Handel's Messiah Rocks

Having been through countless traditional Messiah's, this was a breath of fresh air! The lead voacals were all very good to great, and the limited staging and videos were just enough to push the show along. I don't remember the local choruses getting named when they got a generic thank you from one of the cast. That is a shame, because they also were very good and brought a lot of energy with them.

While the performers resume's were impressive, the performance was not unlike what I might have expected at Cedar Creek Church. But considerably more expensive.

The music was well written. Having performed Handel's Messiah many times over the years, I wasn't sure how this style change could be done, but it was great. The performers were very good, especially the two male singers. The only weak spot in the show was the lead guitarist. He was adequate but just didn't have that inner fire like the bass player did. All in all, a good show.

Probably have seen 30 different performances of The Messiah. This was the best! Great voices - great presentation.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. I took my 10 year old daughter to see this show because I wanted her to see how fun a live performance could be. She plays the violin and sometimes I think she feels that all violin music is boring. This show is NOT boring by any means. It's not all violins either. Great guitar playing, I don't think she ever took her eyes off the guitarists. 3 wonderful singers along with a choir of not only young adults but young children too. Great energy in this show. I would recommend this show to anyone who enjoys choir music with broadway energy.

Oh my God! This is a show for an incredibly suburban and unsophisticated audience. It was so awful, I can't believe I managed to sit through the entire fiasco. I can't say the same for other members of the audience who beat a path to the nearest exit. The idea that this show has anything to do w/ rock is absurd. It's more like a fourth rate Vegas review. Absolutely abominable. The singers were smarmy and God-awful.

This show was extremely dissapointing...the singers were mediocre - their attempt to come across as "rockers" was embarrasing. The choral group desparately needed choreography...their randomly jumping and "dancing" around on stage looked worse than a high school review. We were expecting Christmas related music, but instead were subjected to an hour and a half of unfamiliar Christian music. The arrangement of the Hallelujiah chorus (which normally gives me goosebumps) was atrocious... The singers weren't even dressed appropriately for a performance - again, it looked like a high school show. I would not recommend this to anyone

There were some great vocals at times. The musicians were very good. But I don't pay this price for a ticket to listen to myself sing! What is with the audience participation thing? I came to a "show." Using local choirs is ok, but doesn't up the level of performance. The two mail vocalists were quite good.

Wonderful theatre experience. Fun to see a contemporary interpretation of a Classic! Outstanding musicians, great fun.

I knew this would be good but the performance was so beyond what I expected. Love it when I get goose- bumps when people sing. There was no doubt what this program was about- Faith, Hope, Love!

The beginning was wonderful and we thought wow this will be great............the musicians were very good........the singers had tremendous voices but the songs and presentations of them was terrible. We have subscriped to Broadway in Chicago and have truly not seen anything that did not get our hearts pumping till this show. And we watched as at least 30 people walk out in the middle of production just from our section. Sorry to say we definitely would not recommend.

As someone with more than average familiarity with the music and lyrics of the Messiah, I expected a blend of the traditional music with a more contemporary version. Most of the traditional musical themes were all but unrecognizable. Further, I found most of the participation and activities of the "chorus" too contrived and at times even juvenile. Finally, while it is traditional for the audience to stand for the Hallelujah chorus, once everyone was standing, the clapping along with the difficulty in singing the "rock" version, left little that was memorable about the entire evening. It certainly wasn't work the $40 I paid for a ticket.

It was a very energetic show. I wasn't sure what to expect and was pleased with the show.

The musicians, music, singers and of course the message were all great but ... the presentation was lacking. It is presented in a "rock concert" type of setting but the guitars and drums were only piped through the PA system and at relatively low volume. Being seated in the fourth row near center it just didn't seem right to see the lead guitarist come forward and play a blistering solo that was very softly coming from way off to the side and behind us. With the theater having a relatively small main floor I would expect that you'd have to be near the back to lose the "sound off to the side" effect. Other than that, we really enjoyed the show! Remedy: Add on stage amplification and "crank it up"!

This was the worst concert I have been to in a long time. The sound system was horrid. The performance was just as bad. People were leaving 10 minutes into the show and continued to leave during the entire performance.

Interesting adaptation of a classical and popular oratorio. Some if it is a little "thrown together," but the music is well done, the actors are energetic and it was certainly worth seeing.

This was a rousing show that really put us in the Christmas spirit. The solo singers are amazing, and the whole production was very high quality.

The entire performance was fantastic!!! The tenor soloist was my favorite....such feeling in everything he sang!

I love the Messiah, and have played it every year on the piano for the past 30 years. I thought it would be great fun to see it "rocked" out, so was very excited to see this performance. I couldn't even recognize most of the songs for the majority of the show, they changed words, tunes, I was just disappointed. Don't waste your money or your time.

Was waiting for the collection plate to be passed!

Performance really had no discernible ties to Handel's Messiah. It was not really exceptional music and definitely not my taste. Was so disappointed that we left, despite it being our wedding anniversary date night. Wish I had known what it was going to be like - never would have purchased tickets, and premium ones at that !

It was a great show -- but if you are not a Christian it can be a little strong on the very religious message. The cast is extremely talented and obviously passionate about the production that band/orchestra are excellent as well. I really liked that they used local choirs to back them nice to have folks from in town involved in the show. My wife and I enjoyed the performance a great deal even though we are Buddhist.

Good to hear the message in a different venue but I just don't get those transcendent feelings listening to sacred music in a rock format. The three main singers were excellent, the female especially had an incredible range. I liked watching the expressions on the faces of the orchestra (orchestras are usually visually expressionless!). I was especially impressed with the Gainesville choir and couldn't imagine all the time they had put in to rehearse and learn even the simple choreography. Surprised that it was largely black but maybe that's because the white folks just don't rock as much! I would recommend this only to people who really liked Christian rock music.

I expected more and I truly hope that my disappointment is due to the mechanics of the sound and not human error. The vocal talent was there, the orchestra on mark, yet the sound at times seemed dull, muted. It was difficult to distinguish the instruments and the timpani drums were weak. The fresh, rock arraingement was good. The birth of our Savior was an explosive and passionate event, I expected the same.

A last minute booking and I expected the seats to be dodgy but actually a beautiful Theatre and great seats, Centre about four rows from Stage. No idea what to expect so as a rockguitarist myself I was pleasantly surprised to witness a rock band and orchestra effectively performing a rock set. Ok the theme was religious but that was expected. Whether the songs were based on the original Messiah themes I am not sure as I am not familair with it, however that didn't matter. It was a great show. All three lead singers were superb as were the local choirs, the musicians were note perfect and enthusiastic and it was just a great show. So - it was worth seeing and I even bought the CD on my way out. Glad I saw it. Increased my memories of my first trip to Chicago. Well done.

I have grown up listening to the Messiah at the beginning of the Holy Season. Have never heard it with such energy and passion! This will easily become our new Christmas tradition! Already playing the CD purchased at home. Thanks for an energy packed night!

Pretty good, but after just seeing "Rock of Ages" and being totally entertained, this was somewhat less so. The male singers had great voices, but the back up choir was just ok.

Great lead voices, wonderful musicians, great spiritual message. We loved it. Our 12-year-old son did not want to see the show, but he ended up loving it, too. Too bad this played for only two days and didn't get much advance publicity!

Talented performers but a bit too rocky for my taste...especially considering that the original is a very solemn work

I wasn't sure what to expect before seeing this. It way exceeded my expectations. The music and singing was wonderful. I would recommend it to anyone! I hope it comes back to Chicago next year!

I came with optimism that several of the great loves of my life would be merged together in a great Chistmas rock opera. Instead I found both the Messiah and Rock taking back stage for the middle 2/3rds of this performance. If the excitement achieved at the beginning and end of this performance could have been sustained across the whole show it would have been a treasure. Instead I got a 60+ minute nap out of this 90 minute performance.

I thought the performance had excellent musicians....from the instrumentalist to the singers. I did not feel that it was worth the $75.00 a ticket that I purchased for my son and I. I was a little surprised that the opening volume was not louder, being that it was advertised as "Rock". I really liked the interpretation of the songs and having sung the original Messiah numerous times I found the arrangements interesting. Because we were in the balcony we also lost part of the action when the singers went into the main floor area. Overall I found it interesting.

Messiah Rocks is such a bad idea and a substandard production, I'm surprised it ever made it to DVD, let alone a tour of any significance in any city. The musicians performing it did well, but it's just not possible to make this work. Handel is rolling in his grave. See it only for a good laugh and fodder for conversations that begin, "could you believe when they..."

This was awful. This was a christian revival misleadingly sold as a theater event. Any progressive church has more professional, pleasant, accomplished singing than this event offered. I paid WAY too much for this and left halfway throught WITHOUT benefit of an intermission. I need to retrace my steps and learn where I got the impression this would be good because I was grossly misled. It will not happen again - do not let this happen to you. Visit ANY progressive church in your area that values inhouse music and hand over that ticket money to the collection plate. It was so bad it felt like a trick...

I think I was expecting something a little less "churchy". I was hoping for the fusion of classical and rock. We didn't leave as many others did and enjoyed it.

This was a very good performance. I would go again.

After viewing "Handel's Messiah Rocks" website, I was expecting a bigger production. Not having ever been in Bank of America Theatre, Chicago, I didn't realize the venue was much smaller. The performers were amazing and I'm not going to take anything away from the production itself. It was the venue that I had a problem with.

This was the biggest ripoff. Totally B class, very over priced for the quality of the show. 20.00 dollars would have been high. By the second "act"people were dropping like flies. The songs all seemed to be in the same key, very boring. The main singers were straining to hit their notes, (some to sing at all). I have never been so disappointed in a show in my life. Horrible!!!!

The voices were excellent...but there were so few recognizable Handel songs, that I was disappointed. Had I not expected to hear more of the original lyrics, I probably would have liked it more.

I thought there was amazing energy in the show. The mix of the top professionals and the local cast make for good chemistry. There were amazing voices in the three lead singers. It was a great afternoon of entertainment and a wonderful Christmas message, although a long way from traditional.

Talented people and wonderful orchestra, but the lead singers, screamed the songs..I know it was a "Rock" Messiah, but every song was screamed . People walked out in the first 20 minutes..I think the advertising needs to be explained more...

I thought it would be similar to what it was, I just expected the vocals to be better. My family enjoyed it.

Singers were good, at times the soloists sounded like they were yelling. Not sure if I like the mix of orchestra with rock with this music.

Poor vocal performance of female singer. Overall the show was not entertaining or uplifting. I think there should of been more performers and also something that linked the season to the show as well. Of course the words to the music was great but overall vocal performance of each artist was disappointing.

This was probably the most disappointing event I have ever attended. I treated someone for a Birthday suprise and I was very embarassed to have selected this event. The three soloists constantly screeched. The two solo guitar players were very annoying with their screeching. The accustics were terrible. The pictures on the back wall were fuzzy at the best and what was with the barbed wire scenes? The orchestra was not bad and the young choir was good. I cannot even give a 1 star rating, it was that bad. What would make me happy is geting my money back

When I saw it announced I was expecting a good mix of classic with rock, as I have seen other orchestras taking on classical pieces. Very dissapointed when the music did not sound like Handel, and the singers were yelling instead of singing. A total downer.. .do not spend your money if you are not into heavy metal turf.

I enjoyed the show so much! I am a Christian and the story told through music about Christ's birth, death and life for eternity was great and very touching. The only thing I would have changed is the Messiah song itself. I would rather have heard the soloists and choir sing it at the end for us in it's entirety. The soloists were so awesome and I bought the CD!

The energy of the entire cast was amazing. From the beginning when the choir runs throughout the audience to get them excited to the high quality of all of the musicians and vocalists, this show kept everyone involved and entertained. The Tenor and Baritones (Mike Eldred and Maty Thomas) stole the show with incredible voices. This is one of those events that can be seen over and over and enjoyed every time.

First, I didn't have a great view of the stage; seats were to the right and for some reason the stage was set up where performers entered the stage from the far right side. Not good for the audience. The performers had loud voices but not always on key. I liked the enthusiasm and the young singers being involved. The older male singer was good; the others need more practive. Also the lighting was in my face several times, which I did not like.

Had never been to theatre before - sat in mezzannie and couldn't see screen behind band, although we were allowed to move after show began. Accoustics weren't that good and hard to understand words to songs for male volcalists. Guitars were too loud and drowned out vocals. Female vocalist was amazing though and back up choir very good, as well as the orchestra. Just wasn't what I thought it would be and came a long way to see this performance - was disappointed. Should have waited to go see TransSiberian closer and less money.

This was one of the worst shows I have ever seen. The sound system was terrible (I've heard better systems at high school shows), the musicians were individually good but did not play well together, Ramona Keller as the Woman showed as much emotion as a damaged mannequin and Mike Eldred as the tenor was the absolute worst: his singing was nothing more than screaming at the top of his lungs and he ruined every number he sang in. The show would have been much better with music only, AND I expected the cast to sing at least one chorus of Hallelujah by themselves, instead of asking for audience participation from the beginning. I for sure would have walked out if I had paid full price for the tickets to this atrocity!

We liked the novelty of the show, though overall, it wasn't really Broadway quality, and it was rather pricey. The vocals - both solos and chorus - were outstanding; the dancing was so-so. The electric guitars were a bit forced. That said, it should be marketed to Christian youth groups; I think they'd really enjoy it!

I went to see this show with my husband and my 10 year old. My husband and my son loved it. I just don't like this type of entertaining. This theme means something different, than teenage people jumping around in jeans, and singing "Hallelujah". But maybe it is just me..

Unforgettable, enjoyed the music and musicians! The local choirs were great. The cast brought a lot of energy to the performance. Walked out humming the songs