Fox’s The Passion Live took place at Woldenberg Park in New Orleans and was broadcast on Sunday night as a special Easter tribute. It was packed full of musical performances from greats like Seal (Pontius Pilate) and Trisha Yearwood (Mary). But there were also a few unexpected moments.
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The event focused on reinterpreting the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth as he presides over the Last Supper, his betrayal by Judas, and the trial and conviction by Pontius Pilate.
The story was set in modern times, but the show may have attempted to make the performances a little too hip and current with songs from Imagine Dragons and Katy Perry. There were also a few odd moments, like host and narrator Tyler Perry’s line about having a selfie with Jesus.
“If Jesus walked into this city today,” Perry wondered, “would we listen to Him, or just say, Hey, Jesus — can we get a selfie?”
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Plus those orange prison jumpsuits were a little out of place, and Yolanda Adams’ “Oh When The Saints Come Marching” performance felt a bit upbeat (although extremely memorable) for the subject matter.
However, on the whole, the event was respectful and moving. It included some incredible musical performances, most notably Chris Daughtry’s (Judas) rendition of Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life” (which was incredibly emotional and sung with complete conviction), and Whitney Houston’s “Love Can Move Mountains” performed by Trisha Yearwood.
But what did viewers think of the event? According to Twitter, it was a complete success.
#thepassionlive Using modern music to tell the story of The Passion of Christ is genius.
— Brandon Boyd (@bgboyd) March 21, 2016
Trisha Yearwood is showing the world just how amazing she is in #ThePassion
— Janelle Arthur (@JanelleOArthur) March 21, 2016
What a great depiction of #thepassion. Thank you @tylerperry and all the talented performers. Truly life changing.
— ed shonkwiler (@ed4unc) March 21, 2016
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In fact, the show has been such a hit among some that there is hope it will be the first of many Bible-inspired stories to come.
https://twitter.com/sjmherrick/status/711873789395652608
I hope The Passion is the first of many spiritual TV shows. America & the world are hungry for love & guidance. Let the flood gates open.
— Victoria Holt (@spiritpro) March 21, 2016
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