NEW YORK — Among the converted it was preaching to, “The Passion” must have been an uplifting treat.

For others who may have strayed across “The Passion” on their way to rival programming like “Little Big Shots” or “Once Upon a Time,” this two-hour Fox “live spectacular,” despite its hefty dose of goodwill, was a spectacular-and-then-some exercise in excess.

Arriving on Palm Sunday with the preternaturally prolific Tyler Perry as host, it was certainly ambitious.

Following in the footsteps of recent live TV musicals including “Peter Pan” and “The Wiz,” ‘’The Passion” went even beyond January’s innovative “Grease” by originating almost totally outdoors, and, in its song-and-drama sequences, turning New Orleans into its backdrop.