuit clad Judas descends on a silver cross. Judas laments that if Jesus had returned as the Messiah today, he would have been more popular and his message easier to spread. Judas also wonders what Jesus thinks of other religions' prophets. He ultimately wants to know if Jesus thinks he is who they say he is ("Superstar"). Judas' questions go unanswered, and Jesus is sent to die ("The Crucifixion"), with ominous, atonal music, with Jesus saying some of his final words before dying.
As the film ends, the performers, out of costume, board their bus and drive away, but Jesus is notably absent; Neeley had already stripped away his costume and disappeared into the cast beforehand. The final shot of the film shows the empty cross against a setting sun, as a shepherd and his flock cross the hillside.
Cast[edit]
Ted Neeley as Jesus
Carl Anderson as Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham as Caiaphas
Kurt Yaghjian as Annas
Josh Mostel as King Herod
Philip Toubus as Peter
Larry Marshall as Simon Zealotes
Richard Orbach as John
Robert LuPone as James
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Overture"
2."Heaven on Their Minds"
3."What's the Buzz?"
4."Strange Thing Mystifying"
5."Then We Are Decided"
6."Everything's Alright"
7."This Jesus Must Die"
8."Hosanna"
9."Simon Zealotes"
10."Poor Jerusalem"
11."Pilate's Dream"
12."The Temple"
13."Everything's Alright (Reprise)"
14."I Don't Know How to Love Him"
15."Damned for All Time"
16."Blood Money"
17."The Last Supper"
18."Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)"
19."The Arrest"
20."Peter's Denial"
21."Pilate and Christ"
22."Hosanna (Reprise)"
23."King Herod's Song (Try It and See)"
24."Could We Start Again Please?"
25."Judas' Death"
26."Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)"
27."Superstar"
28."The Crucifixion"
29."John 19: 41"
Production[edit]



 Yvonne Elliman and Ted Neeley as Mary Magdalene and Jesus.
During the filming of Fiddler on the Roof, Barry Dennen, who played Pilate on the concept album, suggested to Norman Jewison that he should direct Jesus Christ Superstar as a film. After hearing the album, Jewison agreed to do it. The film was shot in Israel (primarily at the ruins of Avdat) and other Middle Eastern locations in 1972. The cast consisted mostly of actors from the Broadway show, with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson starring as Jesus and Judas respectively. Neeley had played a reporter and a leper in the Broadway version, and understudied the role of Jesus. Likewise, Anderson understudied Judas, but took over the role on Broadway and Los Angeles when Ben Vereen fell ill. Along with Dennen, Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), and Bob Bingham (Caiaphas) reprised their Broadway roles in the film (Elliman, like Dennen, had also appeared on the original concept album). Originally, Jewison wanted Ian Gillan, who played Jesus on the concept album, to reprise the role for the film, but Gillan turned down the offer, deciding that he would please fans more by touring with Deep Purple. The producers also considered Micky Dolenz (from The Monkees) and David Cassidy to play Jesus before deciding to go with Neeley.[5]
Like the stage show, the film gave rise to controversy even with changes made to the script. Some of the lyrics were changed for the film, partly enriching its content ("Hosanna", "The Temple") and partly making it more acceptable for a Christian audience. The reprise of "Everything's Alright", sung before the song "I Don't Know How To Love Him" by Mary to Jesus, was abridged, leaving only the closing lyric "Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax, think of nothing tonight" intact, while the previous lyrics were omitted, including Jesus' line. ("And I think I shall sleep well tonight."). In a scene where a group of beggars/lepers overwhelms Jesus, "Heal yourselves!" was changed to "Leave me alone!", and in "Judas' Death", Caiaphas' line "What you have done will be the saving of Israel" was changed to "What you have done will be the saving of everyone." The lyrics of "Trial Before Pilate" contain some notable alterations and additions: Jesus' line "There may be a kingdom for me somewhere else, if I only knew" is changed to "There may be a kingdom for me somewhere else, if you only knew." The film version of the song also gives Pilate more lines (first used in the original Broadway production) in which he addresses the mob with contempt when they invoke the name of Caesar: "Well, this is new!/Respect for Caesar?/'Till now this has been noticeably lacking!/Who is this Jesus? Why is he different?/You Jews produce messiahs by the sackful!" and "Behold the man/Behold your shattered king/You hypocrites!/You hate us more than him!" These lines for Pilate have since been in every production of the show.
The soundtrack contains two songs that are not on the original concept album. "Then We Are Decided," in which the troubles and fears of Annas and Caiaphas regarding Jesus are better developed, is original to the film. The soundtrack also retains the song "Could We Start Again Please?" which had been added to the Broadway show. Most of these changes have not been espoused by later productions and recordings, although most productions tend to retain the expanded version of "Trial Before Pilate."
Remakes[edit]
Another film version was made for video in 2000, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus, Jérôme Pradon as Judas, and Reneé Castle as Mary Magdalene. It was shot entirely on indoor sets including graffiti on the wall. Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has stated in the making-of documentary that this was the version closest to what he had originally envisioned for the project. He chose Gale Edwards to direct after seeing her interpretation of the musical in Dublin, which featured a more modernistic and sinister approach than the original stage productions.
In a 2008 interview with Variety magazine, film producer Marc Platt stated that he was in discussions with several filmmakers for a remake of Jesus Christ Superstar.[citation needed]
Reception[edit]


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2011)
The movie was very popular earning North American rentals of $10.8 million in 1973.[6] Years later the film was still popular, winning a 2012 Huffington Post competition for "Best Jesus Movie."[7]
The film as well as the musical were criticized by some religious groups.[4] A New York Times review said, "When the stage production opened in October, 1971, it was criticized not only by some Jews as anti-Semitic, but also by some Catholics and Protestants as blasphemous in its portrayal of Jesus as a young man who might even be interested in sex."[8]
Tim Rice said Jesus was seen through Judas' eyes as a mere human being. Some Christians[who?] found this remark, as well as the fact that the musical did not show the resurrection, to be blasphemous. While the actual resurrection was not shown, the closing & final scene of the movie conveys the resurrection through symbolism as a lone shepherd is seen leading a long line of following sheep in front of the rising sun alluding to both Jesus as the "Good Shepherd" in concert with the simultaneous image of a rising sun (either to reflect as new beginning and/or symbolizing the rising "son"). Some found Judas too sympathetic; in the film, it states that he wants to give the thirty pieces of silver to the poor, which, although Biblical, leaves out his ulterior motives (see also "Everything's Alright"). Biblical purists pointed out a small number of deviations from biblical text as additional concerns; for example, Pilate himself having the dream instead of his wife, and Catholics argue the line "for all you care, this bread could be my body" is too Protestant in theology, although Jesus does say in the next lines, "This is my blood you drink/This is my body you eat".
In the 1980 book The Golden Turkey Awards by Michael Medved and Harry Medved, Ted Neeley was given an award for "The Worst Performance by an Actor as Jesus Christ",[9] yet Neeley and Anderson received Golden Globe nominations for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas in the film version and had subsequently gone on to recreate the roles in numerous national stage tours from 1993-2014 (2004 for Anderson, as he died of leukemia).
American Film Institute Recognition[edit]
AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers – Nominated
AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs: "I Don't Know How To Love Him" – Nominated

Soundtrack[edit]
The soundtrack for the film was released on vinyl by MCA Records in 1973. It was re-released on CD in 1993 and 1998.
Side one1."Overture" – 5:26
2."Heaven on Their Minds" – 4:22
3."What's the Buzz/Strange Thing Mystifying" – 4:26
4."Then We Are Decided" – 2:32
5."Everything's Alright" – 3:36
6."This Jesus Must Die" – 3:45
Side two7."Hosanna" – 2:32
8."Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem" – 6:28
9."Pilate's Dream" – 1:45
10."The Temple" – 5:26
11."Everything's Alright (reprise)"/"I Don't Know How to Love Him" – 3:55
12."Damned for All Time/Blood Money" – 4:37
 Side three1."The Last Supper" – 7:12
2."Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" – 5:39
3."The Arrest" – 3:15
4."Peter's Denial" – 1:26
5."Pilate and Christ"/"Hosanna (reprise)" – 2:57
6."King Herod's Song (Try it and See)" – 3:13
Side four7."Could We Start Again Please?" – 2:44
8."Judas' Death" – 4:38
9."Trial Before Pilate (Including the 39 Lashes)" – 6:47
10."Superstar" – 3:56
11."The Crucifixion" – 2:40
12."John 19:41" – 2:20

The soundtrack for the film was released in the USA on vinyl by MCA Records (MCA 2-11000) in 1973, as: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR / The Original Motion Picture Sound Track Album.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (A)". CIC. British Board of Film Classification. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
2.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar, Box Office Information". The Numbers. Retrieved May 27, 2012.
3.Jump up ^ In Jewison's original conception, "... the conflict between Jesus and Judas would drive the film."
4.^ Jump up to: a b Forster, Arnold; Epstein, Benjamin (1974). The New Anti-Semitism. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. pp. 91–101.
5.Jump up ^ Richard H. Campbell and M. R. Pitts. "The Bible On Film: A Checklist, 1897-1980." Scarecrow Press, 1981
6.Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 19
7.Jump up ^ Huffington Post Jesus Movie competition
8.Jump up ^ Greenhouse, Linda (8 August 1973). "SUPERSTAR' FILM RENEWS DISPUTES:Jewish Groups Say Opening Could Stir Anti-Semitism Reasons Given Company Issues Statement". The New York Times.
9.Jump up ^ Harry Medved and Michael Medved, The golden turkey awards: nominees and winners, the worst achievements in Hollywood history, Putnam, 1980, p. 95.
External links[edit]
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Internet Movie Database
Jesus Christ Superstar at the TCM Movie Database
Jesus Christ Superstar at AllMovie
Jesus Christ Superstar at Rotten Tomatoes
Ted Neeley's Official Website


[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Jesus Christ Superstar





























[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musicals
















































[show]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by Norman Jewison




























  


Categories: 1973 films
English-language films
Jesus Christ Superstar
1970s drama films
1970s musical films
American musical drama films
American rock musicals
Films directed by Norman Jewison
Films based on musicals
Portrayals of Jesus in film
Sung-through musical films
Universal Pictures films
Films shot in Israel










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Jesus Christ Superstar

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This article is about the musical production. For the 1973 film, see Jesus Christ Superstar (film). For the rock opera album, see Jesus Christ Superstar (album). For other uses, see Jesus Christ Superstar (disambiguation).

Jesus Christ Superstar
Jcs us cover.png
Album cover for the 1970 American release of Jesus Christ Superstar

Music
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics
Tim Rice
Productions
1970 Concept album
1971 Broadway
1972 West End
1973 film
1977 Broadway
1977 US Tour
1992 US Tour
1996 West End
1998 UK Tour
2000 Broadway
2001 UK Tour
2002 US Tour
2004 UK Tour
2006 US Tour
2008 UK Tour
2012 Broadway
2012–2013 UK Arena Tour
2015 UK Tour

Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera or rock musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started as a rock opera concept album before its first staging on Broadway in 1971. The musical is loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus's life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not in the Bible narratives.
The work's depiction offers a free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and the other characters.[citation needed] A large part of the plot focuses on the character of Judas, who is depicted as a tragic figure dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus steers his disciples. Contemporary attitudes and sensibilities, as well as slang, pervade the lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly feature many intentional anachronisms.[citation needed]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot 1.1 Act I
1.2 Act II
2 Principal roles
3 Musical numbers
4 From album to stage 4.1 Original Broadway production
4.2 Controversy
4.3 Other 1970s and 1980s productions
4.4 1990s and 2000s
4.5 2010s; other international productions
5 Recordings and broadcasts
6 Films
7 Awards and nominations 7.1 Original Broadway production
7.2 1996 London revival
7.3 2000 Broadway revival
7.4 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival / 2012 Broadway revival
8 Further reading
9 References
10 External links

Plot[edit]
Act I[edit]
After a foreboding instrumental opening number ("Overture"), the apostle Judas Iscariot expresses in a musical monologue his concern over Jesus's rising popularity as a "king" and the negative repercussions that will have. He strongly criticizes Jesus for accepting his followers's unrealistic views, and for not heeding his concerns ("Heaven on Their Minds"). While Judas still loves Jesus, he believes that Jesus is just a man, not God, and worries that Jesus's following will be seen as a threat to the Roman Empire which would then punish both Jesus and his associates. Judas's warning falls on deaf ears, as Jesus's followers have their minds set on going to Jerusalem with Jesus. As they ask Jesus when they will be going to Jerusalem, Jesus tells them to stop worrying about the future, since whatever will happen is determined by God ("What's the Buzz?").
Recognizing that Jesus is irritated by the badgering and lack of understanding from his followers, Mary Magdalene tries to help Jesus relax. Judas is concerned that Jesus is associating with a woman of "her profession", which is implied as prostitution in the Bible. It seems to Judas that Jesus is contradicting his own teaching, and he worries that this apparent lack of judgment will be used against Jesus and his followers ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Jesus tells Judas that Mary is with him (Jesus) now, and unless Judas is without sin he should not judge the character of others. Jesus then reproaches his apostles for being "shallow, thick and slow" and somewhat bitterly answers that not a single one of them cares about him. Mary Magdalene tries to assure Jesus that everything is alright while anointing him with oil ("Everything's Alright"). Judas angrily insists that the money used to obtain the oil should have been used to help the poor instead. Jesus sadly explains that he and his followers do not have the resources to alleviate poverty and that they should be glad for the privileges they have. He claims that once his followers no longer have him, they will lose their path.



Casting out the Money Changers by Carl Bloch
Meanwhile, Caiaphas (the high priest), Annas, and other Jewish priests (who have been studying Jesus's movements) meet to discuss Jesus and his disciples. Jesus's growing following consists of Jews unwilling to accept the Romans as their rulers, and the priests believe that Jesus may become seen as a threat to the priesthood's integrity and the Roman Empire. If the Romans retaliate, many Jews will suffer, even those who are not following Jesus. Caiaphas tells them they are "fools" for not seeing the inevitable consequence of Jesus's activities. He believes there could be great bloodshed and the stakes are "frighteningly high!" For the greater good, he has to "crush him completely! So like John before him, this Jesus must die!" Annas and the other priests concur ("This Jesus Must Die"). As Jesus and his followers arrive exultantly in Jerusalem they are confronted by Caiaphas, who demands that Jesus disband them, which Jesus says would be futile and change nothing. As the crowd cheers him on, Caiaphas suddenly asks, "Hey JC, JC, won't you die for me?" To this, Jesus visibly reacts with concern ("Hosanna"). Jesus is approached by Simon the Zealot, who suggests that Jesus lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus rejects this suggestion, stating that none of his followers understand what true power is, nor do they understand his true message ("Poor Jerusalem").
Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, has had a dream, in which he meets with a Galilean (Jesus) and that he, Pilate, will receive all of the blame for the man's violent and mournful death ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus arrives at the Temple in Jerusalem and finds that it has become a haven of sin and debauchery as it is being used for selling everything from weapons to prostitutes and drugs. He is furious and demands that the merchants and money changers leave ("The Temple"). Angry, disconsolate, and tired by his burden, Jesus rests and falls asleep. In a chilling nightmare, he is confronted by lepers, cripples, and beggars, all wanting to be healed. Even though he heals some, their number increases, and he is overwhelmed. Unable to solve everyone's problems, Jesus tells the crowd to heal themselves. He awakes to find Mary Magdalene by his side. She lays him to rest ("Everything's Alright (Reprise)"). While Jesus is asleep, Mary acknowledges that she is unconditionally in love with Jesus, unlike any man she has known before, and it frightens her ("I Don't Know How to Love Him").
Judas gradually becomes more and more envious of Mary; he believes she has usurped him as Jesus's most trusted ally and that he prefers her to his Apostles. Conflicted, Judas seeks out the priests and promises to help them capture Jesus, while belaboring that he is acting with unselfish motives and that Jesus himself would approve if he knew those motives; he bids the priests not declare him damned. Caiaphas demands that Judas reveal the location of Jesus so that the authorities can apprehend him. In exchange for the information, Judas is offered money as a "fee" so that he can assuage his conscience by using the money charitably ("Damned for All Time/Blood Money"). Judas decides that it would be better to turn Jesus in before his popularity leads to the deaths of Jesus and his followers, Judas included. He reveals that on Thursday night, Jesus will be at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Act II[edit]
At what Jesus knows will be the Last Supper, he pours wine and passes bread for his apostles ("The Last Supper"). Very aware of the ordeal he faces, he is stung when the others pay little attention to him; "For all you care this wine could be my blood / For all you care this bread could be my body," he remarks, alluding to (and anticipating) the Christian doctrine of the Eucharist. He asks them to remember him when they eat and drink; he predicts that Peter will deny him three times "in just a few hours" and that one of them will betray him. Judas, believing that Jesus already knows ("cut the dramatics, you know very well who"), admits he is the one and angrily accuses Jesus of acting recklessly and egotistically. Claiming he does not understand Jesus's decisions, he leaves to bring the Roman soldiers.
The remaining apostles fall asleep, and Jesus retreats to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray ("Gethesemane (I Only Want to Say)"). He admits to God his doubts, fears and anger, that he is tired and has done all he can. He asks powerfully if any of it has meaning and implores God not let him suffer the horrible death that portends for him. He feels disillusioned with his quest as the Messiah, does not understand what it has achieved and wishes to give up. Receiving no answer, Jesus realizes that he cannot defy God's will, and surrenders to God. His prayer ends with a request that God take him immediately, "before I change my mind."



 The disciples resist Jesus's arrest, but Jesus tells them to put away their swords.[1]
Judas arrives with Roman soldiers and identifies Jesus by kissing him on the cheek ("The Arrest"). Jesus is arrested, and his apostles attempt to fight the soldiers. Jesus tells them to let the soldiers take him to Caiaphas. On the way, a mob (acting like—and sometimes represented as—modern-day news reporters) asks Jesus what he plans to do, but Jesus declines to comment. When Jesus is brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas asks if he is the son of God. Jesus responds: "That's what you say, you say that I am." This answer is affirmative according to Jewish custom, and that provides enough justification for the high priests to send Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Meanwhile, Jesus's apostle Peter is confronted by an old man, a soldier and a maid, and Peter denies to each that he knows Jesus ("Peter's Denial"). Mary asks Peter why he denied Jesus, and Peter responds that he had to do it in order to save himself. Mary wonders how Jesus knew that Peter would deny him three times.
Pilate asks Jesus if he is the son of God. Jesus gives the same answer that he gave Caiaphas: "that's what you say."[2] Since Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate says that he is not under his jurisdiction and sends him to King Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). As Jesus is dragged away, the chorus asks, where Jesus's power has gone. The decadent and flamboyant King Herod asks Jesus to prove his divinity by performing miracles, offering to free him if he complies; but Jesus ignores him ("King Herod's Song (Try It And See)"). Herod decides that Jesus is just another phony messiah and angrily sends him back to Pilate. The apostles and Mary Magdalene remember when they first began following Jesus, and wish that they could return to a time of peace ("Could We Start Again, Please?")[3]
Judas is horrified upon beholding Jesus's harsh treatment by the authorities. Feeling extreme guilt for this, and panicking that he will be seen as responsible, Judas expresses regret to the priests, fearing he will forever be remembered as a traitor. Caiaphas and Annas say that what he has done will save everyone and that he should not feel remorse for his actions before throwing him out of their temple. Left alone, recognition dawns that memories of this could haunt the rest of his life, that God chose him to be the one to betray Jesus, and that he has been used as a pawn for the "foul bloody crime!" He suffers a mental breakdown during the epiphany, cursing God for his manipulative ways, and in a final attempt to detach himself from his destiny, he commits suicide by hanging himself from a tree ("Judas's Death").
At Jesus's trial Pilate asks the crowd if they would crucify Jesus, their king, and they declare: "We have no king but Caesar!" [4] Pilate remembers the dream he had about the crowd and the unjust execution of Jesus. Pilate tells the crowd that, while Jesus should be imprisoned, he does not deserve to die. Pilate demands that the crowd give him a reason to condemn Jesus, and the crowd breaks into a pep rally-style cheer about how Jesus is a blasphemer and has defied Rome. After revealing Jesus as nothing more than a pathetic human being ("Behold the man!"), Pilate calls the crowd hypocrites, as he knows they hate Roman rule. He attempts to satisfy their bloodlust by having Jesus whipped, counting thirty-nine bloody strokes ("Trial Before Pilate, (Including The Thirty-Nine Lashes)"). Pilate, clearly disturbed by the whole ordeal, pleads with Jesus to defend himself; but Jesus says weakly that everything has been determined, by God, and Pilate cannot change it. The crowd still screams for Jesus to be crucified, and Pilate recalls his duty to keep the peace. He reluctantly agrees to crucify Jesus to keep the crowd from getting violent. Pilate then washes his hands of Jesus's death: "I wash my hands of your demolition! Die if you want to, you--innocent puppet...."
As Jesus prepares to be crucified, he is mocked by a vision of Judas. Judas questions why Jesus chose to arrive in the manner and time that he did, and if what happened to him was really part of a divine plan, but Jesus does not say ("Superstar"). As Jesus is nailed to the cross some productions opt to show Judas suffering a stigmata-like effect, indicating that he is paying for his sin ("The Crucifixion"). After reciting his final words and commending his spirit to God, Jesus slowly dies on the cross, his fate coming full circle. The final number shows the Apostles, Mary and Judas mourning the death of their fallen savior, reflecting on the impact he has had on their lives ("John Nineteen: Forty-One").[5]
Principal roles[edit]

Character
Voice type
Description
Jesus Christ tenor (A2–G5) Title role, leader of the twelve disciples, a man, called the "Son of God" and the "King of the Jews."
Judas Iscariot tenor (D3–D5) One of the twelve apostles of Jesus; concerned for the poor and the consequences of Jesus's fame.
Mary Magdalene mezzo-soprano (F3–E♭5) A female follower of Jesus who finds herself falling in love with him.
Pontius Pilate baritenor (A2–B4) Governor of Judea who foresees the events of Jesus's crucifixion from beginning to aftermath in a dream and finds himself being presented with that very situation.
Caiaphas bass (C♯2–F4) One of the main antagonists of the show. High priest who sees Jesus as a threat to the nation.
Annas countertenor (G2–D5)
 One of the main antagonists of the show. Fellow priest at the side of Caiaphas who is persuaded by Caiaphas into seeing Jesus as a threat.
Peter baritone (A2–G4) One of Jesus's twelve apostles; denies Jesus three times upon the night of Jesus's arrest to save himself.
Simon Zealotes tenor (G3–B4) One of Jesus's twelve apostles; urges Jesus to lead his followers into battle against the Romans.
King Herod tenor (C♯3–G4) The King of Galilee; Jesus is brought to him for judgment after first being taken to Pilate.
Musical numbers[edit]


Act One
"Overture" – Orchestra
"Heaven on Their Minds" – Judas
"What's the Buzz" / "Strange Thing Mystifying" – Apostles, Jesus, Mary, Judas, Peter, Woman
"Everything's Alright" – Mary, Women, Judas, Jesus, Apostles
"This Jesus Must Die" – Annas, Caiaphas, Apostles, Priests
"Hosanna" – Apostles, Caiaphas, Jesus, Ensemble
"Simon Zealotes" / "Poor Jerusalem" – Apostles, Simon, Jesus, Ensemble
"Pilate's Dream" – Pilate
"The Temple" – Ensemble, Jesus
"Everything's Alright (reprise)" – Mary, Jesus
"I Don't Know How to Love Him" – Mary
"Damned For All Time" / "Blood Money" – Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus

Act Two
"The Last Supper" – Apostles, Jesus, Judas
"Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" – Jesus
"The Arrest" – Judas, Jesus, Peter, Apostles, Ensemble, Annas, Caiaphas
"Peter's Denial" – Maid by the Fire, Peter, Soldier, Old Man, Mary
"Pilate and Christ" – Pilate, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
"King Herod's Song (Try it and See)" – Herod, Dancers
"Could We Start Again Please?" – Mary, Apostles, Peter
"Judas' Death" – Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus
"Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)" – Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
"Superstar" – Judas, Soul Sisters, Angels
"The Crucifixion" – Jesus, Ensemble
"John Nineteen: Forty-One" – Orchestra




From album to stage[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2015)
Main article: Jesus Christ Superstar (album)



 The UK album cover for the 1970 release of Jesus Christ Superstar.
The songs were first written and conceived as a concept album, before the musical was created and staged.[6] On the original album, the part of Jesus was sung by Ian Gillan, with Murray Head as Judas, Michael d'Abo as King Herod, Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, and Barry Dennen as Pilate. In July 1971, the first authorized American concert of the rock opera took place in front of an audience of 13,000 people at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Civic Arena with Jeff Fenholt singing the role of Jesus, Carl Anderson as Judas and Elliman repeating as Mary Magdalene.[7]
Original Broadway production[edit]
The musical opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971, directed by Tom O'Horgan, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. It starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus, Ben Vereen as Judas and Bob Bingham as Caiaphas. Dennen and Elliman created the roles that they had sung on the album. Kurt Yaghjian was Annas, and Ted Neeley (as a Christ understudy), Samuel E. Wright and Anita Morris appeared in the cast. Carl Anderson (the album's Judas) replaced Vereen when he fell ill, and the two performers later took turns playing the role. The show closed on June 30, 1973 after 711 performances. The production received mixed reviews; the reviewer from The New York Times deemed it to be a heartless over-hyped production.[citation needed] Lloyd Webber said in 2012: "I hugely objected to the original New York production, which was probably the worst night of my life. It was a vulgar travesty."[6] The show was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Score, but didn't win any. Lloyd Webber won a Drama Desk Award as "Most Promising Composer", and Vereen won a Theatre World Award.
Controversy[edit]
The Broadway show and subsequent productions were condemned by some religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying "It happens that we don't see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place."[8][9] Some Christians considered such comments to be blasphemous, the character of Judas too sympathetic and some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive.[10] At the same time, some Jews claimed that it bolstered the antisemitic belief that the Jews are responsible for Jesus' death by showing most of the villains as Jewish (Caiaphas and the other priests, Herod) and showing the crowd in Jerusalem calling for the crucifixion.[11][12] The musical was banned in South Africa for being "irreligious".[13]
Other 1970s and 1980s productions[edit]



 Paul Nicholas in Jesus Christ Superstar
Superstar opened at the Palace Theatre in London in 1972, starring Paul Nicholas as Jesus, Stephen Tate as Judas and Dana Gillespie as Mary Magdalene. It was directed by Australian Jim Sharman. This production was much more successful, running for eight years and becoming the United Kingdom's longest-running musical at the time. Dmitri Shostakovich attended this production in London just before his death. He regretted that he could not have composed something like it; he lauded especially a rock band underpinning full symphonic strings, brass and woodwind.[14]
One of the earliest foreign productions was a five-day run in Sweden at The Scandinavium in Göteborg, opening on 18 February 1972 and playing to 74,000 people (a record at the time). Starring as Mary Magdalene was Agnetha Fältskog. On 16 March 1972 an oratorio version was performed at Memorial Drive Park in Adelaide, South Australia as part of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts.[15] This was followed in May by the first full Australian production, at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, later moving to the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.[16] Sharman again directed, and the cast featured Trevor White as Jesus, Jon English as Judas, and Michelle Fawdon (1972–1973) and Marcia Hines (1973–1974) as Mary Magdalene. Hines was the first black woman to play the role. Other cast members included Reg Livermore, John Paul Young, Stevie Wright, and Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, who met during the production and subsequently formed the band Air Supply. The production ran until February 1974.
In 1973, the show opened in Paris at the Théâtre de Chaillot in a French adaptation by Pierre Delanoë. The title role was sung by Daniel Beretta, and Maria Magdalena was Anne-Marie David. The critics were unimpressed, and the production stopped after 30 performances.[citation needed] In 1974, first Spanish-language production ran in Mexico with the title "Jesucristo Super Estrella". Julissa played Mary Magdalen. The musical was seen in 1974 in Peru and Singapore.[17]
Robert Stigwood launched two road touring companies in 1971 to cover North America, one of which featured Robert Corff as Jesus. The first major US National Tour, however began In 1976, managed by Laura Shapiro Kramer. The tour continued until 1980. In 1977, the show had its first Broadway revival, running from November 23, 1977 to February 12, 1978. It was directed by William Daniel Grey, with choreography by Kelly Carrol and starred William Daniel Grey as Jesus, Patrick Jude as Judas, and Barbara Niles as Mary Magdalene.[18] Regional productions followed.
In 1981, Emilio de Soto directed an English-language version in Venezuela, with 163 actors.[citation needed] From 1982 to 1984, an Australian production toured Australia and South-East Asia, directed by Trevor White, who also reprised his role of Jesus. The cast featured Doug Parkinson as Judas and Marcia Hines (reprising her role as Mary Magdalene).
1990s and 2000s[edit]
The North American touring revival of Superstar in 1992 starred Neeley and Anderson reprising their respective Broadway and 1973 film roles as Jesus and Judas, receiving positive reviews for their performances. This production also starred both Dennis DeYoung as Pilate, and Syreeta and Irene Cara sharing Mary Magdalene. Originally expected to run for three to four months, the tour ended up running for five years. Replacements in this tour included Jason Raize as Pontius Pilate and Simone as the Maid by the Fire and understudy for Mary. In 1994, a New Zealand production starred Darryl Lovegrove as Jesus, Jay Laga'aia as Judas and Frankie Stevens as Caiaphas. Also in 1994, a stage version titled Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was performed in Atlanta, Austin and Seattle featuring Amy Ray as Jesus, Emily Saliers as Mary Magdalene and Michael Lorant as Judas.
In 1996, the musical was revived in London at the Lyceum Theatre and ran for a year and a half. Directed by Gale Edwards, it starred Steve Balsamo and Zubin Varla as Jesus and Judas, and Joanna Ampil as Mary Magdalene. It featured Alice Cooper as King Herod. The production was nominated for a Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival but did not win. It was followed by a UK tour. This production was revived on Broadway at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 2000, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus and Tony Vincent as Judas. It opened to mixed reviews and ran for 161 performances.[19] It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical but did not win. In 2002, a national tour starred Sebastian Bach as Jesus and Anderson once again as Judas. Bach received mixed reviews while Anderson was again praised. In April 2003, Bach was replaced by Eric Kunze. Anderson left the show later in 2003 after being diagnosed with leukemia and died in 2004. The tour closed shortly after Anderson's departure.
In 2004 a year-long UK tour began, directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright. Carter reprised his role as Jesus, with James Fox as Judas. In 2005, a successful Scandinavian tour starred Australian Peter Murphy (Jesus), American Kristen Cummings (Mary), Englishman Jon Boydon née Stokes (Judas), Frenchman Jérôme Pradon (King Herod) and Australian Michael-John Hurney (Pilate). A US tour starring Neeley, reprising his role as Jesus and Corey Glover as Judas, began in 2006 and played for five years. A Chilean heavy metal version has played annually in Santiago since 2004.[20] In Boston, Gary Cherone portrayed Jesus in productions in 1994, 1996 and 2003 and Judas in 2000.
2010s; other international productions[edit]
A new production of Jesus Christ Superstar was mounted at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in Stratford, Ontario in 2011. Directed by Des McAnuff, the cast starred Paul Nolan as Jesus, Josh Young as Judas, Brent Carver as Pilate and Bruce Dow as Herod. Melissa O'Neil was Martha. This moved to La Jolla Playhouse later in the year and transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in 2012, with Tom Hewitt taking over the role of Pilate.[21] Reviews were mixed.[22][23] The revival was nominated for two Tonys: Best Revival and, for Young, Best Actor.[24] Neither award was won, but Young won a Theatre World Award. The revival closed after 116 performances and 24 previews.[25]
Through a 2012 ITV competition TV show called Superstar, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the UK public chose Ben Forster for the role of Jesus in an arena tour of the musical[26] that started in September 2012. The production also starred Tim Minchin as Judas, Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Chris Moyles as King Herod.[27] Lloyd Webber stated that the show was meant to be presented outside the confines of a proscenium theatre.[6] The tour resumed in March 2013 in the UK, and an Australian leg of the tour commenced in Perth in May 2013.[28] Andrew O'Keefe played King Herod in Australia, with Jon Stevens as Pilate. Stevens had played Judas in an Australian arena tour in 1992.[29][30] A 2014 North American tour was cancelled.[31][32]



 2011 production of Jesus Christ Superstar at The Doon School, India


 2013 production in Rotterdam, Netherlands
The musical has been produced in Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia, Bolivia (where it was also released as a TV movie), Netherlands, Portugal and others.[citation needed] Two notable Jesuses were Takeshi Kaga, in the 1976 Japanese production, and Camilo Sesto in the 1975 Spanish production. Mary Magdalene was Rocío Banquells in a 1981 production in Mexico. A Czech version premiered in 1994 in Prague's Spirála Theatre and ran until 1998, with 1288 performances.[33] In the 2000s, a Venezuelan production ran for two years (2006–2008), directed by Michel Hausmann. A Spanish production produced by Stage Entertainment ran from 2007 to 2009, followed by long-running productions in Italy and Sweden (featuring Ola Salo) and Norway.
In 2010, an Australian production presented by Harvest Rain Theatre Company and directed by Tim O'Connor featured Luke Kennedy as Jesus, Naomi Price as Mary, Tod Strike as Judas, and Steven Tandy in a special guest appearance as Herod. A 2014 production in São Paulo, Brazil starred Igor Rickli as Jesus. Negra Li was Mary Magdalene.[34] A 2014 production in Lima, Peru at the Sarita Colonia prison, as part of a rehabilitation program for inmates, received some press.[35] Eighty prisoners mounted the production, directed by inmate Freddy Battifora, who also played the role of Jesus.[36] The Catholic Church approved of the production.[36]
Recordings and broadcasts[edit]
The 1972 and 1992 Australian cast recordings were both highly successful.[37] In 1994, a studio recording under the name of Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was released. A 1996 radio production for BBC Radio 2 starred Tony Hadley as Jesus, Roger Daltrey as Judas, and Frances Ruffelle as Mary Magdalene.
In 2000, an Italian performance of Jesus Christ Superstar was broadcast on Rai Radio 2. Carl Anderson appeared on this recording, singing the song "Superstar".[citation needed]
Films[edit]
Main article: Jesus Christ Superstar (film)
A film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar was released in 1973 and was the eighth highest-grossing film of that year. The film, directed by Norman Jewison, was shot in Israel and other Middle Eastern locations. Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson were each nominated for a Golden Globe Award for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas, respectively, and Yvonne Elliman was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Mary Magdalene. Bob Bingham (Caiaphas) and Barry Dennen (Pilate) also reprised their roles. Though it attracted criticism from some religious groups, the film was generally well received.[citation needed] A new song, called "Then We Are Decided" and phrased as a dialogue between Caiaphas and Annas, was written and composed for this adaptation.
A second film adaptation was released in 2000 for television, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus, Jérôme Pradon as Judas, and Reneé Castle as Mary Magdalene, and Rik Mayall as Herod. The film was directed by Gale Edwards and Nick Morris. It won an Emmy Award in 2001 for Best Performing Arts film. The style of the film is more like the stage version than the location-based 1973 adaptation and used many of the ideas from Edwards' 1998 UK tour. Several members of the film's cast, went on to the 2000 Broadway production after shooting the film.
A live recording of the 2012 arena tour was shown in Australian cinemas in November 2012. A DVD and Blu-ray copy of the film was subsequently released.[38]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
1972 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Ben Vereen Nominated
Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Nominated
Best Scenic Design Robin Wagner Nominated
Best Costume Design Randy Barceló Nominated
Best Lighting Design Jules Fisher Nominated
Drama Desk Award Most Promising Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber Won
Theatre World Award Ben Vereen Won
1996 London revival[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
1997 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
2000 Broadway revival[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
2000 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated
2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival / 2012 Broadway revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
2012 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Josh Young Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominated
Outstanding Sound Design Steve Canyon Kennedy Nominated
Theatre World Award Josh Young Won
Further reading[edit]
Robert M. Price. Jesus Christ Superstar: The Making of a Modern Gospel. eBookIt. 2011.
Ellis Nassour, Richard Broderick. Rock Opera: The Creation of Jesus Christ Superstar, from Record Album to Broadway Show and Motion Picture. Hawthorn Books, 1973.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ The picture is falsely showing Peter about to strike his left ear. Both Luke 22:50 and John 18:10 say he "cut off his right ear." A downward stroke would continue into his neck or shoulder. There was only one sword used.
2.Jump up ^ This is the text in the original recording
3.Jump up ^ This scene originally came from the film; it was added for the Broadway production.
4.Jump up ^ In the Broadway production, a stanza is added where Pilate admonishes the crowd for their sudden respect for Caesar, as well as how they "produce Messiahs by the sackful."
5.Jump up ^ The title of the instrumental number "John Nineteen: Forty-One" is a reference to a verse in the Gospel of John about Jesus being laid in the tomb.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Theatre Features. "Andrew Lloyd Webber interview: the second coming of Jesus Christ Superstar". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
7.Jump up ^ Entertainment Weekly, July 19, 1996
8.Jump up ^ Time magazine', November 9, 1970. Rice went on to say "we are basically trying to tell the story of Christ as a man. I think he increases in stature by looking at him as a man."
9.Jump up ^ Life magazine, May 28, 1971
10.Jump up ^ "Free Presbyterian Church - Online Pamphlet". Freepres.org. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
11.Jump up ^ Superstar Film Renews Disputes: Jewish Groups Say Opening Could Stir Anti-Semitism Reasons Given Company Issues Statement, The New York Times
12.Jump up ^ Jessica Winter (2003-11-04). "Mel Gibson's Jesus Christ Pose". village voice. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
13.Jump up ^ Jesus Christ Superstar: Show facts and figures[dead link]
14.Jump up ^ http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/andrew-lloyd-webber-stephen-sondheim-birthdays-coveney_37413.html?cid=homepage_news
15.Jump up ^ "AusStage". AusStage. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
16.Jump up ^ "1972 Australian production". Milesago.com. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
17.Jump up ^ Singapore American School Alumni Community (2007). "Featured Classes". Retrieved December 1, 2007.
18.Jump up ^ http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4030
19.Jump up ^ The Broadway League. "Jesus Christ Superstar | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
20.Jump up ^ Jesucristo Metalstar
21.Jump up ^ "It's Official! ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' to Open on Broadway March 2012!". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
22.Jump up ^ Zoglin, Richard (April 10, 2012). "Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita: One Sings, the Other Doesn't". Time.
23.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar". Curtain Critic. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
24.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth; Hetrick, Adam (May 1, 2012). 2012 "Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Once Earns 11 Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
25.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam (July 1, 2012). ""It Is Finished": Jesus Christ Superstar Revival Closes On Broadway July 1". Playbill. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ "Ben Forster crowned as Jesus in ITV's 'Superstar'". Digital Spy. 25 July 2012.
27.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour".
28.Jump up ^ Caitlin Irving (27 February 2013). "Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar kicks off in Perth". Faifax Media. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
29.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar – Australian tour". the blurb magazine. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
30.Jump up ^ DEBORAH JONES (1 June 2013). "Jesus Christ Superstar songs shine with Tim Minchin, Melanie C". The Australian. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
31.Jump up ^ http://www.jesuschristsuperstar.com/jesus-christ-superstar-arena-spectacular-tour-cancelled/
32.Jump up ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/arts/music/anger-for-jesus-christ-superstar-cast-and-a-black-eye-for-its-promoter.html
33.Jump up ^ iDnes.cz: Devadesátá léta překreslila divadelní mapu
34.Jump up ^ http://guia.uol.com.br/sao-paulo/teatro/noticias/2014/01/23/com-negra-li-musical-rock-jesus-cristo-superstar-tem-ingressos-a-venda.htm
35.Jump up ^ Bracken, Matt (16 April 2014). "Prison inmates in Peru perform ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’". The Baltimore Sun (The Dark Room) (Baltimore, Maryland). Reuters. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
36.^ Jump up to: a b "In pictures: Peru inmates stage Jesus Christ Superstar musical". BBC News. Reuters. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
37.Jump up ^ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50albums-1992.htm
38.Jump up ^ "Tim Minchin · International Screenings and DVD Releases of Jesus Christ Superstar!". Timminchin.com. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Jesus Christ Superstar
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jesus Christ Superstar.
Jesus Christ Superstar, official website
Review on "Cool Album of the Day" of original London cast recording
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Internet Broadway Database
Original album cover artwork by Ernie Cefalu
Largest online community for Jesus Christ Superstar JesusChristSuperstarZone.com
Jesus Christ Superstar, Andrew Lloyd Webber site
Jesus Christ Superstar, timrice.co.uk
Lyrics
"Jesus Christ Superstar, orchestral score". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
Jesus Christ Superstar at Playbill Vault:
1971 – Original production
1977 – First revival
2000 – Second revival
2012 – Third revival


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Jesus Christ Superstar

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This article is about the musical production. For the 1973 film, see Jesus Christ Superstar (film). For the rock opera album, see Jesus Christ Superstar (album). For other uses, see Jesus Christ Superstar (disambiguation).

Jesus Christ Superstar
Jcs us cover.png
Album cover for the 1970 American release of Jesus Christ Superstar

Music
Andrew Lloyd Webber
Lyrics
Tim Rice
Productions
1970 Concept album
1971 Broadway
1972 West End
1973 film
1977 Broadway
1977 US Tour
1992 US Tour
1996 West End
1998 UK Tour
2000 Broadway
2001 UK Tour
2002 US Tour
2004 UK Tour
2006 US Tour
2008 UK Tour
2012 Broadway
2012–2013 UK Arena Tour
2015 UK Tour

Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera or rock musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The musical started as a rock opera concept album before its first staging on Broadway in 1971. The musical is loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus's life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not in the Bible narratives.
The work's depiction offers a free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and the other characters.[citation needed] A large part of the plot focuses on the character of Judas, who is depicted as a tragic figure dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus steers his disciples. Contemporary attitudes and sensibilities, as well as slang, pervade the lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly feature many intentional anachronisms.[citation needed]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot 1.1 Act I
1.2 Act II
2 Principal roles
3 Musical numbers
4 From album to stage 4.1 Original Broadway production
4.2 Controversy
4.3 Other 1970s and 1980s productions
4.4 1990s and 2000s
4.5 2010s; other international productions
5 Recordings and broadcasts
6 Films
7 Awards and nominations 7.1 Original Broadway production
7.2 1996 London revival
7.3 2000 Broadway revival
7.4 2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival / 2012 Broadway revival
8 Further reading
9 References
10 External links

Plot[edit]
Act I[edit]
After a foreboding instrumental opening number ("Overture"), the apostle Judas Iscariot expresses in a musical monologue his concern over Jesus's rising popularity as a "king" and the negative repercussions that will have. He strongly criticizes Jesus for accepting his followers's unrealistic views, and for not heeding his concerns ("Heaven on Their Minds"). While Judas still loves Jesus, he believes that Jesus is just a man, not God, and worries that Jesus's following will be seen as a threat to the Roman Empire which would then punish both Jesus and his associates. Judas's warning falls on deaf ears, as Jesus's followers have their minds set on going to Jerusalem with Jesus. As they ask Jesus when they will be going to Jerusalem, Jesus tells them to stop worrying about the future, since whatever will happen is determined by God ("What's the Buzz?").
Recognizing that Jesus is irritated by the badgering and lack of understanding from his followers, Mary Magdalene tries to help Jesus relax. Judas is concerned that Jesus is associating with a woman of "her profession", which is implied as prostitution in the Bible. It seems to Judas that Jesus is contradicting his own teaching, and he worries that this apparent lack of judgment will be used against Jesus and his followers ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Jesus tells Judas that Mary is with him (Jesus) now, and unless Judas is without sin he should not judge the character of others. Jesus then reproaches his apostles for being "shallow, thick and slow" and somewhat bitterly answers that not a single one of them cares about him. Mary Magdalene tries to assure Jesus that everything is alright while anointing him with oil ("Everything's Alright"). Judas angrily insists that the money used to obtain the oil should have been used to help the poor instead. Jesus sadly explains that he and his followers do not have the resources to alleviate poverty and that they should be glad for the privileges they have. He claims that once his followers no longer have him, they will lose their path.



Casting out the Money Changers by Carl Bloch
Meanwhile, Caiaphas (the high priest), Annas, and other Jewish priests (who have been studying Jesus's movements) meet to discuss Jesus and his disciples. Jesus's growing following consists of Jews unwilling to accept the Romans as their rulers, and the priests believe that Jesus may become seen as a threat to the priesthood's integrity and the Roman Empire. If the Romans retaliate, many Jews will suffer, even those who are not following Jesus. Caiaphas tells them they are "fools" for not seeing the inevitable consequence of Jesus's activities. He believes there could be great bloodshed and the stakes are "frighteningly high!" For the greater good, he has to "crush him completely! So like John before him, this Jesus must die!" Annas and the other priests concur ("This Jesus Must Die"). As Jesus and his followers arrive exultantly in Jerusalem they are confronted by Caiaphas, who demands that Jesus disband them, which Jesus says would be futile and change nothing. As the crowd cheers him on, Caiaphas suddenly asks, "Hey JC, JC, won't you die for me?" To this, Jesus visibly reacts with concern ("Hosanna"). Jesus is approached by Simon the Zealot, who suggests that Jesus lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus rejects this suggestion, stating that none of his followers understand what true power is, nor do they understand his true message ("Poor Jerusalem").
Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, has had a dream, in which he meets with a Galilean (Jesus) and that he, Pilate, will receive all of the blame for the man's violent and mournful death ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus arrives at the Temple in Jerusalem and finds that it has become a haven of sin and debauchery as it is being used for selling everything from weapons to prostitutes and drugs. He is furious and demands that the merchants and money changers leave ("The Temple"). Angry, disconsolate, and tired by his burden, Jesus rests and falls asleep. In a chilling nightmare, he is confronted by lepers, cripples, and beggars, all wanting to be healed. Even though he heals some, their number increases, and he is overwhelmed. Unable to solve everyone's problems, Jesus tells the crowd to heal themselves. He awakes to find Mary Magdalene by his side. She lays him to rest ("Everything's Alright (Reprise)"). While Jesus is asleep, Mary acknowledges that she is unconditionally in love with Jesus, unlike any man she has known before, and it frightens her ("I Don't Know How to Love Him").
Judas gradually becomes more and more envious of Mary; he believes she has usurped him as Jesus's most trusted ally and that he prefers her to his Apostles. Conflicted, Judas seeks out the priests and promises to help them capture Jesus, while belaboring that he is acting with unselfish motives and that Jesus himself would approve if he knew those motives; he bids the priests not declare him damned. Caiaphas demands that Judas reveal the location of Jesus so that the authorities can apprehend him. In exchange for the information, Judas is offered money as a "fee" so that he can assuage his conscience by using the money charitably ("Damned for All Time/Blood Money"). Judas decides that it would be better to turn Jesus in before his popularity leads to the deaths of Jesus and his followers, Judas included. He reveals that on Thursday night, Jesus will be at the Garden of Gethsemane.
Act II[edit]
At what Jesus knows will be the Last Supper, he pours wine and passes bread for his apostles ("The Last Supper"). Very aware of the ordeal he faces, he is stung when the others pay little attention to him; "For all you care this wine could be my blood / For all you care this bread could be my body," he remarks, alluding to (and anticipating) the Christian doctrine of the Eucharist. He asks them to remember him when they eat and drink; he predicts that Peter will deny him three times "in just a few hours" and that one of them will betray him. Judas, believing that Jesus already knows ("cut the dramatics, you know very well who"), admits he is the one and angrily accuses Jesus of acting recklessly and egotistically. Claiming he does not understand Jesus's decisions, he leaves to bring the Roman soldiers.
The remaining apostles fall asleep, and Jesus retreats to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray ("Gethesemane (I Only Want to Say)"). He admits to God his doubts, fears and anger, that he is tired and has done all he can. He asks powerfully if any of it has meaning and implores God not let him suffer the horrible death that portends for him. He feels disillusioned with his quest as the Messiah, does not understand what it has achieved and wishes to give up. Receiving no answer, Jesus realizes that he cannot defy God's will, and surrenders to God. His prayer ends with a request that God take him immediately, "before I change my mind."



 The disciples resist Jesus's arrest, but Jesus tells them to put away their swords.[1]
Judas arrives with Roman soldiers and identifies Jesus by kissing him on the cheek ("The Arrest"). Jesus is arrested, and his apostles attempt to fight the soldiers. Jesus tells them to let the soldiers take him to Caiaphas. On the way, a mob (acting like—and sometimes represented as—modern-day news reporters) asks Jesus what he plans to do, but Jesus declines to comment. When Jesus is brought to trial before the Sanhedrin, Caiaphas asks if he is the son of God. Jesus responds: "That's what you say, you say that I am." This answer is affirmative according to Jewish custom, and that provides enough justification for the high priests to send Jesus to Pontius Pilate. Meanwhile, Jesus's apostle Peter is confronted by an old man, a soldier and a maid, and Peter denies to each that he knows Jesus ("Peter's Denial"). Mary asks Peter why he denied Jesus, and Peter responds that he had to do it in order to save himself. Mary wonders how Jesus knew that Peter would deny him three times.
Pilate asks Jesus if he is the son of God. Jesus gives the same answer that he gave Caiaphas: "that's what you say."[2] Since Jesus is from Galilee, Pilate says that he is not under his jurisdiction and sends him to King Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). As Jesus is dragged away, the chorus asks, where Jesus's power has gone. The decadent and flamboyant King Herod asks Jesus to prove his divinity by performing miracles, offering to free him if he complies; but Jesus ignores him ("King Herod's Song (Try It And See)"). Herod decides that Jesus is just another phony messiah and angrily sends him back to Pilate. The apostles and Mary Magdalene remember when they first began following Jesus, and wish that they could return to a time of peace ("Could We Start Again, Please?")[3]
Judas is horrified upon beholding Jesus's harsh treatment by the authorities. Feeling extreme guilt for this, and panicking that he will be seen as responsible, Judas expresses regret to the priests, fearing he will forever be remembered as a traitor. Caiaphas and Annas say that what he has done will save everyone and that he should not feel remorse for his actions before throwing him out of their temple. Left alone, recognition dawns that memories of this could haunt the rest of his life, that God chose him to be the one to betray Jesus, and that he has been used as a pawn for the "foul bloody crime!" He suffers a mental breakdown during the epiphany, cursing God for his manipulative ways, and in a final attempt to detach himself from his destiny, he commits suicide by hanging himself from a tree ("Judas's Death").
At Jesus's trial Pilate asks the crowd if they would crucify Jesus, their king, and they declare: "We have no king but Caesar!" [4] Pilate remembers the dream he had about the crowd and the unjust execution of Jesus. Pilate tells the crowd that, while Jesus should be imprisoned, he does not deserve to die. Pilate demands that the crowd give him a reason to condemn Jesus, and the crowd breaks into a pep rally-style cheer about how Jesus is a blasphemer and has defied Rome. After revealing Jesus as nothing more than a pathetic human being ("Behold the man!"), Pilate calls the crowd hypocrites, as he knows they hate Roman rule. He attempts to satisfy their bloodlust by having Jesus whipped, counting thirty-nine bloody strokes ("Trial Before Pilate, (Including The Thirty-Nine Lashes)"). Pilate, clearly disturbed by the whole ordeal, pleads with Jesus to defend himself; but Jesus says weakly that everything has been determined, by God, and Pilate cannot change it. The crowd still screams for Jesus to be crucified, and Pilate recalls his duty to keep the peace. He reluctantly agrees to crucify Jesus to keep the crowd from getting violent. Pilate then washes his hands of Jesus's death: "I wash my hands of your demolition! Die if you want to, you--innocent puppet...."
As Jesus prepares to be crucified, he is mocked by a vision of Judas. Judas questions why Jesus chose to arrive in the manner and time that he did, and if what happened to him was really part of a divine plan, but Jesus does not say ("Superstar"). As Jesus is nailed to the cross some productions opt to show Judas suffering a stigmata-like effect, indicating that he is paying for his sin ("The Crucifixion"). After reciting his final words and commending his spirit to God, Jesus slowly dies on the cross, his fate coming full circle. The final number shows the Apostles, Mary and Judas mourning the death of their fallen savior, reflecting on the impact he has had on their lives ("John Nineteen: Forty-One").[5]
Principal roles[edit]

Character
Voice type
Description
Jesus Christ tenor (A2–G5) Title role, leader of the twelve disciples, a man, called the "Son of God" and the "King of the Jews."
Judas Iscariot tenor (D3–D5) One of the twelve apostles of Jesus; concerned for the poor and the consequences of Jesus's fame.
Mary Magdalene mezzo-soprano (F3–E♭5) A female follower of Jesus who finds herself falling in love with him.
Pontius Pilate baritenor (A2–B4) Governor of Judea who foresees the events of Jesus's crucifixion from beginning to aftermath in a dream and finds himself being presented with that very situation.
Caiaphas bass (C♯2–F4) One of the main antagonists of the show. High priest who sees Jesus as a threat to the nation.
Annas countertenor (G2–D5)
 One of the main antagonists of the show. Fellow priest at the side of Caiaphas who is persuaded by Caiaphas into seeing Jesus as a threat.
Peter baritone (A2–G4) One of Jesus's twelve apostles; denies Jesus three times upon the night of Jesus's arrest to save himself.
Simon Zealotes tenor (G3–B4) One of Jesus's twelve apostles; urges Jesus to lead his followers into battle against the Romans.
King Herod tenor (C♯3–G4) The King of Galilee; Jesus is brought to him for judgment after first being taken to Pilate.
Musical numbers[edit]


Act One
"Overture" – Orchestra
"Heaven on Their Minds" – Judas
"What's the Buzz" / "Strange Thing Mystifying" – Apostles, Jesus, Mary, Judas, Peter, Woman
"Everything's Alright" – Mary, Women, Judas, Jesus, Apostles
"This Jesus Must Die" – Annas, Caiaphas, Apostles, Priests
"Hosanna" – Apostles, Caiaphas, Jesus, Ensemble
"Simon Zealotes" / "Poor Jerusalem" – Apostles, Simon, Jesus, Ensemble
"Pilate's Dream" – Pilate
"The Temple" – Ensemble, Jesus
"Everything's Alright (reprise)" – Mary, Jesus
"I Don't Know How to Love Him" – Mary
"Damned For All Time" / "Blood Money" – Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus

Act Two
"The Last Supper" – Apostles, Jesus, Judas
"Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" – Jesus
"The Arrest" – Judas, Jesus, Peter, Apostles, Ensemble, Annas, Caiaphas
"Peter's Denial" – Maid by the Fire, Peter, Soldier, Old Man, Mary
"Pilate and Christ" – Pilate, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
"King Herod's Song (Try it and See)" – Herod, Dancers
"Could We Start Again Please?" – Mary, Apostles, Peter
"Judas' Death" – Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus
"Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)" – Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
"Superstar" – Judas, Soul Sisters, Angels
"The Crucifixion" – Jesus, Ensemble
"John Nineteen: Forty-One" – Orchestra




From album to stage[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2015)
Main article: Jesus Christ Superstar (album)



 The UK album cover for the 1970 release of Jesus Christ Superstar.
The songs were first written and conceived as a concept album, before the musical was created and staged.[6] On the original album, the part of Jesus was sung by Ian Gillan, with Murray Head as Judas, Michael d'Abo as King Herod, Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, and Barry Dennen as Pilate. In July 1971, the first authorized American concert of the rock opera took place in front of an audience of 13,000 people at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Civic Arena with Jeff Fenholt singing the role of Jesus, Carl Anderson as Judas and Elliman repeating as Mary Magdalene.[7]
Original Broadway production[edit]
The musical opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971, directed by Tom O'Horgan, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. It starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus, Ben Vereen as Judas and Bob Bingham as Caiaphas. Dennen and Elliman created the roles that they had sung on the album. Kurt Yaghjian was Annas, and Ted Neeley (as a Christ understudy), Samuel E. Wright and Anita Morris appeared in the cast. Carl Anderson (the album's Judas) replaced Vereen when he fell ill, and the two performers later took turns playing the role. The show closed on June 30, 1973 after 711 performances. The production received mixed reviews; the reviewer from The New York Times deemed it to be a heartless over-hyped production.[citation needed] Lloyd Webber said in 2012: "I hugely objected to the original New York production, which was probably the worst night of my life. It was a vulgar travesty."[6] The show was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Score, but didn't win any. Lloyd Webber won a Drama Desk Award as "Most Promising Composer", and Vereen won a Theatre World Award.
Controversy[edit]
The Broadway show and subsequent productions were condemned by some religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying "It happens that we don't see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place."[8][9] Some Christians considered such comments to be blasphemous, the character of Judas too sympathetic and some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive.[10] At the same time, some Jews claimed that it bolstered the antisemitic belief that the Jews are responsible for Jesus' death by showing most of the villains as Jewish (Caiaphas and the other priests, Herod) and showing the crowd in Jerusalem calling for the crucifixion.[11][12] The musical was banned in South Africa for being "irreligious".[13]
Other 1970s and 1980s productions[edit]



 Paul Nicholas in Jesus Christ Superstar
Superstar opened at the Palace Theatre in London in 1972, starring Paul Nicholas as Jesus, Stephen Tate as Judas and Dana Gillespie as Mary Magdalene. It was directed by Australian Jim Sharman. This production was much more successful, running for eight years and becoming the United Kingdom's longest-running musical at the time. Dmitri Shostakovich attended this production in London just before his death. He regretted that he could not have composed something like it; he lauded especially a rock band underpinning full symphonic strings, brass and woodwind.[14]
One of the earliest foreign productions was a five-day run in Sweden at The Scandinavium in Göteborg, opening on 18 February 1972 and playing to 74,000 people (a record at the time). Starring as Mary Magdalene was Agnetha Fältskog. On 16 March 1972 an oratorio version was performed at Memorial Drive Park in Adelaide, South Australia as part of the Adelaide Festival of the Arts.[15] This was followed in May by the first full Australian production, at the Capitol Theatre, Sydney, later moving to the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.[16] Sharman again directed, and the cast featured Trevor White as Jesus, Jon English as Judas, and Michelle Fawdon (1972–1973) and Marcia Hines (1973–1974) as Mary Magdalene. Hines was the first black woman to play the role. Other cast members included Reg Livermore, John Paul Young, Stevie Wright, and Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, who met during the production and subsequently formed the band Air Supply. The production ran until February 1974.
In 1973, the show opened in Paris at the Théâtre de Chaillot in a French adaptation by Pierre Delanoë. The title role was sung by Daniel Beretta, and Maria Magdalena was Anne-Marie David. The critics were unimpressed, and the production stopped after 30 performances.[citation needed] In 1974, first Spanish-language production ran in Mexico with the title "Jesucristo Super Estrella". Julissa played Mary Magdalen. The musical was seen in 1974 in Peru and Singapore.[17]
Robert Stigwood launched two road touring companies in 1971 to cover North America, one of which featured Robert Corff as Jesus. The first major US National Tour, however began In 1976, managed by Laura Shapiro Kramer. The tour continued until 1980. In 1977, the show had its first Broadway revival, running from November 23, 1977 to February 12, 1978. It was directed by William Daniel Grey, with choreography by Kelly Carrol and starred William Daniel Grey as Jesus, Patrick Jude as Judas, and Barbara Niles as Mary Magdalene.[18] Regional productions followed.
In 1981, Emilio de Soto directed an English-language version in Venezuela, with 163 actors.[citation needed] From 1982 to 1984, an Australian production toured Australia and South-East Asia, directed by Trevor White, who also reprised his role of Jesus. The cast featured Doug Parkinson as Judas and Marcia Hines (reprising her role as Mary Magdalene).
1990s and 2000s[edit]
The North American touring revival of Superstar in 1992 starred Neeley and Anderson reprising their respective Broadway and 1973 film roles as Jesus and Judas, receiving positive reviews for their performances. This production also starred both Dennis DeYoung as Pilate, and Syreeta and Irene Cara sharing Mary Magdalene. Originally expected to run for three to four months, the tour ended up running for five years. Replacements in this tour included Jason Raize as Pontius Pilate and Simone as the Maid by the Fire and understudy for Mary. In 1994, a New Zealand production starred Darryl Lovegrove as Jesus, Jay Laga'aia as Judas and Frankie Stevens as Caiaphas. Also in 1994, a stage version titled Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was performed in Atlanta, Austin and Seattle featuring Amy Ray as Jesus, Emily Saliers as Mary Magdalene and Michael Lorant as Judas.
In 1996, the musical was revived in London at the Lyceum Theatre and ran for a year and a half. Directed by Gale Edwards, it starred Steve Balsamo and Zubin Varla as Jesus and Judas, and Joanna Ampil as Mary Magdalene. It featured Alice Cooper as King Herod. The production was nominated for a Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival but did not win. It was followed by a UK tour. This production was revived on Broadway at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 2000, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus and Tony Vincent as Judas. It opened to mixed reviews and ran for 161 performances.[19] It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical but did not win. In 2002, a national tour starred Sebastian Bach as Jesus and Anderson once again as Judas. Bach received mixed reviews while Anderson was again praised. In April 2003, Bach was replaced by Eric Kunze. Anderson left the show later in 2003 after being diagnosed with leukemia and died in 2004. The tour closed shortly after Anderson's departure.
In 2004 a year-long UK tour began, directed by Bob Tomson and Bill Kenwright. Carter reprised his role as Jesus, with James Fox as Judas. In 2005, a successful Scandinavian tour starred Australian Peter Murphy (Jesus), American Kristen Cummings (Mary), Englishman Jon Boydon née Stokes (Judas), Frenchman Jérôme Pradon (King Herod) and Australian Michael-John Hurney (Pilate). A US tour starring Neeley, reprising his role as Jesus and Corey Glover as Judas, began in 2006 and played for five years. A Chilean heavy metal version has played annually in Santiago since 2004.[20] In Boston, Gary Cherone portrayed Jesus in productions in 1994, 1996 and 2003 and Judas in 2000.
2010s; other international productions[edit]
A new production of Jesus Christ Superstar was mounted at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in Stratford, Ontario in 2011. Directed by Des McAnuff, the cast starred Paul Nolan as Jesus, Josh Young as Judas, Brent Carver as Pilate and Bruce Dow as Herod. Melissa O'Neil was Martha. This moved to La Jolla Playhouse later in the year and transferred to the Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in 2012, with Tom Hewitt taking over the role of Pilate.[21] Reviews were mixed.[22][23] The revival was nominated for two Tonys: Best Revival and, for Young, Best Actor.[24] Neither award was won, but Young won a Theatre World Award. The revival closed after 116 performances and 24 previews.[25]
Through a 2012 ITV competition TV show called Superstar, produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, the UK public chose Ben Forster for the role of Jesus in an arena tour of the musical[26] that started in September 2012. The production also starred Tim Minchin as Judas, Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Chris Moyles as King Herod.[27] Lloyd Webber stated that the show was meant to be presented outside the confines of a proscenium theatre.[6] The tour resumed in March 2013 in the UK, and an Australian leg of the tour commenced in Perth in May 2013.[28] Andrew O'Keefe played King Herod in Australia, with Jon Stevens as Pilate. Stevens had played Judas in an Australian arena tour in 1992.[29][30] A 2014 North American tour was cancelled.[31][32]



 2011 production of Jesus Christ Superstar at The Doon School, India


 2013 production in Rotterdam, Netherlands
The musical has been produced in Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia, Bolivia (where it was also released as a TV movie), Netherlands, Portugal and others.[citation needed] Two notable Jesuses were Takeshi Kaga, in the 1976 Japanese production, and Camilo Sesto in the 1975 Spanish production. Mary Magdalene was Rocío Banquells in a 1981 production in Mexico. A Czech version premiered in 1994 in Prague's Spirála Theatre and ran until 1998, with 1288 performances.[33] In the 2000s, a Venezuelan production ran for two years (2006–2008), directed by Michel Hausmann. A Spanish production produced by Stage Entertainment ran from 2007 to 2009, followed by long-running productions in Italy and Sweden (featuring Ola Salo) and Norway.
In 2010, an Australian production presented by Harvest Rain Theatre Company and directed by Tim O'Connor featured Luke Kennedy as Jesus, Naomi Price as Mary, Tod Strike as Judas, and Steven Tandy in a special guest appearance as Herod. A 2014 production in São Paulo, Brazil starred Igor Rickli as Jesus. Negra Li was Mary Magdalene.[34] A 2014 production in Lima, Peru at the Sarita Colonia prison, as part of a rehabilitation program for inmates, received some press.[35] Eighty prisoners mounted the production, directed by inmate Freddy Battifora, who also played the role of Jesus.[36] The Catholic Church approved of the production.[36]
Recordings and broadcasts[edit]
The 1972 and 1992 Australian cast recordings were both highly successful.[37] In 1994, a studio recording under the name of Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was released. A 1996 radio production for BBC Radio 2 starred Tony Hadley as Jesus, Roger Daltrey as Judas, and Frances Ruffelle as Mary Magdalene.
In 2000, an Italian performance of Jesus Christ Superstar was broadcast on Rai Radio 2. Carl Anderson appeared on this recording, singing the song "Superstar".[citation needed]
Films[edit]
Main article: Jesus Christ Superstar (film)
A film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar was released in 1973 and was the eighth highest-grossing film of that year. The film, directed by Norman Jewison, was shot in Israel and other Middle Eastern locations. Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson were each nominated for a Golden Globe Award for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas, respectively, and Yvonne Elliman was nominated for a Golden Globe Award as Mary Magdalene. Bob Bingham (Caiaphas) and Barry Dennen (Pilate) also reprised their roles. Though it attracted criticism from some religious groups, the film was generally well received.[citation needed] A new song, called "Then We Are Decided" and phrased as a dialogue between Caiaphas and Annas, was written and composed for this adaptation.
A second film adaptation was released in 2000 for television, starring Glenn Carter as Jesus, Jérôme Pradon as Judas, and Reneé Castle as Mary Magdalene, and Rik Mayall as Herod. The film was directed by Gale Edwards and Nick Morris. It won an Emmy Award in 2001 for Best Performing Arts film. The style of the film is more like the stage version than the location-based 1973 adaptation and used many of the ideas from Edwards' 1998 UK tour. Several members of the film's cast, went on to the 2000 Broadway production after shooting the film.
A live recording of the 2012 arena tour was shown in Australian cinemas in November 2012. A DVD and Blu-ray copy of the film was subsequently released.[38]
Awards and nominations[edit]
Original Broadway production[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
1972 Tony Award Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Ben Vereen Nominated
Best Original Score Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice Nominated
Best Scenic Design Robin Wagner Nominated
Best Costume Design Randy Barceló Nominated
Best Lighting Design Jules Fisher Nominated
Drama Desk Award Most Promising Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber Won
Theatre World Award Ben Vereen Won
1996 London revival[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
1997 Laurence Olivier Award Best Musical Revival Nominated
2000 Broadway revival[edit]

Year
Award Ceremony
Category
Nominee
Result
2000 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated
2011 Stratford Shakespeare Festival / 2012 Broadway revival[edit]

Year
Award
Category
Nominee
Result
2012 Tony Award Best Revival of a Musical Nominated
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Josh Young Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Revival of a Musical Nominated
Outstanding Sound Design Steve Canyon Kennedy Nominated
Theatre World Award Josh Young Won
Further reading[edit]
Robert M. Price. Jesus Christ Superstar: The Making of a Modern Gospel. eBookIt. 2011.
Ellis Nassour, Richard Broderick. Rock Opera: The Creation of Jesus Christ Superstar, from Record Album to Broadway Show and Motion Picture. Hawthorn Books, 1973.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ The picture is falsely showing Peter about to strike his left ear. Both Luke 22:50 and John 18:10 say he "cut off his right ear." A downward stroke would continue into his neck or shoulder. There was only one sword used.
2.Jump up ^ This is the text in the original recording
3.Jump up ^ This scene originally came from the film; it was added for the Broadway production.
4.Jump up ^ In the Broadway production, a stanza is added where Pilate admonishes the crowd for their sudden respect for Caesar, as well as how they "produce Messiahs by the sackful."
5.Jump up ^ The title of the instrumental number "John Nineteen: Forty-One" is a reference to a verse in the Gospel of John about Jesus being laid in the tomb.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c Theatre Features. "Andrew Lloyd Webber interview: the second coming of Jesus Christ Superstar". Telegraph. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
7.Jump up ^ Entertainment Weekly, July 19, 1996
8.Jump up ^ Time magazine', November 9, 1970. Rice went on to say "we are basically trying to tell the story of Christ as a man. I think he increases in stature by looking at him as a man."
9.Jump up ^ Life magazine, May 28, 1971
10.Jump up ^ "Free Presbyterian Church - Online Pamphlet". Freepres.org. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
11.Jump up ^ Superstar Film Renews Disputes: Jewish Groups Say Opening Could Stir Anti-Semitism Reasons Given Company Issues Statement, The New York Times
12.Jump up ^ Jessica Winter (2003-11-04). "Mel Gibson's Jesus Christ Pose". village voice. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
13.Jump up ^ Jesus Christ Superstar: Show facts and figures[dead link]
14.Jump up ^ http://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/andrew-lloyd-webber-stephen-sondheim-birthdays-coveney_37413.html?cid=homepage_news
15.Jump up ^ "AusStage". AusStage. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
16.Jump up ^ "1972 Australian production". Milesago.com. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
17.Jump up ^ Singapore American School Alumni Community (2007). "Featured Classes". Retrieved December 1, 2007.
18.Jump up ^ http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=4030
19.Jump up ^ The Broadway League. "Jesus Christ Superstar | IBDB: The official source for Broadway Information". IBDB. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
20.Jump up ^ Jesucristo Metalstar
21.Jump up ^ "It's Official! ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' to Open on Broadway March 2012!". Broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
22.Jump up ^ Zoglin, Richard (April 10, 2012). "Jesus Christ Superstar and Evita: One Sings, the Other Doesn't". Time.
23.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar". Curtain Critic. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
24.Jump up ^ Jones, Kenneth; Hetrick, Adam (May 1, 2012). 2012 "Tony Awards Nominations Announced; Once Earns 11 Nominations". Playbill. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
25.Jump up ^ Hetrick, Adam (July 1, 2012). ""It Is Finished": Jesus Christ Superstar Revival Closes On Broadway July 1". Playbill. Retrieved July 1, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ "Ben Forster crowned as Jesus in ITV's 'Superstar'". Digital Spy. 25 July 2012.
27.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour".
28.Jump up ^ Caitlin Irving (27 February 2013). "Australian tour of Jesus Christ Superstar kicks off in Perth". Faifax Media. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
29.Jump up ^ "Jesus Christ Superstar – Australian tour". the blurb magazine. 15 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
30.Jump up ^ DEBORAH JONES (1 June 2013). "Jesus Christ Superstar songs shine with Tim Minchin, Melanie C". The Australian. Retrieved 1 June 2013.
31.Jump up ^ http://www.jesuschristsuperstar.com/jesus-christ-superstar-arena-spectacular-tour-cancelled/
32.Jump up ^ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/01/arts/music/anger-for-jesus-christ-superstar-cast-and-a-black-eye-for-its-promoter.html
33.Jump up ^ iDnes.cz: Devadesátá léta překreslila divadelní mapu
34.Jump up ^ http://guia.uol.com.br/sao-paulo/teatro/noticias/2014/01/23/com-negra-li-musical-rock-jesus-cristo-superstar-tem-ingressos-a-venda.htm
35.Jump up ^ Bracken, Matt (16 April 2014). "Prison inmates in Peru perform ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’". The Baltimore Sun (The Dark Room) (Baltimore, Maryland). Reuters. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
36.^ Jump up to: a b "In pictures: Peru inmates stage Jesus Christ Superstar musical". BBC News. Reuters. 16 April 2014. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
37.Jump up ^ http://www.aria.com.au/pages/aria-charts-end-of-year-charts-top-50albums-1992.htm
38.Jump up ^ "Tim Minchin · International Screenings and DVD Releases of Jesus Christ Superstar!". Timminchin.com. 2012-10-25. Retrieved 2013-11-21.
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Jesus Christ Superstar
 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jesus Christ Superstar.
Jesus Christ Superstar, official website
Review on "Cool Album of the Day" of original London cast recording
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Internet Broadway Database
Original album cover artwork by Ernie Cefalu
Largest online community for Jesus Christ Superstar JesusChristSuperstarZone.com
Jesus Christ Superstar, Andrew Lloyd Webber site
Jesus Christ Superstar, timrice.co.uk
Lyrics
"Jesus Christ Superstar, orchestral score". Victoria and Albert Museum. Retrieved 24 March 2011.
Jesus Christ Superstar at Playbill Vault:
1971 – Original production
1977 – First revival
2000 – Second revival
2012 – Third revival


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Children of Eden

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For the videogame, see Child of Eden.

Children of Eden
Children of Eden.jpg
1998 New Jersey Cast Recording

Music
Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics
Stephen Schwartz
Book
John Caird
Basis
Genesis and a concept by
Charles Lisanby
Productions
1991 Prince Edward Theatre
 1997 Paper Mill Playhouse
Children of Eden is a two-act musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel, and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood. Though it had a short run on London's West End in the Prince Edward Theatre and has never played Broadway, the show is popular in community theatres worldwide. While many productions of the show have used the same principals in both acts, with the actors each taking on a different character for the story of Noah, the original West End production did not utilize doubling of principals.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Production history
2 Synopsis (American version)
3 Characters
4 Musical numbers
5 References
6 External links

Production history[edit]
Children of Eden was originally written in 1986 as Family Tree for a production by Youth Sing Praise, a religious-oriented high school theatre camp performed at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois.[2] Stephen Schwartz adapted the script and music of Family Tree into a full-length musical, giving it the title it uses today.
The original cast production of Children of Eden was developed as a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) workshop,[3] directed by John Caird, and starring Ken Page as Father, Richard Lloyd-King as Snake, Martin Smith as Adam, Shezwae Powell as Eve, Adrian Beaumont as Cain, Kevin Colson as Noah, Earlene Bentley as Mama Noah, Frances Ruffelle as Yonah, Anthony Barclay as Japeth, Craig Pinder as Shem, Ray Shell as Ham, Hiromi Itoh as Aysha and Ruthie Henshall as Aphra. After the RSC's budget was cut, it opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End on January 8, 1991. The show closed on April 6, 1991 to poor reviews and after the Persian Gulf War put a damper on tourism worldwide.[3]
The show's poor reviews and quick closing meant that any hope of a Broadway transfer was abandoned. The original London cast album was released on LP and CD, but quickly went out of print. The CD release was marred by manufacturing defects that caused most of the discs to "bronze", becoming unplayable. Consequently, a playable copy of the disc is highly prized by musical theatre collectors. Schwartz believes the show has not played on Broadway because of the expense required to produce it in an Actor's Equity house, due to the cast of characters.[2]
There is an extremely rare concept recording of the show that exists. The recording features Stephen Schwartz himself playing the piano. The recording was made before the Papermill Playhouse production in an effort to review the rewrites and revisions. The recording was made available only for a limited time on Stephen Schwartz's website via RealAudio streaming. The recording is considered to be the rarest version of the show that exists. Only a handful of people possess CD or digital copies of it, including Stephen Schwartz himself and Michael Kohl.
Throughout the 1990s, the show received numerous productions at both the amateur and professional levels; it was also reworked and edited, with songs and scenes being added and cut. In 1997, a major production was mounted at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, featuring Stephanie Mills. A cast recording of this production was produced by Schwartz himself. This revised version, commonly known as the "American version" or "Paper Mill version", is substantially what is currently licensed for production in the United States. The New York City premiere of the piece was as the inaugural World AIDS Day Concert presented by Jamie McGonnigal and Kate Shindle for The York Theatre Company. The concert featured Julia Murney, Norm Lewis, Darius de Haas, and Jai Rodriguez and raised funds for The National AIDS Fund. The show's publisher, Music Theater International, reports that Children of Eden is one of its top 20 most frequently licensed properties,[3] which is very unusual for a show that has never had a Broadway or Off-Broadway run. Its popularity is partly due to its ability to accommodate a large or small cast; its universal themes of family, love, greed, anger, and others; and its religious material, which make it a favorite for churches, synagogues, and post-secondary schools. The most recent production of Children of Eden was played at NIDA (St. Andrews), Sydney, Australia, on the second and third weekends of March, 2011. A world premiere of the symphonic version ran in Kansas City from July 15 to 24, 2011, accompanied by a 55-piece orchestra.
A Gala charity concert adaptation ran for one night only at the Prince of Wales theatre in London on 29 January 2012. The concert was produced to support Crohn's and Colitis UK and featured performers from London's West End theatre community and from UK television.[4]
In 2013 Children of Eden was presented in Melbourne, Australia by award-winning production company Magnormos, as the finale of their Stephen Schwartz Celebration Triptych. The triptych also featured Godspell and Pippin and enjoyed the company of composer Stephen Schwartz in attendance.
A one-night only concert was presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on May 19, 2014. The concert featured Ron Bohmer, Ashley Brown, Charl Brown, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Jeremy Jordan. The production was accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus, and was attended by composer Stephen Schwartz.[5]
In June of 2014, regional outdoor theatre company, The Aracoma Story, produced a two week long showing of "Children of Eden" in Logan, West Virginia. The showing was overall successful.
On August 1, 2 and 3, 2014 the Trumbull Youth Association (Connecticut) put on "Children of Eden" at Trumbull High School. The show was unique for a youth group in that award-winning musical theater composer, lyricist and librettist Brett Boles, who appeared in the production 12 years earlier as a performer, directed the cast. Boles is also known for co-conceiving and helping to produce, with Broadway producer Van Dean, "From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook" in the wake of the infamous school shootings in December of 2012. Both Stephen Schwartz and original cast member Kelli Rabke attended rehearsals for the musical in July and held a question and answer session for cast and crew. The orchestra Boles recruited for the performances were also from Broadway. The musical concludes its run in Trumbull August 8, 9 and 10.
Synopsis (American version)[edit]
Act I
The play opens with the creation story from the Book of Genesis ("Let There Be"). Eve is drawn to the tree of knowledge, even though Father (the God-character is always addressed as "Father" by the other characters) has warned her to stay away ("The Tree of Knowledge"). Father attempts to distract Adam and Eve by playing a game where Adam and Eve name all the animals ("The Naming"). With his children distracted for the time being, everything is right with the newly created world ("Grateful Children," "Father's Day," and "Perfect"). Eve, however, still hungers for something more than what she has ("The Spark of Creation"). She meets a snake that tempts her with the fruit from the forbidden tree ("In Pursuit of Excellence"). Eve eats the fruit, meaning that she must be banished from the Garden of Eden ("The End of a Perfect Day" and "Childhood's End").
In a twist from the Genesis tale, Adam is portrayed as torn between two choices: either he can stay with Father in Eden, or he can eat the fruit and be banished with Eve. He chooses to stay with Eve, even though it means leaving the garden forever ("A World Without You"). Adam and Eve are driven out into the surrounding wilderness and have two children, Cain and Abel ("The Expulsion" and "The Wasteland"). Eve realizes that the same fire that led to her eating the fruit is present in her son, Cain ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1)"). Cain tells Abel of the problems that Adam and Eve made for them by leaving the garden and says that he intends to find the lost garden ("Lost in the Wilderness").
Adam and Eve find some pleasure in the fact that they have been able to create a life for themselves outside of Eden ("Close to Home"), but this peacefulness is again shattered when Cain says that he has found a ring of stones, seeming proof that they are not the only humans alive; Adam admits that he had seen the ring of stones and those who live there before but that he had never mentioned it because he was afraid of the potential consequences ("A Ring of Stones" and "Clash of the Generations"). This leads to a fight between Adam and Cain, but when Abel intervenes, he is killed, as Cain attempts to kill Adam but hits Abel instead ("The Death of Abel"). Father decrees that Cain's descendants will always bear a mark for the sin of their ancestor ("The Mark of Cain").
Act I closes with Eve about to die. She delivers a monologue about Cain's departure from the family and the birth of another son, Seth, who has since had children of his own. She then prays that her children and her grandchildren will regain the garden that was lost ("Children of Eden").
Act II
The act opens with "Generations," a list of the many descendants of Cain and Seth, all the way down to Noah and his family, whose story comprises the second act’s plot. Father tells Noah that a storm is coming, so Noah must build a boat ("The Gathering Storm").
Noah has three sons, and two of them, (Shem and Ham), have wives, but his youngest son, Japheth, is unhappy with the wives Noah has tried to obtain for him. Instead, he wishes to marry the servant-girl, Yonah, a descendant of the race of Cain, and Japheth tells this to his surprised family ("A Piece of Eight"); however, Noah will not allow Yonah on the ark. All the animals return so that they can board the ark ("The Return of the Animals" and "Noah's Lullaby"). Japheth comes to say goodbye to Yonah. She sings "Stranger to the Rain," in which she says that she has always faced the problem of being shunned because she bears the mark of Cain. Japheth decides to sneak Yonah onto the ark. Japheth and Yonah sing "In Whatever Time We Have," which tells of their love for each other.
The rain comes, and it keeps raining and raining ("The Flood" and "What is He Waiting For?"). Yonah releases a dove to find dry land ("Sailor of the Skies"). The rest of the family discovers Yonah, and Shem and Ham wish to throw her overboard, but Japheth intervenes. It escalates into a fight, and it is only because Yonah intervenes that one of the brothers is not killed. Noah is unsure as to what he must do. His wife asks him if Father speaks to him anymore, and when Noah answers "No," she tells him, "You must be the father now." Noah has to decide what should be done without God telling him what to do ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2)"). Noah sings of the difficulties that he has faced in being a father, while at the same time Father sings of the problems he has faced in being a father ("The Hardest Part of Love"). Noah calls the family together ("Words of Doom"). He decides to give Japheth and Yonah his blessing ("The Hour of Darkness"). Then the dove returns and the family again sees the light of the stars. Mama leads the family in the gospel song ("Ain't It Good?"). Father gives humanity the power to control its fate ("Precious Children"). The family sings of the problems they will face and their desire to return someday to the Garden of Eden ("In the Beginning").
Characters[edit]

Original London Production[1]
Act I
Father
Adam
Eve
Snake
Cain
Abel
Act II
Father
Noah
Mama Noah
Shem
Ham
Japeth
Aysha
Aphra
Yonah
Chorus (both acts)
Angels
Animals
Humankind

American Productions
Storytellers – acting as the narrator
Father (God)
Adam/Noah
Eve/Mama Noah
Cain/Japheth
Abel/Ham
Seth/Shem
Aphra (Ham's wife)
Aysha (Shem's wife)
Yonah (Noah's servant; Japheth's wife)
Young Cain
Young Abel
Snake (several people)

Musical numbers[edit]
1991 Prince Edward Theatre Production[1]
Act ILet There Be – Father and Angels
The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve, Animals and Angels
The Spark of Creation – Eve
In Pursuit of Excellence – Snake and Eve
A World without You – Adam
The Expulsion – Father, Adam, Eve and Angels
Wasteland – Angels
Lost in the Wilderness – Cain and Abel
Close to Home – Adam, Eve and Abel
Children of Eden – Eve and Her Children
 Act IIGenerations – Ham and Company
Degenerations – Father, Noah and Civilised Society
Shipshape – Shem, Ham, Aysha and Aphra
The Return of the Animals – Noah’s Family and Animals
Stranger to the Rain – Yonah
In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth and Yonah
The Flood – Antediluvian Mankind
What Is He Waiting For? – Noah's Family
Children of Eden (Reprise) – Yonah
The Hardest Part of Love – Noah
Ain't It Good? – Mama Noah, Her Family and Angels
In the Beginning – Company


Track Listing for the Paper Mill Playhouse Cast Recording (1998)
Act ILet There Be – Father & Full Company
Perfect (Part 1) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
The Tree of Knowledge – Father & Adam
The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve & Storytellers
Grateful Children – Adam & Eve
Father's Day – Father
Perfect (Part 2) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
The Spark of Creation – Eve
In Pursuit of Excellence – Snake & Eve
The End of a Perfect Day – Storytellers
Childhood's End – Storytellers, Father & Eve
A World Without You – Adam, Father & Eve
The Expulsion – Father & Storytellers
The Wasteland – Storytellers
Wilderness Family – Adam, Young Cain & Young Abel
The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1) – Eve
Lost in the Wilderness – Cain & Abel
Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise) – Cain
Close to Home – Adam, Eve, Abel, Young Cain & Young Abel
A Ring of Stones – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
Clash of the Generations – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
The Death of Abel – Eve & Storytellers
The Mark of Cain – Father & Storytellers
Children of Eden – Eve & Full Company
 Act IIGenerations – Storytellers
The Gathering Storm – Noah & Father
A Piece of Eight – Storytellers, Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Blind Obedience – Noah
The Return of the Animals – Orchestra
The Naming (Reprise)/Noah's Lullaby – Storytellers & Noah
Stranger to the Rain – Yonah
In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth & Yonah
The Flood – Father & Storytellers
What is He Waiting For? – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Sailor of the Skies – Yonah
The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2) – Mama Noah
The Hardest Part of Love – Noah & Father
Words of Doom – Storytellers
The Hour of Darkness – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Ain’t it Good? – Mama Noah & Full Company
Precious Children – Father
In the Beginning – Japeth, Yonah, Noah, Mama Noah, Father, & Full Company

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Children of Eden: The New Musical, original London production playbill". London: Prince Edward Theatre/Upstart & Atlantic Overtures. 1991.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "FAQ: On the Right Track". Stephen Schwartz. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "Children of Eden". Additional Facts. Music Theatre International. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
4.Jump up ^ [1]
5.Jump up ^ [2]
External links[edit]
Children of Eden
Children of Eden at the Music Theatre International website


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Music and lyrics
Godspell ·
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 Séance on a Wet Afternoon
 

Lyrics
MASS ·
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 Der Glöckner von Notre Dame
 

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Butterflies Are Free (title song) ·
 Pocahontas (lyrics) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (lyrics) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (songs) ·
 Enchanted (lyrics)
 

Television
Geppetto (music and lyrics) ·
 Johnny and the Sprites (theme song)
 

  


Categories: 1991 musicals
West End musicals
Musicals based on religious traditions
Musicals based on the Bible
Depictions of Adam and Eve




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Children of Eden

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For the videogame, see Child of Eden.

Children of Eden
Children of Eden.jpg
1998 New Jersey Cast Recording

Music
Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics
Stephen Schwartz
Book
John Caird
Basis
Genesis and a concept by
Charles Lisanby
Productions
1991 Prince Edward Theatre
 1997 Paper Mill Playhouse
Children of Eden is a two-act musical play with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John Caird. The musical is based on the Book of Genesis. Act I tells the story of Adam and Eve, Cain, and Abel, and Act II deals with Noah and the Flood. Though it had a short run on London's West End in the Prince Edward Theatre and has never played Broadway, the show is popular in community theatres worldwide. While many productions of the show have used the same principals in both acts, with the actors each taking on a different character for the story of Noah, the original West End production did not utilize doubling of principals.[1]


Contents  [hide]
1 Production history
2 Synopsis (American version)
3 Characters
4 Musical numbers
5 References
6 External links

Production history[edit]
Children of Eden was originally written in 1986 as Family Tree for a production by Youth Sing Praise, a religious-oriented high school theatre camp performed at the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville, Illinois.[2] Stephen Schwartz adapted the script and music of Family Tree into a full-length musical, giving it the title it uses today.
The original cast production of Children of Eden was developed as a Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) workshop,[3] directed by John Caird, and starring Ken Page as Father, Richard Lloyd-King as Snake, Martin Smith as Adam, Shezwae Powell as Eve, Adrian Beaumont as Cain, Kevin Colson as Noah, Earlene Bentley as Mama Noah, Frances Ruffelle as Yonah, Anthony Barclay as Japeth, Craig Pinder as Shem, Ray Shell as Ham, Hiromi Itoh as Aysha and Ruthie Henshall as Aphra. After the RSC's budget was cut, it opened at the Prince Edward Theatre in London's West End on January 8, 1991. The show closed on April 6, 1991 to poor reviews and after the Persian Gulf War put a damper on tourism worldwide.[3]
The show's poor reviews and quick closing meant that any hope of a Broadway transfer was abandoned. The original London cast album was released on LP and CD, but quickly went out of print. The CD release was marred by manufacturing defects that caused most of the discs to "bronze", becoming unplayable. Consequently, a playable copy of the disc is highly prized by musical theatre collectors. Schwartz believes the show has not played on Broadway because of the expense required to produce it in an Actor's Equity house, due to the cast of characters.[2]
There is an extremely rare concept recording of the show that exists. The recording features Stephen Schwartz himself playing the piano. The recording was made before the Papermill Playhouse production in an effort to review the rewrites and revisions. The recording was made available only for a limited time on Stephen Schwartz's website via RealAudio streaming. The recording is considered to be the rarest version of the show that exists. Only a handful of people possess CD or digital copies of it, including Stephen Schwartz himself and Michael Kohl.
Throughout the 1990s, the show received numerous productions at both the amateur and professional levels; it was also reworked and edited, with songs and scenes being added and cut. In 1997, a major production was mounted at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, featuring Stephanie Mills. A cast recording of this production was produced by Schwartz himself. This revised version, commonly known as the "American version" or "Paper Mill version", is substantially what is currently licensed for production in the United States. The New York City premiere of the piece was as the inaugural World AIDS Day Concert presented by Jamie McGonnigal and Kate Shindle for The York Theatre Company. The concert featured Julia Murney, Norm Lewis, Darius de Haas, and Jai Rodriguez and raised funds for The National AIDS Fund. The show's publisher, Music Theater International, reports that Children of Eden is one of its top 20 most frequently licensed properties,[3] which is very unusual for a show that has never had a Broadway or Off-Broadway run. Its popularity is partly due to its ability to accommodate a large or small cast; its universal themes of family, love, greed, anger, and others; and its religious material, which make it a favorite for churches, synagogues, and post-secondary schools. The most recent production of Children of Eden was played at NIDA (St. Andrews), Sydney, Australia, on the second and third weekends of March, 2011. A world premiere of the symphonic version ran in Kansas City from July 15 to 24, 2011, accompanied by a 55-piece orchestra.
A Gala charity concert adaptation ran for one night only at the Prince of Wales theatre in London on 29 January 2012. The concert was produced to support Crohn's and Colitis UK and featured performers from London's West End theatre community and from UK television.[4]
In 2013 Children of Eden was presented in Melbourne, Australia by award-winning production company Magnormos, as the finale of their Stephen Schwartz Celebration Triptych. The triptych also featured Godspell and Pippin and enjoyed the company of composer Stephen Schwartz in attendance.
A one-night only concert was presented at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC on May 19, 2014. The concert featured Ron Bohmer, Ashley Brown, Charl Brown, Rebecca Naomi Jones, and Jeremy Jordan. The production was accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra and the National Broadway Chorus, and was attended by composer Stephen Schwartz.[5]
In June of 2014, regional outdoor theatre company, The Aracoma Story, produced a two week long showing of "Children of Eden" in Logan, West Virginia. The showing was overall successful.
On August 1, 2 and 3, 2014 the Trumbull Youth Association (Connecticut) put on "Children of Eden" at Trumbull High School. The show was unique for a youth group in that award-winning musical theater composer, lyricist and librettist Brett Boles, who appeared in the production 12 years earlier as a performer, directed the cast. Boles is also known for co-conceiving and helping to produce, with Broadway producer Van Dean, "From Broadway With Love: A Benefit Concert for Sandy Hook" in the wake of the infamous school shootings in December of 2012. Both Stephen Schwartz and original cast member Kelli Rabke attended rehearsals for the musical in July and held a question and answer session for cast and crew. The orchestra Boles recruited for the performances were also from Broadway. The musical concludes its run in Trumbull August 8, 9 and 10.
Synopsis (American version)[edit]
Act I
The play opens with the creation story from the Book of Genesis ("Let There Be"). Eve is drawn to the tree of knowledge, even though Father (the God-character is always addressed as "Father" by the other characters) has warned her to stay away ("The Tree of Knowledge"). Father attempts to distract Adam and Eve by playing a game where Adam and Eve name all the animals ("The Naming"). With his children distracted for the time being, everything is right with the newly created world ("Grateful Children," "Father's Day," and "Perfect"). Eve, however, still hungers for something more than what she has ("The Spark of Creation"). She meets a snake that tempts her with the fruit from the forbidden tree ("In Pursuit of Excellence"). Eve eats the fruit, meaning that she must be banished from the Garden of Eden ("The End of a Perfect Day" and "Childhood's End").
In a twist from the Genesis tale, Adam is portrayed as torn between two choices: either he can stay with Father in Eden, or he can eat the fruit and be banished with Eve. He chooses to stay with Eve, even though it means leaving the garden forever ("A World Without You"). Adam and Eve are driven out into the surrounding wilderness and have two children, Cain and Abel ("The Expulsion" and "The Wasteland"). Eve realizes that the same fire that led to her eating the fruit is present in her son, Cain ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1)"). Cain tells Abel of the problems that Adam and Eve made for them by leaving the garden and says that he intends to find the lost garden ("Lost in the Wilderness").
Adam and Eve find some pleasure in the fact that they have been able to create a life for themselves outside of Eden ("Close to Home"), but this peacefulness is again shattered when Cain says that he has found a ring of stones, seeming proof that they are not the only humans alive; Adam admits that he had seen the ring of stones and those who live there before but that he had never mentioned it because he was afraid of the potential consequences ("A Ring of Stones" and "Clash of the Generations"). This leads to a fight between Adam and Cain, but when Abel intervenes, he is killed, as Cain attempts to kill Adam but hits Abel instead ("The Death of Abel"). Father decrees that Cain's descendants will always bear a mark for the sin of their ancestor ("The Mark of Cain").
Act I closes with Eve about to die. She delivers a monologue about Cain's departure from the family and the birth of another son, Seth, who has since had children of his own. She then prays that her children and her grandchildren will regain the garden that was lost ("Children of Eden").
Act II
The act opens with "Generations," a list of the many descendants of Cain and Seth, all the way down to Noah and his family, whose story comprises the second act’s plot. Father tells Noah that a storm is coming, so Noah must build a boat ("The Gathering Storm").
Noah has three sons, and two of them, (Shem and Ham), have wives, but his youngest son, Japheth, is unhappy with the wives Noah has tried to obtain for him. Instead, he wishes to marry the servant-girl, Yonah, a descendant of the race of Cain, and Japheth tells this to his surprised family ("A Piece of Eight"); however, Noah will not allow Yonah on the ark. All the animals return so that they can board the ark ("The Return of the Animals" and "Noah's Lullaby"). Japheth comes to say goodbye to Yonah. She sings "Stranger to the Rain," in which she says that she has always faced the problem of being shunned because she bears the mark of Cain. Japheth decides to sneak Yonah onto the ark. Japheth and Yonah sing "In Whatever Time We Have," which tells of their love for each other.
The rain comes, and it keeps raining and raining ("The Flood" and "What is He Waiting For?"). Yonah releases a dove to find dry land ("Sailor of the Skies"). The rest of the family discovers Yonah, and Shem and Ham wish to throw her overboard, but Japheth intervenes. It escalates into a fight, and it is only because Yonah intervenes that one of the brothers is not killed. Noah is unsure as to what he must do. His wife asks him if Father speaks to him anymore, and when Noah answers "No," she tells him, "You must be the father now." Noah has to decide what should be done without God telling him what to do ("The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2)"). Noah sings of the difficulties that he has faced in being a father, while at the same time Father sings of the problems he has faced in being a father ("The Hardest Part of Love"). Noah calls the family together ("Words of Doom"). He decides to give Japheth and Yonah his blessing ("The Hour of Darkness"). Then the dove returns and the family again sees the light of the stars. Mama leads the family in the gospel song ("Ain't It Good?"). Father gives humanity the power to control its fate ("Precious Children"). The family sings of the problems they will face and their desire to return someday to the Garden of Eden ("In the Beginning").
Characters[edit]

Original London Production[1]
Act I
Father
Adam
Eve
Snake
Cain
Abel
Act II
Father
Noah
Mama Noah
Shem
Ham
Japeth
Aysha
Aphra
Yonah
Chorus (both acts)
Angels
Animals
Humankind

American Productions
Storytellers – acting as the narrator
Father (God)
Adam/Noah
Eve/Mama Noah
Cain/Japheth
Abel/Ham
Seth/Shem
Aphra (Ham's wife)
Aysha (Shem's wife)
Yonah (Noah's servant; Japheth's wife)
Young Cain
Young Abel
Snake (several people)

Musical numbers[edit]
1991 Prince Edward Theatre Production[1]
Act ILet There Be – Father and Angels
The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve, Animals and Angels
The Spark of Creation – Eve
In Pursuit of Excellence – Snake and Eve
A World without You – Adam
The Expulsion – Father, Adam, Eve and Angels
Wasteland – Angels
Lost in the Wilderness – Cain and Abel
Close to Home – Adam, Eve and Abel
Children of Eden – Eve and Her Children
 Act IIGenerations – Ham and Company
Degenerations – Father, Noah and Civilised Society
Shipshape – Shem, Ham, Aysha and Aphra
The Return of the Animals – Noah’s Family and Animals
Stranger to the Rain – Yonah
In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth and Yonah
The Flood – Antediluvian Mankind
What Is He Waiting For? – Noah's Family
Children of Eden (Reprise) – Yonah
The Hardest Part of Love – Noah
Ain't It Good? – Mama Noah, Her Family and Angels
In the Beginning – Company


Track Listing for the Paper Mill Playhouse Cast Recording (1998)
Act ILet There Be – Father & Full Company
Perfect (Part 1) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
The Tree of Knowledge – Father & Adam
The Naming – Father, Adam, Eve & Storytellers
Grateful Children – Adam & Eve
Father's Day – Father
Perfect (Part 2) – Storytellers, Father, Adam & Eve
The Spark of Creation – Eve
In Pursuit of Excellence – Snake & Eve
The End of a Perfect Day – Storytellers
Childhood's End – Storytellers, Father & Eve
A World Without You – Adam, Father & Eve
The Expulsion – Father & Storytellers
The Wasteland – Storytellers
Wilderness Family – Adam, Young Cain & Young Abel
The Spark of Creation (Reprise 1) – Eve
Lost in the Wilderness – Cain & Abel
Lost in the Wilderness (Reprise) – Cain
Close to Home – Adam, Eve, Abel, Young Cain & Young Abel
A Ring of Stones – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
Clash of the Generations – Adam, Eve, Cain & Abel
The Death of Abel – Eve & Storytellers
The Mark of Cain – Father & Storytellers
Children of Eden – Eve & Full Company
 Act IIGenerations – Storytellers
The Gathering Storm – Noah & Father
A Piece of Eight – Storytellers, Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Blind Obedience – Noah
The Return of the Animals – Orchestra
The Naming (Reprise)/Noah's Lullaby – Storytellers & Noah
Stranger to the Rain – Yonah
In Whatever Time We Have – Japeth & Yonah
The Flood – Father & Storytellers
What is He Waiting For? – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Sailor of the Skies – Yonah
The Spark of Creation (Reprise 2) – Mama Noah
The Hardest Part of Love – Noah & Father
Words of Doom – Storytellers
The Hour of Darkness – Noah, Mama Noah, Japeth, Yonah, Ham, Shem, Aphra & Aysha
Ain’t it Good? – Mama Noah & Full Company
Precious Children – Father
In the Beginning – Japeth, Yonah, Noah, Mama Noah, Father, & Full Company

References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c "Children of Eden: The New Musical, original London production playbill". London: Prince Edward Theatre/Upstart & Atlantic Overtures. 1991.
2.^ Jump up to: a b "FAQ: On the Right Track". Stephen Schwartz. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "Children of Eden". Additional Facts. Music Theatre International. Retrieved August 10, 2010.
4.Jump up ^ [1]
5.Jump up ^ [2]
External links[edit]
Children of Eden
Children of Eden at the Music Theatre International website


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Stephen Schwartz


Music and lyrics
Godspell ·
 Pippin ·
 The Magic Show ·
 The Baker's Wife ·
 Working ·
 Children of Eden ·
 Wicked ·
 Captain Louie ·
 Séance on a Wet Afternoon
 

Lyrics
MASS ·
 Rags ·
 Der Glöckner von Notre Dame
 

Film work
Butterflies Are Free (title song) ·
 Pocahontas (lyrics) ·
 The Hunchback of Notre Dame (lyrics) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (songs) ·
 Enchanted (lyrics)
 

Television
Geppetto (music and lyrics) ·
 Johnny and the Sprites (theme song)
 

  


Categories: 1991 musicals
West End musicals
Musicals based on religious traditions
Musicals based on the Bible
Depictions of Adam and Eve




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Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast)

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Jump to: navigation, search


Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast)

Cast recording by The Cast of Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway)

Released
July 1971
Recorded
1971
Genre
Musical theatre
Label
Bell Records
Arista/BMG Records
07822-18304 (reissued 1974)
Producer
Stephen Schwartz

Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars [1]
Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast) is the original cast recording of the Cherry Lane Theatre production of Godspell. It produced a radio hit in the summer of 1972 with "Day By Day" with Robin Lamont on the lead vocal.


Contents  [hide]
1 Track listing
2 Cast
3 Band
4 Musical production personnel
5 Recording personnel
6 Charts
7 Certifications
8 References

Track listing[edit]
Music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz except as indicated.
1."Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" – 2:03
2."Save the People" – 3:24
3."Day by Day" – 3:16
4."Learn Your Lessons Well" – 1:25
5."Bless the Lord" – 3:01
6."All for the Best" – 2:31
7."All Good Gifts" – 3:33
8."Light of the World" – 2:59
9."Turn Back, O Man" – 4:20
10."Alas for You" – 2:01
11."By My Side" (lyric by Jay Hamburger / music by Peggy Gordon) – 2:42
12."We Beseech Thee" – 3:37
13."On the Willows" – 3:07
14."Finale" – 5:40
15."Day By Day (Reprise)" – 1:56
Cast[edit]
Lamar Alford – piano, vocals
Peggy Gordon – guitar, vocals
David Haskell – shofar, vocals
Joanne Jonas – vocals
Robin Lamont – vocals
Sonia Manzano – vocals
Gilmer McCormick – guitar, vocals
Jeffrey Mylett – guitar, recorder, vocals
Stephen Nathan – ukulele, vocals
Herb Braha – vocals
Band[edit]
Steve Reinhardt – keyboards
Jesse Cutler – acoustic and lead guitar, bass
Richard LaBonte – rhythm guitar, bass
Ricky Shutter – drums, percussion
Musical production personnel[edit]
David Byrd – design
Stephen Schwartz – arranger, producer, musical Director
Charles Haid – associate producer
John-Michael Tebelak – director, concept
Beverly Weinstein – art direction
Recording personnel[edit]
Elvin Campbell – audio engineer
Bill Inglot – remastering
Ken Perry – remastering
Charts[edit]
Album

Year
Chart
Position
1972 Billboard Pop Albums 34
Day by Day

Year
Chart
Position
1972 Billboard Pop Singles 13
Certifications[edit]

Organization
Level
Date
RIAA – U.S. Gold December 12, 1972
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r84749
  


Categories: Cast recordings
1971 soundtracks
Theatre soundtracks
Arista Records soundtracks
English-language soundtracks
Bell Records soundtracks
Albums produced by Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America




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Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast)

Cast recording by The Cast of Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway)

Released
July 1971
Recorded
1971
Genre
Musical theatre
Label
Bell Records
Arista/BMG Records
07822-18304 (reissued 1974)
Producer
Stephen Schwartz

Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 4/5 stars [1]
Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast) is the original cast recording of the Cherry Lane Theatre production of Godspell. It produced a radio hit in the summer of 1972 with "Day By Day" with Robin Lamont on the lead vocal.


Contents  [hide]
1 Track listing
2 Cast
3 Band
4 Musical production personnel
5 Recording personnel
6 Charts
7 Certifications
8 References

Track listing[edit]
Music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz except as indicated.
1."Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" – 2:03
2."Save the People" – 3:24
3."Day by Day" – 3:16
4."Learn Your Lessons Well" – 1:25
5."Bless the Lord" – 3:01
6."All for the Best" – 2:31
7."All Good Gifts" – 3:33
8."Light of the World" – 2:59
9."Turn Back, O Man" – 4:20
10."Alas for You" – 2:01
11."By My Side" (lyric by Jay Hamburger / music by Peggy Gordon) – 2:42
12."We Beseech Thee" – 3:37
13."On the Willows" – 3:07
14."Finale" – 5:40
15."Day By Day (Reprise)" – 1:56
Cast[edit]
Lamar Alford – piano, vocals
Peggy Gordon – guitar, vocals
David Haskell – shofar, vocals
Joanne Jonas – vocals
Robin Lamont – vocals
Sonia Manzano – vocals
Gilmer McCormick – guitar, vocals
Jeffrey Mylett – guitar, recorder, vocals
Stephen Nathan – ukulele, vocals
Herb Braha – vocals
Band[edit]
Steve Reinhardt – keyboards
Jesse Cutler – acoustic and lead guitar, bass
Richard LaBonte – rhythm guitar, bass
Ricky Shutter – drums, percussion
Musical production personnel[edit]
David Byrd – design
Stephen Schwartz – arranger, producer, musical Director
Charles Haid – associate producer
John-Michael Tebelak – director, concept
Beverly Weinstein – art direction
Recording personnel[edit]
Elvin Campbell – audio engineer
Bill Inglot – remastering
Ken Perry – remastering
Charts[edit]
Album

Year
Chart
Position
1972 Billboard Pop Albums 34
Day by Day

Year
Chart
Position
1972 Billboard Pop Singles 13
Certifications[edit]

Organization
Level
Date
RIAA – U.S. Gold December 12, 1972
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ http://www.allmusic.com/album/r84749
  


Categories: Cast recordings
1971 soundtracks
Theatre soundtracks
Arista Records soundtracks
English-language soundtracks
Bell Records soundtracks
Albums produced by Stephen Schwartz (composer)
Albums certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America




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This page was last modified on 20 April 2015, at 10:10.
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Godspell (film)

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Godspell
Godspellmoviep.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
David Greene
Produced by
Edgar Lansbury
Written by
David Greene
John-Michael Tebelak
Starring
Victor Garber
David Haskell
Music by
Stephen Schwartz
Cinematography
Richard Heimann
Edited by
Alan Heim
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures

Release dates

21 March 1973


Running time
 103 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
 Hebrew
 Spanish
Budget
$1.3 million
Box office
$1,200,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]
Godspell (also known as Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew) is the 1973 film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical Godspell created by John-Michael Tebelak with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed by David Greene with stars Victor Garber as Jesus and David Haskell as Judas/John the Baptist, the film is set in contemporary New York City. John-Michael Tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director David Greene said Tebelak did not write the screenplay.[2][3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Differences from the musical
5 Reception
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables from the gospel of Matthew, interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around an empty, still New York City. John the Baptist gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus. These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville shtick.
Cast[edit]
Victor Garber as Jesus Christ
Katie Hanley as Katie, a diner waitress
David Haskell as John The Baptist & Judas Iscariot
Merrell Jackson as Merrell, a garment trader
Joanne Jonas as Joanne, a ballet dancer
Robin Lamont as Robin, a window shopper
Gilmer McCormick as Gilmer, a model
Jeffrey Mylett as Jeffrey, a taxi driver
Jerry Sroka as Jerry, a parking attendant
Lynne Thigpen as Lynne, a college student
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" - John the Baptist
2."Save the People" - Jesus
3."Day by Day" - Robin
4."Turn Back, O Man" - Joanne
5."Bless the Lord" - Lynne
6."All for the Best" - Jesus, Judas
7."All Good Gifts" - Merrell
8."Light of the World" - Jerry, Gilmer, Jeffrey, Robin
9."Alas for You" - Jesus, (Tebelak voices the Pharisee Monster)
1."By My Side" - Katie
2."Beautiful City" - Company
3."Beautiful City" (Instrumental Reprise)
4."On the Willows"
5."Finale" - Jesus
Differences from the musical[edit]
The song "Beautiful City" was written for and first included in the film, while the songs "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" were omitted. The melody for "Learn Your Lessons Well" is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music, and snippets of both "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" are heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre when Jesus plays their melodies on the piano during the story of The Prodigal Son.
While the play requires very little stage dressing, the film places emphasis on dramatic location shots in Manhattan. (Except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city streets and parks are devoid of people other than the cast.) Locations include the following:
The Brooklyn Bridge, where John the Baptist walks down the pedestrian walkway while humming "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" in the opening sequence;
Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, in which the new disciples are baptized by John while singing "Prepare Ye";
The Andrew Carnegie Mansion, in which they sing "Turn Back O Man";
Times Square, where Jesus and John are silhouetted by a screen of lights as they dance to "All For the Best";
The central fountain at Lincoln Center, where Jesus and Judas dance on the fountain's stone lip as they sing "All for the Best";
The top of North Tower of the World Trade Center, which was nearing completion at the time of the film's production;
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on Riverside Drive;
A bird's-eye view of Fifth Avenue from above and behind St. Patrick's Cathedral, looking down on the Tishman Building during "Beautiful City";
The exterior and interior of the Cherry Lane Theatre – where the first musical version of Godspell began its off-Broadway run the year before the film was shot – where the story of The Prodigal Son is told.
The long approaches of the Hell Gate Bridge on Randall's Island, where the disciples switch to their colourful clothing after baptism near the start of the film, and where they carry Jesus' body through the arches, creating a barrel-vaulted cathedral effect, after his crucifixion on a chain-link fence.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical. Notably, in "All Good Gifts", whereas Lamar Alford had used a dramatic tenor voice, Merrell Jackson uses a lighter voice and falsetto for the high ornament which creates a joyous effect.
Regarding the band, all four of the musicians from the original stage production and cast album were retained for the film recording. These musicians were Steve Reinhardt on keyboards, Jesse Cutler on acoustic and lead guitar and bass, Richard LaBonte on rhythm guitar and bass, and Ricky Shutter on drums and percussion. Reviewer William Ruhlmann explains that by having a larger budget than had been available for the stage, Schwartz was able to expand the line-up by adding key studio personnel like lead guitarist Hugh McCracken (on "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)") and keyboardist Paul Shaffer, a horn section, and six strings.[4]
Ruhlmann describes Schwartz as being "better able to realize the score's pop tendencies than he had on the cast album... this was a less complete version of the score, but it was much better performed and produced, making this a rare instance in which the soundtrack album is better than the original cast album.[4]
Reception[edit]
The film was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.[5]
Godspell received generally positive reviews in 1973. Allmovie Guide currently gives the film a three out of five rating. Various bands have covered songs from the film/musical.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 60
2.Jump up ^ Vincent Canby (1973-03-22). "Godspell (1973) The Gospel According to 'Godspell' Comes to Screen". The New York Times.
3.Jump up ^ “Tebelak and I are enjoying an ideally smooth working relationship.… But he is not codirecting the film with me. He did not write the screenplay; he participated only minimally in pre-production planning and discussions, and attended very few rehearsals." — Letter by David Greene to Variety, Dec. 6, 1972.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Ruhlmann, William. "Overview: 'Godspell: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'". Allmusic.com. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
5.Jump up ^ "Festival de Cannes: Godspell". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
External links[edit]
Godspell at the Internet Movie Database
Godspell at AllMovie
Godspell at Rotten Tomatoes
Patches and Face Paint- A Godspell Fansite
Godspell: From Stage to Screen
Kelly's Godspell Playground


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by David Greene


The Shuttered Room (1967) ·
 Sebastian (1968) ·
 The Strange Affair (1968) ·
 I Start Counting (1970) ·
 The People Next Door (1970) ·
 Madame Sin (1972) ·
 Godspell (1973) ·
 The Count of Monte Cristo (1975) ·
 The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977) ·
 Gray Lady Down (1978) ·
 Friendly Fire (1979) ·
 A Vacation in Hell (1979) ·
 Hard Country (1981) ·
 Rehearsal for Murder (1982) ·
 Guilty Conscience (1985) ·
 Murder Among Friends (1985) ·
 Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986) ·
 The Betty Ford Story (1987) ·
 Inherit the Wind (1988) ·
 Small Sacrifices (1989) ·
 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991) ·
 Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992) ·
 Bella Mafia (1997)
 

  


Categories: 1973 films
1970s musical films
American films
American musical films
English-language films
Hebrew-language films
Spanish-language films
Films directed by David Greene
Films about religion
Depictions of John the Baptist
Biographical films about Jesus
Films based on musicals
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
Columbia Pictures films






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Godspell (film)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


Godspell
Godspellmoviep.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
David Greene
Produced by
Edgar Lansbury
Written by
David Greene
John-Michael Tebelak
Starring
Victor Garber
David Haskell
Music by
Stephen Schwartz
Cinematography
Richard Heimann
Edited by
Alan Heim
Distributed by
Columbia Pictures

Release dates

21 March 1973


Running time
 103 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
 Hebrew
 Spanish
Budget
$1.3 million
Box office
$1,200,000 (US/ Canada rentals)[1]
Godspell (also known as Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew) is the 1973 film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical Godspell created by John-Michael Tebelak with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. Directed by David Greene with stars Victor Garber as Jesus and David Haskell as Judas/John the Baptist, the film is set in contemporary New York City. John-Michael Tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director David Greene said Tebelak did not write the screenplay.[2][3]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Musical numbers
4 Differences from the musical
5 Reception
6 References
7 External links

Plot[edit]
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables from the gospel of Matthew, interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around an empty, still New York City. John the Baptist gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus. These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville shtick.
Cast[edit]
Victor Garber as Jesus Christ
Katie Hanley as Katie, a diner waitress
David Haskell as John The Baptist & Judas Iscariot
Merrell Jackson as Merrell, a garment trader
Joanne Jonas as Joanne, a ballet dancer
Robin Lamont as Robin, a window shopper
Gilmer McCormick as Gilmer, a model
Jeffrey Mylett as Jeffrey, a taxi driver
Jerry Sroka as Jerry, a parking attendant
Lynne Thigpen as Lynne, a college student
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" - John the Baptist
2."Save the People" - Jesus
3."Day by Day" - Robin
4."Turn Back, O Man" - Joanne
5."Bless the Lord" - Lynne
6."All for the Best" - Jesus, Judas
7."All Good Gifts" - Merrell
8."Light of the World" - Jerry, Gilmer, Jeffrey, Robin
9."Alas for You" - Jesus, (Tebelak voices the Pharisee Monster)
1."By My Side" - Katie
2."Beautiful City" - Company
3."Beautiful City" (Instrumental Reprise)
4."On the Willows"
5."Finale" - Jesus
Differences from the musical[edit]
The song "Beautiful City" was written for and first included in the film, while the songs "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" were omitted. The melody for "Learn Your Lessons Well" is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music, and snippets of both "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" are heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre when Jesus plays their melodies on the piano during the story of The Prodigal Son.
While the play requires very little stage dressing, the film places emphasis on dramatic location shots in Manhattan. (Except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city streets and parks are devoid of people other than the cast.) Locations include the following:
The Brooklyn Bridge, where John the Baptist walks down the pedestrian walkway while humming "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" in the opening sequence;
Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, in which the new disciples are baptized by John while singing "Prepare Ye";
The Andrew Carnegie Mansion, in which they sing "Turn Back O Man";
Times Square, where Jesus and John are silhouetted by a screen of lights as they dance to "All For the Best";
The central fountain at Lincoln Center, where Jesus and Judas dance on the fountain's stone lip as they sing "All for the Best";
The top of North Tower of the World Trade Center, which was nearing completion at the time of the film's production;
The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument on Riverside Drive;
A bird's-eye view of Fifth Avenue from above and behind St. Patrick's Cathedral, looking down on the Tishman Building during "Beautiful City";
The exterior and interior of the Cherry Lane Theatre – where the first musical version of Godspell began its off-Broadway run the year before the film was shot – where the story of The Prodigal Son is told.
The long approaches of the Hell Gate Bridge on Randall's Island, where the disciples switch to their colourful clothing after baptism near the start of the film, and where they carry Jesus' body through the arches, creating a barrel-vaulted cathedral effect, after his crucifixion on a chain-link fence.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical. Notably, in "All Good Gifts", whereas Lamar Alford had used a dramatic tenor voice, Merrell Jackson uses a lighter voice and falsetto for the high ornament which creates a joyous effect.
Regarding the band, all four of the musicians from the original stage production and cast album were retained for the film recording. These musicians were Steve Reinhardt on keyboards, Jesse Cutler on acoustic and lead guitar and bass, Richard LaBonte on rhythm guitar and bass, and Ricky Shutter on drums and percussion. Reviewer William Ruhlmann explains that by having a larger budget than had been available for the stage, Schwartz was able to expand the line-up by adding key studio personnel like lead guitarist Hugh McCracken (on "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)") and keyboardist Paul Shaffer, a horn section, and six strings.[4]
Ruhlmann describes Schwartz as being "better able to realize the score's pop tendencies than he had on the cast album... this was a less complete version of the score, but it was much better performed and produced, making this a rare instance in which the soundtrack album is better than the original cast album.[4]
Reception[edit]
The film was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.[5]
Godspell received generally positive reviews in 1973. Allmovie Guide currently gives the film a three out of five rating. Various bands have covered songs from the film/musical.
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Big Rental Films of 1973", Variety, 9 January 1974 p 60
2.Jump up ^ Vincent Canby (1973-03-22). "Godspell (1973) The Gospel According to 'Godspell' Comes to Screen". The New York Times.
3.Jump up ^ “Tebelak and I are enjoying an ideally smooth working relationship.… But he is not codirecting the film with me. He did not write the screenplay; he participated only minimally in pre-production planning and discussions, and attended very few rehearsals." — Letter by David Greene to Variety, Dec. 6, 1972.
4.^ Jump up to: a b Ruhlmann, William. "Overview: 'Godspell: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'". Allmusic.com. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
5.Jump up ^ "Festival de Cannes: Godspell". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
External links[edit]
Godspell at the Internet Movie Database
Godspell at AllMovie
Godspell at Rotten Tomatoes
Patches and Face Paint- A Godspell Fansite
Godspell: From Stage to Screen
Kelly's Godspell Playground


[hide]
v ·
 t ·
 e
 
Films directed by David Greene


The Shuttered Room (1967) ·
 Sebastian (1968) ·
 The Strange Affair (1968) ·
 I Start Counting (1970) ·
 The People Next Door (1970) ·
 Madame Sin (1972) ·
 Godspell (1973) ·
 The Count of Monte Cristo (1975) ·
 The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald (1977) ·
 Gray Lady Down (1978) ·
 Friendly Fire (1979) ·
 A Vacation in Hell (1979) ·
 Hard Country (1981) ·
 Rehearsal for Murder (1982) ·
 Guilty Conscience (1985) ·
 Murder Among Friends (1985) ·
 Circle of Violence: A Family Drama (1986) ·
 The Betty Ford Story (1987) ·
 Inherit the Wind (1988) ·
 Small Sacrifices (1989) ·
 What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1991) ·
 Willing to Kill: The Texas Cheerleader Story (1992) ·
 Bella Mafia (1997)
 

  


Categories: 1973 films
1970s musical films
American films
American musical films
English-language films
Hebrew-language films
Spanish-language films
Films directed by David Greene
Films about religion
Depictions of John the Baptist
Biographical films about Jesus
Films based on musicals
Films set in New York City
Films shot in New York City
Columbia Pictures films






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This page was last modified on 22 April 2015, at 19:47.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godspell_(film)













Godspell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

This article is about the musical. For the musical's album, see Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast). For the movie and its soundtrack, see Godspell (film).


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2013)

Godspell
Godspell.jpg
Music
Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics
Stephen Schwartz
 Episcopal Hymnal
 Others
Book
John-Michael Tebelak
Basis
Gospel of Saint Matthew
Productions
1971 Off Broadway
 1971 Australian Tour
 1971 London
 1972 Toronto
 1976 Broadway
 1988 Off-Broadway revival
 2000 Off-Broadway revival
 2001 National Tour
 2007 UK Tour
 2011 Broadway revival
 2012 Broadway Tour
 2014 Mexico City
 2015 Lisbon
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival which played on Broadway from October 13, 2011, to June 24, 2012. Several cast albums have been released over the years and one of its songs, "Day by Day" from the original cast album, reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972.[1]
The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, mostly based on the Gospel of Matthew (three of the featured parables are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke). The parables are interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance. It started as a college project performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University and moved to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Greenwich Village. It was then re-scored for an off-Broadway production which became a long-running success. A junior one-act version with some songs and monologues removed has also been made under the title Godspell Junior.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Characters
3 Synopsis 3.1 Act One
3.2 Intermission
3.3 Act Two
4 Songs 4.1 "Beautiful City"
5 Productions 5.1 Carnegie Mellon (1970)
5.2 Original LaMama and Off-Broadway (1971)
5.3 London (1971)
5.4 Toronto (1972)
5.5 Maseru (Lesotho, Southern Africa) (1973)
5.6 Broadway (1976)
5.7 Off-Broadway (1988)
5.8 Johannesburg (1994)
5.9 Off-Broadway (2000)
5.10 Broadway (2011)
6 Godspell Junior
7 Film
8 In popular culture
9 Controversy
10 References
11 External links

Background[edit]
The show originated in 1970 as Tebelak's master's thesis project, under the direction of Lawrence Carra, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A version was performed at Carnegie Mellon in 1970, with several of the cast members from the CMU Music Department. Tebelak then directed the show, with much of the student cast, for a two week, ten performance run at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (aka Cafe la Mama), New York City, opening February 24, 1971. It was brought to the attention of producers Edgar Lansbury (brother of Angela Lansbury), Joseph Beruh, and Stuart Duncan by Carnegie alumnus Charles Haid (associate producer), who wanted to open it Off-Broadway.[3]
The producers hired Stephen Schwartz, another alumnus of Carnegie Mellon's theater department, to write a new song score. Schwartz's songs incorporated a variety of musical styles, from pop to folk rock, gospel, and vaudeville. One song, "By My Side", written by CMU students Jay Hamburger and Peggy Gordon, was kept from the original score. As with the original score, most of the non-Schwartz lyrics were from the Episcopal Hymnal (see also the 1971 Off-Broadway run).[4]
All ten actors are on stage throughout the show.[5]
Characters[edit]
The original cast defined the personalities of each character as the show was developed. Most of the characters' names are simply the first name of the actor, so the characters are more easily identified by the song they sing. The actor cast as John the Baptist doubles in the show as Judas Iscariot.[6]
Synopsis[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)
Act One[edit]
The show begins with the Voice of God declaring his supremacy: "My name is Known: God and King. I am most in majesty, in whom no beginning may be and no end." The company enters and takes the role of various philosophers throughout the ages (often this section of the play is excluded): Socrates; Thomas Aquinas; Martin Luther; Leonardo da Vinci; Edward Gibbon; Jean-Paul Sartre; Friedrich Nietzsche; and Buckminster Fuller. In the 2001 revival, Luther, Gibbon, Nietzsche, and Fuller were replaced by Galileo Galilei, Jonathan Edwards, L. Ron Hubbard, and Marianne Williamson, respectively. The 2011 revival retains Galilei, Hubbard, and Williamson, but restores Gibbon and replaces da Vinci with Georg Hegel. They sing fragments of their respective philosophies — first as solos and then in cacophonous counterpoint — in "Tower of Babble (Prologue)". In some productions, "Tower of Babble" is replaced by "Beautiful City", which Jesus sings to open the show. In still other productions, the company cuts Tower of Babble and Beautiful City, opting to begin with "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)".[citation needed]
In response to the philosophers, John the Baptist blows three notes on the shofar to call the community to order. He then beckons them to "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)", and baptizes the company. Jesus comes, also to be baptized. John responds by, instead, asking to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus explains that it is not his place to baptize; that he has come to "Save the People".
In his first parable, Jesus explains to the company that he has come "not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to complete". In the original production, the company donned clown makeup at this point. Subsequent productions may instead use some object—a pin, a scarf, a badge, or a flower, for example—to denote that the company has become followers of Jesus. Jesus explains to the company that those who adhere to the law of God will earn the highest place in the Kingdom of God. He tells them the parable of the Widow and the Judge. God is a just jurist who will support those who cry out to him.
The company begins to understand Jesus and his teachings, and they take it upon themselves to tell the story of the Pharisees and the tax gatherer praying in the temple: "Every man who humbles himself shall be exalted!"
As Jesus teaches of the law regarding the offering of gifts at the altar, the company makes offerings—themselves. They are taught that to approach the altar of God, they must be pure of heart and soul.
Then, they act out the story of a master and a servant who owes him a debt. The servant asks his master for pity in repaying the debt, and the master absolves it. The servant then turns to a fellow servant who "owed him a few dollars" and demands that it be paid in full. The master, hearing this, then condemns the servant to prison. Jesus explains the moral: "Forgive your brothers from your heart." The member of the company telling the parable sings "Day by Day", and the company joins in. After the song, Jesus teaches that if one part of you offends God, it is better to lose it than to have the whole of the body thrown into hell.
The company then plays charades (in the current production, with members from the audience) to finish several statements posed by Jesus, including "If a man sues you for your shirt..." and "If a man asks you to go one mile with him....".
Then, a cast member comes forward after charades saying: "You wanna see a show?" The company performs the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the form of a play-within-a-play. Jesus explains the need to "love your enemies", and "not make a show of religion before men". He goes on to say: "God will reward a good deed done in secret." ("Shhh! It's a secret!")
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is next tackled by the company, who are quickly learning how to work together. On earth, the rich man feasts, and Lazarus begs and is ignored. Upon dying, Lazarus is rewarded with Heaven, while the rich man is in Hell. We are told to "Learn Your Lessons Well", or be faced with eternal damnation. When the rich man asks Abraham if he would send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers of their impending doom, Abraham tells him no: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead."
Jesus teaches that no man can serve two masters—God and money. A member of the company tells a story of a man who spent a lifetime acquiring the good things in life, then dies before he has the time to enjoy them. She sings "Bless the Lord," then Jesus tells them not to worry about tomorrow: "Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has problems of its own."
In an antiphonic chorus, the company recites the Beatitudes. Judas, however, directs the final beatitude regarding persecution at Jesus, and Jesus quickly changes the subject. ("Did I ever tell you that I used to read feet?") However, with this Jesus persuades the company that it is "All for the Best"; heaven contains the ultimate reward. Judas sings a verse, and the two do a soft shoe and a vaudevillian joke. The company, and chorus if used, join in the final verse (sung in counterpoint) to bring the song to conclusion.
This is followed by the parable of the Sower of the Seeds, which Jesus tells them represent the Word of God. "All Good Gifts" is sung to further illustrate the point.
The action to this point, while amusing and entertaining, has been to do one thing—create from this rag-tag company a community of love and caring. At this point in the musical, they have formed this community and they now march as soldiers in the military, signifying their ability to think as one unit. With Jesus as the drill sergeant, they segue into the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son. They sing "Light of the World" about Christ's Light and how it should shine in each of us.
Intermission[edit]
Jesus has just thanked the audience for coming, and announces a ten-minute intermission.
During the intermission, there are a couple of things that happen involving the audience. In the original production, the cast joined the audience for wine and bread. In the current Broadway production, wine is offered to the audience on-stage.
After this, the second act opens with one or more cast members singing "Learn Your Lessons Well", to call the audience back into the hall.
Act Two[edit]
After the reprise of "Learn Your Lessons Well", a member of the community sings "Turn Back, O Man", in which she implores mankind to give up its temporal pursuits and to turn to God. Then, Jesus says: "This is the beginning."
At this point, several members of the community begin to question Jesus's authority, and he responds with yet another parable. He is asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" and responds, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul... And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The Pharisees continue to question him, and he laments "Alas for You", and calls them hypocrites. Members of the community gather and join in his song, and throw garbage at the Pharisees.
Jesus predicts that he will not be seen for quite a while, while standing at the "Wailing Wall", and predicts great wars and famines. He reminds us of the time of Noah, and teaches that faith can calm the storm. The community is told: "Keep awake, then. For the Son of Man will come at a time when you least expect it."
One woman is cast out as an adulteress. Jesus says: "Let the one of you who is faultless cast the first stone." Her accusers then bow their heads and walk away. Jesus walks over to her and asks: "Woman...where are they now? Has no one condemned you?" The woman answers: "No one, sir." He tells her: "Then nor shall I. You may go, but do not sin again." As she watches Jesus walk from her, she entreats him to remain "By My Side". During this song, Judas foretells his upcoming betrayal of Jesus.
In one of the lighter moments in the second act, Jesus tells how he will separate men as a shepherd separates his flock into sheep and goats. The sheep will enter heaven while the goats must suffer eternal damnation. "We Beseech Thee" cry the goats, begging for mercy.
After the song, the community reminds each other to take things "Day By Day", as they remove their clown makeup (or other accoutrement). They assemble for the Last Supper, and Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. Each member of the community asks, "Is it I?" ending with Judas: "Rabbi...can you mean me?" Jesus tells him to do quickly what he must do, and Judas runs off. Jesus breaks the bread and shares the wine and tells his followers that they will dine together in the Kingdom of Heaven. The band sings "On the Willows", which is about what has been sacrificed. In the song, Jesus says goodbye to the company members. He asks that they wait for him as he goes into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.
In the garden, Jesus implores God that if there is another way, to let the burden be lifted from his shoulders. Jesus returns to his followers to find them all asleep; he begs them to stay awake, but they all fall asleep again, and Jesus warns them they will all betray him three times (a reference to the apostle Peter). Jesus then prays to God that if his death cannot pass him by, then His will must be done. He is then tempted by Satan (usually played by the apostles), but orders him away.
Judas returns to betray Jesus, but has a moment where he cannot bring himself to do it, but finds himself boxed in by invisible walls, except for one path which leads to Jesus. Jesus encourages Judas to do what he has come to do, and Judas grabs Jesus to bring him to be crucified. The community starts to attack Judas, while Jesus tells them to stop, as all who live by the sword will one day die by it. Judas (usually just him alone and as a representation of the others arresting Jesus) ties Jesus upon an electric fence - representative of the cross - as Jesus berates him for arresting him at night, but then says that it had to happen to fulfill the prophets' writings.
The "Finale" begins, loud and in B-minor, with Jesus wailing, "Oh, God, I'm dying," and the community answers: "Oh, God, You're dying." Jesus dies and the music comes to a rest. The women of the company sing "Long Live God", and the men join in with "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" in counterpoint, as they remove Jesus from the fence and carry him out (either offstage or through the aisles of the auditorium). There is controversy over the fact that there is no obvious Resurrection of Jesus present in the show, although it can be interpreted that either the singing of "Prepare Ye" in the finale or else the curtain call (where all including Jesus return to the stage) as representative of the resurrection. Some productions have placed the song "Beautiful City" after the finale to show the Resurrection. However, in the MTI script, it states that while either view is valid, both miss the point, claiming the show is about love, not whether or not Jesus himself is resurrected.[citation needed]
Songs[edit]
Act IOpening (Monologue) - Jesus ៛ ‡
Prologue: Towers of Babble - Company ‡
Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord - John the Baptist and Company
Save the People - Jesus and Company
Day By Day - Soloist 1 and Company
Learn Your Lessons Well - Soloist 2, Jesus, and Company
O Bless the Lord - Soloist 3 and Company
All for the Best - Jesus, Judas, and Company
All Good Gifts - Soloist 4 and Company
Light of the World - Soloist 5 and Company
 Act IILearn Your Lessons Well (Reprise) - Company ‡
Turn Back, O Man - Soloist 6 and Company
Alas for You - Jesus
By My Side - Soloist 7 and Company
Beautiful City - Jesus/Soloist 8 †
We Beseech Thee - Soloist 9 and Company
Day By Day (Reprise) - Company
On The Willows - The Band §
Finale - Jesus and Company

‡ These songs were not part of the original cast album.
៛ According to the script the opening monologue is usually spoken by the actor playing Jesus.[7]
† See notes below on "Beautiful City"
§ In various scripts and programs, "On The Willows" is sung by the live band. In the 2011 revival, it was sung by the actor playing Judas.[8][9]
"Beautiful City"[edit]
"Beautiful City" was written in 1972 as part of the film and re-written in 1993 after the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Its position in the film is directly after "By My Side", which in turn follows directly on from "Alas for You", omitting the parable in between. This introduces a sequence in which Jesus overturns the tables at the Temple before the Pharisees. Fearful of reprisals for what he has done, he then flees, followed by the disciples, who ask, "Where are you going? Can you take me with you?" and they are reunited with Jesus, and sing "Beautiful City".
Many theatrical directors choose to use it in place of the "Day by Day" reprise. "Beautiful City" has also been used at the very end of the play in an additional dialogue-free scene that depicts the Resurrection, which was not depicted in the original.
In their Broadway Junior series — popular musicals edited to one act and appropriate for middle school — Music Theater International supplies "Beautiful City" as part of the show. This version contains much of the first act and very little of the second: "By My Side" is omitted entirely. "Beautiful City" is at a point in the beginning of the traditional second act, but followed quickly by the Last Supper, the Betrayal, and the Crucifixion.
The 2011 Broadway revival places "Beautiful City" between "We Beseech Thee" and the Last Supper, sung as a slow ballad by Jesus to his followers. In some versions, Jesus sings it; in others, it is given to a soloist or not included at all.
Productions[edit]
Carnegie Mellon (1970)[edit]
The first Godspell cast at CMU in 1970, listed in speaking order: Andrew Rohrer, Mary Mazziotti, Martha Jacobs, Robin Lamont, Robert Miller, Sonia Manzano, Stanley King, Randy Danson, James Stevens, David Haskell.[10]
Original LaMama and Off-Broadway (1971)[edit]
The show was first presented at Cafe LaMama as a non-musical play. Songs were added by Schwartz[11] and it then opened as a musical at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 17, 1971, transferred to the Promenade Theatre three months later,[12] and closed on June 13, 1976, after 2124 performances. Directed by Tebelak, the original cast included Lamar Alford, Peggy Gordon, David Haskell, Joanne Jonas, Robin Lamont, Sonia Manzano, Gilmer McCormick, Jeffrey Mylett, Stephen Nathan, and Herb Simon.[13]
London (1971)[edit]
Godspell opened at the Roundhouse Theatre in Chalk Farm, London on 17 November 1971, starring Johanna Cassidy, Julie Covington, David Essex, Neil Fitzwilliam, Jeremy Irons, Verity-Anne Meldrum, Deryk Parkin, Tom Saffery, Gay Soper and Marti Webb. After a very successful run it transferred to the Wyndhams Theatre on 26 January 1972.[14]
Toronto (1972)[edit]
The Toronto production in 1972–1973, which opened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, was expected to be a run of a few dozen performances for what was largely an audience of subscribers to the theater's season. The Toronto run had a cast drawn entirely from local performers instead of from a touring company. After an enthusiastic response from the audience, the show moved uptown to the Bayview Playhouse in Leaside after its scheduled run at the Royal Alex ended and ran until August 1973, setting what was then a record run of 488 performances.[15]
The Toronto production provided the first regular acting jobs for several notable performers, including Victor Garber, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, and Martin Short, and the show's musical director Paul Shaffer .[15]
Maseru (Lesotho, Southern Africa) (1973)[edit]
Godspell opened in Maseru, Lesotho in 1973 and ran there for 5 months. When Des and Dawn Lindberg brought it to South Africa to open at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) Great Hall, it was immediately banned, ostensibly on the grounds of "blasphemy". This banning was widely and immediately recognised as a political smoke-screen for the real issue of racial mixing, a direct challenge to the Apartheid laws of the government of the day.
The Lindbergs challenged the banning in the Supreme Court, and won their case.
As a result Godspell toured South Africa for two years, and succeeded in opening doors to all races on both sides of the footlights wherever it played. It was a theatrical triumph, and a political and legal breakthrough. .[16]
Broadway (1976)[edit]
The first Broadway production opened on June 22, 1976, at the Broadhurst Theatre. It was directed by John Michael Tebelak, musical director Steve Reinhardt, costumes by Susan Tsu, lighting by Spencer Mosse, and sound by Robert Minor. The opening cast featured Lamar Alford, Laurie Faso, Lois Foraker, Robin Lamont, Elizabeth Lathram, Bobby Lee, Tom Rolfing, Don Scardino, Marley Sims, and Valerie Williams. Alternates were Kerin Blair, Bob Garrett, Michael Hoit, and Kitty Ray. The band consisted of Paul Shaffer (Keyboards, Conductor), Mark Zeray (Guitar), Chris Warwin (Bass), and Michael Redding (Percussion).[17]
The musical transferred to the Plymouth Theatre and later to the Ambassador Theatre, where it closed on September 4, 1977, after 527 performances and five previews.
Off-Broadway (1988)[edit]
This revival at the Lamb's Theatre ran from June 12 – December 31, 1988. It was directed by Don Scardino, music director Steven M. Alper, assistant music direct Doug Besterman, new musical arrangements by Steven M. Alper and Doug Besterman, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting by Phil Monat, and sound by T. Richard Fitzgerald. The cast included Trini Alvarado, Anne Bobby (credited as Anne Marie Bobby), Bill Damaschke, Laura Dean (actress), Angel Jemmott, Eddie Korbich, Mia Korf, Robert McNeill, Harold Perrineau, (credited as Harold Perrineau, Jr.), and Jeffrey Steefel.
Johannesburg (1994)[edit]
Godspell was again staged in Johannesburg at the Civic Theatre, in 1994, again produced and choreographed by Des and Dawn Lindberg.
Off-Broadway (2000)[edit]
Godspell was revived Off-Broadway at the York Theatre from August 2, 2000, to October 7, 2000.[18] Cast members included Shoshana Bean, Will Erat, Barrett Foa, Capathia Jenkins, Chad Kimball, Mia Korf, Robert McNeill, and Jeffrey Steefel.
Broadway (2011)[edit]



Corbin Bleu took over in the starring role, as Jesus.
The first Broadway revival began performances on October 13, 2011 at the Circle in the Square Theatre and officially opened on November 7, 2011 to mostly negative to mixed reviews. Theatre review aggregator Curtain Critic gave the production a score of 63 out of 100 based on the opinions of 18 critics.[19] Starring Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Celisse Henderson, Telly Leung, George Salazar, Morgan James, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire and Lindsay Mendez, it is directed by Daniel Goldstein, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, and produced by Ken Davenport. On April 17, 2012, Corbin Bleu took over in the starring role, as Jesus.[20] The 2011 cast recording was released digitally on December 20, 2011, and was released in stores on January 31, 2012.[21] The production closed on June 24, 2012.[22]
Godspell Junior[edit]
As part of Music Theater International's Broadway Junior series, Godspell Junior is a revised script meant to be performed by a younger audience. In this 60 minute one-act, four songs were cut from the script, including "Turn Back, O Man", "Alas for You", "By My Side", and "On the Willows." However, "Beautiful City" with its updated lyrics is a part of the show. It is sung by one of the soloists at the point in what is the beginning of the traditional second act, and followed quickly by the Last Supper, the Betrayal, and the Crucifixion. Godspell Junior contains much of the first act and very little of the second.[23]
Film[edit]
Main article: Godspell (film)
A film version of the musical was released in 1973, set in modern New York and starring Victor Garber (of the first Canadian cast) as Jesus, David Haskell (of the original cast) as John the Baptist/Judas, and Lynne Thigpen in her first film role. John-Michael Tebelak co-wrote the screenplay and served as the creative consultant. The song "Beautiful City" was written for and first included in the film. "Prologue/Tower Of Babel" was left out, and "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" were reduced to minor musical interludes. Original cast members Robin Lamont, Gilmer McCormick, Joanne Jonas, and Jeffrey Mylett also appear.
In popular culture[edit]



Poster for Godspell by David Byrd
 in the Cherry Lane TheatreIn the film Meet the Parents, Greg (Ben Stiller) recites "Day by Day" when asked to say grace over his first meal with the family.
In the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ford keeps a copy of Godspell's script in his bag to convince people he's an actor.
In the film Wet Hot American Summer, "Day by Day" is performed at the camp talent show.
On the MTV sketch comedy show The State (TV series), the first sketch to feature the recurring characters The Jew, The Italian, and the Red-Head Gay (episode 301) concludes with a musical number that parodies the costumes of Godspell; one member of the company, for example, Ben Garant, wears an Afro wig, Superman T-shirt and suspenders. (But note that on the reverse of the album's CD case, the "S" on the Superman shirt has been replaced by the number five ["5"].)
On their album Jesus Freak, Christian rock band dc Talk sings a cover version of "Day by Day".
On their album F♯A♯∞, the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor used a sample of the opening line of "By My Side" for the song "Providence".
In an episode of King of the Hill where Bobby Hill attends a high school, he is overjoyed to find that the play is being held, as it was banned from his middle school.
In the film, Scotland, PA, the characters sing "Day by Day" in homage to the 1970s.
In the novel, How I Paid for College, the main character stars as Jesus in a school production of Godspell.
In an episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, the employees of Harvey's law firm are so overjoyed at the seeming resurrection of their boss that they break into a song that reprises Godspell.
In an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)", contestants Joshua Allen and Katee Shean danced to "All for the Best", choreographed by Tyce Diorio.
In the novel "Fall Musical" of the Drama Club series, the school play is Godspell. One character says, "As you know, it's about Jesus, but you don't have to be a Christian. Stephen Schwartz wrote it, and he's Jewish. Actually, so was Jesus."
In the second season, first episode of Doctor, Doctor, a character sings a variation of "Day by Day" while playing a cello like a guitar.
In the fourth season, eighth episode of Ally McBeal, a character sings "Turn Back, O Man" in a bar scene.
In the second season, fourth episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine, called Oh God, Yes, Christine permits Ritchie to attend church. Ritchie also accompanies Matthew to his Sunday school class, where Matthew and the teacher break into a rendition of "Day by Day" after it's revealed that the teacher had been the understudy for Jesus in Godspell.
Controversy[edit]
The hippie garb that the cast wears in the play has historically been controversial.[24] In "Notes on the Script" (1999), Stephen Schwartz wrote, "There are often misconceptions about the concept of the clown analogy in Godspell. For instance, sometimes cast members are thought to be 'hippies' or 'flower children'. The concept was derived by John-Michael Tebelak from a book by Harvey Cox, a professor at Harvard Divinity School, entitled Feast of Fools."[24]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ charts.xls, spreadsheet of complete pops charts through 2013, available for download as RAR archive from Bullfrogs Pond
2.Jump up ^ "Godspell Jr" (PDF). www.stephenschwartz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
3.Jump up ^ An Interview with Stephen Schwartz geocities.com, 1998
4.Jump up ^ Schwartz, Stephen. "Godspell Songs: Stephen Schwartz Answers Questions about the Godspell Score" (PDF). www.stephenschwartz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
5.Jump up ^ Waterman, Matthew. "‘GODSPELL’ Modern touches added to IFT’s ‘Godspell’". Herald Times. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
6.Jump up ^ "Godspell Notes For Performers" (PDF). Stephenschwartz.com.
7.Jump up ^ Godspell Script. pp. Act One, Page One.
8.Jump up ^ "Godspell", Playbill Vault, Internet website [1]
9.Jump up ^ "Godspell," Playbill Vault, Internet website [2]
10.Jump up ^ "History" musicalschwartz.com
11.Jump up ^ Green, Stanley and Green, Kay."'Godspell'" Broadway Musicals, Show By Show (1996), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-7750-0, p. 233
12.Jump up ^ Green, Stanley. "Chapter Thirty, Sherman Edwards, Gretchen Cryer, et al," The World of Musical Comedy (1984), Da Capo Press, ISBN 0-306-80207-4, p. 361
13.Jump up ^ "'Godspell', 1971-1976" Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed October 2, 2011
14.Jump up ^ "'Godspell'" thebeautifulchanges.co.uk
15.^ Jump up to: a b "'Godspell'" http://www.godspell.ca/
16.Jump up ^ [3] www.desdawn.co.za
17.Jump up ^ "'Godspell' Broadway listing", 1976-1977" Internet Broadway Database, accessed October 2, 2011
18.Jump up ^ Ehren, Christine."OB 'Godspell' To Close Oct. 7, Transfer Expected" playbill.com, September 21, 2000
19.Jump up ^ "Godspell". Curtain Critic. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
20.Jump up ^ [4] The People of Godspell
21.Jump up ^ "Godspell Broadway Revival Cast Album Released Digitally Dec. 20 - Playbill.com". playbill.com. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
22.Jump up ^ "Broadway Revival of Godspell Will End Run June 24 - Playbill.com". playbill.com. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
23.Jump up ^ "Godspell JR. Music Theater International". www.mtishows.com. MTI. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
24.^ Jump up to: a b Schwartz, Stephen. "FAQ – Stephen Schwartz". StephenSchwartz.com. Retrieved 2012-05-20. Cox, Harvey Gallagher (1969). The feast of fools; a theological essay on festivity and fantasy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674295250.
External links[edit]
Godspell at musicalschwartz.com: Cast album details, lyrics, history, stories from Stephen Schwartz
Internet Broadway database listing
Godspell plot and production information at guidetomusicaltheatre
Godspell at the Music Theatre International website
Script notes
directors notes


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Godspell

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This article is about the musical. For the musical's album, see Godspell (1971 Off-Broadway Cast). For the movie and its soundtrack, see Godspell (film).


 This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2013)

Godspell
Godspell.jpg
Music
Stephen Schwartz
Lyrics
Stephen Schwartz
 Episcopal Hymnal
 Others
Book
John-Michael Tebelak
Basis
Gospel of Saint Matthew
Productions
1971 Off Broadway
 1971 Australian Tour
 1971 London
 1972 Toronto
 1976 Broadway
 1988 Off-Broadway revival
 2000 Off-Broadway revival
 2001 National Tour
 2007 UK Tour
 2011 Broadway revival
 2012 Broadway Tour
 2014 Mexico City
 2015 Lisbon
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival which played on Broadway from October 13, 2011, to June 24, 2012. Several cast albums have been released over the years and one of its songs, "Day by Day" from the original cast album, reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972.[1]
The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, mostly based on the Gospel of Matthew (three of the featured parables are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke). The parables are interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance. It started as a college project performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University and moved to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in Greenwich Village. It was then re-scored for an off-Broadway production which became a long-running success. A junior one-act version with some songs and monologues removed has also been made under the title Godspell Junior.[2]


Contents  [hide]
1 Background
2 Characters
3 Synopsis 3.1 Act One
3.2 Intermission
3.3 Act Two
4 Songs 4.1 "Beautiful City"
5 Productions 5.1 Carnegie Mellon (1970)
5.2 Original LaMama and Off-Broadway (1971)
5.3 London (1971)
5.4 Toronto (1972)
5.5 Maseru (Lesotho, Southern Africa) (1973)
5.6 Broadway (1976)
5.7 Off-Broadway (1988)
5.8 Johannesburg (1994)
5.9 Off-Broadway (2000)
5.10 Broadway (2011)
6 Godspell Junior
7 Film
8 In popular culture
9 Controversy
10 References
11 External links

Background[edit]
The show originated in 1970 as Tebelak's master's thesis project, under the direction of Lawrence Carra, at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A version was performed at Carnegie Mellon in 1970, with several of the cast members from the CMU Music Department. Tebelak then directed the show, with much of the student cast, for a two week, ten performance run at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club (aka Cafe la Mama), New York City, opening February 24, 1971. It was brought to the attention of producers Edgar Lansbury (brother of Angela Lansbury), Joseph Beruh, and Stuart Duncan by Carnegie alumnus Charles Haid (associate producer), who wanted to open it Off-Broadway.[3]
The producers hired Stephen Schwartz, another alumnus of Carnegie Mellon's theater department, to write a new song score. Schwartz's songs incorporated a variety of musical styles, from pop to folk rock, gospel, and vaudeville. One song, "By My Side", written by CMU students Jay Hamburger and Peggy Gordon, was kept from the original score. As with the original score, most of the non-Schwartz lyrics were from the Episcopal Hymnal (see also the 1971 Off-Broadway run).[4]
All ten actors are on stage throughout the show.[5]
Characters[edit]
The original cast defined the personalities of each character as the show was developed. Most of the characters' names are simply the first name of the actor, so the characters are more easily identified by the song they sing. The actor cast as John the Baptist doubles in the show as Judas Iscariot.[6]
Synopsis[edit]


 This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2011)
Act One[edit]
The show begins with the Voice of God declaring his supremacy: "My name is Known: God and King. I am most in majesty, in whom no beginning may be and no end." The company enters and takes the role of various philosophers throughout the ages (often this section of the play is excluded): Socrates; Thomas Aquinas; Martin Luther; Leonardo da Vinci; Edward Gibbon; Jean-Paul Sartre; Friedrich Nietzsche; and Buckminster Fuller. In the 2001 revival, Luther, Gibbon, Nietzsche, and Fuller were replaced by Galileo Galilei, Jonathan Edwards, L. Ron Hubbard, and Marianne Williamson, respectively. The 2011 revival retains Galilei, Hubbard, and Williamson, but restores Gibbon and replaces da Vinci with Georg Hegel. They sing fragments of their respective philosophies — first as solos and then in cacophonous counterpoint — in "Tower of Babble (Prologue)". In some productions, "Tower of Babble" is replaced by "Beautiful City", which Jesus sings to open the show. In still other productions, the company cuts Tower of Babble and Beautiful City, opting to begin with "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)".[citation needed]
In response to the philosophers, John the Baptist blows three notes on the shofar to call the community to order. He then beckons them to "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)", and baptizes the company. Jesus comes, also to be baptized. John responds by, instead, asking to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus explains that it is not his place to baptize; that he has come to "Save the People".
In his first parable, Jesus explains to the company that he has come "not to abolish the law and the prophets, but to complete". In the original production, the company donned clown makeup at this point. Subsequent productions may instead use some object—a pin, a scarf, a badge, or a flower, for example—to denote that the company has become followers of Jesus. Jesus explains to the company that those who adhere to the law of God will earn the highest place in the Kingdom of God. He tells them the parable of the Widow and the Judge. God is a just jurist who will support those who cry out to him.
The company begins to understand Jesus and his teachings, and they take it upon themselves to tell the story of the Pharisees and the tax gatherer praying in the temple: "Every man who humbles himself shall be exalted!"
As Jesus teaches of the law regarding the offering of gifts at the altar, the company makes offerings—themselves. They are taught that to approach the altar of God, they must be pure of heart and soul.
Then, they act out the story of a master and a servant who owes him a debt. The servant asks his master for pity in repaying the debt, and the master absolves it. The servant then turns to a fellow servant who "owed him a few dollars" and demands that it be paid in full. The master, hearing this, then condemns the servant to prison. Jesus explains the moral: "Forgive your brothers from your heart." The member of the company telling the parable sings "Day by Day", and the company joins in. After the song, Jesus teaches that if one part of you offends God, it is better to lose it than to have the whole of the body thrown into hell.
The company then plays charades (in the current production, with members from the audience) to finish several statements posed by Jesus, including "If a man sues you for your shirt..." and "If a man asks you to go one mile with him....".
Then, a cast member comes forward after charades saying: "You wanna see a show?" The company performs the Parable of the Good Samaritan in the form of a play-within-a-play. Jesus explains the need to "love your enemies", and "not make a show of religion before men". He goes on to say: "God will reward a good deed done in secret." ("Shhh! It's a secret!")
The parable of Lazarus and the rich man is next tackled by the company, who are quickly learning how to work together. On earth, the rich man feasts, and Lazarus begs and is ignored. Upon dying, Lazarus is rewarded with Heaven, while the rich man is in Hell. We are told to "Learn Your Lessons Well", or be faced with eternal damnation. When the rich man asks Abraham if he would send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers of their impending doom, Abraham tells him no: "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone should rise from the dead."
Jesus teaches that no man can serve two masters—God and money. A member of the company tells a story of a man who spent a lifetime acquiring the good things in life, then dies before he has the time to enjoy them. She sings "Bless the Lord," then Jesus tells them not to worry about tomorrow: "Tomorrow will take care of itself. Today has problems of its own."
In an antiphonic chorus, the company recites the Beatitudes. Judas, however, directs the final beatitude regarding persecution at Jesus, and Jesus quickly changes the subject. ("Did I ever tell you that I used to read feet?") However, with this Jesus persuades the company that it is "All for the Best"; heaven contains the ultimate reward. Judas sings a verse, and the two do a soft shoe and a vaudevillian joke. The company, and chorus if used, join in the final verse (sung in counterpoint) to bring the song to conclusion.
This is followed by the parable of the Sower of the Seeds, which Jesus tells them represent the Word of God. "All Good Gifts" is sung to further illustrate the point.
The action to this point, while amusing and entertaining, has been to do one thing—create from this rag-tag company a community of love and caring. At this point in the musical, they have formed this community and they now march as soldiers in the military, signifying their ability to think as one unit. With Jesus as the drill sergeant, they segue into the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son. They sing "Light of the World" about Christ's Light and how it should shine in each of us.
Intermission[edit]
Jesus has just thanked the audience for coming, and announces a ten-minute intermission.
During the intermission, there are a couple of things that happen involving the audience. In the original production, the cast joined the audience for wine and bread. In the current Broadway production, wine is offered to the audience on-stage.
After this, the second act opens with one or more cast members singing "Learn Your Lessons Well", to call the audience back into the hall.
Act Two[edit]
After the reprise of "Learn Your Lessons Well", a member of the community sings "Turn Back, O Man", in which she implores mankind to give up its temporal pursuits and to turn to God. Then, Jesus says: "This is the beginning."
At this point, several members of the community begin to question Jesus's authority, and he responds with yet another parable. He is asked, "What is the greatest commandment?" and responds, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and all your soul... And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" The Pharisees continue to question him, and he laments "Alas for You", and calls them hypocrites. Members of the community gather and join in his song, and throw garbage at the Pharisees.
Jesus predicts that he will not be seen for quite a while, while standing at the "Wailing Wall", and predicts great wars and famines. He reminds us of the time of Noah, and teaches that faith can calm the storm. The community is told: "Keep awake, then. For the Son of Man will come at a time when you least expect it."
One woman is cast out as an adulteress. Jesus says: "Let the one of you who is faultless cast the first stone." Her accusers then bow their heads and walk away. Jesus walks over to her and asks: "Woman...where are they now? Has no one condemned you?" The woman answers: "No one, sir." He tells her: "Then nor shall I. You may go, but do not sin again." As she watches Jesus walk from her, she entreats him to remain "By My Side". During this song, Judas foretells his upcoming betrayal of Jesus.
In one of the lighter moments in the second act, Jesus tells how he will separate men as a shepherd separates his flock into sheep and goats. The sheep will enter heaven while the goats must suffer eternal damnation. "We Beseech Thee" cry the goats, begging for mercy.
After the song, the community reminds each other to take things "Day By Day", as they remove their clown makeup (or other accoutrement). They assemble for the Last Supper, and Jesus tells them that one of them will betray him. Each member of the community asks, "Is it I?" ending with Judas: "Rabbi...can you mean me?" Jesus tells him to do quickly what he must do, and Judas runs off. Jesus breaks the bread and shares the wine and tells his followers that they will dine together in the Kingdom of Heaven. The band sings "On the Willows", which is about what has been sacrificed. In the song, Jesus says goodbye to the company members. He asks that they wait for him as he goes into the Garden of Gethsemane to pray.
In the garden, Jesus implores God that if there is another way, to let the burden be lifted from his shoulders. Jesus returns to his followers to find them all asleep; he begs them to stay awake, but they all fall asleep again, and Jesus warns them they will all betray him three times (a reference to the apostle Peter). Jesus then prays to God that if his death cannot pass him by, then His will must be done. He is then tempted by Satan (usually played by the apostles), but orders him away.
Judas returns to betray Jesus, but has a moment where he cannot bring himself to do it, but finds himself boxed in by invisible walls, except for one path which leads to Jesus. Jesus encourages Judas to do what he has come to do, and Judas grabs Jesus to bring him to be crucified. The community starts to attack Judas, while Jesus tells them to stop, as all who live by the sword will one day die by it. Judas (usually just him alone and as a representation of the others arresting Jesus) ties Jesus upon an electric fence - representative of the cross - as Jesus berates him for arresting him at night, but then says that it had to happen to fulfill the prophets' writings.
The "Finale" begins, loud and in B-minor, with Jesus wailing, "Oh, God, I'm dying," and the community answers: "Oh, God, You're dying." Jesus dies and the music comes to a rest. The women of the company sing "Long Live God", and the men join in with "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" in counterpoint, as they remove Jesus from the fence and carry him out (either offstage or through the aisles of the auditorium). There is controversy over the fact that there is no obvious Resurrection of Jesus present in the show, although it can be interpreted that either the singing of "Prepare Ye" in the finale or else the curtain call (where all including Jesus return to the stage) as representative of the resurrection. Some productions have placed the song "Beautiful City" after the finale to show the Resurrection. However, in the MTI script, it states that while either view is valid, both miss the point, claiming the show is about love, not whether or not Jesus himself is resurrected.[citation needed]
Songs[edit]
Act IOpening (Monologue) - Jesus ៛ ‡
Prologue: Towers of Babble - Company ‡
Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord - John the Baptist and Company
Save the People - Jesus and Company
Day By Day - Soloist 1 and Company
Learn Your Lessons Well - Soloist 2, Jesus, and Company
O Bless the Lord - Soloist 3 and Company
All for the Best - Jesus, Judas, and Company
All Good Gifts - Soloist 4 and Company
Light of the World - Soloist 5 and Company
 Act IILearn Your Lessons Well (Reprise) - Company ‡
Turn Back, O Man - Soloist 6 and Company
Alas for You - Jesus
By My Side - Soloist 7 and Company
Beautiful City - Jesus/Soloist 8 †
We Beseech Thee - Soloist 9 and Company
Day By Day (Reprise) - Company
On The Willows - The Band §
Finale - Jesus and Company

‡ These songs were not part of the original cast album.
៛ According to the script the opening monologue is usually spoken by the actor playing Jesus.[7]
† See notes below on "Beautiful City"
§ In various scripts and programs, "On The Willows" is sung by the live band. In the 2011 revival, it was sung by the actor playing Judas.[8][9]
"Beautiful City"[edit]
"Beautiful City" was written in 1972 as part of the film and re-written in 1993 after the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. Its position in the film is directly after "By My Side", which in turn follows directly on from "Alas for You", omitting the parable in between. This introduces a sequence in which Jesus overturns the tables at the Temple before the Pharisees. Fearful of reprisals for what he has done, he then flees, followed by the disciples, who ask, "Where are you going? Can you take me with you?" and they are reunited with Jesus, and sing "Beautiful City".
Many theatrical directors choose to use it in place of the "Day by Day" reprise. "Beautiful City" has also been used at the very end of the play in an additional dialogue-free scene that depicts the Resurrection, which was not depicted in the original.
In their Broadway Junior series — popular musicals edited to one act and appropriate for middle school — Music Theater International supplies "Beautiful City" as part of the show. This version contains much of the first act and very little of the second: "By My Side" is omitted entirely. "Beautiful City" is at a point in the beginning of the traditional second act, but followed quickly by the Last Supper, the Betrayal, and the Crucifixion.
The 2011 Broadway revival places "Beautiful City" between "We Beseech Thee" and the Last Supper, sung as a slow ballad by Jesus to his followers. In some versions, Jesus sings it; in others, it is given to a soloist or not included at all.
Productions[edit]
Carnegie Mellon (1970)[edit]
The first Godspell cast at CMU in 1970, listed in speaking order: Andrew Rohrer, Mary Mazziotti, Martha Jacobs, Robin Lamont, Robert Miller, Sonia Manzano, Stanley King, Randy Danson, James Stevens, David Haskell.[10]
Original LaMama and Off-Broadway (1971)[edit]
The show was first presented at Cafe LaMama as a non-musical play. Songs were added by Schwartz[11] and it then opened as a musical at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 17, 1971, transferred to the Promenade Theatre three months later,[12] and closed on June 13, 1976, after 2124 performances. Directed by Tebelak, the original cast included Lamar Alford, Peggy Gordon, David Haskell, Joanne Jonas, Robin Lamont, Sonia Manzano, Gilmer McCormick, Jeffrey Mylett, Stephen Nathan, and Herb Simon.[13]
London (1971)[edit]
Godspell opened at the Roundhouse Theatre in Chalk Farm, London on 17 November 1971, starring Johanna Cassidy, Julie Covington, David Essex, Neil Fitzwilliam, Jeremy Irons, Verity-Anne Meldrum, Deryk Parkin, Tom Saffery, Gay Soper and Marti Webb. After a very successful run it transferred to the Wyndhams Theatre on 26 January 1972.[14]
Toronto (1972)[edit]
The Toronto production in 1972–1973, which opened at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, was expected to be a run of a few dozen performances for what was largely an audience of subscribers to the theater's season. The Toronto run had a cast drawn entirely from local performers instead of from a touring company. After an enthusiastic response from the audience, the show moved uptown to the Bayview Playhouse in Leaside after its scheduled run at the Royal Alex ended and ran until August 1973, setting what was then a record run of 488 performances.[15]
The Toronto production provided the first regular acting jobs for several notable performers, including Victor Garber, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas, and Martin Short, and the show's musical director Paul Shaffer .[15]
Maseru (Lesotho, Southern Africa) (1973)[edit]
Godspell opened in Maseru, Lesotho in 1973 and ran there for 5 months. When Des and Dawn Lindberg brought it to South Africa to open at the University of the Witwatersrand (Johannesburg) Great Hall, it was immediately banned, ostensibly on the grounds of "blasphemy". This banning was widely and immediately recognised as a political smoke-screen for the real issue of racial mixing, a direct challenge to the Apartheid laws of the government of the day.
The Lindbergs challenged the banning in the Supreme Court, and won their case.
As a result Godspell toured South Africa for two years, and succeeded in opening doors to all races on both sides of the footlights wherever it played. It was a theatrical triumph, and a political and legal breakthrough. .[16]
Broadway (1976)[edit]
The first Broadway production opened on June 22, 1976, at the Broadhurst Theatre. It was directed by John Michael Tebelak, musical director Steve Reinhardt, costumes by Susan Tsu, lighting by Spencer Mosse, and sound by Robert Minor. The opening cast featured Lamar Alford, Laurie Faso, Lois Foraker, Robin Lamont, Elizabeth Lathram, Bobby Lee, Tom Rolfing, Don Scardino, Marley Sims, and Valerie Williams. Alternates were Kerin Blair, Bob Garrett, Michael Hoit, and Kitty Ray. The band consisted of Paul Shaffer (Keyboards, Conductor), Mark Zeray (Guitar), Chris Warwin (Bass), and Michael Redding (Percussion).[17]
The musical transferred to the Plymouth Theatre and later to the Ambassador Theatre, where it closed on September 4, 1977, after 527 performances and five previews.
Off-Broadway (1988)[edit]
This revival at the Lamb's Theatre ran from June 12 – December 31, 1988. It was directed by Don Scardino, music director Steven M. Alper, assistant music direct Doug Besterman, new musical arrangements by Steven M. Alper and Doug Besterman, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting by Phil Monat, and sound by T. Richard Fitzgerald. The cast included Trini Alvarado, Anne Bobby (credited as Anne Marie Bobby), Bill Damaschke, Laura Dean (actress), Angel Jemmott, Eddie Korbich, Mia Korf, Robert McNeill, Harold Perrineau, (credited as Harold Perrineau, Jr.), and Jeffrey Steefel.
Johannesburg (1994)[edit]
Godspell was again staged in Johannesburg at the Civic Theatre, in 1994, again produced and choreographed by Des and Dawn Lindberg.
Off-Broadway (2000)[edit]
Godspell was revived Off-Broadway at the York Theatre from August 2, 2000, to October 7, 2000.[18] Cast members included Shoshana Bean, Will Erat, Barrett Foa, Capathia Jenkins, Chad Kimball, Mia Korf, Robert McNeill, and Jeffrey Steefel.
Broadway (2011)[edit]



Corbin Bleu took over in the starring role, as Jesus.
The first Broadway revival began performances on October 13, 2011 at the Circle in the Square Theatre and officially opened on November 7, 2011 to mostly negative to mixed reviews. Theatre review aggregator Curtain Critic gave the production a score of 63 out of 100 based on the opinions of 18 critics.[19] Starring Hunter Parrish, Wallace Smith, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Celisse Henderson, Telly Leung, George Salazar, Morgan James, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire and Lindsay Mendez, it is directed by Daniel Goldstein, choreographed by Christopher Gattelli, and produced by Ken Davenport. On April 17, 2012, Corbin Bleu took over in the starring role, as Jesus.[20] The 2011 cast recording was released digitally on December 20, 2011, and was released in stores on January 31, 2012.[21] The production closed on June 24, 2012.[22]
Godspell Junior[edit]
As part of Music Theater International's Broadway Junior series, Godspell Junior is a revised script meant to be performed by a younger audience. In this 60 minute one-act, four songs were cut from the script, including "Turn Back, O Man", "Alas for You", "By My Side", and "On the Willows." However, "Beautiful City" with its updated lyrics is a part of the show. It is sung by one of the soloists at the point in what is the beginning of the traditional second act, and followed quickly by the Last Supper, the Betrayal, and the Crucifixion. Godspell Junior contains much of the first act and very little of the second.[23]
Film[edit]
Main article: Godspell (film)
A film version of the musical was released in 1973, set in modern New York and starring Victor Garber (of the first Canadian cast) as Jesus, David Haskell (of the original cast) as John the Baptist/Judas, and Lynne Thigpen in her first film role. John-Michael Tebelak co-wrote the screenplay and served as the creative consultant. The song "Beautiful City" was written for and first included in the film. "Prologue/Tower Of Babel" was left out, and "Learn Your Lessons Well" and "We Beseech Thee" were reduced to minor musical interludes. Original cast members Robin Lamont, Gilmer McCormick, Joanne Jonas, and Jeffrey Mylett also appear.
In popular culture[edit]



Poster for Godspell by David Byrd
 in the Cherry Lane TheatreIn the film Meet the Parents, Greg (Ben Stiller) recites "Day by Day" when asked to say grace over his first meal with the family.
In the book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Ford keeps a copy of Godspell's script in his bag to convince people he's an actor.
In the film Wet Hot American Summer, "Day by Day" is performed at the camp talent show.
On the MTV sketch comedy show The State (TV series), the first sketch to feature the recurring characters The Jew, The Italian, and the Red-Head Gay (episode 301) concludes with a musical number that parodies the costumes of Godspell; one member of the company, for example, Ben Garant, wears an Afro wig, Superman T-shirt and suspenders. (But note that on the reverse of the album's CD case, the "S" on the Superman shirt has been replaced by the number five ["5"].)
On their album Jesus Freak, Christian rock band dc Talk sings a cover version of "Day by Day".
On their album F♯A♯∞, the band Godspeed You! Black Emperor used a sample of the opening line of "By My Side" for the song "Providence".
In an episode of King of the Hill where Bobby Hill attends a high school, he is overjoyed to find that the play is being held, as it was banned from his middle school.
In the film, Scotland, PA, the characters sing "Day by Day" in homage to the 1970s.
In the novel, How I Paid for College, the main character stars as Jesus in a school production of Godspell.
In an episode of Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law, the employees of Harvey's law firm are so overjoyed at the seeming resurrection of their boss that they break into a song that reprises Godspell.
In an episode of "So You Think You Can Dance (Season 4)", contestants Joshua Allen and Katee Shean danced to "All for the Best", choreographed by Tyce Diorio.
In the novel "Fall Musical" of the Drama Club series, the school play is Godspell. One character says, "As you know, it's about Jesus, but you don't have to be a Christian. Stephen Schwartz wrote it, and he's Jewish. Actually, so was Jesus."
In the second season, first episode of Doctor, Doctor, a character sings a variation of "Day by Day" while playing a cello like a guitar.
In the fourth season, eighth episode of Ally McBeal, a character sings "Turn Back, O Man" in a bar scene.
In the second season, fourth episode of The New Adventures of Old Christine, called Oh God, Yes, Christine permits Ritchie to attend church. Ritchie also accompanies Matthew to his Sunday school class, where Matthew and the teacher break into a rendition of "Day by Day" after it's revealed that the teacher had been the understudy for Jesus in Godspell.
Controversy[edit]
The hippie garb that the cast wears in the play has historically been controversial.[24] In "Notes on the Script" (1999), Stephen Schwartz wrote, "There are often misconceptions about the concept of the clown analogy in Godspell. For instance, sometimes cast members are thought to be 'hippies' or 'flower children'. The concept was derived by John-Michael Tebelak from a book by Harvey Cox, a professor at Harvard Divinity School, entitled Feast of Fools."[24]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ charts.xls, spreadsheet of complete pops charts through 2013, available for download as RAR archive from Bullfrogs Pond
2.Jump up ^ "Godspell Jr" (PDF). www.stephenschwartz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
3.Jump up ^ An Interview with Stephen Schwartz geocities.com, 1998
4.Jump up ^ Schwartz, Stephen. "Godspell Songs: Stephen Schwartz Answers Questions about the Godspell Score" (PDF). www.stephenschwartz.com. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
5.Jump up ^ Waterman, Matthew. "‘GODSPELL’ Modern touches added to IFT’s ‘Godspell’". Herald Times. Retrieved 2014-08-10.
6.Jump up ^ "Godspell Notes For Performers" (PDF). Stephenschwartz.com.
7.Jump up ^ Godspell Script. pp. Act One, Page One.
8.Jump up ^ "Godspell", Playbill Vault, Internet website [1]
9.Jump up ^ "Godspell," Playbill Vault, Internet website [2]
10.Jump up ^ "History" musicalschwartz.com
11.Jump up ^ Green, Stanley and Green, Kay."'Godspell'" Broadway Musicals, Show By Show (1996), Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-7750-0, p. 233
12.Jump up ^ Green, Stanley. "Chapter Thirty, Sherman Edwards, Gretchen Cryer, et al," The World of Musical Comedy (1984), Da Capo Press, ISBN 0-306-80207-4, p. 361
13.Jump up ^ "'Godspell', 1971-1976" Internet Off-Broadway Database, accessed October 2, 2011
14.Jump up ^ "'Godspell'" thebeautifulchanges.co.uk
15.^ Jump up to: a b "'Godspell'" http://www.godspell.ca/
16.Jump up ^ [3] www.desdawn.co.za
17.Jump up ^ "'Godspell' Broadway listing", 1976-1977" Internet Broadway Database, accessed October 2, 2011
18.Jump up ^ Ehren, Christine."OB 'Godspell' To Close Oct. 7, Transfer Expected" playbill.com, September 21, 2000
19.Jump up ^ "Godspell". Curtain Critic. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
20.Jump up ^ [4] The People of Godspell
21.Jump up ^ "Godspell Broadway Revival Cast Album Released Digitally Dec. 20 - Playbill.com". playbill.com. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
22.Jump up ^ "Broadway Revival of Godspell Will End Run June 24 - Playbill.com". playbill.com. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
23.Jump up ^ "Godspell JR. Music Theater International". www.mtishows.com. MTI. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
24.^ Jump up to: a b Schwartz, Stephen. "FAQ – Stephen Schwartz". StephenSchwartz.com. Retrieved 2012-05-20. Cox, Harvey Gallagher (1969). The feast of fools; a theological essay on festivity and fantasy. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674295250.
External links[edit]
Godspell at musicalschwartz.com: Cast album details, lyrics, history, stories from Stephen Schwartz
Internet Broadway database listing
Godspell plot and production information at guidetomusicaltheatre
Godspell at the Music Theatre International website
Script notes
directors notes


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Joseph: King of Dreams

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Joseph: King of Dreams
Joseph king dreams.jpg
DVD cover

Directed by
Rob LaDuca
 Robert C. Ramirez
Produced by
Ken Tsumura
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Screenplay by
Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
 Raymond Singer
Joe Stillman
Marshall Goldberg
Starring
Ben Affleck
Mark Hamill
James Eckhouse
Richard McGonagle
Richard Herd
Music by
Daniel Pelfrey, songs and lyrics by John Bucchino
Edited by
Michael Andrews
Greg Snyder
 John Venzon

Production
 company

DreamWorks Animation

Distributed by
DreamWorks Pictures

Release dates

November 7, 2000


Running time
 75 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 American animated biblical musical family film and the only direct-to-video release from DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt. Composer Daniel Pelfrey said "the film was designed as a companion piece to Prince of Egypt...Of course, Joseph turned out to be very different than Prince of Egypt, [nevertheless] very challenging and rewarding".[1][2]
The Book of Angels explains "In this film we are shown how Joseph makes use of his dreams to guide him through his life, and where this adventure leads him".[3]
Co-director Robert Ramirez has said that "The reviews for Joseph have generally been very good, but [there was] a period years ago when the film was not working very well, when the storytelling was heavy-handed, klunky and [when] we discovered as a crew [what] made it a whole lot better".[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Conception and The Prince of Egypt
3.2 Early work
3.3 Screening and production troubles
3.4 A new vision
3.5 Cracking the story
3.6 Casting and approach to characters
4 Music 4.1 Score
4.2 Songs
5 Release 5.1 Book tie-ins
6 Critical reception 6.1 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
Joseph is the youngest of Jacob's eleven sons and a favorite of his father's; thus inciting the brothers' jealousy when Joseph grows conceited and arrogant when constantly pampered by his parents. When he receives a beautiful coat from his father, his brothers fear that he may become the clan's leader upon their father's death. One evening, Joseph dreams that the sheep his brothers are tending are attacked by wolves. Later, a wolf pack attacks the flock and Joseph is nearly killed until Jacob saves him. Jacob becomes furious that Joseph was abandoned by his brothers, and amazed that Joseph's dream came true. Judah, the eldest of the brothers and their leader, merely dismisses this. The next night, Joseph dreams that his brothers each carry sheaves of wheat that bow to Joseph's gigantic sheaf, and that he is a brilliant star surrounded by ten smaller stars and the sun and the moon; and Jacob predicts that Joseph shall supersede his brothers. The latter retreat to a cave and determine to do away with Joseph. Joseph overhears this, and the brothers tear his cloak and hurl him into a pit until nightfall. When withdrawn, Joseph is sold to desert slave traders, and thence into Egypt, while his brothers tell their father that he was killed by wolves.
In Egypt, Joseph is made the servant of the Egyptian dignitary Potiphar, and gradually becomes his personal attendant after Joseph stops a shifty horse trader from cheating more money from Potiphar. Joseph befriends Asenath, the beautiful niece of Potiphar, and proves himself an asset to his master. Later, Potiphar's wife Zuleika tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph; but tells Potiphar that Joseph attempted to rape her. Potiphar orders Joseph's death; but when his wife intervenes, he realizes that Joseph is not guilty and therefore imprisons him instead. While imprisoned, Joseph interprets the dreams of the royal butler and baker who are also prisoners: that the butler will return to his position at the palace in three days, and the baker will be put to death. Joseph asks the butler to tell the Pharaoh about his talent and offer of help, to secure a release from prison. The butler promises to tell Pharaoh but forgets; but Asenath supplies food to Joseph regularly.
When the Pharaoh is haunted by dreams and is told by the butler that Joseph can interpret them, he sends the Potiphar to retrieve Joseph, who interprets the pharaoh's dreams as warnings of famine, and suggests that one-fifth of each year's crops be kept for rationing. Impressed, the Pharaoh makes Joseph his minister, under the name "Zaphnath-Paaneah". In the following years, Joseph's plan saves Egypt from starvation. Joseph marries Asenath and has two children by her. Eventually, his brothers arrive in Egypt to buy food, and do not recognize Joseph, who denies them their offers of purchase, accuses them of espionage, and has Simeon imprisoned. Questioned by Asenath, he reveals his past. The next day the brothers reappear with a young man named Benjamin, who is Joseph's almost identical younger brother. Simeon is released and Joseph asks Benjamin about his family; to learn that Rachel is dead and his own death presumed. To exact revenge, Joseph invites the brothers to a feast and has his own golden chalice concealed in Benjamin's bag while no one is looking; and upon its discovery, orders that Benjamin be enslaved. At this, his older brothers offer themselves instead, and Judah confesses having sold Joseph himself and is has haunted him and his brothers ever since. Touched by their honesty and genuine love for Benjamin, Joseph identifies himself to them, reconciles and invites them and their families to live with him at the palace. Shortly after, he is reunited with his father.
Cast[edit]
Ben Affleck - Joseph speaking voice David Campbell - Joseph singing voice
Mark Hamill - Judah
Richard Herd - Jacob speaking voice Russell Buchanan - Jacob singing voice
Maureen McGovern - Rachel
Jodi Benson - Asenath
Judith Light - Zuleika
James Eckhouse - Potiphar
Richard McGonagle - Pharaoh
Dan Castellaneta - Auctioneer, Horse Trader
René Auberjonois - Butler
Ken Campbell - Baker
Steven Weber - Simeon, Slave Trader
Jess Harnell - Issachar / Lead Trader
Piera Coppola - Zuleika's servant, Additional Voices
Emily Eby - Servant
Matt Levin - Benjamin
Production[edit]
Conception and The Prince of Egypt[edit]
Crosswalk.com explained:

Development for Joseph started while Prince of Egypt was being made, so the same crew worked on both films, and the wide group of ministers who were asked to be consultants on Prince of Egypt also looked at Joseph. Work on the animated movie was based in Los Angeles and Canada, and nearly 500 artists contributed to the project.[5]
Executive Producer Penny Finkelman Cox and DreamWorks worker Kelly Sooter noted the challenge in telling a Bible story faithfully yet still making it interesting and marketable: "we had to take powerful themes and tell them in a way thats compelling and accessible for all ages". They also noted that though it was destined to be a direct-to-video project from the beginning, "the quality of the animation does not suffer...Our approach to the movie was to develop it with the same quality and storytelling that we did with Prince of Egypt", and added that "one of the most challenging parts of the movie was creating Josephs dream sequences, which look like a Van Gogh painting in motion". Sooter also explained "Its a very interactive story...It really is beneficial to be able to sit with a family and talk through some of the things that are happening."[5] Nassos Vakalis, who helped storyboard and animate the film, said "I had to travel a lot to Canada to see work done in a few studios that were subcontracting part of the movie".[6] Composer Daniel Pelfrey explained "I must say the writers and directors did a great job staying true to the story and bringing it into a presentation for a contemporary audience."[1]
Early work[edit]
Ramirez explained the early stages of the film's production:

December of 1997 was a great time on the production. While the script was being fleshed out, Paul Duncan (the head background painter) and Brian Andrews (story artist) were creating some phenomenal conceptual artwork. Francisco Avalos and Nasos Vakalis were doing storyboards based on a rough story outline. Weeks later we started assembling a very talented story crew that included artists that had both television and feature experience. We had a script that was well-structured and followed the Bible story fairly accurately. Once the First Act was storyboarded, we filmed the panels, recorded a temp vocal track with music, and edited it all together to create the storyreel. We were excited and ready for our First Act screening for Jeffrey Katzenberg, which was set for an early weekend morning in the New Year of 1998.[4]
Screening and production troubles[edit]
Ramirez explained how things turned awry at the film screening:

When the lights came on in the screening room, the silence was deafening. All the execs put down their yellow legal notepads and headed down the hall to the conference room (which for me felt miles away). When we all sat down, Jeffrey looked up and said three words: "Nothing made sense." He was right. Nothing made sense. We followed the Bible story tightly. The script had structure. We storyboarded it word for word, yet it fell flat on its face. It all suddenly felt like a horrible, horrible disaster, and the worst part of it all was that I didn't know how to fix it. I was deeply confused, and our aggressive production schedule didn't allow for the story re-working that usually takes place on a theatrical feature. Share Stallings, one of our creative executives on the project, was very supportive and offered encouragement to the crew. She assured me that at least two sequences could be saved by clarifying some visuals and re-writing some dialogue. I couldn't see it at the time, although she turned out to be right. The only thing I could think about was that "nothing made sense."
A new vision[edit]


File:Joseph, King of Dreams linetest.ogv
Play media


 A major shift occurred after an early screening of the film had a negative reception from studio executives. The focus shifted from disjointed set pieces to a character driven story based on believable motivations. This linetest from Joseph: King of Dreams, animated by Charlie Lee, demonstrates the new philosophy.
Ramirez explained the shift from disjointed set pieces to a character-driven story:

The following Monday morning I was going over the notes compiled after the First Act screening, when I heard a group gathering outside my door. It was the story crew. They were dying to know how the screening went [...] I had to tell them the truth. "What do you mean, it bombed?" asked a board artist who two weeks prior to the screening had pitched a successful sequence. "The sequences are based on good ideas...good concepts, but when we cut them together they don't connect," I responded. "Something's missing." After having some intensive story meetings with Steven Hickner and Penny Finkleman-Cox (Executive Producers), I knew we had to throw away 90% of what we had. They both brought great knowledge and experience, and proved to be the driving forces behind the project. They directed our attention toward focusing more on the characters and their relationships to each other, instead of always thinking in terms of plot and structure [...] The lead editors on Joseph -- Mike Andrews and Greg Snyder -- often had only a few days to cut music and edit many sequences that were constantly being rewritten even as they dropped in the last few sound effects for the next day's screening.
Cracking the story[edit]
Ramirez explained they cracked the story by returning to the basics of storytelling.

When we started analyzing the characters in Joseph, we began to work from the inside out as opposed to just putting together a story. Once we delved into the minds of these characters and dissected their personalities, we started making some important breakthroughs. What does Joseph want? To be a part of his brothers' lives and reunite with his family. What does Judah, Joseph's older brother, want? He wants the love and positive attention that his father Jacob reserves only for Joseph. What does Jacob want? Jacob wants to show the world how much he loves his favorite son, Joseph. Why does Jacob love Joseph so much more than his other sons? Because Joseph is the spitting image of his favorite wife. He's the first-born son of the woman he waited for all his life to marry. Once we discovered the "wants" of the main characters, it was simple to figure out what actions they would take to satisfy them. Another important discovery was finding the voice of each individual. Once we had a deeper understanding of our characters and what made them tick, the scenes had a new spark of life that had been missing all along. The characters were now driving the scenes, instead of vice versa. In time, ideas that were born out of character helped blend sequences so that they flowed into each other instead of feeling disconnected.[4]
Casting and approach to characters[edit]
Mark Hamill, who was cast as Judah, Joseph's eldest brother, explained that the choices he made regarding his character:

Judah starts out at a high station in his family structure, and that's all disrupted by this little child who claims to have visions of the future, he says. Eventually, it causes Judah to lead all the brothers against Joseph. I don't think of him as a villain. In many ways, he's like all people, wondering, "How will this affect my own life?" He's self-centered and has to re-evaluate all his preconceived notions.[5]
Ramirez explained one of the main themes in the movie by analyzing how Joseph reacts upon seeing his brothers for the first time after they sold him into slavery:

"These 'strangers' turned out to be his brothers. Now it was Joseph's turn. Would he follow his initial gut instinct and enslave them? Abuse them? Kill them? Or would he rise above hatred and forgive them? In a nutshell, that's what the crux of the story is about: forgiveness[4]
Jodie Benson (Asenath, Joseph's wife) was thrilled to work on the film, after seeing how well the team led by Jeffrey Katzenberg handled the story of Moses in The Prince of Egypt. Thus she also had a lot of faith in the production. Benson didn't audition for the part, and was instead offered it. Unlike some of the other characters, she provides both the speaking and singing voices of Asenath. It took twelve days to record her lines, and the only other voice actor she worked with was the singing voice for Joseph, David Campbell. Benson explained her character is the "voice of reason and the voice of trying to do the right thing to reconcile [Joseph] with his brothers". Her character was given a much larger role than what is presented in the Bible; Benson thought developing Asenath further was a good move.[5]
Music[edit]
Score[edit]
All songs were produced and arranged by Danny Pelfrey, and he also composed the score. Hans Zimmer, the composer for The Prince of Egypt, had approved of Pelfrey taking over his role after the latter, a relative unknown at the time, did a couple of interviews at DreamWorks. Pelfrey explained "Through the process [Zimmer] gave me input as to what they like to hear, mostly through the arranging and production of the songs. After that he got too busy but he gave me the foundation and communication skills I needed to successfully complete the project".[1] After receiving the job, Pelfrey read as many different translations of the original Bible text as he could, to find story nuances that he could incorporate. In regard to his collaboration with DreamWorks, he said "Before starting the input was pretty sketchy, but it was an ongoing process with lots of dialog with writers, producers and directors along the way. Jeffery Katzenberg always ultimately approved everything. He was directly involved with the entire process."[1] He also explained "I had never done a musical before...[and Zimmer] helped me incorporate the sounds from Prince of Egypt as well as guided me in the song production".[2]
Pelfrey used choral choirs sparingly in his score, with notable examples being "a small female group in the beginning for what I was calling God’s theme, and in the big scene at the end, which was the reunion of Joseph, his brothers and Jacob, his father". This was because the effect reminded him of angels, adding "I also I think it was more appropriate to the sonic tapestry and created a more uplifting feeling".[1] He described his musical style in the film as "World/Orchestral", noting that the instruments used were more regional than specifically Egyptian, incprporating: "Duduk, Ney, Rebaba, Ban-Di, Bansuri, Moroccan Flute, Zampona, and a great variety of percussion including Djmbe, Darabuk, Dholak, Udu, etc etc". In regard to using instrumentation from an inaccurate historical context, he said "I always thought...that the exact historical and geographical use of the instruments is not as important as the evocative or dramatic effect...So, I didn’t really concern myself too much with 'right place, right time'.[1] A temp-track was made for the score, though Dreamworks "were not too attached to it"; some parts were tracked with "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" by Vaughan Williams.
Pelfrey said "Since I had never done a musical before, it was interesting to note the difference between producing these songs as opposed to doing a record. In a musical, the songs advance the story and I had to help that process, as well as make the songs belong to the fabric of the film and the palette of the score. Although this was animation, it certainly did not call for a cartoon approach, due to the depth of the story. The film needed more of a live-action treatment to the score. "Joseph: King of Dreams also allowed me to work with the best producers in the business and helped make this a very successful experience both personally and professionally."[2] He explained "[Lucas Richman] is the reason the Symphonic Suite from Joseph was created. He contacted me about wanting to present it in a concert he was doing in Knoxville where he is the conductor and music director, so I created the suite especially for them. He has created a vibrant and thriving orchestra there and they were all very welcoming to me." It was performed in LA by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony in August 2010.[1][7]
Songs[edit]
Music and lyrics to all seven of the songs were written by John Bucchino. A soundtrack was not released with the film.[5]
1."Miracle Child" (Maureen McGovern, Russell Buchanan, David Campbell)
2."Bloom" (Maureen McGovern)
3."Marketplace" (Ensemble Cast)
4."Whatever Road's at Your Feet" (David Campbell)
5."Better Than I" (David Campbell)
6."More than You Take" (David Campbell & Jodi Benson)
7."Bloom" (Reprise) (Jodi Benson)\
Release[edit]
As the only DreamWorks Animation direct-to-video film, Joseph: King of Dreams was released on DVD and VHS on November 7, 2000.[8][9] Special features included "Sing-a-long songs, storybook read-a-long programming, an interactive trivia game, and printable activity and coloring sheets".[5] It will be released on Blu-ray on May 13, 2014, as part of a triple film set, along with DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.[10]
The direct-to-video film was "made available to Christian retailers, but mainly will be sold in traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target and video stores". The sale success of Joseph was to some degree influence whether more animated Bible stories would be released by DreamWorks.[5] As of 2014, Prince and Joseph have been the only two.
Book tie-ins[edit]
Nashville publisher Tommy Nelson, the kids division of the Christian publishing company Thomas Nelson Inc., partnered DreamWorks to publish four companion book titles based on the film, and has exclusive publishing rights to Joseph ("a read-along tape, a sticker storybook, a 48-page hardcover storybook with illustrations from the film, and a smaller hardcover storybook which retells the story of Joseph"[5]). One of them, My Sticker Storybook: Joseph and his Brothers (published 1 Nov 2000) was a sticker storybook that followed the plot Joseph, and was written by Dandi Daley Mackall.[11] The 48-page storybook (published1 Nov 2000, and sometimes subtitled "Classic Edition") featured images from the film, a retelling by Mackall, and was a "stand-alone book, as well as a splendid companion to the video", also written by Mackall.[12] Joseph, King of Dreams: read-along (8 Mar 2001) was a full-color storybook and accompanying cassette which "capture[d] all the emotional and dramatic high points". Written by Catherine McCafferty, it included the song "Better Than I" and dialogue from the film.[13] A fourth book was published as well.
Critical reception[edit]










You Know Better Than I, sung by Joseph (David Campbell) was critically acclaimed by many critics - one of the few universally praised elements of the direct-to-video film. It is about giving yourself completely to your faith and trusting that no matter how bad things seem, God always has a plan
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. While praising the film's merits including animation, storytelling, and music, much of the criticism came with comparing it negatively to its theatrically released sequel The Prince of Egypt. The song You Know Better Than I was singled out for praise by numerous critics, as were the van Gogh-inspired dream sequences. Many noted that the animated hieroglyph effects were similar to those from Prince, and suggested that the film stuck closer to the Bible source material than Prince too.
DecentFilmsGuide gave the movie a B for Overall Recommendability and 3/4 stars for Artistic/Entertainment Value, writing "Artistically, the best thing about Joseph: King of Dreams is the visionary animation work in the dream sequences...I caught my breath at the first glimpse of these dreams, which look like living, flowing Van Goghs". However it wrote "Joseph: King of Dreams is not remotely in the same class as The Prince of Egypt. [It] is much more a children’s movie". It said the songs "while cheerful and uplifting, are generally unmemorable", and described the animation as "fine but not wonderful". It noted that "once one stops making unfair comparisons to a theatrical film made on a much bigger budget, Joseph: King of Dreams is very much worthwhile on its own more modest terms". Nevertheless, the review complimented the "ominous tune' Marketplace, and said "In one small way, Joseph: King of Dreams even outshines the earlier film: The spirituality of its signature song, You Know Better Than I, is much more profound than anything in the more mainstream "There Can Be Miracles".[14] DVD Verdict wrote "Joseph: King of Dreams will shatter any expectations you may have about direct-to-video animated features. This is no halfhearted attempt to cash in on the success of The Prince of Egypt, but is instead a fully realized and carefully crafted story of its own. This film could easily have been released theatrically, although its running time is maybe just a bit short for that", praising its animation, music, and storytelling.[15] PluggedIn wrote "while not as eye-popping as Prince of Egypt, [the film] is impressive for a direct-to-video title. Artfully executed dream sequences. Uplifting songs. It also takes fewer liberties than Prince of Egypt did".[16] Lakeland Ledger said "At its best, the story communicated the sense of desperation and yearning that make up the tale and provides a sense of the emotions that underscore the story".[17] Jan Crain Rudeen of Star-News wrote "As with Price of Egypt, the best part of Joseph for me was the discussion it sparked afterward with my kids".[18]
The Movie Report gave the film 3.4 stars, writing "while clearly not on the level of that 1998 classic, it is a solid piece of work that is about on par with the SKG's spring theatrical release The Road to El Dorado"...Joseph is a new technical benchmark for straight-to-tape animated features, putting Disney's chintzy home video efforts to shame. It added "Bucchino's work is downright forgettable; the only song making the slightest inkling of an impression is Joseph's--and the film's--central number, Better Than I".[19] ChristianAnswers.net gave the film 4/5 stars, writing "Although the visual effects were not as outstanding as in The Prince of Egypt, the storyline does stay closer to the biblical version". The site added "The music was enjoyable, especially the song Better Than I".[20] "CommonSenseMedia rated the film 3/5 stars, writing "The animation is accomplished. Particularly compelling are the dream sequences, which almost look like animated Van Gogh paintings", however noting "it lacks [The Prince of] Egypt's poignant tunes and powerful storytelling".[21] The Los Angeles Times wrote "with its beautiful, big-screen quality, flowing animation and striking computer-generated imagery--and with its dignity and heart--is a fine telling of the biblical story".[22] Variety said "King of Dreams has just as much cross-generational appeal as its predecessor, and doesn't make the mistake of skewing primarily toward moppets. To put it another way: This is family entertainment in the best sense of the term, for which many families will be immensely grateful."[23]
Awards and nominations[edit]

Year
Recipient
Award
Result
2000 "Better Than I" Video Premier Award for Best Song Won[24]
2001 Joseph: King of Dreams Silver Angel Award for Feature Film Nominated
2001 Joseph: King of Dreams Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production Nominated
2001 Penney Finkelman Cox (executive producer)
 Steve Hickner (executive producer)
 Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer)
 Ken Tsumura (producer) DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Video Premiere Won
2001 Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
 Marshall Goldberg
 Raymond Singer
 Joe Stillman DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Screenplay Won
2001 Ben Affleck (voice)
 Luc Chamberland (animation director: Joseph) DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Character Performance Nominated
2001 Rob LaDuca
 Robert C. Ramirez DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Directing Nominated
2001 Daniel Pelfrey DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Original Score Nominated
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Hans Zimmer - www.hans-zimmer.ch - official fansite". www.hans-zimmer.ch. 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "Original Music Composer and Film Scorer". Danny Pelfrey. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
3.Jump up ^ The Book of Angels: Dreams-Signs-Meditation; The Traditional Study of ... - Kaya, Christiane Muller - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Out of Character: The Making of Joseph | Animation World Network". Awn.com. 2000-11-07. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Archive - Joseph: King of Dreams". Crosswalk.com. 2000-11-03. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
6.Jump up ^ "Nassos Vakalis | Animation Insider- Animation interviews and articles". 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
7.Jump up ^ http://www.soaringmusic.com/JosephSymphonicSuite.pdf
8.Jump up ^ Hettrick, Scott (July 27, 2000). "D’Works plans reign for ‘Joseph’ vid pic". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
9.Jump up ^ "Joseph King of Dreams - About the DVD". DreamWorks. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
10.Jump up ^ Armstrong, Josh (March 5, 2014). "DreamWorks to release "Chicken Run", "El Dorado" and more in Triple Feature Blu-ray sets". Animation Scoop. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
11.Jump up ^ Joseph, King of Dreams - Dandi Daley Mackall, Dream Works - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2000-11-01. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
12.Jump up ^ Joseph, king of dreams - Dandi Daley Mackall - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2000-11-01. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
13.Jump up ^ Joseph, King of Dreams: read-along - Catherine McCafferty - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2001-03-08. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
14.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)". Decentfilms.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
15.Jump up ^ "DVD Verdict Review - Joseph: King Of Dreams". Dvdverdict.com. 2000-12-11. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
16.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams | Video Review". Plugged In. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
17.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=20001025&id=b58sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=af0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2865,4224017
18.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=20001213&id=mAFZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7x4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6583,4668656
19.Jump up ^ "The Movie Report Archive, Volume 77". TheMovieReport.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
20.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) …review and/or viewer comments • Christian Spotlight on the Movies •". Christiananswers.net. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
21.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams Movie Review". Commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
22.Jump up ^ "'Joseph: King of Dreams' Wisely Avoids the Gimmicks - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 2000-11-16. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
23.Jump up ^ Leydon, Joe (November 6, 2000). "Review: ‘Joseph: King of Dreams’". Variety. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
24.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=20011025&id=8XUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SnUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1720,3093719
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Joseph: King of Dreams
Official website
Joseph: King of Dreams at the Internet Movie Database
Joseph: King of Dreams at the Big Cartoon DataBase
Joseph: King of Dreams at Rotten Tomatoes


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Categories: 2000 films
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Joseph: King of Dreams

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Joseph: King of Dreams
Joseph king dreams.jpg
DVD cover

Directed by
Rob LaDuca
 Robert C. Ramirez
Produced by
Ken Tsumura
Jeffrey Katzenberg
Screenplay by
Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
 Raymond Singer
Joe Stillman
Marshall Goldberg
Starring
Ben Affleck
Mark Hamill
James Eckhouse
Richard McGonagle
Richard Herd
Music by
Daniel Pelfrey, songs and lyrics by John Bucchino
Edited by
Michael Andrews
Greg Snyder
 John Venzon

Production
 company

DreamWorks Animation

Distributed by
DreamWorks Pictures

Release dates

November 7, 2000


Running time
 75 min.
Country
United States
Language
English
Joseph: King of Dreams is a 2000 American animated biblical musical family film and the only direct-to-video release from DreamWorks Animation. The film is an adaptation of the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible and also serves as a prequel to the 1998 film The Prince of Egypt. Composer Daniel Pelfrey said "the film was designed as a companion piece to Prince of Egypt...Of course, Joseph turned out to be very different than Prince of Egypt, [nevertheless] very challenging and rewarding".[1][2]
The Book of Angels explains "In this film we are shown how Joseph makes use of his dreams to guide him through his life, and where this adventure leads him".[3]
Co-director Robert Ramirez has said that "The reviews for Joseph have generally been very good, but [there was] a period years ago when the film was not working very well, when the storytelling was heavy-handed, klunky and [when] we discovered as a crew [what] made it a whole lot better".[4]


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Conception and The Prince of Egypt
3.2 Early work
3.3 Screening and production troubles
3.4 A new vision
3.5 Cracking the story
3.6 Casting and approach to characters
4 Music 4.1 Score
4.2 Songs
5 Release 5.1 Book tie-ins
6 Critical reception 6.1 Awards and nominations
7 References
8 External links

Plot[edit]
Joseph is the youngest of Jacob's eleven sons and a favorite of his father's; thus inciting the brothers' jealousy when Joseph grows conceited and arrogant when constantly pampered by his parents. When he receives a beautiful coat from his father, his brothers fear that he may become the clan's leader upon their father's death. One evening, Joseph dreams that the sheep his brothers are tending are attacked by wolves. Later, a wolf pack attacks the flock and Joseph is nearly killed until Jacob saves him. Jacob becomes furious that Joseph was abandoned by his brothers, and amazed that Joseph's dream came true. Judah, the eldest of the brothers and their leader, merely dismisses this. The next night, Joseph dreams that his brothers each carry sheaves of wheat that bow to Joseph's gigantic sheaf, and that he is a brilliant star surrounded by ten smaller stars and the sun and the moon; and Jacob predicts that Joseph shall supersede his brothers. The latter retreat to a cave and determine to do away with Joseph. Joseph overhears this, and the brothers tear his cloak and hurl him into a pit until nightfall. When withdrawn, Joseph is sold to desert slave traders, and thence into Egypt, while his brothers tell their father that he was killed by wolves.
In Egypt, Joseph is made the servant of the Egyptian dignitary Potiphar, and gradually becomes his personal attendant after Joseph stops a shifty horse trader from cheating more money from Potiphar. Joseph befriends Asenath, the beautiful niece of Potiphar, and proves himself an asset to his master. Later, Potiphar's wife Zuleika tries unsuccessfully to seduce Joseph; but tells Potiphar that Joseph attempted to rape her. Potiphar orders Joseph's death; but when his wife intervenes, he realizes that Joseph is not guilty and therefore imprisons him instead. While imprisoned, Joseph interprets the dreams of the royal butler and baker who are also prisoners: that the butler will return to his position at the palace in three days, and the baker will be put to death. Joseph asks the butler to tell the Pharaoh about his talent and offer of help, to secure a release from prison. The butler promises to tell Pharaoh but forgets; but Asenath supplies food to Joseph regularly.
When the Pharaoh is haunted by dreams and is told by the butler that Joseph can interpret them, he sends the Potiphar to retrieve Joseph, who interprets the pharaoh's dreams as warnings of famine, and suggests that one-fifth of each year's crops be kept for rationing. Impressed, the Pharaoh makes Joseph his minister, under the name "Zaphnath-Paaneah". In the following years, Joseph's plan saves Egypt from starvation. Joseph marries Asenath and has two children by her. Eventually, his brothers arrive in Egypt to buy food, and do not recognize Joseph, who denies them their offers of purchase, accuses them of espionage, and has Simeon imprisoned. Questioned by Asenath, he reveals his past. The next day the brothers reappear with a young man named Benjamin, who is Joseph's almost identical younger brother. Simeon is released and Joseph asks Benjamin about his family; to learn that Rachel is dead and his own death presumed. To exact revenge, Joseph invites the brothers to a feast and has his own golden chalice concealed in Benjamin's bag while no one is looking; and upon its discovery, orders that Benjamin be enslaved. At this, his older brothers offer themselves instead, and Judah confesses having sold Joseph himself and is has haunted him and his brothers ever since. Touched by their honesty and genuine love for Benjamin, Joseph identifies himself to them, reconciles and invites them and their families to live with him at the palace. Shortly after, he is reunited with his father.
Cast[edit]
Ben Affleck - Joseph speaking voice David Campbell - Joseph singing voice
Mark Hamill - Judah
Richard Herd - Jacob speaking voice Russell Buchanan - Jacob singing voice
Maureen McGovern - Rachel
Jodi Benson - Asenath
Judith Light - Zuleika
James Eckhouse - Potiphar
Richard McGonagle - Pharaoh
Dan Castellaneta - Auctioneer, Horse Trader
René Auberjonois - Butler
Ken Campbell - Baker
Steven Weber - Simeon, Slave Trader
Jess Harnell - Issachar / Lead Trader
Piera Coppola - Zuleika's servant, Additional Voices
Emily Eby - Servant
Matt Levin - Benjamin
Production[edit]
Conception and The Prince of Egypt[edit]
Crosswalk.com explained:

Development for Joseph started while Prince of Egypt was being made, so the same crew worked on both films, and the wide group of ministers who were asked to be consultants on Prince of Egypt also looked at Joseph. Work on the animated movie was based in Los Angeles and Canada, and nearly 500 artists contributed to the project.[5]
Executive Producer Penny Finkelman Cox and DreamWorks worker Kelly Sooter noted the challenge in telling a Bible story faithfully yet still making it interesting and marketable: "we had to take powerful themes and tell them in a way thats compelling and accessible for all ages". They also noted that though it was destined to be a direct-to-video project from the beginning, "the quality of the animation does not suffer...Our approach to the movie was to develop it with the same quality and storytelling that we did with Prince of Egypt", and added that "one of the most challenging parts of the movie was creating Josephs dream sequences, which look like a Van Gogh painting in motion". Sooter also explained "Its a very interactive story...It really is beneficial to be able to sit with a family and talk through some of the things that are happening."[5] Nassos Vakalis, who helped storyboard and animate the film, said "I had to travel a lot to Canada to see work done in a few studios that were subcontracting part of the movie".[6] Composer Daniel Pelfrey explained "I must say the writers and directors did a great job staying true to the story and bringing it into a presentation for a contemporary audience."[1]
Early work[edit]
Ramirez explained the early stages of the film's production:

December of 1997 was a great time on the production. While the script was being fleshed out, Paul Duncan (the head background painter) and Brian Andrews (story artist) were creating some phenomenal conceptual artwork. Francisco Avalos and Nasos Vakalis were doing storyboards based on a rough story outline. Weeks later we started assembling a very talented story crew that included artists that had both television and feature experience. We had a script that was well-structured and followed the Bible story fairly accurately. Once the First Act was storyboarded, we filmed the panels, recorded a temp vocal track with music, and edited it all together to create the storyreel. We were excited and ready for our First Act screening for Jeffrey Katzenberg, which was set for an early weekend morning in the New Year of 1998.[4]
Screening and production troubles[edit]
Ramirez explained how things turned awry at the film screening:

When the lights came on in the screening room, the silence was deafening. All the execs put down their yellow legal notepads and headed down the hall to the conference room (which for me felt miles away). When we all sat down, Jeffrey looked up and said three words: "Nothing made sense." He was right. Nothing made sense. We followed the Bible story tightly. The script had structure. We storyboarded it word for word, yet it fell flat on its face. It all suddenly felt like a horrible, horrible disaster, and the worst part of it all was that I didn't know how to fix it. I was deeply confused, and our aggressive production schedule didn't allow for the story re-working that usually takes place on a theatrical feature. Share Stallings, one of our creative executives on the project, was very supportive and offered encouragement to the crew. She assured me that at least two sequences could be saved by clarifying some visuals and re-writing some dialogue. I couldn't see it at the time, although she turned out to be right. The only thing I could think about was that "nothing made sense."
A new vision[edit]


File:Joseph, King of Dreams linetest.ogv
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 A major shift occurred after an early screening of the film had a negative reception from studio executives. The focus shifted from disjointed set pieces to a character driven story based on believable motivations. This linetest from Joseph: King of Dreams, animated by Charlie Lee, demonstrates the new philosophy.
Ramirez explained the shift from disjointed set pieces to a character-driven story:

The following Monday morning I was going over the notes compiled after the First Act screening, when I heard a group gathering outside my door. It was the story crew. They were dying to know how the screening went [...] I had to tell them the truth. "What do you mean, it bombed?" asked a board artist who two weeks prior to the screening had pitched a successful sequence. "The sequences are based on good ideas...good concepts, but when we cut them together they don't connect," I responded. "Something's missing." After having some intensive story meetings with Steven Hickner and Penny Finkleman-Cox (Executive Producers), I knew we had to throw away 90% of what we had. They both brought great knowledge and experience, and proved to be the driving forces behind the project. They directed our attention toward focusing more on the characters and their relationships to each other, instead of always thinking in terms of plot and structure [...] The lead editors on Joseph -- Mike Andrews and Greg Snyder -- often had only a few days to cut music and edit many sequences that were constantly being rewritten even as they dropped in the last few sound effects for the next day's screening.
Cracking the story[edit]
Ramirez explained they cracked the story by returning to the basics of storytelling.

When we started analyzing the characters in Joseph, we began to work from the inside out as opposed to just putting together a story. Once we delved into the minds of these characters and dissected their personalities, we started making some important breakthroughs. What does Joseph want? To be a part of his brothers' lives and reunite with his family. What does Judah, Joseph's older brother, want? He wants the love and positive attention that his father Jacob reserves only for Joseph. What does Jacob want? Jacob wants to show the world how much he loves his favorite son, Joseph. Why does Jacob love Joseph so much more than his other sons? Because Joseph is the spitting image of his favorite wife. He's the first-born son of the woman he waited for all his life to marry. Once we discovered the "wants" of the main characters, it was simple to figure out what actions they would take to satisfy them. Another important discovery was finding the voice of each individual. Once we had a deeper understanding of our characters and what made them tick, the scenes had a new spark of life that had been missing all along. The characters were now driving the scenes, instead of vice versa. In time, ideas that were born out of character helped blend sequences so that they flowed into each other instead of feeling disconnected.[4]
Casting and approach to characters[edit]
Mark Hamill, who was cast as Judah, Joseph's eldest brother, explained that the choices he made regarding his character:

Judah starts out at a high station in his family structure, and that's all disrupted by this little child who claims to have visions of the future, he says. Eventually, it causes Judah to lead all the brothers against Joseph. I don't think of him as a villain. In many ways, he's like all people, wondering, "How will this affect my own life?" He's self-centered and has to re-evaluate all his preconceived notions.[5]
Ramirez explained one of the main themes in the movie by analyzing how Joseph reacts upon seeing his brothers for the first time after they sold him into slavery:

"These 'strangers' turned out to be his brothers. Now it was Joseph's turn. Would he follow his initial gut instinct and enslave them? Abuse them? Kill them? Or would he rise above hatred and forgive them? In a nutshell, that's what the crux of the story is about: forgiveness[4]
Jodie Benson (Asenath, Joseph's wife) was thrilled to work on the film, after seeing how well the team led by Jeffrey Katzenberg handled the story of Moses in The Prince of Egypt. Thus she also had a lot of faith in the production. Benson didn't audition for the part, and was instead offered it. Unlike some of the other characters, she provides both the speaking and singing voices of Asenath. It took twelve days to record her lines, and the only other voice actor she worked with was the singing voice for Joseph, David Campbell. Benson explained her character is the "voice of reason and the voice of trying to do the right thing to reconcile [Joseph] with his brothers". Her character was given a much larger role than what is presented in the Bible; Benson thought developing Asenath further was a good move.[5]
Music[edit]
Score[edit]
All songs were produced and arranged by Danny Pelfrey, and he also composed the score. Hans Zimmer, the composer for The Prince of Egypt, had approved of Pelfrey taking over his role after the latter, a relative unknown at the time, did a couple of interviews at DreamWorks. Pelfrey explained "Through the process [Zimmer] gave me input as to what they like to hear, mostly through the arranging and production of the songs. After that he got too busy but he gave me the foundation and communication skills I needed to successfully complete the project".[1] After receiving the job, Pelfrey read as many different translations of the original Bible text as he could, to find story nuances that he could incorporate. In regard to his collaboration with DreamWorks, he said "Before starting the input was pretty sketchy, but it was an ongoing process with lots of dialog with writers, producers and directors along the way. Jeffery Katzenberg always ultimately approved everything. He was directly involved with the entire process."[1] He also explained "I had never done a musical before...[and Zimmer] helped me incorporate the sounds from Prince of Egypt as well as guided me in the song production".[2]
Pelfrey used choral choirs sparingly in his score, with notable examples being "a small female group in the beginning for what I was calling God’s theme, and in the big scene at the end, which was the reunion of Joseph, his brothers and Jacob, his father". This was because the effect reminded him of angels, adding "I also I think it was more appropriate to the sonic tapestry and created a more uplifting feeling".[1] He described his musical style in the film as "World/Orchestral", noting that the instruments used were more regional than specifically Egyptian, incprporating: "Duduk, Ney, Rebaba, Ban-Di, Bansuri, Moroccan Flute, Zampona, and a great variety of percussion including Djmbe, Darabuk, Dholak, Udu, etc etc". In regard to using instrumentation from an inaccurate historical context, he said "I always thought...that the exact historical and geographical use of the instruments is not as important as the evocative or dramatic effect...So, I didn’t really concern myself too much with 'right place, right time'.[1] A temp-track was made for the score, though Dreamworks "were not too attached to it"; some parts were tracked with "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" by Vaughan Williams.
Pelfrey said "Since I had never done a musical before, it was interesting to note the difference between producing these songs as opposed to doing a record. In a musical, the songs advance the story and I had to help that process, as well as make the songs belong to the fabric of the film and the palette of the score. Although this was animation, it certainly did not call for a cartoon approach, due to the depth of the story. The film needed more of a live-action treatment to the score. "Joseph: King of Dreams also allowed me to work with the best producers in the business and helped make this a very successful experience both personally and professionally."[2] He explained "[Lucas Richman] is the reason the Symphonic Suite from Joseph was created. He contacted me about wanting to present it in a concert he was doing in Knoxville where he is the conductor and music director, so I created the suite especially for them. He has created a vibrant and thriving orchestra there and they were all very welcoming to me." It was performed in LA by the Los Angeles Jewish Symphony in August 2010.[1][7]
Songs[edit]
Music and lyrics to all seven of the songs were written by John Bucchino. A soundtrack was not released with the film.[5]
1."Miracle Child" (Maureen McGovern, Russell Buchanan, David Campbell)
2."Bloom" (Maureen McGovern)
3."Marketplace" (Ensemble Cast)
4."Whatever Road's at Your Feet" (David Campbell)
5."Better Than I" (David Campbell)
6."More than You Take" (David Campbell & Jodi Benson)
7."Bloom" (Reprise) (Jodi Benson)\
Release[edit]
As the only DreamWorks Animation direct-to-video film, Joseph: King of Dreams was released on DVD and VHS on November 7, 2000.[8][9] Special features included "Sing-a-long songs, storybook read-a-long programming, an interactive trivia game, and printable activity and coloring sheets".[5] It will be released on Blu-ray on May 13, 2014, as part of a triple film set, along with DreamWorks Animation's The Road to El Dorado and Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.[10]
The direct-to-video film was "made available to Christian retailers, but mainly will be sold in traditional retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target and video stores". The sale success of Joseph was to some degree influence whether more animated Bible stories would be released by DreamWorks.[5] As of 2014, Prince and Joseph have been the only two.
Book tie-ins[edit]
Nashville publisher Tommy Nelson, the kids division of the Christian publishing company Thomas Nelson Inc., partnered DreamWorks to publish four companion book titles based on the film, and has exclusive publishing rights to Joseph ("a read-along tape, a sticker storybook, a 48-page hardcover storybook with illustrations from the film, and a smaller hardcover storybook which retells the story of Joseph"[5]). One of them, My Sticker Storybook: Joseph and his Brothers (published 1 Nov 2000) was a sticker storybook that followed the plot Joseph, and was written by Dandi Daley Mackall.[11] The 48-page storybook (published1 Nov 2000, and sometimes subtitled "Classic Edition") featured images from the film, a retelling by Mackall, and was a "stand-alone book, as well as a splendid companion to the video", also written by Mackall.[12] Joseph, King of Dreams: read-along (8 Mar 2001) was a full-color storybook and accompanying cassette which "capture[d] all the emotional and dramatic high points". Written by Catherine McCafferty, it included the song "Better Than I" and dialogue from the film.[13] A fourth book was published as well.
Critical reception[edit]










You Know Better Than I, sung by Joseph (David Campbell) was critically acclaimed by many critics - one of the few universally praised elements of the direct-to-video film. It is about giving yourself completely to your faith and trusting that no matter how bad things seem, God always has a plan
The film received mixed to positive reviews from critics. While praising the film's merits including animation, storytelling, and music, much of the criticism came with comparing it negatively to its theatrically released sequel The Prince of Egypt. The song You Know Better Than I was singled out for praise by numerous critics, as were the van Gogh-inspired dream sequences. Many noted that the animated hieroglyph effects were similar to those from Prince, and suggested that the film stuck closer to the Bible source material than Prince too.
DecentFilmsGuide gave the movie a B for Overall Recommendability and 3/4 stars for Artistic/Entertainment Value, writing "Artistically, the best thing about Joseph: King of Dreams is the visionary animation work in the dream sequences...I caught my breath at the first glimpse of these dreams, which look like living, flowing Van Goghs". However it wrote "Joseph: King of Dreams is not remotely in the same class as The Prince of Egypt. [It] is much more a children’s movie". It said the songs "while cheerful and uplifting, are generally unmemorable", and described the animation as "fine but not wonderful". It noted that "once one stops making unfair comparisons to a theatrical film made on a much bigger budget, Joseph: King of Dreams is very much worthwhile on its own more modest terms". Nevertheless, the review complimented the "ominous tune' Marketplace, and said "In one small way, Joseph: King of Dreams even outshines the earlier film: The spirituality of its signature song, You Know Better Than I, is much more profound than anything in the more mainstream "There Can Be Miracles".[14] DVD Verdict wrote "Joseph: King of Dreams will shatter any expectations you may have about direct-to-video animated features. This is no halfhearted attempt to cash in on the success of The Prince of Egypt, but is instead a fully realized and carefully crafted story of its own. This film could easily have been released theatrically, although its running time is maybe just a bit short for that", praising its animation, music, and storytelling.[15] PluggedIn wrote "while not as eye-popping as Prince of Egypt, [the film] is impressive for a direct-to-video title. Artfully executed dream sequences. Uplifting songs. It also takes fewer liberties than Prince of Egypt did".[16] Lakeland Ledger said "At its best, the story communicated the sense of desperation and yearning that make up the tale and provides a sense of the emotions that underscore the story".[17] Jan Crain Rudeen of Star-News wrote "As with Price of Egypt, the best part of Joseph for me was the discussion it sparked afterward with my kids".[18]
The Movie Report gave the film 3.4 stars, writing "while clearly not on the level of that 1998 classic, it is a solid piece of work that is about on par with the SKG's spring theatrical release The Road to El Dorado"...Joseph is a new technical benchmark for straight-to-tape animated features, putting Disney's chintzy home video efforts to shame. It added "Bucchino's work is downright forgettable; the only song making the slightest inkling of an impression is Joseph's--and the film's--central number, Better Than I".[19] ChristianAnswers.net gave the film 4/5 stars, writing "Although the visual effects were not as outstanding as in The Prince of Egypt, the storyline does stay closer to the biblical version". The site added "The music was enjoyable, especially the song Better Than I".[20] "CommonSenseMedia rated the film 3/5 stars, writing "The animation is accomplished. Particularly compelling are the dream sequences, which almost look like animated Van Gogh paintings", however noting "it lacks [The Prince of] Egypt's poignant tunes and powerful storytelling".[21] The Los Angeles Times wrote "with its beautiful, big-screen quality, flowing animation and striking computer-generated imagery--and with its dignity and heart--is a fine telling of the biblical story".[22] Variety said "King of Dreams has just as much cross-generational appeal as its predecessor, and doesn't make the mistake of skewing primarily toward moppets. To put it another way: This is family entertainment in the best sense of the term, for which many families will be immensely grateful."[23]
Awards and nominations[edit]

Year
Recipient
Award
Result
2000 "Better Than I" Video Premier Award for Best Song Won[24]
2001 Joseph: King of Dreams Silver Angel Award for Feature Film Nominated
2001 Joseph: King of Dreams Annie Award for Outstanding Achievement in an Animated Home Video Production Nominated
2001 Penney Finkelman Cox (executive producer)
 Steve Hickner (executive producer)
 Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer)
 Ken Tsumura (producer) DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Video Premiere Won
2001 Eugenia Bostwick-Singer
 Marshall Goldberg
 Raymond Singer
 Joe Stillman DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Screenplay Won
2001 Ben Affleck (voice)
 Luc Chamberland (animation director: Joseph) DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Animated Character Performance Nominated
2001 Rob LaDuca
 Robert C. Ramirez DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Directing Nominated
2001 Daniel Pelfrey DVD Exclusive Video Premiere Award for Best Original Score Nominated
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g "Hans Zimmer - www.hans-zimmer.ch - official fansite". www.hans-zimmer.ch. 2010-04-27. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
2.^ Jump up to: a b c "Original Music Composer and Film Scorer". Danny Pelfrey. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
3.Jump up ^ The Book of Angels: Dreams-Signs-Meditation; The Traditional Study of ... - Kaya, Christiane Muller - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Out of Character: The Making of Joseph | Animation World Network". Awn.com. 2000-11-07. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Archive - Joseph: King of Dreams". Crosswalk.com. 2000-11-03. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
6.Jump up ^ "Nassos Vakalis | Animation Insider- Animation interviews and articles". 2013-12-04. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
7.Jump up ^ http://www.soaringmusic.com/JosephSymphonicSuite.pdf
8.Jump up ^ Hettrick, Scott (July 27, 2000). "D’Works plans reign for ‘Joseph’ vid pic". Variety. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
9.Jump up ^ "Joseph King of Dreams - About the DVD". DreamWorks. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
10.Jump up ^ Armstrong, Josh (March 5, 2014). "DreamWorks to release "Chicken Run", "El Dorado" and more in Triple Feature Blu-ray sets". Animation Scoop. Retrieved March 5, 2014.
11.Jump up ^ Joseph, King of Dreams - Dandi Daley Mackall, Dream Works - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2000-11-01. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
12.Jump up ^ Joseph, king of dreams - Dandi Daley Mackall - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2000-11-01. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
13.Jump up ^ Joseph, King of Dreams: read-along - Catherine McCafferty - Google Books. Books.google.com.au. 2001-03-08. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
14.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)". Decentfilms.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
15.Jump up ^ "DVD Verdict Review - Joseph: King Of Dreams". Dvdverdict.com. 2000-12-11. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
16.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams | Video Review". Plugged In. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
17.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1346&dat=20001025&id=b58sAAAAIBAJ&sjid=af0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2865,4224017
18.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=20001213&id=mAFZAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7x4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6583,4668656
19.Jump up ^ "The Movie Report Archive, Volume 77". TheMovieReport.com. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
20.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams (2000) …review and/or viewer comments • Christian Spotlight on the Movies •". Christiananswers.net. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
21.Jump up ^ "Joseph: King of Dreams Movie Review". Commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
22.Jump up ^ "'Joseph: King of Dreams' Wisely Avoids the Gimmicks - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 2000-11-16. Retrieved 2014-05-30.
23.Jump up ^ Leydon, Joe (November 6, 2000). "Review: ‘Joseph: King of Dreams’". Variety. Retrieved May 30, 2014.
24.Jump up ^ http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1916&dat=20011025&id=8XUfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SnUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1720,3093719
External links[edit]
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: Joseph: King of Dreams
Official website
Joseph: King of Dreams at the Internet Movie Database
Joseph: King of Dreams at the Big Cartoon DataBase
Joseph: King of Dreams at Rotten Tomatoes


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Categories: 2000 films
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When You Believe

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"When You Believe"

Single by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

from the album The Prince of Egypt OST, #1's and My Love Is Your Love

Released
November 2, 1998
Format
CD single ·
 cassette single ·
 7" single
 
Genre
Pop ·
 R&B ·
 soul ·
 gospel
 
Length
5:01
 4:39 (CD single version w/o intro)
Label
DreamWorks ·
 Columbia ·
 Arista
 
Writer(s)
Stephen Schwartz
Producer(s)
Babyface

Mariah Carey chronology

"Sweetheart"
 (1998) "When You Believe"
 (1998) "I Still Believe"
 (1999)

Whitney Houston chronology

"My Heart Is Calling"
 (1997) "When You Believe"
 (1998) "Heartbreak Hotel"
 (1998)

Alternative cover

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube

"When You Believe"

Song by Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky from the album The Prince of Egypt

Length
04:55
Label
DreamWorks Records
Producer
Hans Zimmer
The Prince of Egypt track listing

"Death of the First Born"
 (13) "When You Believe"
 (14) "Red Sea"
 (15)

"When You Believe" is a song from the 1998 DreamWorks musical animated feature The Prince of Egypt.[1] It was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz.[2] A pop single version of "When You Believe", with additional music and lyrics by writer-producer Babyface, was also recorded for the film by American singers Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston for the film's end credits and its soundtrack album.[1] Additionally, the song was featured on Houston's fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love and Carey's first compilation album, #1's. The original version of the song, featured in the narrative portion of the film, is performed by Sally Dworsky, Michelle Pfeiffer, and a children's choir. "When You Believe" is described as a big ballad, with meaningful and inspirational lyrics, describing the ability each person has to achieve miracles when they reach out to God and believe.
The song received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. "When You Believe" experienced moderate success on the US Billboard charts, only peaking at number 15 on the Hot 100, despite heavy media attention and live promotion. It did, however, achieve strong charting throughout Europe and other worldwide regions, peaking within the top five in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Due to strong single sales in Europe and the US, the song has received various certification awards throughout many major music markets.
"When You Believe" was awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 71st annual ceremony on March 21, 1999. Prior to their performance of the song that night, Schwartz left Babyface's name off the nomination submission sheet. He felt that because the additions Babyface added to the song were not featured in the actual film version, he did not deserve writing credits. However, while Babyface did not receive the Oscar, Carey and Houston performed his version of the song, because they were more familiar with it than the one in the film. Prior to their performance at the Academy Awards, they sang it on November 26, 1998 on The Oprah Winfrey Show, promoting the song, as well as both their albums.
The song featured two music videos. The first and most commonly seen video was filmed at Brooklyn Academy of Music performing arts center. The video features both singers, and begins with Houston and Carey performing in a large auditorium, giving the illusion of a concert. Towards the end of the video, clips of the film are projected onto a large screen at the concert, while they belt out the final verse. The alternate video was only released on NBC's special, When You Believe: Music Inspired by the Prince of Egypt, broadcast on December 13, 1998. It features a similar synopsis, with both singers performing on a large stage of an old Egyptian pyramid. The main difference however, is the fact that no film clips are played in the video and there is no audience present.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background and recording
2 Lyrical content
3 Composition
4 Critical reception
5 Commercial reception
6 Music videos
7 Live performances
8 Charts 8.1 Weekly charts
8.2 Year-end charts
9 Certifications
10 Cover versions 10.1 Candice Glover version
10.2 Celtic Woman version
10.3 Chloë Agnew version
10.4 Leon Jackson version 10.4.1 Track listing
10.4.2 Music video
10.4.3 Chart performance
10.4.4 Charts and certifications 10.4.4.1 Weekly charts
10.4.4.2 Year-end charts
10.4.4.3 Decade-end charts
10.4.4.4 Certifications


11 See also
12 References
13 External links

Background and recording[edit]



It's sort of a message song. It's what 'Prince of Egypt' is about, Moses. If we were ever going to come together on any kind of record, this is definitely the right one, and really the coolest thing to me is that after all of the drama and everybody making it like we had a rivalry, she was just really cool and we had a really good time in the studio. We had fun. And so, if nothing else, it was a good experience... and diva-ism, whatever."
—Carey, on working with Houston in the studio, during an interview with Vibe.[3]
When Carey compiled her first compilation effort #1's, "When You Believe" was included in the track listing. According to Carey, the song was included because she felt it was "a miracle" that she and Houston collaborated on a record.[4] During the development of All That Glitters (a film Carey was working on at the time, later known as Glitter), she had been introduced to DreamWorks co-owner Jeffrey Katzenberg, who asked her if she would record the song "When You Believe" for the soundtrack of the animated film The Prince of Egypt.[3] Houston, on the other hand, was introduced to the project though Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had been collaborating on her album at the time, My Love Is Your Love. After they were shown the film separately, both became very enthusiastic about participating in the project.[3]
The song was co-written by Stephen Schwartz and Babyface, who also produced the song.[4] Carey had previously collaborated with Babyface on her albums, Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), and Houston had previously collaborated with him on her album I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), as well as her song "Queen of the Night" from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992), her tracks on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack (1995) and two tracks from The Preacher's Wife soundtrack (1996), "You Were Loved" and "My Heart Is Calling". Babyface expressed how he went through more than one version of the song and described its production as a beautiful movie ballad, something different from anything he, Carey or Houston had ever previously recorded.[5] In an interview with Vibe, Carey said that she "liked [the song] the way it was".[5] She had characterised it as "a very big ballad but in an inspirational way" and denied speculation that there had been past rivalry or animosity between her and Houston prior to its recording: "I never even really talked to her until this. We never had any issues between us. The media and everybody made it an issue."[5] In an interview with Ebony, Houston spoke about her relationship with Carey:

"I enjoyed working with her very much. Mariah and I got along very great. We had never talked and never sang together before. We just had a chance for camaraderie, singer-to-singer, artist-to-artist, that kind of thing. We just laughed and talked and laughed and talked and sang in between that ... It's good to know that two ladies of soul can still be friends. We talked about doing other things together, enterprise-wise, which is cool, because she's got a good, vivid mind, that girl. She's a smart lady. I really like Mariah."[6]
While the pair continued to express their positive feelings for one another, tabloids began writing the opposite.[4] There were claims that the two bore ill will against each other, and that they had to record the song separately due to constant tension. While media speculation grew as the film's release date drew near, both singers maintained that they had become close friends, and had only the most positive things to say about each other.[4] Originally, Schwartz composed the film version of "When You Believe", which was sung in the film by the characters of Tzipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Miriam (Sally Dworsky).[7] It featured some different instrumentation from the original, and used a children's choir as well as some lines in Hebrew. However, in order to give the song a wider radio and pop appeal, Edmonds changed some of the song's instrumentals and replaced the children's choir with a gospel one.[7] His version was considered more "commercial" and would make the song "help sell the movie". Schwartz's original version was titled "When You Believe", while Edmonds' enhanced version was titled "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)".[7]
Lyrical content[edit]
The Prince of Egypt is an adaptation of the Biblical story of the Exodus. "When You Believe" is sung in the film by characters Tzipporah and Miriam, and a chorus of people departing from the slavery of Egypt to the Red Sea and the Promised Land.[2] The protagonists of this ballad recall tough times that have caused them to question their own faith: they have prayed for many nights to God, but those prayers have seemed to remain unanswered, and now they wonder if their faith has been only a waste of time. Nevertheless, the main characters realize that although the times may be difficult, their faith should remain strong.[4] The original draft of the song used the lyric "you can do miracles when you believe", but this seemed to imply that the believer, not God, was responsible for performing miracles; the lyric was later changed to "there can be miracles when you believe".[8]
Houston had sung in a church choir while growing up, and Carey had always connected to her faith through music, especially during any difficult times.[4] This song became one of the many reasons that both singers were so interested in the project. They each felt that spreading faith in God was an important and honorable aspect of their career.[4] While describing the song's lyrics and message, Houston said the following in an interview with 'Ebony:

A powerful ballad; [songwriter] Stephen Schwartz is a genius. You have to be a child of God to understand the depth of this song. Mariah and I did it as we felt it. We both felt very connected to the song because of our background. What can I say? (It is) Just a beautiful song. What a lyric! I can't talk about it--just listen to it.[6]
Composition[edit]




"When You Believe"







A 30-second sample of the song, featuring the gospel-inspired background vocals and last bridge.

Problems playing this file? See media help.
"When You Believe" is a slow tempo ballad, which incorporates pop and contemporary R&B genres. Carey and Houston's parts in the song are written in different keys, both musically and vocally. During the last bridge and chorus, gospel inspired background singers join the song, giving it a "layered sound" while Carey and Houston's voice switch off belting the bridge. After "When You Believe" was written, Babyface added additional instrumentation, as well as a final bridge.[5] The song is set in signature common time.[9] Houston's verses and chorus are written in the key of B minor and features a basic chord progression of A♭-G♭1.[9] Her vocals in the song range from the note of F♯3 to F♯5.[9] Carey's chorus are set in the higher key of E major and is set in common time as well. Her vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of G6, spanning more octaves than Houston's voice in the song.[10] The song climaxes rise to the last chorus which is set even higher in the key of F-sharp major. Steve Jones from USA Today called the song a "soaring duet" and felt that the song would be able to appeal to many types of listeners and "cross all genres."[11]
Critical reception[edit]
"When You Believe" received a mixed review from David Browne, an editor from Entertainment Weekly.[12] He gave it a C-, and wrote "[the song has] so much sap, maple trees will be jealous." He called the song's religious aspect "insipid" and felt its inspirational message felt forced and generic.[12] While Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic was reviewing Prince Of Egypt OST, he called this duet "unexpected -- and unexpectedly dull."[13] Paul Verna of Billboard called this song "high-powered" duet instead. When Billboad reviewed Houston's album they highlighted it.[14]
Commercial reception[edit]
The song performed moderately in the United States, despite a performance of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the 71st annual Academy Awards. It peaked at number 15 on the Hot 100 and number three on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.[15] On March 24, 1999, after fluctuating in the US charts, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 500,000 units.[16] In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at number 66 on the RPM issue dated December 7, 1998,[17] and peaked at number 20 on the chart issue dated January 25, 1999.[18] It was present on the chart for a total of ten weeks.[19]
The song performed moderately in Australia, where it entered at number 25 on the ARIA Singles Chart during the week of December 6, 1998.[20] It remained on the chart for 14 weeks, spending its last week on the chart at number 50; it was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.[21] In New Zealand, it peaked at number eight on the singles chart, and spent nine weeks fluctuating in the singles chart.[22] "When You Believe" experienced its highest charting in Europe. In Belgium, it reached number five on the Flanders Ultratop 50, and peaked at number four and spent 20 weeks on the Wallonian Ultratop 40.[23] During the week of December 5, 1998, "When You Believe" entered the Dutch Top 40 at number fifty-four. The song spent twenty-one weeks on the singles chart and was peaked at number four.[24] Due to strong single sales, the song entered the Finnish Singles Chart at number 10, however, it only spent one week in the chart.[25] In France, the song entered the French Singles Chart at number 14 on December 5, 1998 and eventually peaked at number five.[26] After spending 20 weeks fluctuating in the singles chart, it was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[27] In Germany, it peaked at number eight on the German Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie, denoting shipments of over 250,000 units.[28][29] The song peaked at number seven in Ireland, where it spent 11 weeks in the Irish Singles Chart.[30]
In Norway, "When You Believe" entered at number three on the VG-lista chart and peaked at number two, spending three consecutive weeks at the position.[31] It was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and spent 15 weeks on the chart.[32] The song peaked at number two in Sweden and Switzerland, spending 20 and 24 weeks on the singles charts, respectively.[33][34] The IFPI certified the song platinum in Sweden and gold in Switzerland.[35][36] "When You Believe" experienced high charting in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart during the week of December 19, 1998 and spent 14 weeks on the chart.[37] As of 2008, sales of the song in the UK are estimated at over 265,000 units.[38]
Music videos[edit]
The single's music video was filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music during the fall of 1998.[4] The video begins with Houston entering a small arena as she begins to sing the song's first verse. As she finishes her part, Carey appears on the stage as well, performing the second verse and chorus. The video is set in a dark studio accented by Egyptian settings, backdrops, and scenes inspired by The Prince of Egypt. An audience is on hand to emulate a concert-like-setting, cheering on both singers. Occasionally, home video clips of Carey and Houston appear throughout the video, as well as clips of the final moments of the film, during the splitting of the Red Sea. The video ends as the room is illuminated, and the two singers are joined by a large choir. As they complete the song, Carey and Houston receive a standing ovation from the crowd, and exit the studio together, walking side by side as they disappear in the distance. For the video, Carey and Houston both donned similar low-cut black gowns, while Carey sported a long straight hairstyle, and Houston a pixie cut.
The song's alternate video features a similar synopsis, where Houston begins the song on a large stone altar in the middle of an auditorium. As she finishes her verse, Carey is seen walking up the ramp in the background, joining Houston for her verse. They continue the song together, standing side by side and holding hands. After completing the song, both singer exit the auditorium together as in the first video, simulating two friends enjoying time with each other.[4] Both videos are very similar, only the alternate version does not feature an audience, choir or images, only the duo singing together atop the stone altar.[4] In this version of the video, Houston wears a long brown strapless gown, and features a shoulder length bob haircut. Carey on the other hand, features long cascading curls and dons an olive green gown.
Live performances[edit]
The duo performed the song live on The Oprah Winfrey Show on November 26, 1998. Aside from the joint performance, Carey and Houston sang their own singles at the time, "I Still Believe" and "I Learned from the Best", respectively.[6] Additionally, they sang the song live at the 71st Annual Academy Awards on March 21, 1999.[39] Before the performance, they were due to rehearse together a few days before their scheduled appearance. Houston however, called in sick and had to miss the rehearsal.[39] Reportedly, her excuse was not taken well, with academy executives calling it a "bullshit story." Conti, the academy's musical arranger, found a young female singer to take Houston's place, Janis Uhley. Before the performance, Carey walked down the stage in a white top and jeans, while choreographer Debbie Allen led the background singers.[39] As they began the performance, Carey forgot the lyrics and stopped, as Uhley began singing in a "theatricality and gusto." Her boastful performance was not taken well by the directors, who called it "inappropriate and unnerving." After she was removed from the stage, a new date was chosen for the rehearsal, one that would accommodate both Carey and Houston.[39] The next night, after they began the rehearsal, both singers had trouble performing the film version of the song. After hours of practice and confusion, they reached a compromise; they would sing a mash-up of the film and single versions, which featured an additional bridge and instrumentation by Edmonds. For the awards ceremony on the twenty first, Carey and Houston wore matching white gowns, symbolizing "humbleness and simplicity."[40] At 5:55 pm, Houston entered the arena, performing her verse, followed by Carey. As the song's finale drew near, a full gospel choir joined the performance from large suspending golden scaffolding, all wearing large white tunics.[40] After the original was nominated for the Academy Award, Schwartz refused to give Edmonds writing credits in nomination forms submitted to the academy.[7] However, after being booked to perform at the awards show ceremony, Carey and Houston were told to perform the film version of the song, because it was the version nominated. To their dismay, both singers were not familiar with the original arrangement or key, because they had been performing the radio version throughout the winter.[7] Conti composed a new version, which intermingled both versions. His idea was to help the duo learn the song's new arrangement, yet still satisfy the academy.[7]



Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1998–99)
Peak
 position

Australia (ARIA)[20] 13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[41] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 4
Canada (RPM)[18] 20
Europe (European Hot 100)[42] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] 10
France (SNEP)[26] 5
Germany (Media Control Charts)[28] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[30] 7
Italy (Musica e Dischi)[43] 3
Japan (Oricon)[44] 40
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 4
New Zealand (RIANZ)[22] 8
Norway (VG-lista)[31] 2
Spain (AFYVE)[43] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[37] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 15
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[45] 25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[45] 13
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[45] 37
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[45] 3
Chart (2012)
Peak
 position
France (SNEP)[46] 90
South Korea (Gaon) International Singles[47] 68
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[48] 97

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1998)
Position

Australian Singles Chart[49] 79
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[50] 70
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[51] 57
Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks[52] 89
French Singles Chart[53] 86
Swedish Singles Chart[54] 42
Chart (1999)
Position
Austrian Singles Chart[55] 33
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[56] 58
Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks[57] 60
Dutch Top 40[58] 50
Dutch Single Top 100[59] 34
French Singles Chart[60] 64
German Singles Chart[61] 47
Italian Singles Chart[62] 29
Swedish Singles Chart[63] 32
Swiss Singles Chart[64] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[65] 99
US R&B/Hip-Hop Single Sales[citation needed] 69
US Top Adult Contemporary Songs[citation needed] 19

Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification
Sales/shipments


Australia (ARIA)[66]
Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[67]
Platinum 50,000*
France (SNEP)[68]
Gold 250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[69]
Gold 250,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[70]
Platinum 10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[71]
Platinum 30,000x
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[72]
Gold 25,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[73]
Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[74]
Gold 500,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone


Cover versions[edit]
Candice Glover version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Candice Glover

Released
April 18, 2013
Format
Digital download
Genre
Pop
Length
4:31
Label
19 Recordings
"When You Believe" was performed by American Idol contestant and winner Candice Glover on the twelfth season of the show. A studio recording of the song was also released as a single on ITunes.[75] Glover performed "When You Believe" on American Idol on the "Divas" theme night on April 17, 2013.[76] Glover's performance was met with praise from the show's judges and it was generally considered the best performance of the night.[76][77] Rolling Stone wrote that Glover "got judges on their feet" with her "impeccable" performance.[78] Mariah Carey was moved to tears by the performance and complimented Glover for doing the song justice.[79] Nicki Minaj exlaimed at the end of the performance that "And that is how you do a Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston song".[80] Randy Jackson considered Glover's performance "best vocal of the night".[77] Likewise, Billboard called Glover's performance "best single showing of the night" and commented on the vocal delivery that "she knows precisely when to hit the sweet spot of a song, building up to that point with masterful restraint".[76] MTV News commented that Glover "positively slay[ed]" the song.[81]
Track listing
Digital download[75]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:31
Celtic Woman version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Celtic Woman

from the album Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart

Released
June 27, 2011
Format
CD single ·
 Digital download
 
Length
4:30
Label
Manhattan
Producer(s)
David Downes

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube


"When You Believe" was recorded by Irish musical ensmble Celtic Woman and released as a single from their fifth studio album Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (2010).[82] The song also appears on the Japanese release of their seventh studio album Celtic Woman: Believe (2011).[83] The song features vocals from one of the group's singers Chloë Agnew. In an interview for Chicago Music Magazine, Chloë Agnew described the lyrics of the song as "really incredible".[84] She stated that "It is a songs that I listen to and wish I had written. It’s really so special. I think a lot of people have found strength and hope in the lyrics. It's been really rewarding to meet and talk to people at our meet and greet events come up and tell me how much that song means to them and how it has helped them".[84]
Track listing
Promo CD single[85]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:30
Chloë Agnew version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Song by Chloë Agnew from the album Chloë

Length
03:34
Label
Celtic Collection
Chloë track listing

Ave Maria
 (3) "When You Believe"
 (4) The Water Is Wide
 (5)

"When You Believe" was recorded by Irish singer Chloë Agnew for her debut album Chloë (2002).[86][87]
Tracklisting
Digital download[87]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   3:34
Personnel
Adaped from CD Universe's product description.[88]
Chloe Agnew - Voice
David Agnew - Oboe
Liz Foster - Background vocals
Leon Jackson version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Leon Jackson

from the album Right Now

Released
December 16, 2007
Format
CD single ·
 digital download
 
Recorded
2007
Genre
Pop
Length
4:16
Label
Syco
Producer(s)
Steve Mac
Leon Jackson singles chronology

 "When You Believe"
 (2007) "Don't Call This Love"
 (2008)


The X Factor winner's single chronology

"A Moment Like This"
 (2006) "When You Believe"
 (2007) "Hallelujah"
 (2008)

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube


"When You Believe" was recorded by The X Factor winner Leon Jackson in December 2007.[89] The single was available to download from midnight after the result of the show on December 15, 2007, and a CD was rush-released mid-week, on December 19, 2007.[89] This is unusual as most new singles are released on a Monday to gain maximum sales for the UK Singles Chart the following Sunday. Exceptions included the previous two X Factor winners whose were singles released in this fashion, in order for them to compete to be the Christmas number-one single, which they all became.[89] A video for the single was made by each of the final four of the series; Jackson, Rhydian Roberts, Same Difference and Niki Evans. However, only the winner's version of the song and video was released.
The song ended 2007 as the year's fourth biggest-selling single in the UK and remained number one into 2008.[90] However, it only managed to stay in the top 40 for seven weeks, despite being atop the chart for three weeks. It also soon disappeared from the top 100, and was gone by late February.[91]
Track listing[edit]

UK CD single

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:16
2. "Home" (Live from X Factor) 2:34
3. "Fly Me to the Moon" (Live from X Factor) 2:25
Music video[edit]
The music video, like previous X Factor winners singles, is very simple, with Jackson singing the song in front of a large projection, with swooping shots of various landscapes behind him. It also features several clips from his time in The X Factor, from his first audition to the moment he was announced the winner and performed his single to close the series. Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, Dermot O'Leary and runner-up Rhydian Roberts all feature within the clips.
Chart performance[edit]
On December 23, 2007, it debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making it the coveted Christmas number one with sales of over 275,000 copies.[92] It stayed at number one for three weeks until it fell down to number five on its fourth week and then fell another ten places to number fifteen in its fifth week.[91] According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 506,000 copies in the UK as of December 2012.[93] Additionally, It also spent three weeks at the top of the Irish Singles Chart.[92]
Charts and certifications[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2007)
Peak
 position

European Hot 100[94] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[95] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[95] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2007)
Peak
 position

Irish Singles Chart[96] 12
UK Singles Chart[97] 3

Decade-end charts[edit]

Chart (2000–2009)
Position
UK Singles Chart[97] 92
Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification
Sales/shipments


United Kingdom (BPI)[98]
Gold 400,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone


See also[edit]
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
List of number-one singles of 2007 (Ireland)
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81.Jump up ^ "‘American Idol’ Report Card: Candice Glover Holds Strong, Angie Miller Moves Up". MTV News.
82.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman Songs from the Heart". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
83.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman - Believe Album". Celticwoman.com. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
84.^ Jump up to: a b Kellner, Shawn (December 7, 2012). "Interview with Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman". Chicago Music Magazine. Chicago Music Magazine, LLC. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
85.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman - When You Believe (Song)". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
86.Jump up ^ "Chloë Agnew – angelic voice of Celtic Woman". Irish Music Daily. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
87.^ Jump up to: a b "Chloë - Chloë". Amazon.com. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
88.Jump up ^ "Chloe CD Chloe". CD Universe. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
89.^ Jump up to: a b c Wilkes, Neil (2007-12-18). "Leon set for No.1 despite "reporting issues"". Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
90.Jump up ^ "The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart". Royal Charter. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
91.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon Jackson - When You Believe". Chart Stats. UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
92.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon clinches Christmas number one spot". Hachette Filipacchi Médias (Digital Spy). 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
93.Jump up ^ Lane, Dan (20 December 2012). "The Top 10 biggest selling X Factor debut singles and albums revealed!". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
94.Jump up ^ "Euro Chart Hot 100 Singles". Billboard (Reuters). 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
95.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon Jackson - When You Believe worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
96.Jump up ^ "Irish Charts - Best of 2007". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
97.^ Jump up to: a b "Chart Archive - 2000s Singles". UK Singles Chart. Everyhit.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
98.Jump up ^ "British single certifications – Leon Jackson – When You Believe". British Phonographic Industry. Enter When You Believe in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
External links[edit]
When You Believe at Discogs
When You Believe (Leon Jackson) at Discogs
Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics


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When You Believe

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"When You Believe"

Single by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston

from the album The Prince of Egypt OST, #1's and My Love Is Your Love

Released
November 2, 1998
Format
CD single ·
 cassette single ·
 7" single
 
Genre
Pop ·
 R&B ·
 soul ·
 gospel
 
Length
5:01
 4:39 (CD single version w/o intro)
Label
DreamWorks ·
 Columbia ·
 Arista
 
Writer(s)
Stephen Schwartz
Producer(s)
Babyface

Mariah Carey chronology

"Sweetheart"
 (1998) "When You Believe"
 (1998) "I Still Believe"
 (1999)

Whitney Houston chronology

"My Heart Is Calling"
 (1997) "When You Believe"
 (1998) "Heartbreak Hotel"
 (1998)

Alternative cover

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube

"When You Believe"

Song by Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky from the album The Prince of Egypt

Length
04:55
Label
DreamWorks Records
Producer
Hans Zimmer
The Prince of Egypt track listing

"Death of the First Born"
 (13) "When You Believe"
 (14) "Red Sea"
 (15)

"When You Believe" is a song from the 1998 DreamWorks musical animated feature The Prince of Egypt.[1] It was written and composed by Stephen Schwartz.[2] A pop single version of "When You Believe", with additional music and lyrics by writer-producer Babyface, was also recorded for the film by American singers Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston for the film's end credits and its soundtrack album.[1] Additionally, the song was featured on Houston's fourth studio album, My Love Is Your Love and Carey's first compilation album, #1's. The original version of the song, featured in the narrative portion of the film, is performed by Sally Dworsky, Michelle Pfeiffer, and a children's choir. "When You Believe" is described as a big ballad, with meaningful and inspirational lyrics, describing the ability each person has to achieve miracles when they reach out to God and believe.
The song received generally mixed reviews from contemporary music critics. "When You Believe" experienced moderate success on the US Billboard charts, only peaking at number 15 on the Hot 100, despite heavy media attention and live promotion. It did, however, achieve strong charting throughout Europe and other worldwide regions, peaking within the top five in Belgium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. Due to strong single sales in Europe and the US, the song has received various certification awards throughout many major music markets.
"When You Believe" was awarded the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 71st annual ceremony on March 21, 1999. Prior to their performance of the song that night, Schwartz left Babyface's name off the nomination submission sheet. He felt that because the additions Babyface added to the song were not featured in the actual film version, he did not deserve writing credits. However, while Babyface did not receive the Oscar, Carey and Houston performed his version of the song, because they were more familiar with it than the one in the film. Prior to their performance at the Academy Awards, they sang it on November 26, 1998 on The Oprah Winfrey Show, promoting the song, as well as both their albums.
The song featured two music videos. The first and most commonly seen video was filmed at Brooklyn Academy of Music performing arts center. The video features both singers, and begins with Houston and Carey performing in a large auditorium, giving the illusion of a concert. Towards the end of the video, clips of the film are projected onto a large screen at the concert, while they belt out the final verse. The alternate video was only released on NBC's special, When You Believe: Music Inspired by the Prince of Egypt, broadcast on December 13, 1998. It features a similar synopsis, with both singers performing on a large stage of an old Egyptian pyramid. The main difference however, is the fact that no film clips are played in the video and there is no audience present.


Contents  [hide]
1 Background and recording
2 Lyrical content
3 Composition
4 Critical reception
5 Commercial reception
6 Music videos
7 Live performances
8 Charts 8.1 Weekly charts
8.2 Year-end charts
9 Certifications
10 Cover versions 10.1 Candice Glover version
10.2 Celtic Woman version
10.3 Chloë Agnew version
10.4 Leon Jackson version 10.4.1 Track listing
10.4.2 Music video
10.4.3 Chart performance
10.4.4 Charts and certifications 10.4.4.1 Weekly charts
10.4.4.2 Year-end charts
10.4.4.3 Decade-end charts
10.4.4.4 Certifications


11 See also
12 References
13 External links

Background and recording[edit]



It's sort of a message song. It's what 'Prince of Egypt' is about, Moses. If we were ever going to come together on any kind of record, this is definitely the right one, and really the coolest thing to me is that after all of the drama and everybody making it like we had a rivalry, she was just really cool and we had a really good time in the studio. We had fun. And so, if nothing else, it was a good experience... and diva-ism, whatever."
—Carey, on working with Houston in the studio, during an interview with Vibe.[3]
When Carey compiled her first compilation effort #1's, "When You Believe" was included in the track listing. According to Carey, the song was included because she felt it was "a miracle" that she and Houston collaborated on a record.[4] During the development of All That Glitters (a film Carey was working on at the time, later known as Glitter), she had been introduced to DreamWorks co-owner Jeffrey Katzenberg, who asked her if she would record the song "When You Believe" for the soundtrack of the animated film The Prince of Egypt.[3] Houston, on the other hand, was introduced to the project though Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, with whom she had been collaborating on her album at the time, My Love Is Your Love. After they were shown the film separately, both became very enthusiastic about participating in the project.[3]
The song was co-written by Stephen Schwartz and Babyface, who also produced the song.[4] Carey had previously collaborated with Babyface on her albums, Music Box (1993) and Daydream (1995), and Houston had previously collaborated with him on her album I'm Your Baby Tonight (1990), as well as her song "Queen of the Night" from The Bodyguard: Original Soundtrack Album (1992), her tracks on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack (1995) and two tracks from The Preacher's Wife soundtrack (1996), "You Were Loved" and "My Heart Is Calling". Babyface expressed how he went through more than one version of the song and described its production as a beautiful movie ballad, something different from anything he, Carey or Houston had ever previously recorded.[5] In an interview with Vibe, Carey said that she "liked [the song] the way it was".[5] She had characterised it as "a very big ballad but in an inspirational way" and denied speculation that there had been past rivalry or animosity between her and Houston prior to its recording: "I never even really talked to her until this. We never had any issues between us. The media and everybody made it an issue."[5] In an interview with Ebony, Houston spoke about her relationship with Carey:

"I enjoyed working with her very much. Mariah and I got along very great. We had never talked and never sang together before. We just had a chance for camaraderie, singer-to-singer, artist-to-artist, that kind of thing. We just laughed and talked and laughed and talked and sang in between that ... It's good to know that two ladies of soul can still be friends. We talked about doing other things together, enterprise-wise, which is cool, because she's got a good, vivid mind, that girl. She's a smart lady. I really like Mariah."[6]
While the pair continued to express their positive feelings for one another, tabloids began writing the opposite.[4] There were claims that the two bore ill will against each other, and that they had to record the song separately due to constant tension. While media speculation grew as the film's release date drew near, both singers maintained that they had become close friends, and had only the most positive things to say about each other.[4] Originally, Schwartz composed the film version of "When You Believe", which was sung in the film by the characters of Tzipporah (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Miriam (Sally Dworsky).[7] It featured some different instrumentation from the original, and used a children's choir as well as some lines in Hebrew. However, in order to give the song a wider radio and pop appeal, Edmonds changed some of the song's instrumentals and replaced the children's choir with a gospel one.[7] His version was considered more "commercial" and would make the song "help sell the movie". Schwartz's original version was titled "When You Believe", while Edmonds' enhanced version was titled "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)".[7]
Lyrical content[edit]
The Prince of Egypt is an adaptation of the Biblical story of the Exodus. "When You Believe" is sung in the film by characters Tzipporah and Miriam, and a chorus of people departing from the slavery of Egypt to the Red Sea and the Promised Land.[2] The protagonists of this ballad recall tough times that have caused them to question their own faith: they have prayed for many nights to God, but those prayers have seemed to remain unanswered, and now they wonder if their faith has been only a waste of time. Nevertheless, the main characters realize that although the times may be difficult, their faith should remain strong.[4] The original draft of the song used the lyric "you can do miracles when you believe", but this seemed to imply that the believer, not God, was responsible for performing miracles; the lyric was later changed to "there can be miracles when you believe".[8]
Houston had sung in a church choir while growing up, and Carey had always connected to her faith through music, especially during any difficult times.[4] This song became one of the many reasons that both singers were so interested in the project. They each felt that spreading faith in God was an important and honorable aspect of their career.[4] While describing the song's lyrics and message, Houston said the following in an interview with 'Ebony:

A powerful ballad; [songwriter] Stephen Schwartz is a genius. You have to be a child of God to understand the depth of this song. Mariah and I did it as we felt it. We both felt very connected to the song because of our background. What can I say? (It is) Just a beautiful song. What a lyric! I can't talk about it--just listen to it.[6]
Composition[edit]




"When You Believe"







A 30-second sample of the song, featuring the gospel-inspired background vocals and last bridge.

Problems playing this file? See media help.
"When You Believe" is a slow tempo ballad, which incorporates pop and contemporary R&B genres. Carey and Houston's parts in the song are written in different keys, both musically and vocally. During the last bridge and chorus, gospel inspired background singers join the song, giving it a "layered sound" while Carey and Houston's voice switch off belting the bridge. After "When You Believe" was written, Babyface added additional instrumentation, as well as a final bridge.[5] The song is set in signature common time.[9] Houston's verses and chorus are written in the key of B minor and features a basic chord progression of A♭-G♭1.[9] Her vocals in the song range from the note of F♯3 to F♯5.[9] Carey's chorus are set in the higher key of E major and is set in common time as well. Her vocal range in the song spans from the low note of G3 to the high note of G6, spanning more octaves than Houston's voice in the song.[10] The song climaxes rise to the last chorus which is set even higher in the key of F-sharp major. Steve Jones from USA Today called the song a "soaring duet" and felt that the song would be able to appeal to many types of listeners and "cross all genres."[11]
Critical reception[edit]
"When You Believe" received a mixed review from David Browne, an editor from Entertainment Weekly.[12] He gave it a C-, and wrote "[the song has] so much sap, maple trees will be jealous." He called the song's religious aspect "insipid" and felt its inspirational message felt forced and generic.[12] While Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic was reviewing Prince Of Egypt OST, he called this duet "unexpected -- and unexpectedly dull."[13] Paul Verna of Billboard called this song "high-powered" duet instead. When Billboad reviewed Houston's album they highlighted it.[14]
Commercial reception[edit]
The song performed moderately in the United States, despite a performance of The Oprah Winfrey Show and the 71st annual Academy Awards. It peaked at number 15 on the Hot 100 and number three on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart.[15] On March 24, 1999, after fluctuating in the US charts, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), denoting shipments of over 500,000 units.[16] In Canada, the song debuted on the RPM Singles Chart at number 66 on the RPM issue dated December 7, 1998,[17] and peaked at number 20 on the chart issue dated January 25, 1999.[18] It was present on the chart for a total of ten weeks.[19]
The song performed moderately in Australia, where it entered at number 25 on the ARIA Singles Chart during the week of December 6, 1998.[20] It remained on the chart for 14 weeks, spending its last week on the chart at number 50; it was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), denoting shipments of over 35,000 units.[21] In New Zealand, it peaked at number eight on the singles chart, and spent nine weeks fluctuating in the singles chart.[22] "When You Believe" experienced its highest charting in Europe. In Belgium, it reached number five on the Flanders Ultratop 50, and peaked at number four and spent 20 weeks on the Wallonian Ultratop 40.[23] During the week of December 5, 1998, "When You Believe" entered the Dutch Top 40 at number fifty-four. The song spent twenty-one weeks on the singles chart and was peaked at number four.[24] Due to strong single sales, the song entered the Finnish Singles Chart at number 10, however, it only spent one week in the chart.[25] In France, the song entered the French Singles Chart at number 14 on December 5, 1998 and eventually peaked at number five.[26] After spending 20 weeks fluctuating in the singles chart, it was certified silver by the Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP).[27] In Germany, it peaked at number eight on the German Singles Chart and was certified gold by the Bundesverband Musikindustrie, denoting shipments of over 250,000 units.[28][29] The song peaked at number seven in Ireland, where it spent 11 weeks in the Irish Singles Chart.[30]
In Norway, "When You Believe" entered at number three on the VG-lista chart and peaked at number two, spending three consecutive weeks at the position.[31] It was certified platinum by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) and spent 15 weeks on the chart.[32] The song peaked at number two in Sweden and Switzerland, spending 20 and 24 weeks on the singles charts, respectively.[33][34] The IFPI certified the song platinum in Sweden and gold in Switzerland.[35][36] "When You Believe" experienced high charting in the United Kingdom. It peaked at number four on the UK Singles Chart during the week of December 19, 1998 and spent 14 weeks on the chart.[37] As of 2008, sales of the song in the UK are estimated at over 265,000 units.[38]
Music videos[edit]
The single's music video was filmed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music during the fall of 1998.[4] The video begins with Houston entering a small arena as she begins to sing the song's first verse. As she finishes her part, Carey appears on the stage as well, performing the second verse and chorus. The video is set in a dark studio accented by Egyptian settings, backdrops, and scenes inspired by The Prince of Egypt. An audience is on hand to emulate a concert-like-setting, cheering on both singers. Occasionally, home video clips of Carey and Houston appear throughout the video, as well as clips of the final moments of the film, during the splitting of the Red Sea. The video ends as the room is illuminated, and the two singers are joined by a large choir. As they complete the song, Carey and Houston receive a standing ovation from the crowd, and exit the studio together, walking side by side as they disappear in the distance. For the video, Carey and Houston both donned similar low-cut black gowns, while Carey sported a long straight hairstyle, and Houston a pixie cut.
The song's alternate video features a similar synopsis, where Houston begins the song on a large stone altar in the middle of an auditorium. As she finishes her verse, Carey is seen walking up the ramp in the background, joining Houston for her verse. They continue the song together, standing side by side and holding hands. After completing the song, both singer exit the auditorium together as in the first video, simulating two friends enjoying time with each other.[4] Both videos are very similar, only the alternate version does not feature an audience, choir or images, only the duo singing together atop the stone altar.[4] In this version of the video, Houston wears a long brown strapless gown, and features a shoulder length bob haircut. Carey on the other hand, features long cascading curls and dons an olive green gown.
Live performances[edit]
The duo performed the song live on The Oprah Winfrey Show on November 26, 1998. Aside from the joint performance, Carey and Houston sang their own singles at the time, "I Still Believe" and "I Learned from the Best", respectively.[6] Additionally, they sang the song live at the 71st Annual Academy Awards on March 21, 1999.[39] Before the performance, they were due to rehearse together a few days before their scheduled appearance. Houston however, called in sick and had to miss the rehearsal.[39] Reportedly, her excuse was not taken well, with academy executives calling it a "bullshit story." Conti, the academy's musical arranger, found a young female singer to take Houston's place, Janis Uhley. Before the performance, Carey walked down the stage in a white top and jeans, while choreographer Debbie Allen led the background singers.[39] As they began the performance, Carey forgot the lyrics and stopped, as Uhley began singing in a "theatricality and gusto." Her boastful performance was not taken well by the directors, who called it "inappropriate and unnerving." After she was removed from the stage, a new date was chosen for the rehearsal, one that would accommodate both Carey and Houston.[39] The next night, after they began the rehearsal, both singers had trouble performing the film version of the song. After hours of practice and confusion, they reached a compromise; they would sing a mash-up of the film and single versions, which featured an additional bridge and instrumentation by Edmonds. For the awards ceremony on the twenty first, Carey and Houston wore matching white gowns, symbolizing "humbleness and simplicity."[40] At 5:55 pm, Houston entered the arena, performing her verse, followed by Carey. As the song's finale drew near, a full gospel choir joined the performance from large suspending golden scaffolding, all wearing large white tunics.[40] After the original was nominated for the Academy Award, Schwartz refused to give Edmonds writing credits in nomination forms submitted to the academy.[7] However, after being booked to perform at the awards show ceremony, Carey and Houston were told to perform the film version of the song, because it was the version nominated. To their dismay, both singers were not familiar with the original arrangement or key, because they had been performing the radio version throughout the winter.[7] Conti composed a new version, which intermingled both versions. His idea was to help the duo learn the song's new arrangement, yet still satisfy the academy.[7]



Charts[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (1998–99)
Peak
 position

Australia (ARIA)[20] 13
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[41] 6
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[23] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[23] 4
Canada (RPM)[18] 20
Europe (European Hot 100)[42] 2
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[25] 10
France (SNEP)[26] 5
Germany (Media Control Charts)[28] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[30] 7
Italy (Musica e Dischi)[43] 3
Japan (Oricon)[44] 40
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[24] 4
New Zealand (RIANZ)[22] 8
Norway (VG-lista)[31] 2
Spain (AFYVE)[43] 2
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[33] 2
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[36] 2
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[37] 4
US Billboard Hot 100[45] 15
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[45] 25
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[45] 13
US Adult Pop Songs (Billboard)[45] 37
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[45] 3
Chart (2012)
Peak
 position
France (SNEP)[46] 90
South Korea (Gaon) International Singles[47] 68
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[48] 97

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (1998)
Position

Australian Singles Chart[49] 79
Belgian Singles Chart (Flanders)[50] 70
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[51] 57
Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks[52] 89
French Singles Chart[53] 86
Swedish Singles Chart[54] 42
Chart (1999)
Position
Austrian Singles Chart[55] 33
Belgian Singles Chart (Wallonia)[56] 58
Canadian Adult Contemporary Tracks[57] 60
Dutch Top 40[58] 50
Dutch Single Top 100[59] 34
French Singles Chart[60] 64
German Singles Chart[61] 47
Italian Singles Chart[62] 29
Swedish Singles Chart[63] 32
Swiss Singles Chart[64] 6
US Billboard Hot 100[65] 99
US R&B/Hip-Hop Single Sales[citation needed] 69
US Top Adult Contemporary Songs[citation needed] 19

Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification
Sales/shipments


Australia (ARIA)[66]
Gold 35,000^
Belgium (BEA)[67]
Platinum 50,000*
France (SNEP)[68]
Gold 250,000*
Germany (BVMI)[69]
Gold 250,000^
Norway (IFPI Norway)[70]
Platinum 10,000*
Sweden (GLF)[71]
Platinum 30,000x
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[72]
Gold 25,000x
United Kingdom (BPI)[73]
Silver 200,000^
United States (RIAA)[74]
Gold 500,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone


Cover versions[edit]
Candice Glover version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Candice Glover

Released
April 18, 2013
Format
Digital download
Genre
Pop
Length
4:31
Label
19 Recordings
"When You Believe" was performed by American Idol contestant and winner Candice Glover on the twelfth season of the show. A studio recording of the song was also released as a single on ITunes.[75] Glover performed "When You Believe" on American Idol on the "Divas" theme night on April 17, 2013.[76] Glover's performance was met with praise from the show's judges and it was generally considered the best performance of the night.[76][77] Rolling Stone wrote that Glover "got judges on their feet" with her "impeccable" performance.[78] Mariah Carey was moved to tears by the performance and complimented Glover for doing the song justice.[79] Nicki Minaj exlaimed at the end of the performance that "And that is how you do a Mariah Carey/Whitney Houston song".[80] Randy Jackson considered Glover's performance "best vocal of the night".[77] Likewise, Billboard called Glover's performance "best single showing of the night" and commented on the vocal delivery that "she knows precisely when to hit the sweet spot of a song, building up to that point with masterful restraint".[76] MTV News commented that Glover "positively slay[ed]" the song.[81]
Track listing
Digital download[75]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:31
Celtic Woman version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Celtic Woman

from the album Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart

Released
June 27, 2011
Format
CD single ·
 Digital download
 
Length
4:30
Label
Manhattan
Producer(s)
David Downes

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube


"When You Believe" was recorded by Irish musical ensmble Celtic Woman and released as a single from their fifth studio album Celtic Woman: Songs from the Heart (2010).[82] The song also appears on the Japanese release of their seventh studio album Celtic Woman: Believe (2011).[83] The song features vocals from one of the group's singers Chloë Agnew. In an interview for Chicago Music Magazine, Chloë Agnew described the lyrics of the song as "really incredible".[84] She stated that "It is a songs that I listen to and wish I had written. It’s really so special. I think a lot of people have found strength and hope in the lyrics. It's been really rewarding to meet and talk to people at our meet and greet events come up and tell me how much that song means to them and how it has helped them".[84]
Track listing
Promo CD single[85]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:30
Chloë Agnew version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Song by Chloë Agnew from the album Chloë

Length
03:34
Label
Celtic Collection
Chloë track listing

Ave Maria
 (3) "When You Believe"
 (4) The Water Is Wide
 (5)

"When You Believe" was recorded by Irish singer Chloë Agnew for her debut album Chloë (2002).[86][87]
Tracklisting
Digital download[87]

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   3:34
Personnel
Adaped from CD Universe's product description.[88]
Chloe Agnew - Voice
David Agnew - Oboe
Liz Foster - Background vocals
Leon Jackson version[edit]

"When You Believe"

Single by Leon Jackson

from the album Right Now

Released
December 16, 2007
Format
CD single ·
 digital download
 
Recorded
2007
Genre
Pop
Length
4:16
Label
Syco
Producer(s)
Steve Mac
Leon Jackson singles chronology

 "When You Believe"
 (2007) "Don't Call This Love"
 (2008)


The X Factor winner's single chronology

"A Moment Like This"
 (2006) "When You Believe"
 (2007) "Hallelujah"
 (2008)

Music video
"When You Believe" on YouTube


"When You Believe" was recorded by The X Factor winner Leon Jackson in December 2007.[89] The single was available to download from midnight after the result of the show on December 15, 2007, and a CD was rush-released mid-week, on December 19, 2007.[89] This is unusual as most new singles are released on a Monday to gain maximum sales for the UK Singles Chart the following Sunday. Exceptions included the previous two X Factor winners whose were singles released in this fashion, in order for them to compete to be the Christmas number-one single, which they all became.[89] A video for the single was made by each of the final four of the series; Jackson, Rhydian Roberts, Same Difference and Niki Evans. However, only the winner's version of the song and video was released.
The song ended 2007 as the year's fourth biggest-selling single in the UK and remained number one into 2008.[90] However, it only managed to stay in the top 40 for seven weeks, despite being atop the chart for three weeks. It also soon disappeared from the top 100, and was gone by late February.[91]
Track listing[edit]

UK CD single

No.
Title
Length

1. "When You Believe"   4:16
2. "Home" (Live from X Factor) 2:34
3. "Fly Me to the Moon" (Live from X Factor) 2:25
Music video[edit]
The music video, like previous X Factor winners singles, is very simple, with Jackson singing the song in front of a large projection, with swooping shots of various landscapes behind him. It also features several clips from his time in The X Factor, from his first audition to the moment he was announced the winner and performed his single to close the series. Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne, Dannii Minogue, Louis Walsh, Dermot O'Leary and runner-up Rhydian Roberts all feature within the clips.
Chart performance[edit]
On December 23, 2007, it debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart, making it the coveted Christmas number one with sales of over 275,000 copies.[92] It stayed at number one for three weeks until it fell down to number five on its fourth week and then fell another ten places to number fifteen in its fifth week.[91] According to The Official Charts Company, the song has sold 506,000 copies in the UK as of December 2012.[93] Additionally, It also spent three weeks at the top of the Irish Singles Chart.[92]
Charts and certifications[edit]

Weekly charts[edit]

Chart (2007)
Peak
 position

European Hot 100[94] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[95] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[95] 1

Year-end charts[edit]

Chart (2007)
Peak
 position

Irish Singles Chart[96] 12
UK Singles Chart[97] 3

Decade-end charts[edit]

Chart (2000–2009)
Position
UK Singles Chart[97] 92
Certifications[edit]

Region
Certification
Sales/shipments


United Kingdom (BPI)[98]
Gold 400,000^
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone
xunspecified figures based on certification alone


See also[edit]
List of number-one singles from the 2000s (UK)
List of number-one singles of 2007 (Ireland)
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 137. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
2.^ Jump up to: a b Solomon, Charles (1998). The Prince of Egypt: A New Vision in Animation. New York.: Harry N. Abrams. p. 161. ISBN 0-8109-4369-7.
3.^ Jump up to: a b c "Mariah Talks About Whitney Duet, Takes Stage With Jermaine Dupri And Da Brat". MTV. MTV Networks. 1998-08-31. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i j Shapiro, Marc (2001). Mariah Carey: The Unauthorized Biography. ECW Press. pp. 114–115. ISBN 978-1-55022-444-3.
5.^ Jump up to: a b c d Higher and Higher. Vibe (LLC). 1998-11-12. Retrieved 2010-09-28.
6.^ Jump up to: a b c "Whitney and Mariah team up on hit tune 'When You Believe'". BNET (Business Wire). 1998-12-14. Retrieved 2010-09-29.
7.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f Pond, Steve (2005). The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards. Faber and Faber. pp. 204–205. ISBN 978-0-571-21190-6.
8.Jump up ^ "Cartoon Excellence". Retrieved 2014-01-16.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c "Whitney Houston – When You Believe – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Cherry Lane Music Co., Inc. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
10.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey – When You Believe – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Cherry Lane Music Co., Inc. Retrieved 2009-05-05.
11.Jump up ^ Steve Jones (1998-11-17). "Houston's 'Love' stands on its own" (PAYMENT REQUIRED TO VIEW THE FULL ARTICLE). USA Today (Gannett Company Inc.). Retrieved 2010-06-06.
12.^ Jump up to: a b Browne, David (1998-10-30). "When You Believe (From The Prince of Egypt) (1998)". Time Warner. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
13.Jump up ^ Stephen Thomas Erlewine. "The Prince of Egypt - Hans Zimmer - Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards - AllMusic". AllMusic.
14.Jump up ^ Billboard.
15.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey Album & Song Chart History". Billboard. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
16.Jump up ^ "Gold & Platinum: Search Results". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
17.Jump up ^ "Top Singles - Volume 68, No. 11, December 07 1998". RPM. 1998-12-07. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
18.^ Jump up to: a b "Top Singles - Volume 68, No. 14, January 25, 1999". RPM. 1999-01-25. Retrieved 2010-09-13.
19.Jump up ^ "Top Singles - Volume 68, No. 16, February 08 1999". RPM. RPM Music Publications Ltd. 1998-02-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
20.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
21.Jump up ^ "ARIA Charts - Accreditations - 1998 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. ARIA Charts. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
22.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Charts.org.nz. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
23.^ Jump up to: a b c "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". ARIA Charts. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
24.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Dutch Singles Chart (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
25.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Finnish Singles Chart (in Finnish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
26.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Lescharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
27.Jump up ^ "Certifications Singles Or - année 1999" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
28.^ Jump up to: a b "Chartverfolgung/Carey, Mariah/Single" (in German). musicline.de PhonoNet. Retrieved 2010-01-21.
29.Jump up ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank ('When You Believe')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 2010-08-18.
30.^ Jump up to: a b "Search the Chart". Irish Recorded Music Association. Fireball Media. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
31.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Norwegiancharts.com (in Norwegian). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
32.Jump up ^ "Norway's certification database" (in Norwegian). International Federation of the Phonographic Industry – Norway. Retrieved 2010-08-19.
33.^ Jump up to: a b "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Swedishcharts.com (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
34.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey - When You Believe". Hitparade.ch (in Swiss). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
35.Jump up ^ "AR 1999" (PDF). Swedishcharts.com (in Swedish). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
36.^ Jump up to: a b "Awards 1998". Swisscharts.com (in Swiss). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-01.
37.^ Jump up to: a b "Chart Archive: 19th December 1998". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2010-11-28.
38.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey Official Top 20 Best Selling Singles in the UK". MTV Networks Europe. MTV (UK and Ireland). Retrieved 2010-11-10.
39.^ Jump up to: a b c d Pond, Steve (2005). The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards. Faber and Faber. pp. 206–207. ISBN 978-0-571-21190-6.
40.^ Jump up to: a b Pond, Steve (2005). The Big Show: High Times and Dirty Dealings Backstage at the Academy Awards. Faber and Faber. pp. 213–214. ISBN 978-0-571-21190-6.
41.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston - When You Believe". Austriancharts.at. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
42.Jump up ^ "Hits of the World" 110 (52). Billboard. 1998-12-26. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
43.^ Jump up to: a b "Hits of the World" 111 (2). Billboard. 1999-01-16. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved 2011-04-02.
44.Jump up ^ "Profile of Mariah Carey" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 2010-09-21.
45.^ Jump up to: a b c d e "AllMusic ((( Whitney Houston > Charts & Awards > Billboard Singles)))". AllMusic. Billboard. Retrieved 2010-10-02.
46.Jump up ^ "Lescharts.com – Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston – When You Believe" (in French). Les classement single.
47.Jump up ^ "South Korea Gaon International Chart (Week: February 12, 2012 to February 18, 2012)". Gaon Chart. January 5, 2013. Retrieved 2013-01-05.
48.Jump up ^ Lauren Kreisler (14 February 2012). "27 Whitney Houston tracks on course to re-enter Official Singles Chart". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-07-28.
49.Jump up ^ "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 1998". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved 2011-05-31.
50.Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be - Jaaroverzichten 1998". Retrieved 2011-05-29.
51.Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be - Rapports annuels 1998". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien (in French). Retrieved 2011-05-28.
52.Jump up ^ "RPM's Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks of '98". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 14, 1998. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
53.Jump up ^ "Classement Singles – année 1998". Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (in French). Retrieved 2011-06-04.
54.Jump up ^ "Sverigetopplistan - Årslistan 1998 (Note: go to Sök alla listor > Årslistor > Välj år 1999 > Visa!)" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2011-05-28.
55.Jump up ^ "Austriancharts.at - Jahreshitparade 1999". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2010-05-30.
56.Jump up ^ "Ultratop.be - Rapports annuels 1999". Ultratop 50. Hung Medien (in French). Retrieved 2011-03-20.
57.Jump up ^ "RPM 1999 Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 13, 1999. Retrieved 2014-01-05.
58.Jump up ^ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1999". Dutch Top 40 (in Dutch). Stichting Nederlandse Top 40. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
59.Jump up ^ "Dutchcharts.nl - Jaaroverzichten - Single 1999". Single Top 100 (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2011-03-20.
60.Jump up ^ "Classements Singles année 1999". Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique (in French). Retrieved 2011-03-20.
61.Jump up ^ "German Top 20 - The Chart Of 1999". Würzburg Universität. Retrieved 2011-05-04.
62.Jump up ^ "Top Annuali Single: 1999" (in Italian). Federation of the Italian Music Industry.
63.Jump up ^ "Sverigetopplistan - Årslistan 1999 (Note: go to Sök alla listor > Årslistor > Välj år 1999 > Visa!)" (in Swedish). Retrieved 2011-05-28.
64.Jump up ^ "Hitparade.ch - Jahreshitparade 1999". Swiss Music Charts. Hung Medien (in German). Retrieved 2011-03-20.
65.Jump up ^ "Billboard Top 100 - 1999". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-28.
66.Jump up ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
67.Jump up ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – 1999". Ultratop & Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.
68.Jump up ^ "Singles - SNEP". SNEP.
69.Jump up ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston; 'When You Believe')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
70.Jump up ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Whitney Houston & Mariah Carey – When You Believe" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway.
71.Jump up ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1999" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
72.Jump up ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston; 'When You Believe')". Hung Medien.
73.Jump up ^ "British single certifications – Mariah Carey & Whitney Houston – When You Believe". British Phonographic Industry. Enter When You Believe in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
74.Jump up ^ "American single certifications – Carey, Mariah & W. Houston – When You Believe". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
75.^ Jump up to: a b "When You Believe (American Idol Performance) - Single". ITunes. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
76.^ Jump up to: a b c "'American Idol' Recap: Ladies Tackle Divas, Songs From Birth Year". Billboard.
77.^ Jump up to: a b "‘American Idol’ Recap: Top 5 Ladies Compete". PopCrush.
78.Jump up ^ "'American Idol' Recap: Candice Glover Steals the Show Again". Rolling Stone.
79.Jump up ^ "Mariah Carey cries on American Idol after Candice Glover sings her hit When You Believe - Daily Mail Online". Mail Online.
80.Jump up ^ "‘American Idol’: The Ladies Do Diva Songs By Whitney, Paula And, Yes, Mariah Carey - Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com". Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com.
81.Jump up ^ "‘American Idol’ Report Card: Candice Glover Holds Strong, Angie Miller Moves Up". MTV News.
82.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman Songs from the Heart". AllMusic. All Media Network, LLC. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
83.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman - Believe Album". Celticwoman.com. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
84.^ Jump up to: a b Kellner, Shawn (December 7, 2012). "Interview with Chloe Agnew of Celtic Woman". Chicago Music Magazine. Chicago Music Magazine, LLC. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
85.Jump up ^ "Celtic Woman - When You Believe (Song)". Australiancharts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2014-06-27.
86.Jump up ^ "Chloë Agnew – angelic voice of Celtic Woman". Irish Music Daily. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
87.^ Jump up to: a b "Chloë - Chloë". Amazon.com. Amazon.com, Inc. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
88.Jump up ^ "Chloe CD Chloe". CD Universe. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
89.^ Jump up to: a b c Wilkes, Neil (2007-12-18). "Leon set for No.1 despite "reporting issues"". Hachette Filipacchi Médias. Digital Spy. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
90.Jump up ^ "The Official UK Top 40 Singles Chart". Royal Charter. British Broadcasting Corporation. 2010-12-05. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
91.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon Jackson - When You Believe". Chart Stats. UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 2010-12-07.
92.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon clinches Christmas number one spot". Hachette Filipacchi Médias (Digital Spy). 2007-12-23. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
93.Jump up ^ Lane, Dan (20 December 2012). "The Top 10 biggest selling X Factor debut singles and albums revealed!". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2012-12-27.
94.Jump up ^ "Euro Chart Hot 100 Singles". Billboard (Reuters). 2007-12-29. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
95.^ Jump up to: a b "Leon Jackson - When You Believe worldwide chart positions and trajectories". aCharts.us. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
96.Jump up ^ "Irish Charts - Best of 2007". Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
97.^ Jump up to: a b "Chart Archive - 2000s Singles". UK Singles Chart. Everyhit.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
98.Jump up ^ "British single certifications – Leon Jackson – When You Believe". British Phonographic Industry. Enter When You Believe in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Gold in the field By Award. Click Search
External links[edit]
When You Believe at Discogs
When You Believe (Leon Jackson) at Discogs
Full lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics


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The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


The Prince of Egypt

Soundtrack album by Various artists

Released
November 17, 1998
Genre
Soundtrack
Length
72:50
Label
DreamWorks Records
Producer
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface, Michael Omartian, Hans Zimmer
The Prince of Egypt chronology

The Prince of Egypt (Nashville)
 (1998) The Prince of Egypt
 (1998) 


Singles from The Prince of Egypt
1."When You Believe"
 Released: November 2, 1998
2."I Will Get There"
 Released: December 29, 1998




 Alternate cover for "When You Believe".
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars link
Filmtracks 4/5 stars[1]
The official soundtrack for The Prince of Egypt was released on November 17, 1998, and featured songs from the movie, as well as songs not used in the film. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Top Contemporary Christian chart, and No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In addition to the official soundtrack, collector's edition, country and inspirational tie-in albums were also released. These other albums had music that was not used in the movie but rather inspired by the Biblical story of Exodus.
The album also spawned a pair of hit singles. The first track, "When You Believe", was a duet performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The album's final track, "I Will Get There", was performed a cappella by R&B quartet Boyz II Men.
Track listing[edit]

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Performer(s)
Length

1. "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)"   Stephen Schwartz Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston 5:05
2. "Deliver Us" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer) Stephen Schwartz Ofra Haza and Eden Riegel 7:16
3. "The Reprimand"   Hans Zimmer   4:05
4. "Following Tzipporah"   Hans Zimmer   1:01
5. "All I Ever Wanted (With Queen's Reprise)" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams) Stephen Schwartz Amick Byram and Linda Dee Shayne 2:51
6. "Goodbye Brother"   Hans Zimmer Ofra Haza 5:34
7. "Through Heaven's Eyes" (produced/arranged by Gavin Greenaway) Stephen Schwartz Brian Stokes Mitchell 3:42
8. "The Burning Bush"   Hans Zimmer   7:18
9. "Playing with the Big Boys" (produced/arranged by John Powell) Stephen Schwartz Steve Martin and Martin Short 2:53
10. "Cry"   Hans Zimmer Ofra Haza 3:50
11. "Rally"   Hans Zimmer   0:43
12. "The Plagues" (produced/arranged by Gavin Greenaway) Stephen Schwartz Ralph Fiennes and Amick Byram 2:40
13. "Death of the First Born"   Hans Zimmer   1:08
14. "When You Believe" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer) Stephen Schwartz Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky 4:55
15. "Red Sea"   Hans Zimmer   5:15
16. "Through Heaven's Eyes"   Stephen Schwartz K-Ci & JoJo 5:05
17. "River Lullaby"   Stephen Schwartz Amy Grant 3:57
18. "Humanity"   Stephen Schwartz Jessica Andrews, Clint Black, Shirley Caesar, Jesse Campbell, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Boyz II Men 4:33
19. "I Will Get There"   Diane Warren Boyz II Men 4:20
Total length:
 76:11 
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ [1]


[hide]
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The Prince of Egypt


Films
The Prince of Egypt (1998 theatrical) ·
 Joseph: King of Dreams (2000 direct-to-video)
 

Soundtracks
The Prince of Egypt (Soundtrack) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (Nashville) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (Inspirational)
 

Songs
"Deliver Us" ·
 "All I Ever Wanted" ·
 "Through Heaven's Eyes" ·
 "Playing with the Big Boys" ·
 "The Plagues" ·
 "When You Believe" ·
 "I Will Get There" ·
 "You Know Better Than I"
 

Bible-related
Book of Exodus ·
 Moses ·
 Promised Land
 

Notable people and companies
DreamWorks Animation ·
 DreamWorks Pictures ·
 Hans Zimmer (score) ·
 Stephen Schwartz (songs) ·
 Jeffrey Katzenberg (exec. producer) ·
 Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, Steve Hickner (directors)
 

  


Categories: Film soundtracks
DreamWorks Records soundtracks
Albums produced by Michael Omartian
1998 soundtracks
Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios
The Prince of Egypt





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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince_of_Egypt_(soundtrack)















The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search


The Prince of Egypt

Soundtrack album by Various artists

Released
November 17, 1998
Genre
Soundtrack
Length
72:50
Label
DreamWorks Records
Producer
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Babyface, Michael Omartian, Hans Zimmer
The Prince of Egypt chronology

The Prince of Egypt (Nashville)
 (1998) The Prince of Egypt
 (1998) 


Singles from The Prince of Egypt
1."When You Believe"
 Released: November 2, 1998
2."I Will Get There"
 Released: December 29, 1998




 Alternate cover for "When You Believe".
Professional ratings

Review scores

Source
Rating
Allmusic 3/5 stars link
Filmtracks 4/5 stars[1]
The official soundtrack for The Prince of Egypt was released on November 17, 1998, and featured songs from the movie, as well as songs not used in the film. The album peaked at No. 1 on Billboard magazine's Top Contemporary Christian chart, and No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart.
In addition to the official soundtrack, collector's edition, country and inspirational tie-in albums were also released. These other albums had music that was not used in the movie but rather inspired by the Biblical story of Exodus.
The album also spawned a pair of hit singles. The first track, "When You Believe", was a duet performed by Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston. The album's final track, "I Will Get There", was performed a cappella by R&B quartet Boyz II Men.
Track listing[edit]

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Performer(s)
Length

1. "The Prince of Egypt (When You Believe)"   Stephen Schwartz Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston 5:05
2. "Deliver Us" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer) Stephen Schwartz Ofra Haza and Eden Riegel 7:16
3. "The Reprimand"   Hans Zimmer   4:05
4. "Following Tzipporah"   Hans Zimmer   1:01
5. "All I Ever Wanted (With Queen's Reprise)" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer and Harry Gregson-Williams) Stephen Schwartz Amick Byram and Linda Dee Shayne 2:51
6. "Goodbye Brother"   Hans Zimmer Ofra Haza 5:34
7. "Through Heaven's Eyes" (produced/arranged by Gavin Greenaway) Stephen Schwartz Brian Stokes Mitchell 3:42
8. "The Burning Bush"   Hans Zimmer   7:18
9. "Playing with the Big Boys" (produced/arranged by John Powell) Stephen Schwartz Steve Martin and Martin Short 2:53
10. "Cry"   Hans Zimmer Ofra Haza 3:50
11. "Rally"   Hans Zimmer   0:43
12. "The Plagues" (produced/arranged by Gavin Greenaway) Stephen Schwartz Ralph Fiennes and Amick Byram 2:40
13. "Death of the First Born"   Hans Zimmer   1:08
14. "When You Believe" (produced/arranged by Hans Zimmer) Stephen Schwartz Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky 4:55
15. "Red Sea"   Hans Zimmer   5:15
16. "Through Heaven's Eyes"   Stephen Schwartz K-Ci & JoJo 5:05
17. "River Lullaby"   Stephen Schwartz Amy Grant 3:57
18. "Humanity"   Stephen Schwartz Jessica Andrews, Clint Black, Shirley Caesar, Jesse Campbell, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Boyz II Men 4:33
19. "I Will Get There"   Diane Warren Boyz II Men 4:20
Total length:
 76:11 
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ [1]


[hide]
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The Prince of Egypt


Films
The Prince of Egypt (1998 theatrical) ·
 Joseph: King of Dreams (2000 direct-to-video)
 

Soundtracks
The Prince of Egypt (Soundtrack) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (Nashville) ·
 The Prince of Egypt (Inspirational)
 

Songs
"Deliver Us" ·
 "All I Ever Wanted" ·
 "Through Heaven's Eyes" ·
 "Playing with the Big Boys" ·
 "The Plagues" ·
 "When You Believe" ·
 "I Will Get There" ·
 "You Know Better Than I"
 

Bible-related
Book of Exodus ·
 Moses ·
 Promised Land
 

Notable people and companies
DreamWorks Animation ·
 DreamWorks Pictures ·
 Hans Zimmer (score) ·
 Stephen Schwartz (songs) ·
 Jeffrey Katzenberg (exec. producer) ·
 Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells, Steve Hickner (directors)
 

  


Categories: Film soundtracks
DreamWorks Records soundtracks
Albums produced by Michael Omartian
1998 soundtracks
Albums recorded at Abbey Road Studios
The Prince of Egypt





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The Prince of Egypt

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This article is about the film. For the soundtrack, see The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack).

The Prince of Egypt
Prince of egypt ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Simon Wells
Brenda Chapman
 Steve Hickner
Produced by
Penney Finkelman Cox
 Sandra Rabins
Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer)
Screenplay by
Philip LaZebnik
Nicholas Meyer
Based on
The Book of Exodus
Starring
Val Kilmer
Ralph Fiennes
Michelle Pfeiffer
Sandra Bullock
Jeff Goldblum
Patrick Stewart
Danny Glover
Steve Martin
Martin Short
Music by
Hans Zimmer (Score)
Stephen Schwartz (Songs)
Edited by
Nick Fletcher

Production
 company

DreamWorks Pictures[1]

Distributed by
DreamWorks Pictures[1]

Release dates

December 16, 1998 (premiere)[2]
December 18, 1998 (United States)[3]


Running time
 98 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Hebrew
Budget
$70 million[4]
Box office
$218,613,188[4]
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated epic musical biblical film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The film was directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells and Steve Hickner. The film featured songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. The voice cast featured a number of major Hollywood actors in the speaking roles, while professional singers replaced them for the songs, except for Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Ofra Haza (who sang her character's number, "Deliver Us", in over seventeen languages for the film's dubbing), who sang their own parts.
The film was nominated for best Original Musical or Comedy Score and won for Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards for "When You Believe".[5] The song's pop version was performed at the ceremony by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The song, co-written by Stephen Schwartz, Hans Zimmer and with additional production by Babyface, was nominated for Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) at the 1999 Golden Globes,[6] and was also nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film at the ALMA Awards.
The film was released in theaters on December 18, 1998, and on home video on September 14, 1999. The film went on to gross $218,613,188 worldwide in theaters,[4] making it the second non-Disney animated feature to gross over $100 million in the U.S. after Paramount/Nickelodeon's The Rugrats Movie. The Prince of Egypt became the top grossing non-Disney animated film until 2000 when it was out-grossed by the stop motion film Chicken Run (another DreamWorks film). The film also remained the highest grossing traditionally animated non-Disney film until 2007, when it was out-grossed by 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons Movie.[7] The Prince of Egypt is DreamWorks Animation's only traditionally animated film to win an Oscar and one of the four DreamWorks Animation films to be nominated for more than one Oscar.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Design and animation
3.3 Creating the voice of God
3.4 Music 3.4.1 Musical numbers

4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Reviews
5 Home media
6 Awards
7 Banning
8 Prequel
9 References
10 External links

Plot[edit]
In Ancient Egypt, Yocheved, a Hebrew slave, and her two children, Miriam and Aaron, watch as Hebrew babies are taken and slaughtered by Egyptian soldiers, as ordered by Seti I, who fears that an increase in Hebrew slaves could lead to rebellion. To save her own newborn son Moses, Yocheved places him in a basket afloat on the Nile. Miriam follows the basket to the Pharaoh's palace and witnesses her baby brother adopted by Pharaoh's queen.
Twenty years later, Moses and his foster brother Rameses are scolded by their father for accidentally destroying a temple during one of their youthful misadventures, though Moses tries to take the blame and says that Rameses wants their father's approval. That evening at a palace banquet, Seti, deciding to give Rameses this opportunity, names him Prince regent and gives him authority over Egypt's temples. As a tribute, the high priests Hotep and Huy offer him the captive Tzipporah, and Rameses gives her to Moses. Moses debunks Tzipporah, and Rameses appoints him Royal Chief Architect.
Later that night, Moses helps Tzipporah escape from the palace and is reunited with his siblings Miriam and Aaron. Despite Aaron's attempts to protect her, Miriam tries to tell Moses about his past, but he refuses to listen to her and returns to the palace. The truth about his past is later confirmed by a nightmare, and finally by Seti himself. The next day, Moses accidentally pushes an Egyptian guard off the scaffolding of the temple, while trying to stop him from whipping a Hebrew slave, and the guard falls to his death.
Ashamed and confused, Moses flees into the desert in exile, despite Rameses' pleas to stay. After Moses defends Tzipporah's younger sisters from bandits, he is welcomed into the tribe by their father Jethro. After assimilating this new culture, Moses becomes a shepherd and marries Tzipporah. While chasing a stray lamb, Moses discovers a burning bush through which God instructs him to guide the Hebrew slaves to their promised land, and bestows Moses' shepherding staff with his power. Moses and Tzipporah return to Egypt, where Moses is happily greeted by Rameses, who is now Pharaoh.
When Moses requests the Hebrews' release and changes his staff into an Egyptian cobra, to demonstrate his alliance with God, Hotep and Huy boastfully re-create this transformation, only to have their snakes eaten by Moses' snake. Rather than persuaded, Rameses is hardened and increases the Hebrews' workload. Moses and Tzipporah thereafter live with Miriam, who convinces Aaron and the other Hebrews to trust them. Later, Moses inflicts nine of the Plagues of Egypt; but Rameses refuses to relent, and Moses prepares the Hebrews for the tenth and final plague. That night, the final plague kills all the firstborn children of Egypt, including Rameses' son, while sparing those of the Hebrews. The next day, Rameses finally gives Moses permission to free the Hebrews.
The following morning, the Hebrews leave Egypt, led by Moses, Miriam, Aaron, and Tzipporah. At the Red Sea, they discover that Rameses is closely pursuing them with his army. Upon the arrival, Moses uses his staff to part the sea, while a fire blocks the army's way. The Hebrews cross the open sea bottom; and when the fire vanishes and the army gives chase, the water closes over the Egyptian soldiers, sparing Ramses alone. Thereafter Moses leads the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments.
Cast[edit]
Val Kilmer as Moses, a Hebrew who was adopted by Pharaoh Seti. Val Kilmer also provides (uncredited) the voice of God
Amick Byram provides Moses' singing voice.
Ralph Fiennes as Rameses II, Moses' adoptive brother and eventual successor to his father, Seti.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah, Jethro's oldest daughter and Moses' wife.
Sandra Bullock as Miriam, Moses and Aaron's biological sister. Sally Dworsky provides Miriam's singing voice.
Eden Riegel provides both the speaking and singing voice of a younger Miriam.
Jeff Goldblum as Aaron, Moses and Miriam's biological brother.
Patrick Stewart as Pharaoh Seti I, Rameses' father, Moses' adoptive father and the first Pharaoh in the film. Despite his callousness towards the Hebrew slaves, he is shown to treat Moses and Rameses with care and love.
Danny Glover as Jethro, Tzipporah's father and Midian's high priest. Brian Stokes Mitchell provides Jethro's singing voice.
Helen Mirren as Queen Tuya, Seti's consort, Rameses' mother, and Moses' adoptive mother. Linda Dee Shayne provides Queen Tuya's singing voice.
Steve Martin as Hotep
Martin Short as Huy
Ofra Haza as Yocheved, the biological mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses.
Director Brenda Chapman briefly voiced Miriam when she sings the lullaby to Moses. The vocal had been recorded for a scratch audio track, which was intended to be replaced later by Eden Riegel. The track turned out so well that it remained in the film.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg had always wanted to do an animated adaption of The Ten Commandments. While working for The Walt Disney Company, Katzenberg suggested this idea to Michael Eisner, but he refused. The idea for the film was brought back at the formation of DreamWorks SKG in 1994, when Katzenberg's partners, Amblin Entertainment founder Steven Spielberg, and music producer David Geffen, were meeting in Spielberg's living room.[8] Katzenberg recalls that Spielberg looked at him during the meeting and said, "You ought to do The Ten Commandments."[8]
The Prince of Egypt was "written" throughout the story process. Beginning with a starting outline, Story Supervisors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook led a team of fourteen storyboard artists and writers as they sketched out the entire film — sequence by sequence. Once the storyboards were approved, they were put into the Avid Media Composer digital editing system by editor Nick Fletcher to create a "story reel" or animatic. The story reel allowed the filmmakers to view and edit the entire film in continuity before production began, and also helped the layout and animation departments understand what is happening in each sequence of the film.[9] After casting of the voice talent concluded, dialogue recording sessions began. For the film, the actors record individually in a studio under guidance by one of the three directors. The voice tracks were to become the primary aspect as to which the animators built their performances.[9] Because DreamWorks was concerned about theological accuracy, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to call in Biblical scholars, Christian, Jewish and Muslim theologians, and Arab American leaders to help his film be more accurate and faithful to the original story. After previewing the developing film, all these leaders noted that the studio executives listened and responded to their ideas, and praised the studio for reaching out for comment from outside sources.[8]
Design and animation[edit]
Art directors Kathy Altieri and Richard Chavez and Production Designer Darek Gogol led a team of nine visual development artists in setting a visual style for the film that was representative of the time, the scale and the architectural style of Ancient Egypt.[9] Part of the process also included the research and collection of artwork from various artists, as well as taking part in trips such as a two-week travel across Egypt by the filmmakers before the film's production began.[9]
Character Designers Carter Goodrich, Carlos Grangel and Nicolas Marlet worked on setting the design and overall look of the characters. Drawing on various inspirations for the widely known characters, the team of character designers worked on designs that had a more realistic feel than the usual animated characters up to that time.[9] Both character design and art direction worked to set a definite distinction between the symmetrical, more angular look of the Egyptians versus the more organic, natural look of the Hebrews and their related environments.[9] The Backgrounds department, headed by supervisors Paul Lasaine and Ron Lukas, oversaw a team of artists who were responsible for painting the sets/backdrops from the layouts. Within the film, approximately 934 hand-painted backgrounds were created.[9]
The animation team for The Prince of Egypt, including 350 artists from 34 different nations, was primarily recruited both from Walt Disney Feature Animation,[10] which had fallen under Katzenberg's auspices while at The Walt Disney Company, and from Amblimation, a defunct division of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.[11] As at Disney's, character animators were grouped into teams by character: for example, Kristof Serrand, as the supervising animator of Older Moses, set the acting style of the character and assigned scenes to his team.[12] Consideration was given to properly depicting the ethnicities of the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, and Nubians seen in the film.[13]
There are 1192 scenes in the film, and 1180 contain work done by the special effects department, which animates everything in an animated scene which is not a character: blowing wind, dust, rainwater, shadows, etc. A blend of traditional animation and computer-generated imagery was used in the depictions of the ten plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea.[8][14] The animated characters were digitally inked and painted using Cambridge Systems' Animo software system,[15] and the compositing of the 2D and 3D elements was done using the "Exposure Tool", a digital solution developed for DreamWorks by Silicon Graphics.[16][14]
Creating the voice of God[edit]
The task of creating God's voice was given to Lon Bender and the team working with the film's music composer, Hans Zimmer.[17] "The challenge with that voice was to try to evolve it into something that had not been heard before," says Bender. "We did a lot of research into the voices that had been used for past Hollywood movies as well as for radio shows, and we were trying to create something that had never been previously heard not only from a casting standpoint but from a voice manipulation standpoint as well. The solution was to use the voice of actor Val Kilmer to suggest the kind of voice we hear inside our own heads in our everyday lives, as opposed to the larger than life tones with which God has been endowed in prior cinematic incarnations."[17] As a result, in the final film, Kilmer gave voice to Moses and God, as well, yet the suggestion is that someone else would have heard God speak to him again in his own voice.
Music[edit]
See also: The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack)
Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz began working on writing songs for the film from the beginning of the film's production. As the story evolved, he continued to write songs that would serve to both entertain and help move the story along. Composer Hans Zimmer arranged and produced the songs and then eventually wrote the film's score. The film's score was recorded entirely in London, England.[9]
Three soundtrack albums were released simultaneously for The Prince of Egypt, each of them aimed towards a different target audience. While the other two accompanying records, the country-themed "Nashville" soundtrack and the gospel-based "Inspirational" soundtrack, functioned as film tributes, the official The Prince of Egypt soundtrack contained the actual songs from the film.[18] This album combines elements from the score composed by Hans Zimmer and film songs by Stephen Schwartz.[18] The songs were either voiced over by professional singers (such as Salisbury Cathedral Choir), or sung by the film's voice actors, such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Ofra Haza. Various tracks by contemporary artists such as K-Ci & JoJo and Boyz II Men were added, including the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston duet "When You Believe", a Babyface rewrite of the original Schwartz composition, sung by Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky in the film. Amy Grant also sings a version of "River Lullaby".
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Deliver Us" – Yocheved and Chorus
2."All I Ever Wanted" – Moses
3."River Lullaby" - Miriam
4."All I Ever Wanted (Queen's Reprise)" – Queen Tuya
5."Through Heaven's Eyes" – Jethro
6."Playing with the Big Boys" – Hotep and Huy
7."The Plagues" – Moses, Rameses, and Chorus
8."When You Believe" – Miriam, Tzipporah, and Chorus
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]
On its opening weekend, the film grossed $14,524,321 for a $4,658 average from 3,118 theaters, earning second place at the box office, behind You've Got Mail. Due to the holiday season, the film gained 4% in its second weekend, earning $15,119,107 and finishing in fourth place. It had a $4,698 average from 3,218 theaters. It would hold well in its third weekend, with only a 25% drop to $11,244,612 for a $3,511 average from 3,202 theaters and once again finishing in fourth place. The film closed on May 27, 1999 after earning $101,413,188 in the United States and Canada with an additional $117,200,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $218.6 million.

The Prince of Egypt box office revenue

Source
Gross (USD)
 % Total
All Time Rank (Unadjusted)
United States & Canada $101,413,188[4] 46.4% 398[4]
Foreign $117,200,000[4] 53.6% –
Worldwide $218,613,188[4] 100.0% 319[4]
Reviews[edit]
The Prince of Egypt received generally positive reviews from critics and at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 84 reviews collected, the film has an overall approval rating of 79%, with a weighted average score of 7/10.[19] Metacritic, which assigns a normalized 0–100 rating to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 64 from the 26 reviews it collected.[20]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film in his review saying, "The Prince of Egypt is one of the best-looking animated films ever made. It employs computer-generated animation as an aid to traditional techniques, rather than as a substitute for them, and we sense the touch of human artists in the vision behind the Egyptian monuments, the lonely desert vistas, the thrill of the chariot race, the personalities of the characters. This is a film that shows animation growing up and embracing more complex themes, instead of chaining itself in the category of children's entertainment."[21] Richard Corliss of Time magazine gave a negative review of the film saying, "The film lacks creative exuberance, any side pockets of joy."[22] Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post praised the film saying, "The movie's proudest accomplishment is that it revises our version of Moses toward something more immediate and believable, more humanly knowable."[23]
Lisa Alspector from the Chicago Reader praised the film and wrote, "The blend of animation techniques somehow demonstrates mastery modestly, while the special effects are nothing short of magnificent."[24] Houston Chronicle's Jeff Millar reviewed by saying, "The handsomely animated Prince of Egypt is an amalgam of Hollywood biblical epic, Broadway supermusical and nice Sunday school lesson."[25] James Berardinelli from Reelviews highly praised the film saying, "The animation in The Prince of Egypt is truly top-notch, and is easily a match for anything Disney has turned out in the last decade", and also wrote "this impressive achievement uncovers yet another chink in Disney's once-impregnable animation armor."[26] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave a somewhat negative review and wrote, "Prince of Egypt is spectacular but takes itself too seriously."[27] MovieGuide also reviewed the film favorably, giving it a rare 4 out of 4 stars, saying that, "The Prince of Egypt takes animated movies to a new level of entertainment. Magnificent art, music, story, and realization combine to make The Prince of Egypt one of the most entertaining masterpieces of all time."[28]
Home media[edit]
The Prince of Egypt was released on DVD and VHS on September 14, 1999.[29] The ownership of the film was assumed by DreamWorks Animation when that company split from DreamWorks Pictures in 2004; as with the rest of the DreamWorks Animation catalog, it is available for streaming on Netflix in HD.[30]
Awards[edit]

Award
Category
Recipient
Result
Academy Awards[5] Best Original Musical or Comedy Score  Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Won
Annie Awards[31] Best Animated Feature  Nominated
Individual Achievement in Directing Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells Nominated
Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Lorna Cook (Story supervisor) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Jamie Lloyd (Effects Lead — Burning Bush/Angel of Death) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Voice Acting Ralph Fiennes ("Rameses") Nominated
Golden Globe Awards[6] Best Original Score  Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Nominated
Satellite Award[32] Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature  Nominated
Banning[edit]
The Prince of Egypt was banned in two countries where the population is predominantly Muslim: the Maldives and Malaysia, on the grounds that the depiction in the media of Islamic prophets (among which Moses is counted) is forbidden in Islam. The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives stated: "All prophets and messengers of God are revered in Islam, and therefore cannot be portrayed".[33][34] Following this ruling, the censor board banned the film in January 1999. In the same month, the Film Censorship Board in Malaysia banned the film, but did not provide a specific explanation. The board's secretary said that the censor body ruled the film was "insensitive for religious and moral reasons".[35]
Prequel[edit]
[icon] This section requires expansion. (April 2014)
Main article: Joseph: King of Dreams
In November 2000, DreamWorks Animation released Joseph: King of Dreams, a direct-to-video prequel based on the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Lovell, Glenn (December 10, 1998). "Review: ‘The Prince of Egypt’". Retrieved September 1, 2014. "A DreamWorks Pictures release and production."
2.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks' `The Prince of Egypt' Attends UCLA's Royce Hall." (Press release). The Free Library. December 16, 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
3.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks debuts "Prince of Egypt" albums". Animation World Network. October 30, 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Prince of Egypt (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
5.^ Jump up to: a b "Academy Awards, USA: 1998". awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
6.^ Jump up to: a b "HFPA-Awards search". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Dan Wooding's strategic times". Assistnews.net. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Prince of Egypt-About the Production". Filmscouts.com. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
10.Jump up ^ Horn, John (June 1, 1997). "Can Anyone Dethrone Disney?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
11.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks Animation In Process Of Being Sold To Japan’s SoftBank". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
12.Jump up ^ Felperin, Leslie (1998). "The Prince of Egypt". Retrieved December 25, 2014.
13.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks Animation In Process Of Being Sold To Japan’s SoftBank". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Tracy, Joe (1998). "Breathing Life Into The Prince of Egypt". AnimationArtist.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
15.Jump up ^ "Respect for Tradition Combined With Technological Excellence Drives Cambridge Animation's Leadership". Animation World Magazine SIGGRAPH 98 Special. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
16.Jump up ^ Schaffer, Christen Harty (Writer-Producer) (1998). The Making of The Prince Of Egypt medium=Short-form video. United States: Triage Inc., DreamWorks, LLC.
17.^ Jump up to: a b "Sound design of Prince of Egypt". Filmsound.org. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
18.^ Jump up to: a b "SoundtrackNet:The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack". SoundtrackNet.net. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
19.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt movie reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
20.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt (1998): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
21.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Roger Ebert". Chicago Suntimes. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
22.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard (December 14, 1998). "Can a Prince be a movie king? - TIME". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
23.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Review". The Washington Post. September 7, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
24.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Review". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
25.Jump up ^ Millar, Jeff (December 18, 1998). "Prince of Egypt". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ "Review:The Prince of Egypt". Reelviews.net. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
27.Jump up ^ "The Globe and Mail Review:The Prince of Egypt". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
28.Jump up ^ Movie Review: The Prince of Egypt
29.Jump up ^ Kilmer, David (September 13, 1999). "DreamWorks sponsors chariot race on Hollywood Boulevard". Animation World Network. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
30.Jump up ^ Symington, Steve (August 24, 2013). "DreamWorks Should Turn Back to the Bible for Its Next Big Hit". Fool.com. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
31.Jump up ^ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1999)". Annie Awards. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
32.Jump up ^ "1999 Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on July 12, 2000. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
33.Jump up ^ "There can be miracles", The Independent, January 24, 1999
34.Jump up ^ "CNN Showbuzz — January 27, 1999". CNN. January 27, 1999. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
35.Jump up ^ "Malaysia bans Spielberg's Prince". BBC News. January 27, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
The Jewish study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-jewish-study-bible-adele-berlin/prod9780195297515.html. Web. Apr 5, 2013. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=aDuy3p5QvEYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Jewish+study+Bible&hl=en&ei=unbbTonKMZGQiQejvpjdDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Jewish%20study%20Bible&f=false
“Man.” Genetically Change in Ancient Egypt 2.4 (1967): 551-568. JSTOR. Web. Apr 5, 2013. <http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.org/stable/2799339?&Search=yes&searchText=Egypt&searchText
Cerny, Jaroslav. “The Will of Naunakhte and the Related Documents.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 31 (1945): 29-53. JSTOR. Web. Apr 6, 2013. <www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.or>.
Toivari, Jaana i. “Man versus Woman: Interpersonal Disputes in the Workmen’s Community of Deir el-Medina.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 40.2 (1997): 153-173. JSTOR. Web. Apr 6, 2013. <http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.org/stable/3632680?seq=4&Search>.
External links[edit]

Portal icon United States portal
Portal icon Film portal
Portal icon Animation portal
Portal icon 1990s portal
 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Prince of Egypt
Official website archived from the original on April 12, 2001
The Prince of Egypt at the Internet Movie Database
The Prince of Egypt at the Big Cartoon DataBase
The Prince of Egypt at AllMovie
The Prince of Egypt at Rotten Tomatoes
The Prince of Egypt at Box Office Mojo


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Categories: 1998 films
The Prince of Egypt
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The Prince of Egypt

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This article is about the film. For the soundtrack, see The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack).

The Prince of Egypt
Prince of egypt ver2.jpg
Theatrical release poster

Directed by
Simon Wells
Brenda Chapman
 Steve Hickner
Produced by
Penney Finkelman Cox
 Sandra Rabins
Jeffrey Katzenberg (executive producer)
Screenplay by
Philip LaZebnik
Nicholas Meyer
Based on
The Book of Exodus
Starring
Val Kilmer
Ralph Fiennes
Michelle Pfeiffer
Sandra Bullock
Jeff Goldblum
Patrick Stewart
Danny Glover
Steve Martin
Martin Short
Music by
Hans Zimmer (Score)
Stephen Schwartz (Songs)
Edited by
Nick Fletcher

Production
 company

DreamWorks Pictures[1]

Distributed by
DreamWorks Pictures[1]

Release dates

December 16, 1998 (premiere)[2]
December 18, 1998 (United States)[3]


Running time
 98 minutes
Country
United States
Language
English
Hebrew
Budget
$70 million[4]
Box office
$218,613,188[4]
The Prince of Egypt is a 1998 American animated epic musical biblical film and the first traditionally animated film produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures. The film is an adaptation of the Book of Exodus and follows the life of Moses from being a prince of Egypt to his ultimate destiny to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. The film was directed by Brenda Chapman, Simon Wells and Steve Hickner. The film featured songs written by Stephen Schwartz and a score composed by Hans Zimmer. The voice cast featured a number of major Hollywood actors in the speaking roles, while professional singers replaced them for the songs, except for Michelle Pfeiffer, Ralph Fiennes, Steve Martin, Martin Short, and Ofra Haza (who sang her character's number, "Deliver Us", in over seventeen languages for the film's dubbing), who sang their own parts.
The film was nominated for best Original Musical or Comedy Score and won for Best Original Song at the 1999 Academy Awards for "When You Believe".[5] The song's pop version was performed at the ceremony by Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey. The song, co-written by Stephen Schwartz, Hans Zimmer and with additional production by Babyface, was nominated for Best Original Song (in a Motion Picture) at the 1999 Golden Globes,[6] and was also nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for a Feature Film at the ALMA Awards.
The film was released in theaters on December 18, 1998, and on home video on September 14, 1999. The film went on to gross $218,613,188 worldwide in theaters,[4] making it the second non-Disney animated feature to gross over $100 million in the U.S. after Paramount/Nickelodeon's The Rugrats Movie. The Prince of Egypt became the top grossing non-Disney animated film until 2000 when it was out-grossed by the stop motion film Chicken Run (another DreamWorks film). The film also remained the highest grossing traditionally animated non-Disney film until 2007, when it was out-grossed by 20th Century Fox's The Simpsons Movie.[7] The Prince of Egypt is DreamWorks Animation's only traditionally animated film to win an Oscar and one of the four DreamWorks Animation films to be nominated for more than one Oscar.


Contents  [hide]
1 Plot
2 Cast
3 Production 3.1 Development
3.2 Design and animation
3.3 Creating the voice of God
3.4 Music 3.4.1 Musical numbers

4 Reception 4.1 Box office performance
4.2 Reviews
5 Home media
6 Awards
7 Banning
8 Prequel
9 References
10 External links

Plot[edit]
In Ancient Egypt, Yocheved, a Hebrew slave, and her two children, Miriam and Aaron, watch as Hebrew babies are taken and slaughtered by Egyptian soldiers, as ordered by Seti I, who fears that an increase in Hebrew slaves could lead to rebellion. To save her own newborn son Moses, Yocheved places him in a basket afloat on the Nile. Miriam follows the basket to the Pharaoh's palace and witnesses her baby brother adopted by Pharaoh's queen.
Twenty years later, Moses and his foster brother Rameses are scolded by their father for accidentally destroying a temple during one of their youthful misadventures, though Moses tries to take the blame and says that Rameses wants their father's approval. That evening at a palace banquet, Seti, deciding to give Rameses this opportunity, names him Prince regent and gives him authority over Egypt's temples. As a tribute, the high priests Hotep and Huy offer him the captive Tzipporah, and Rameses gives her to Moses. Moses debunks Tzipporah, and Rameses appoints him Royal Chief Architect.
Later that night, Moses helps Tzipporah escape from the palace and is reunited with his siblings Miriam and Aaron. Despite Aaron's attempts to protect her, Miriam tries to tell Moses about his past, but he refuses to listen to her and returns to the palace. The truth about his past is later confirmed by a nightmare, and finally by Seti himself. The next day, Moses accidentally pushes an Egyptian guard off the scaffolding of the temple, while trying to stop him from whipping a Hebrew slave, and the guard falls to his death.
Ashamed and confused, Moses flees into the desert in exile, despite Rameses' pleas to stay. After Moses defends Tzipporah's younger sisters from bandits, he is welcomed into the tribe by their father Jethro. After assimilating this new culture, Moses becomes a shepherd and marries Tzipporah. While chasing a stray lamb, Moses discovers a burning bush through which God instructs him to guide the Hebrew slaves to their promised land, and bestows Moses' shepherding staff with his power. Moses and Tzipporah return to Egypt, where Moses is happily greeted by Rameses, who is now Pharaoh.
When Moses requests the Hebrews' release and changes his staff into an Egyptian cobra, to demonstrate his alliance with God, Hotep and Huy boastfully re-create this transformation, only to have their snakes eaten by Moses' snake. Rather than persuaded, Rameses is hardened and increases the Hebrews' workload. Moses and Tzipporah thereafter live with Miriam, who convinces Aaron and the other Hebrews to trust them. Later, Moses inflicts nine of the Plagues of Egypt; but Rameses refuses to relent, and Moses prepares the Hebrews for the tenth and final plague. That night, the final plague kills all the firstborn children of Egypt, including Rameses' son, while sparing those of the Hebrews. The next day, Rameses finally gives Moses permission to free the Hebrews.
The following morning, the Hebrews leave Egypt, led by Moses, Miriam, Aaron, and Tzipporah. At the Red Sea, they discover that Rameses is closely pursuing them with his army. Upon the arrival, Moses uses his staff to part the sea, while a fire blocks the army's way. The Hebrews cross the open sea bottom; and when the fire vanishes and the army gives chase, the water closes over the Egyptian soldiers, sparing Ramses alone. Thereafter Moses leads the Hebrews to Mount Sinai, where he receives the Ten Commandments.
Cast[edit]
Val Kilmer as Moses, a Hebrew who was adopted by Pharaoh Seti. Val Kilmer also provides (uncredited) the voice of God
Amick Byram provides Moses' singing voice.
Ralph Fiennes as Rameses II, Moses' adoptive brother and eventual successor to his father, Seti.
Michelle Pfeiffer as Tzipporah, Jethro's oldest daughter and Moses' wife.
Sandra Bullock as Miriam, Moses and Aaron's biological sister. Sally Dworsky provides Miriam's singing voice.
Eden Riegel provides both the speaking and singing voice of a younger Miriam.
Jeff Goldblum as Aaron, Moses and Miriam's biological brother.
Patrick Stewart as Pharaoh Seti I, Rameses' father, Moses' adoptive father and the first Pharaoh in the film. Despite his callousness towards the Hebrew slaves, he is shown to treat Moses and Rameses with care and love.
Danny Glover as Jethro, Tzipporah's father and Midian's high priest. Brian Stokes Mitchell provides Jethro's singing voice.
Helen Mirren as Queen Tuya, Seti's consort, Rameses' mother, and Moses' adoptive mother. Linda Dee Shayne provides Queen Tuya's singing voice.
Steve Martin as Hotep
Martin Short as Huy
Ofra Haza as Yocheved, the biological mother of Miriam, Aaron, and Moses.
Director Brenda Chapman briefly voiced Miriam when she sings the lullaby to Moses. The vocal had been recorded for a scratch audio track, which was intended to be replaced later by Eden Riegel. The track turned out so well that it remained in the film.
Production[edit]
Development[edit]
Former Disney chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg had always wanted to do an animated adaption of The Ten Commandments. While working for The Walt Disney Company, Katzenberg suggested this idea to Michael Eisner, but he refused. The idea for the film was brought back at the formation of DreamWorks SKG in 1994, when Katzenberg's partners, Amblin Entertainment founder Steven Spielberg, and music producer David Geffen, were meeting in Spielberg's living room.[8] Katzenberg recalls that Spielberg looked at him during the meeting and said, "You ought to do The Ten Commandments."[8]
The Prince of Egypt was "written" throughout the story process. Beginning with a starting outline, Story Supervisors Kelly Asbury and Lorna Cook led a team of fourteen storyboard artists and writers as they sketched out the entire film — sequence by sequence. Once the storyboards were approved, they were put into the Avid Media Composer digital editing system by editor Nick Fletcher to create a "story reel" or animatic. The story reel allowed the filmmakers to view and edit the entire film in continuity before production began, and also helped the layout and animation departments understand what is happening in each sequence of the film.[9] After casting of the voice talent concluded, dialogue recording sessions began. For the film, the actors record individually in a studio under guidance by one of the three directors. The voice tracks were to become the primary aspect as to which the animators built their performances.[9] Because DreamWorks was concerned about theological accuracy, Jeffrey Katzenberg decided to call in Biblical scholars, Christian, Jewish and Muslim theologians, and Arab American leaders to help his film be more accurate and faithful to the original story. After previewing the developing film, all these leaders noted that the studio executives listened and responded to their ideas, and praised the studio for reaching out for comment from outside sources.[8]
Design and animation[edit]
Art directors Kathy Altieri and Richard Chavez and Production Designer Darek Gogol led a team of nine visual development artists in setting a visual style for the film that was representative of the time, the scale and the architectural style of Ancient Egypt.[9] Part of the process also included the research and collection of artwork from various artists, as well as taking part in trips such as a two-week travel across Egypt by the filmmakers before the film's production began.[9]
Character Designers Carter Goodrich, Carlos Grangel and Nicolas Marlet worked on setting the design and overall look of the characters. Drawing on various inspirations for the widely known characters, the team of character designers worked on designs that had a more realistic feel than the usual animated characters up to that time.[9] Both character design and art direction worked to set a definite distinction between the symmetrical, more angular look of the Egyptians versus the more organic, natural look of the Hebrews and their related environments.[9] The Backgrounds department, headed by supervisors Paul Lasaine and Ron Lukas, oversaw a team of artists who were responsible for painting the sets/backdrops from the layouts. Within the film, approximately 934 hand-painted backgrounds were created.[9]
The animation team for The Prince of Egypt, including 350 artists from 34 different nations, was primarily recruited both from Walt Disney Feature Animation,[10] which had fallen under Katzenberg's auspices while at The Walt Disney Company, and from Amblimation, a defunct division of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment.[11] As at Disney's, character animators were grouped into teams by character: for example, Kristof Serrand, as the supervising animator of Older Moses, set the acting style of the character and assigned scenes to his team.[12] Consideration was given to properly depicting the ethnicities of the ancient Egyptians, Hebrews, and Nubians seen in the film.[13]
There are 1192 scenes in the film, and 1180 contain work done by the special effects department, which animates everything in an animated scene which is not a character: blowing wind, dust, rainwater, shadows, etc. A blend of traditional animation and computer-generated imagery was used in the depictions of the ten plagues of Egypt and the parting of the Red Sea.[8][14] The animated characters were digitally inked and painted using Cambridge Systems' Animo software system,[15] and the compositing of the 2D and 3D elements was done using the "Exposure Tool", a digital solution developed for DreamWorks by Silicon Graphics.[16][14]
Creating the voice of God[edit]
The task of creating God's voice was given to Lon Bender and the team working with the film's music composer, Hans Zimmer.[17] "The challenge with that voice was to try to evolve it into something that had not been heard before," says Bender. "We did a lot of research into the voices that had been used for past Hollywood movies as well as for radio shows, and we were trying to create something that had never been previously heard not only from a casting standpoint but from a voice manipulation standpoint as well. The solution was to use the voice of actor Val Kilmer to suggest the kind of voice we hear inside our own heads in our everyday lives, as opposed to the larger than life tones with which God has been endowed in prior cinematic incarnations."[17] As a result, in the final film, Kilmer gave voice to Moses and God, as well, yet the suggestion is that someone else would have heard God speak to him again in his own voice.
Music[edit]
See also: The Prince of Egypt (soundtrack)
Composer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz began working on writing songs for the film from the beginning of the film's production. As the story evolved, he continued to write songs that would serve to both entertain and help move the story along. Composer Hans Zimmer arranged and produced the songs and then eventually wrote the film's score. The film's score was recorded entirely in London, England.[9]
Three soundtrack albums were released simultaneously for The Prince of Egypt, each of them aimed towards a different target audience. While the other two accompanying records, the country-themed "Nashville" soundtrack and the gospel-based "Inspirational" soundtrack, functioned as film tributes, the official The Prince of Egypt soundtrack contained the actual songs from the film.[18] This album combines elements from the score composed by Hans Zimmer and film songs by Stephen Schwartz.[18] The songs were either voiced over by professional singers (such as Salisbury Cathedral Choir), or sung by the film's voice actors, such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Ofra Haza. Various tracks by contemporary artists such as K-Ci & JoJo and Boyz II Men were added, including the Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston duet "When You Believe", a Babyface rewrite of the original Schwartz composition, sung by Michelle Pfeiffer and Sally Dworsky in the film. Amy Grant also sings a version of "River Lullaby".
Musical numbers[edit]
1."Deliver Us" – Yocheved and Chorus
2."All I Ever Wanted" – Moses
3."River Lullaby" - Miriam
4."All I Ever Wanted (Queen's Reprise)" – Queen Tuya
5."Through Heaven's Eyes" – Jethro
6."Playing with the Big Boys" – Hotep and Huy
7."The Plagues" – Moses, Rameses, and Chorus
8."When You Believe" – Miriam, Tzipporah, and Chorus
Reception[edit]
Box office performance[edit]
On its opening weekend, the film grossed $14,524,321 for a $4,658 average from 3,118 theaters, earning second place at the box office, behind You've Got Mail. Due to the holiday season, the film gained 4% in its second weekend, earning $15,119,107 and finishing in fourth place. It had a $4,698 average from 3,218 theaters. It would hold well in its third weekend, with only a 25% drop to $11,244,612 for a $3,511 average from 3,202 theaters and once again finishing in fourth place. The film closed on May 27, 1999 after earning $101,413,188 in the United States and Canada with an additional $117,200,000 overseas for a worldwide total of $218.6 million.

The Prince of Egypt box office revenue

Source
Gross (USD)
 % Total
All Time Rank (Unadjusted)
United States & Canada $101,413,188[4] 46.4% 398[4]
Foreign $117,200,000[4] 53.6% –
Worldwide $218,613,188[4] 100.0% 319[4]
Reviews[edit]
The Prince of Egypt received generally positive reviews from critics and at Rotten Tomatoes, based on 84 reviews collected, the film has an overall approval rating of 79%, with a weighted average score of 7/10.[19] Metacritic, which assigns a normalized 0–100 rating to reviews from mainstream critics, calculated an average score of 64 from the 26 reviews it collected.[20]
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times praised the film in his review saying, "The Prince of Egypt is one of the best-looking animated films ever made. It employs computer-generated animation as an aid to traditional techniques, rather than as a substitute for them, and we sense the touch of human artists in the vision behind the Egyptian monuments, the lonely desert vistas, the thrill of the chariot race, the personalities of the characters. This is a film that shows animation growing up and embracing more complex themes, instead of chaining itself in the category of children's entertainment."[21] Richard Corliss of Time magazine gave a negative review of the film saying, "The film lacks creative exuberance, any side pockets of joy."[22] Stephen Hunter from The Washington Post praised the film saying, "The movie's proudest accomplishment is that it revises our version of Moses toward something more immediate and believable, more humanly knowable."[23]
Lisa Alspector from the Chicago Reader praised the film and wrote, "The blend of animation techniques somehow demonstrates mastery modestly, while the special effects are nothing short of magnificent."[24] Houston Chronicle's Jeff Millar reviewed by saying, "The handsomely animated Prince of Egypt is an amalgam of Hollywood biblical epic, Broadway supermusical and nice Sunday school lesson."[25] James Berardinelli from Reelviews highly praised the film saying, "The animation in The Prince of Egypt is truly top-notch, and is easily a match for anything Disney has turned out in the last decade", and also wrote "this impressive achievement uncovers yet another chink in Disney's once-impregnable animation armor."[26] Liam Lacey of The Globe and Mail gave a somewhat negative review and wrote, "Prince of Egypt is spectacular but takes itself too seriously."[27] MovieGuide also reviewed the film favorably, giving it a rare 4 out of 4 stars, saying that, "The Prince of Egypt takes animated movies to a new level of entertainment. Magnificent art, music, story, and realization combine to make The Prince of Egypt one of the most entertaining masterpieces of all time."[28]
Home media[edit]
The Prince of Egypt was released on DVD and VHS on September 14, 1999.[29] The ownership of the film was assumed by DreamWorks Animation when that company split from DreamWorks Pictures in 2004; as with the rest of the DreamWorks Animation catalog, it is available for streaming on Netflix in HD.[30]
Awards[edit]

Award
Category
Recipient
Result
Academy Awards[5] Best Original Musical or Comedy Score  Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Won
Annie Awards[31] Best Animated Feature  Nominated
Individual Achievement in Directing Brenda Chapman, Steve Hickner, and Simon Wells Nominated
Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Lorna Cook (Story supervisor) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Jamie Lloyd (Effects Lead — Burning Bush/Angel of Death) Nominated
Individual Achievement in Voice Acting Ralph Fiennes ("Rameses") Nominated
Golden Globe Awards[6] Best Original Score  Nominated
Best Original Song "When You Believe" Nominated
Satellite Award[32] Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature  Nominated
Banning[edit]
The Prince of Egypt was banned in two countries where the population is predominantly Muslim: the Maldives and Malaysia, on the grounds that the depiction in the media of Islamic prophets (among which Moses is counted) is forbidden in Islam. The Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs in the Maldives stated: "All prophets and messengers of God are revered in Islam, and therefore cannot be portrayed".[33][34] Following this ruling, the censor board banned the film in January 1999. In the same month, the Film Censorship Board in Malaysia banned the film, but did not provide a specific explanation. The board's secretary said that the censor body ruled the film was "insensitive for religious and moral reasons".[35]
Prequel[edit]
[icon] This section requires expansion. (April 2014)
Main article: Joseph: King of Dreams
In November 2000, DreamWorks Animation released Joseph: King of Dreams, a direct-to-video prequel based on the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis.
References[edit]
1.^ Jump up to: a b Lovell, Glenn (December 10, 1998). "Review: ‘The Prince of Egypt’". Retrieved September 1, 2014. "A DreamWorks Pictures release and production."
2.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks' `The Prince of Egypt' Attends UCLA's Royce Hall." (Press release). The Free Library. December 16, 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
3.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks debuts "Prince of Egypt" albums". Animation World Network. October 30, 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
4.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Prince of Egypt (1998)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
5.^ Jump up to: a b "Academy Awards, USA: 1998". awardsdatabase.oscars.org. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
6.^ Jump up to: a b "HFPA-Awards search". Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ "Highest grossing animated films". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved February 28, 2009.
8.^ Jump up to: a b c d "Dan Wooding's strategic times". Assistnews.net. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
9.^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "Prince of Egypt-About the Production". Filmscouts.com. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
10.Jump up ^ Horn, John (June 1, 1997). "Can Anyone Dethrone Disney?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
11.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks Animation In Process Of Being Sold To Japan’s SoftBank". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
12.Jump up ^ Felperin, Leslie (1998). "The Prince of Egypt". Retrieved December 25, 2014.
13.Jump up ^ "DreamWorks Animation In Process Of Being Sold To Japan’s SoftBank". Inquisitr.com. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
14.^ Jump up to: a b Tracy, Joe (1998). "Breathing Life Into The Prince of Egypt". AnimationArtist.com. Archived from the original on August 3, 2003. Retrieved December 25, 2014.
15.Jump up ^ "Respect for Tradition Combined With Technological Excellence Drives Cambridge Animation's Leadership". Animation World Magazine SIGGRAPH 98 Special. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
16.Jump up ^ Schaffer, Christen Harty (Writer-Producer) (1998). The Making of The Prince Of Egypt medium=Short-form video. United States: Triage Inc., DreamWorks, LLC.
17.^ Jump up to: a b "Sound design of Prince of Egypt". Filmsound.org. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
18.^ Jump up to: a b "SoundtrackNet:The Prince of Egypt Soundtrack". SoundtrackNet.net. Retrieved March 4, 2009.
19.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt movie reviews". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
20.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt (1998): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
21.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Roger Ebert". Chicago Suntimes. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
22.Jump up ^ Corliss, Richard (December 14, 1998). "Can a Prince be a movie king? - TIME". Time Magazine. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
23.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Review". The Washington Post. September 7, 1999. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
24.Jump up ^ "The Prince of Egypt: Review". Chicago Reader. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
25.Jump up ^ Millar, Jeff (December 18, 1998). "Prince of Egypt". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved April 4, 2012.
26.Jump up ^ "Review:The Prince of Egypt". Reelviews.net. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
27.Jump up ^ "The Globe and Mail Review:The Prince of Egypt". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on August 18, 2004. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
28.Jump up ^ Movie Review: The Prince of Egypt
29.Jump up ^ Kilmer, David (September 13, 1999). "DreamWorks sponsors chariot race on Hollywood Boulevard". Animation World Network. Retrieved November 4, 2014.
30.Jump up ^ Symington, Steve (August 24, 2013). "DreamWorks Should Turn Back to the Bible for Its Next Big Hit". Fool.com. Retrieved December 26, 2014.
31.Jump up ^ "Legacy: 22nd Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (1999)". Annie Awards. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
32.Jump up ^ "1999 Awards". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on July 12, 2000. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
33.Jump up ^ "There can be miracles", The Independent, January 24, 1999
34.Jump up ^ "CNN Showbuzz — January 27, 1999". CNN. January 27, 1999. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
35.Jump up ^ "Malaysia bans Spielberg's Prince". BBC News. January 27, 1999. Retrieved July 17, 2007.
The Jewish study Bible. New York: Oxford University Press, http://www.booktopia.com.au/the-jewish-study-bible-adele-berlin/prod9780195297515.html. Web. Apr 5, 2013. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=aDuy3p5QvEYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Jewish+study+Bible&hl=en&ei=unbbTonKMZGQiQejvpjdDQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDsQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=The%20Jewish%20study%20Bible&f=false
“Man.” Genetically Change in Ancient Egypt 2.4 (1967): 551-568. JSTOR. Web. Apr 5, 2013. <http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.org/stable/2799339?&Search=yes&searchText=Egypt&searchText
Cerny, Jaroslav. “The Will of Naunakhte and the Related Documents.” The Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 31 (1945): 29-53. JSTOR. Web. Apr 6, 2013. <www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.or>.
Toivari, Jaana i. “Man versus Woman: Interpersonal Disputes in the Workmen’s Community of Deir el-Medina.” Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient 40.2 (1997): 153-173. JSTOR. Web. Apr 6, 2013. <http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.hclib.org/stable/3632680?seq=4&Search>.
External links[edit]

Portal icon United States portal
Portal icon Film portal
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 Wikiquote has quotations related to: The Prince of Egypt
Official website archived from the original on April 12, 2001
The Prince of Egypt at the Internet Movie Database
The Prince of Egypt at the Big Cartoon DataBase
The Prince of Egypt at AllMovie
The Prince of Egypt at Rotten Tomatoes
The Prince of Egypt at Box Office Mojo


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Categories: 1998 films
The Prince of Egypt
English-language films
American animated films
American coming-of-age films
American musical drama films
DreamWorks Animation animated films
Films that won the Best Original Song Academy Award
Musicals based on the Bible
Christian animation
Films about Jews and Judaism
DreamWorks Pictures films
American epic films
Films set in Africa
Films about the ten plagues of Egypt
Films based on the Hebrew Bible
Films set in ancient Egypt
Depictions of Moses
Religious epic films
Screenplays by Nicholas Meyer
Films set in the 13th century BC
Films directed by Brenda Chapman
Films directed by Simon Wells
Films directed by Steve Hickner
Animated drama films
Animated adventure films
Animated musical films
Animated romance films
Films based on Egyptian mythology
Films based on the Quran
Film scores by Hans Zimmer
Films about slavery
Best Animated Feature Broadcast Film Critics Association Award winners
1998 animated films
Seti I
Ramesses II
1990s American animated films








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This page was last modified on 21 April 2015, at 03:31.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Prince_of_Egypt#Prequel