Too much heaven on their minds

[halfcactus]

Jesus Christ Superstar 2026
This was my first time watching any version of the musical, in this case a version that originated in London in 2017, though I'm relatively familiar with the songs. The production was kind of minimalist and a little underwhelming until Act 2, which was more engaging for how violent it was and how much more they had to off-set it with camp, spectacle, and glitter. The portrayal of suicide was also smartly done.

My favorite parts were any and all parts with Caiaphas and Annas, a duo of aura farmers with VERY INTERESTING voices and fun props. The rest of the audience wasn't particularly impressed with them, maybe because it's hard to cheer for the villains who conspired to kill Jesus, which: fair; I have no personal connection with the characters or the religion, but I live in a fairly pious country and a good number of the audience that day were older ladies.

Other notes: Judas (Javon King) was very good, but he had the strength of characterization on his side. I didn't care much for Jesus (Luke Street) in Act 1, but he nailed the tortured rock opera-ness of Gethsemane. Mary Magdalene was played by Gab Pangilinan, a local actress I've enjoyed previously in other productions. And while I think she's a terrific vocalist with immense presence, her Mary's emotional setting was stuck in Everything's Alright, curiously untouched by and insulated from society instead of a victim of it. Her I Don't Know How to Love Him was bright and flawless, which broke immersion because it felt like she was in a different musical altogether lol.


Loving Strangers | 秋雪漫过的冬天
Chinese adaptation of the kdrama My Mister. Stars Mark Chao, Zhang Zifeng, and Zhang Chao (Chu Ying in the Hikaru no Go cdrama), with Zhang Xincheng guesting as a side antagonist. Here is a GIFset of Zhang Xincheng crying.

I never saw the original so I don't know how this stands as an adaptation—would love to hear from other people! It's a slow, bleak drama that's focused on being in the winter of your life, where romance is secondary to the plot. Arguably there is no romance, just romantic feelings budding from solidarity. The FL's circumstances are so dire she engages in harmful and illegal activities on top of juggling two jobs. The ML is a doormat whose work and married life suck. His wife is having an affair with his boss, which is extra emasculating, but he's not exactly the model husband either. I liked the dynamic between him and his wife when everything is out in the open, a bittersweet, uncertain place between betrayal and amendment, lovers and friends, but the show still seemed too largely on the ML's side. (Also he's a crap dad.)

I don't know if I loved or even liked the show (a lot of the other character threads felt lacking), but I love the sense of catharsis towards the end where all these numb, repressed characters begin to externalize emotion (whenever ZZF cries I cry!). And every now and then the gloom would infect me, specifically the scenes that remind me how I'm (emotionally) alone and have no one I can turn to: scenes of losing the one person in your life who knew you, or of sitting alone in an empty apartment eating convenience store food.

PS. This is probably my bias talking, but the Zhang Xincheng / Zhang Zifeng relationship was by far the strongest one I've seen in the show. ZXC's character is a terrible person, no question, but I did enjoy seeing the portrayal of a childhood friendship twisting to hate and abuse and toxic codependence, neither of them seemingly willing to let go of each other because of lingering resentment and guilt. And when ZXC's character finally walks away from her—the only kindness he's ever done—ZZF's character feels compelled to at least watch him go.