TV Musical Adaptations by Tomatometer
If we’ve learned anything from networks’ recent fixation on televised musicals, high ratings do not always equal standing ovations. In fact, only three musical productions from the past few years received high marks on Rotten Tomato’s Tomatometer: NBC’s The Wiz Live!, Fox’s Grease: Live!, and NBC’s Hairspray Live!. And no, this isn’t because of the power of the exclamation mark — NBC musicals Peter Pan Live! and The Sound of Music Live! are both on the Rotten end of this list.
Add another one in the win column: On Easter Sunday, NBC aired musical Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, starring John Legend as Jesus Christ, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas, Alice Cooper as King Herod, and Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate.
The event landed at the very top of our TV Musical Adaptations scorecard, though its current 100% Fresh score could change as additional Tomatometer-eligible reviews are published.
#1
Adjusted Score: 100.355%
Critics Consensus: Shaking up traditional religious and musical iconography, Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert is a sight to be heard, superbly infiltrating the classic source material with originality, rock legend star power, and soulful depth.
#2
Adjusted Score: 91.481%
Critics Consensus: Grease: Live took the pressure and threw away conventionality -- it belongs to yesterday. There was a chance that it could make it so far; we started believin' we can be who we are. Grease: Live is the word.
Synopsis: The first-ever live television production of "Grease" will re-imagine and reintroduce some of the most memorable moments, great music and...
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#3
Adjusted Score: 91.371%
Critics Consensus: The Wiz Live! is several notches above NBC's other musical broadcasts thanks to bold performances and large-scale production pieces.
Synopsis: NBC embarks on its latest musical holiday tradition: a 3-hour LIVE event production of the groundbreaking Broadway show that brought...
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#4
Adjusted Score: 76.058%
Critics Consensus: Hairspray Live! shimmers with outstanding performances, an engaging story, and songs that let its stars shine.
Synopsis: A teenage girl living in Baltimore in the early 1960s dreams of appearing on a popular TV dance show....
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#5
Adjusted Score: 12.692%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Tyler Perry narrates a musical portrait of the last days of Jesus Christ, from the Last Supper to the Resurrection,...
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#6
Adjusted Score: 43.378%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Preparing to sprinkle fairy dust across America, NBC presents a bold new LIVE television production of the classic Broadway musical...
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Directed By:
#7
Adjusted Score: 27.937%
Critics Consensus: Overlong and perhaps a little too faithful, A Christmas Story Live! can't quite capture the holiday spirit of its source material.
Synopsis: From Warner Horizon Unscripted & Alternative Television, A CHRISTMAS STORY LIVE! is inspired by the holiday classic feature "A Christmas...
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#8
Adjusted Score: 29.156%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Carrie Underwood and Stephen Moyer star in the live telecast of a beloved family classic, based on the original Broadway...
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Directed By:
#9
Adjusted Score: 29.608%
Critics Consensus: Laverne Cox's fabulous portrayal of Frank N. Furter leads a strong ensemble effort, but the stars can't infuse this reimagining with enough energy, creativity, and quirk to make TRHPS: Let's Do the Time Warp Again a worthwhile endeavor.
Synopsis: A reimagining of the cult film that follows a young couple as they end up at a strange convention hosted...
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#10
Adjusted Score: 18.516%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Adaptation of the 1987 box-office smash about an innocent teen vacationing with her parents at an upscale resort in the...
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Watch Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Full Performances
