On Jesus Christ Superstar Musical (Glasgow, 2024.07.29-30)

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Jesus Christ Superstar Musical

I saw “Jesus Christ Superstar” (JCS) – musical, in Glasgow, twice: 2024.07.29 and 2024.07.30.

Feedback?

I saw the show initially in Romania in 2006 (I went to see it twice).

Since then, I have become quite a fan, listening to the songs many times, watching the movie a few times, and watching pretty much everything about JCS I could get my hands on.

I became a fan of such music. According to my Last FM profile, I have listened to music by Andrew Lloyd-Webber more than 4,000 times.

I saw The Phantom of the Opera (POTO) four times (not always in its entirety) in London, and Starlight Express once, in London.

The last time I saw POTO, it was the greatest musical I had ever seen, so my expectations for JCS were high.

What did I like about the show?

Mary’s performance. I found the songs sung by Mary very nice, I enjoyed them very much.

Some other members of the cast. I especially liked Ryan O’Donnell (Pilate) and Jordan Michael Todd (Ensemble).

The music was fine overall. I have nothing to object to; there was nothing “wrong” with it.

What would I have appreciated more?

This is quite important – people put a lot of passion into the original version. They seemed to pour their souls into singing. On the upside, they showed emotions; on the downside, they seemed quite a bit desperate. Half a century later, I found that the actors were much more relaxed in this musical, even on powerful topics. While the role of Mary in this musical suits her well with a more relaxed way of singing, the others do not. I agree, putting your soul into something has something of a desperation. But if you take that away, you also take some emotions out of the performance. I didn’t consider anything was put back on. “We take out desperation; we put nothing back.” In my opinion, what was lost in this process were the emotions. Not all performers showed this; some actors had emotions, but most were following the issue I presented here.

I found that the objects on stage were over-simplified. Perhaps having everything simple and to the point is based on some people’s tastes. I think there is such a thing as “over-simplification.” A phone with close to no physical buttons may be nice, but there’s not much I dislike more than a remote control with just a few controls. I would have preferred more objects/things on stage.

Conclusion?

I liked the show, I think it could have been much better, though.

See photos here »

PS: A quote related to helping too much, too many people:

[JESUS]
Ooo There’s too many of you; don’t push me
There’s too little of me; don’t-don’t crowd me
Mmm, don’t crowd me
Oww, Ohhh
Heal yourselves!
(via »)

PS: On the topic of JCS, in Romanian:

#1, #2, #3 (just a quote on #3).

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Live videos building computers

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New desk in new apartment!

At some point, PC Garage used to offer a service called Serviciu Asamblare video interactiva cu Iulian – PC Garage. (live PC Building)

These are videos I like:

The thing is, these are not live videos, they have been edited, cut, and so on.

Also, you can learn from the videos, the speaker gives details.

Just filming a computer being assembled is not the same thing as creating an edited video on how to assemble a computer.

It’s the same thing, but different.

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How it was at The Phantom of the Opera (Romexpo, 2025.06.13)

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The Phantom of The Opera

I’ve seen The Phantom of the Opera (Romexpo, 13th of June, 2025). For the context, I consider this musical as the best play I’ve seen (I saw it last summer, in the UK).

Thoughts about the show in Bucharest?

  • I enjoyed the music & interpretation, thought it was good. Not dreamy-perfect, though.
  • I didn’t think the costumes/elements on the stage were as good as those in London 2024.
  • I got tickets for the cheapest seats. The thing is, the chairs were made of plastic, and they were not that comfortable.
  • I consider the location was wayyyy too large for the play. It was just too big, I couldn’t see properly. I couldn’t properly see the actors from the back of the building. It was something like a TV – but I paid to see a movie at the movie theater. I got a TV experience, paying for a cinema.
  • Do I recommend the show? Yes, but it’s not the best show I’ve seen (like the one in London).

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Jungian archetypes and ChatGPT

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Carl Harper - Book and Glasses

Jungian archetypes – Wikipedia:

Jungian archetypes are a concept from psychology that refers to a universal, inherited idea, pattern of thought, or image that is present in the collective unconscious of all human beings. As the psychic counterpart of instinct (i.e., archetypes are innate, symbolic, psychological expressions that manifest in response to patterned biological instincts[1]), archetypes are thought to be the basis of many of the common themes and symbols that appear in stories, myths, and dreams across different cultures and societies.

Some examples of archetypes include those of the mother, the child, the trickster, and the flood, among others. The concept of the collective unconscious was first proposed by Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and analytical psychologist.

According to Jung, archetypes are innate patterns of thought and behavior that strive for realization within an individual’s environment. This process of actualization influences the degree of individuation, or the development of the individual’s unique identity. For instance, the presence of a maternal figure who closely matches the child’s idealized concept of a mother can evoke innate expectations and activate the mother archetype in the child’s mind. This archetype is incorporated into the child’s personal unconscious as a “mother complex”, which is a functional unit of the personal unconscious that is analogous to an archetype in the collective unconscious.

So, in a small phrase, Jungian archetypes are ideas that everyone has; they are a synthesis of everyone’s minds.

Who does this right now? ChatGPT. With ChatGPT, when you ask a question, you generally receive a simplified version of the general norm on the topic. It’s unlikely to get an extreme answer and is more likely to receive what is called “common knowledge.”

Thus, ChatGPT is a form of a Jungian archetype.

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