Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by
Andrew Lloyd WebberAndrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber is an English composer of musical theatre.Lloyd Webber has achieved great popular success in musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End and on Broadway. He has composed 13 musicals, a song cycle, a set of...
, with lyrics by
Tim RiceSir Timothy Miles Bindon "Tim" Rice is an British lyricist and author.An Academy Award, Golden Globe Award, Tony Award and Grammy Award-winning lyricist, Rice is best known for his collaborations with Andrew Lloyd Webber, with whom he wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus...
. The musical started off as a
rock operaA rock opera is a work of rock music that presents a storyline told over multiple parts, songs or sections in the manner of opera. A rock opera differs from a conventional rock album, which usually includes songs that are not unified by a common theme or narrative. More recent developments include...
concept recordingJesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The album musical is a musical dramatisation of the last week of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with his entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion....
before its first staging on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 1971. The musical is based very loosely on the
Gospels' accountThe four canonical gospels of the New Testament are the primary sources of information for the doctrinal Christian narrative of the life of Jesus. There is not a single New Testament "view" on the life of Jesus, the four Canonical gospels tell different but connected stories...
of the last week of Jesus' life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem, and ending with the
crucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
. It highlights political and interpersonal struggles between
Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
and
JesusJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, struggles that are not in the Bible. The
resurrectionThe Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
is not included. It therefore largely follows the form of a traditional
passion playThe Passion is the Christian theological term used for the events and suffering – physical, spiritual, and mental – of Jesus in the hours before and including his trial and execution by crucifixion...
.
The work's depiction offers a free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and the other characters. A large part of the plot focuses on the character of
JudasJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
, who is depicted as a
tragicTragedy is a form of art based on human suffering that offers its audience pleasure. While most cultures have developed forms that provoke this paradoxical response, tragedy refers to a specific tradition of drama that has played a unique and important role historically in the self-definition of...
figure who is dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus steers his disciples. Twentieth-century attitudes and sensibilities as well as contemporary slang pervade the lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly feature many intentional
anachronismAn anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
s.
Act I
The apostle
Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
expresses in musical monologue his concern over Jesus' rising popularity as a "king" and the negative repercussions that will have. He strongly criticizes Jesus for accepting his followers' unrealistic views and for not heeding his concerns ("Heaven On Their Minds"). While Judas still loves Jesus, he believes that Jesus is just a man, not God, and worries that Jesus' following will be seen as a threat to the
Roman EmpireThe Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
which would then punish both Jesus and his associates. Judas' warning falls on deaf ears, as Jesus' followers have their minds set on going to Jerusalem with Jesus. As they ask Jesus when they will be going to Jerusalem, Jesus tells them to stop worrying about the future, since whatever will happen is determined by God ("What's the Buzz?").
Recognizing that Jesus is irritated by the badgering and lack of understanding from his followers,
Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
tries to help Jesus relax. Judas is concerned that Jesus is associating with Mary, a prostitute. It seems to Judas that Jesus is contradicting his own teaching, and he worries that this apparent lack of judgment will be used against Jesus and his followers ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Jesus tells Judas that Mary is with him (Jesus) now, and unless Judas is without
sinIn religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
he should not judge the character of others. Jesus then reproaches his apostles for being "shallow, thick and slow" and somewhat bitterly answers that not a single one of them cares about him. Mary Magdalene tries to assure Jesus that "Everything's Alright" while anointing him with oil. Judas angrily insists that the money used to obtain the oil should have been used to help the poor instead. Jesus sadly explains that he and his followers do not have the resources to alleviate poverty and that once his followers no longer have him, they will lose their path.
Meanwhile,
CaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
(the
high priestThe High Priest was the chief religious official of Israelite religion and of classical Judaism from the rise of the Israelite nation until the destruction of the Second Temple of Jerusalem...
), Annas, and other Jewish priests who have been studying Jesus' movements meet to discuss Jesus and his disciples. Jesus' growing following consists of Jews unwilling to accept the Romans as their rulers, and the priests believe that Jesus may become seen as a threat to the Roman Empire. If the Romans retaliate, many Jews will suffer, even those who are not following Jesus. Caiaphas tells them they are "fools" for not seeing the inevitable consequence of Jesus' activities. He believes there could be great bloodshed and the stakes are "frighteningly high". For
the greater goodUtilitarianism is an ethical theory holding that the proper course of action is the one that maximizes the overall "happiness", by whatever means necessary. It is thus a form of consequentialism, meaning that the moral worth of an action is determined only by its resulting outcome, and that one can...
He had to "crush him completely, so like john before him this jesus must die". Annas and the other priests concur. ("This Jesus Must Die"). As Jesus and his followers arrive exultantly in Jerusalem ("Hosanna"), they are confronted by Caiaphas, who demands that Jesus disband them, which Jesus says would be futile and change nothing. Jesus is approached by his apostle
Simon the ZealotThe apostle called Simon Zelotes, Simon the Zealot, in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13; and Simon Kananaios or Simon Cananeus , was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Little is recorded of him aside from his name...
, who suggests that Jesus lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power ("Simon Zealotes"). Jesus rejects this suggestion, stating that none of his followers understand what true power is, nor do they understand his true message ("Poor Jerusalem").
Pontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
, the governor of Judea, has had a dream in which he meets with Jesus and that he, Pilate, will receive all of the blame for Jesus' death ("Pilate's Dream"). Jesus arrives at the Temple in Jerusalem and finds that it is being used for selling everything from weapons to prostitutes and drugs. He is furious and demands that the merchants and
money changersThe narrative of Jesus and the money changers, commonly referred to as the cleansing of the Temple, occurs in all four canonical gospels of the New Testament....
leave the temple ("The Temple"). Angry, disconsolate, and tired by his burden, Jesus wanders off but is confronted by lepers, cripples, and beggars, all wanting to be healed. Even though he heals some, their number increases, and he is overwhelmed. Unable to solve everyone's problems, Jesus tells the crowd to heal themselves. Mary Magdalene finds Jesus upset and tells him to rest ("Everything's Alright" reprise). While Jesus is asleep, Mary acknowledges that she is in love with Jesus, unlike any man she has known before ("
I Don't Know How to Love Him"I Don't Know How to Love Him" is a song from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice , a torch ballad sung by the character of Mary Magdalene who in Jesus Christ Superstar is presented as bearing an unrequited love for the title character...
").
Judas seeks out the priests and promises to help them against Jesus, while belaboring that he is acting with unselfish motives and that Jesus himself would approve if he knew those motives ("Damned for All Time"). Caiaphas demands that Judas reveal the location of Jesus so that the authorities can apprehend him. In exchange for the information, Judas is offered
moneyThirty pieces of silver was the price for which Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, according to the Gospel of Matthew 26:15 in the Christian New Testament. Before the Last Supper, Judas went to the chief priests and agreed to hand over Jesus in exchange for 30 silver coins...
("Blood Money"). Judas initially turns down the offer, but he agrees when Caiaphas tells him to think of it as a "fee" and that he can assuage his conscience by using the money charitably. Judas decides that it would be better to turn Jesus in before his popularity leads to the deaths of Jesus and his followers, Judas included. Judas reveals that on Thursday night, Jesus will be at the Garden of
GethsemaneGethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem most famous as the place where, according to Biblical texts, Jesus and his disciples are said to have prayed the night before Jesus' crucifixion.- Etymology :...
.
Act II
At what Jesus knows will be the
Last SupperThe Last Supper is the final meal that, according to Christian belief, Jesus shared with his Twelve Apostles in Jerusalem before his crucifixion. The Last Supper provides the scriptural basis for the Eucharist, also known as "communion" or "the Lord's Supper".The First Epistle to the Corinthians is...
, he pours wine and passes bread for his apostles. He's very aware of the ordeal he faces and a little stung when the others don't pay much attention to him. "For all you care this wine could be my blood / For all you care this bread could be my body," he remarks ("The Last Supper"), in a revision of the Christian doctrine of the
EucharistThe Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
. He asks them to remember him when they eat and drink. Jesus predicts that
PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
will
deny him three timesThe Denial of Peter refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in the three Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament....
"in just a few hours" and that one of them will betray him. Judas admits he is the one ("cut the dramatics, you know very well who"), and angrily accuses Jesus of acting recklessly and egoistically. Following an admission that he doesn't understand Jesus' decisions, he leaves to bring the Roman soldiers. The remaining eleven apostles fall asleep, and Jesus prays. He admits his doubts, fears and anger to God, that he is tired and has done all he can; he asks powerfully if any of it had meaning and implores God not let him suffer the horrible death planned for him. He feels disillusioned with his quest as the Messiah, does not understand what it has achieved, and wishes to give up. Receiving no answer, Jesus realizes that he cannot defy God's will, and surrenders to God; his prayer ends with a request that God takes him while he is clear on the matter ("Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)").
Judas arrives with Roman soldiers and identifies Jesus by kissing him on the cheek. Jesus is
arrestedThe arrest of Jesus is a pivotal event recorded in the Canonical gospels. The event ultimately leads, in the Gospel accounts, to Jesus' crucifixion...
, and his apostles attempt to fight the soldiers. Jesus tells them to let the soldiers take him to
CaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
. On the way, a mob (acting like - and sometimes represented as - modern-day news reporters) asks Jesus what he plans to do, but Jesus declines to comment. When Jesus is
brought to trialThe Sanhedrin trial of Jesus refers to the Canonical Gospel accounts of the trial of Jesus before the Jewish Council, or Sanhedrin, following his arrest and prior to his trial before Pontius Pilate...
before the
SanhedrinThe Sanhedrin was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city in the Biblical Land of Israel.The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel made of 71 members...
, Caiaphas asks if he is the son of God. Jesus responds: "That's what you say, you say that I am." This answer is affirmative according to Jewish custom, and that provides enough justification for the high priests to send Jesus to
Pontius PilatePontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
("The Arrest"). Meanwhile, Jesus' apostle Peter is confronted by an old man, a soldier and a maid, and
Peter denies to eachThe Denial of Peter refers to three acts of denial of Jesus by the Apostle Peter as described in the three Synoptic Gospels of the New Testament....
that he knows Jesus. Mary asks Peter why he denied Jesus, and Peter responds that he had to do it in order to save himself. Mary wonders how Jesus knew that Peter would deny him three times ("Peter's Denial").
Pilate asks Jesus if he is the son of God. Jesus gives the same answer that he gave Caiaphas: "that's what
you said." Since Jesus is from
GalileeGalilee , is a large region in northern Israel which overlaps with much of the administrative North District of the country. Traditionally divided into Upper Galilee , Lower Galilee , and Western Galilee , extending from Dan to the north, at the base of Mount Hermon, along Mount Lebanon to the...
, Pilate says that he is not under his jurisdiction and sends him to
King HerodHerod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
("Pilate and Christ"). As Jesus is dragged away, the chorus asks where Jesus' power has gone ("Hosanna"). In a mocking ragtime number, King Herod asks Jesus to prove his divinity by performing miracles, offering to free him if he complies; but Jesus ignores him. Herod decides that Jesus is just another
phony messiah-Judaism:Armilus is an anti-Messiah figure in late-period Jewish eschatology, comparable to the Christian Antichrist and Muslim Dajjal, who will conquer Jerusalem and persecute the Jews until his final defeat at the hands of God or the true Messiah...
and sends him back to Pilate ("Herod's Song (Try It and See)"). The apostles and Mary Magdalene remember when they first began following Jesus, and wish "Could We Start Again, Please?" Feeling extreme guilt for Jesus' harsh treatment by the authorities, and panicking that he will be seen as responsible, Judas expresses regret to the priests, fearing he will forever be remembered as a traitor. Caiaphas and Annas say that what he has done will save everyone and that he should not feel remorse for his actions before throwing him out of their temple. Left alone, recognition dawns that memories of this could haunt the rest of his life, that God chose him to be the one to betray Jesus, and that he has been used as a pawn for the "foul bloody crime"; he commits suicide by hanging himself from a tree ("Judas' Death").
At Jesus' trial, Pilate asks the crowd if they would crucify Jesus, their king, and they declare: "We have no king but Caesar!" Pilate remembers the dream he had about the crowd and the unjust execution of Jesus ("Pilate's Dream" instrumental). Pilate tells the crowd that, while Jesus should be imprisoned, he does not deserve to die. Pilate demands that the crowd give him a reason to condemn Jesus, and the crowd breaks into a
pep rallyPep rallies are events that occur primarily in the United States and Canada. A pep rally is a gathering of people, typically students of middle school, high school and college age, before a sports event. The purpose of such a gathering is to encourage school spirit and to support members of the...
-style cheer about how Jesus is a blasphemer and has defied Rome. Pilate calls the crowd hypocrites, as he knows they hate Roman rule. He attempts to satisfy their bloodlust by having Jesus
whippedThe Flagellation of Christ, sometimes known as Christ at the Column or the Scourging at the Pillar, is a scene from the Passion of Christ very frequently shown in Christian art, in cycles of the Passion or the larger subject of the Life of Christ. It is the fourth station of the modern alternate...
, counting thirty-nine bloody strokes. Pilate pleads with Jesus to defend himself; but Jesus says weakly that everything has been determined (by God), and Pilate cannot change it. The crowd still screams for Jesus to be
crucifiedCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
, and Pilate recalls his duty to keep the peace. He reluctantly agrees to crucify Jesus to keep the crowd from getting violent ("Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)"). Pilate then washes his hands of Jesus' death: "I wash my hands of your demolition/Die if you want to, you innocent puppet".
As Jesus prepares to be crucified, he sees the spirit of Judas. Judas questions why Jesus chose to arrive in the manner that he did, and if what happened to him was really part of a divine plan, but Jesus does not say ("
Superstar"Superstar" is the title song from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was released as a single in 1969, before the album was completed. Sung by Murray Head with the Trinidad Singers, it reached number 78 on first release. Murray Head reached...
"). Jesus is put on a cross and slowly dies. ("The Crucifixion"; "John Nineteen: Forty-One").
Principal roles
| Character |
Voice Type A voice type is a particular kind of human singing voice perceived as having certain identifying qualities or characteristics. Voice classification is the process by which human voices are evaluated and are thereby designated into voice types...
|
Description |
Jesus ChristJesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
|
Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(A2-A5) |
Title role, leader of the twelve Apostles, a man, called the "Son of God" and the "King of the Jews". |
Judas IscariotJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
|
Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(D3-D5) |
Arguably the antagonist of the show. One of the twelve apostles of Jesus; concerned for the poor and the consequences of Jesus' fame |
Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
|
Alto Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
(F3-E♭5) |
A female follower of Jesus who finds herself falling in love with him. |
| Pontius Pilate Pontius Pilatus , known in the English-speaking world as Pontius Pilate , was the fifth Prefect of the Roman province of Judaea, from AD 26–36. He is best known as the judge at Jesus' trial and the man who authorized the crucifixion of Jesus...
|
BaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
(A2-B4) |
Governor of Judea who foresees the events of Jesus' crucifixion from beginning to aftermath in a dream and finds himself being presented with that very situation |
| Caiaphas Joseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
|
Bass A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
(C♯2-F4) |
High priest who sees Jesus as a threat to the nation |
| Annas Annas [also Ananus or Ananias], son of Seth , was appointed by the Roman legate Quirinius as the first High Priest of the newly formed Roman province of Iudaea in 6 AD; just after the Romans had deposed Archelaus, Ethnarch of Judaea, thereby putting Judaea directly under Roman rule.Annas officially...
|
Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(G2-D5)
|
Fellow priest at the side of Caiaphas who is persuaded by Caiaphas into seeing Jesus as a threat |
PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
|
BaritoneBaritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
(G♯2-G4) |
One of Jesus' 12 apostles; denies Jesus three times upon the night of Jesus' arrest to save himself |
| Simon Zealotes |
Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(G3-B4) |
One of Jesus' 12 apostles; urges Jesus to lead his followers into battle against the Romans |
King HerodHerod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
|
Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
(C♯3-G4) |
The King of Galilee; Jesus is brought to him for judgment after first being taken to Pilate |
Musical numbers
Act I
- "Overture" - Orchestra
- "Heaven on Their Minds" - Judas
- "What's the Buzz" / "Strange Thing Mystifying" - Apostles, Jesus, Mary, Judas, Peter, Woman
- "Everything's Alright" - Mary, Women, Judas, Jesus, Apostles
- "This Jesus Must Die" - Annas, Caiaphas, Apostles, Priests
- "Hosanna" - Apostles, Caiaphas, Jesus, Ensemble
- "Simon Zealotes" / "Poor Jerusalem" - Apostles, Simon, Jesus, Ensemble
- "Pilate's Dream" - Pilate
- "The Temple" - Ensemble, Jesus
- "Everything's Alright (reprise)" - Mary, Jesus
- "I Don't Know How to Love Him
"I Don't Know How to Love Him" is a song from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice , a torch ballad sung by the character of Mary Magdalene who in Jesus Christ Superstar is presented as bearing an unrequited love for the title character...
" - Mary
- "Damned for All Time" / "Blood Money" - Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus
Act II
- "The Last Supper" - Apostles, Jesus, Judas
- "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" - Jesus
- "The Arrest" - Judas, Jesus, Peter, Apostles, Ensemble, Annas, Caiaphas
- "Peter's Denial" - Maid by the Fire, Peter, Soldier, Old Man, Mary
- "Pilate and Christ" - Pilate, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
- "King Herod's Song (Try it and See)" - Herod, Dancers
- "Could We Start Again Please?" - Mary, Apostles, Peter
- "Judas' Death" - Judas, Annas, Caiaphas, Chorus
- "Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes)" - Pilate, Caiaphas, Annas, Jesus, Ensemble
- "Superstar
"Superstar" is the title song from the 1970 rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. It was released as a single in 1969, before the album was completed. Sung by Murray Head with the Trinidad Singers, it reached number 78 on first release. Murray Head reached...
" - Judas, Soul Sisters, Angels
- "The Crucifixion" - Jesus, Ensemble
- "John Nineteen: Forty-One" - Orchestra
From album to Broadway
The musical was first produced as an
albumAn album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
before being staged on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
and later in
LondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
's
West EndWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
. On the original album, the part of Jesus was sung by
Ian GillanIan Gillan is an English rock music vocalist and songwriter, best known as the lead singer and lyricist for Deep Purple. During his career Gillan also fronted his own band, had a year-long stint as the vocalist for Black Sabbath, and sang the role of Jesus in the original recording of Andrew Lloyd...
, the lead singer of
Deep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
who later also worked with
Black SabbathBlack Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and others, and that of Judas by
Murray HeadMurray Seafield Saint-George Head is a British actor and singer, most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" and "One Night in Bangkok" and his album Say It Ain't So...
. The future
Gary GlitterGary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
had a one-liner as a priest and
Michael d'AboMichael David "Mike" d'Abo is an English singer and songwriter, best known as the former lead vocalist of Manfred Mann.-Biography:...
appeared as
King HerodHerod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
. The title song, "Superstar", sung by
JudasJudas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
(
Murray HeadMurray Seafield Saint-George Head is a British actor and singer, most recognised for his international hit songs "Superstar" and "One Night in Bangkok" and his album Say It Ain't So...
), and "I Don't Know How to Love Him", sung by
Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
(
Yvonne EllimanYvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
) about her relationship with Jesus, were both big hits.
The original album has a rock flavor that is very different from Lloyd Webber's later work. This is in part due to the emotive singing of Murray Head and Ian Gillan and the playing of well-known rock session musicians such as guitarists
Neil HubbardNeil Hubbard is a British guitarist who performed with Juicy Lucy , The Grease Band, Bluesology, Joe Cocker, Roxy Music, Kokomo, B.B. King, Kevin Rowland, and Tony O'Malley; and played on the original 1970 concept album, Jesus Christ Superstar....
and
Chris SpeddingChris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
, bassist Alan Spenner and drummer Bruce Rowland. The musical arrangements are often multi-layered, featuring rock and classical elements, and contain many abruptly shifting dynamics and time signatures.
Early unauthorized community productions
On April 4, 1971, the musical, known to aficionados of rock from its original album, was presented for the first time in a live, concert performance by the Ravenswood Rock Group, sponsored by the Bel Canto Opera at New York's
Madison Avenue Baptist ChurchMadison Avenue Baptist Church was first chartered in 1848 as Rose Hill Baptist Sunday School and Church, on East 30th Street between Third and Lexington Avenues. Rose Hill was a house church with twelve members...
.
In June 1971, the first U.S. staged version was performed by students at Southold High School in
Southold, New YorkSouthold is one of ten towns in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is located in the northeastern tip of the county, on the North Fork of Long Island. The population was 20,599 at the 2000 census...
. However, other unauthorized productions were also going on at the time, eliciting lawsuits by the authors, eventually shutting down several hundred productions before the official premiere (and becoming a benchmark in copyright law). The show remains a favorite for community and regional theater, sometimes with women taking male roles (particularly Judas).
First authorized concert productions
On July 11, 1971, the first authorized American concert took place in front of an audience of 13,000 people at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Civic Arena with Jeff Fenholt singing the role of Jesus, Carl Anderson as Judas, and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene.
Original Broadway production
The show opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971, directed by
Tom O'HorganTom O'Horgan was an American theatre and film director, composer, actor and musician. He is best known for his Broadway work as director of the hit musicals Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar...
, at the
Mark Hellinger TheatreThe Mark Hellinger Theatre is a generally used name of a former legitimate Broadway theater, located at 237 West 51st Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City. Since 1991, it has been known as the Times Square Church...
. The Broadway production received mixed reviews, as reviewers from the
New York Times deemed it to be a heartless overhyped production ; Andrew Lloyd Webber has also criticized it harshly. The show starred
Jeff FenholtJeffrey Craig Fenholt is a singer noted for his performance as the title character in the original Broadway theatre adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar and for his appearance on the cover of "Time Magazine"...
as Jesus,
Ben VereenBen Vereen is an American actor, dancer, and singer who has appeared in numerous Broadway theatre shows. Vereen graduated from Manhattan's High School of Performing Arts.- Early years :...
as Judas and
Bob BinghamRobert 'Bob' Bingham born 29 October 1946 in Seattle, Washington U.S. is an actor and singer. Bingham is most remembered for playing the role of Caiaphas in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar....
as Caiaphas.
Barry DennenBarry Dennen is an American actor, singer, and writer.Dennen was born in Chicago, Illinois. In New York City from 1960 to 1963, he had a relationship with Barbra Streisand, including living together for a year, during which time he helped her develop the nightclub act that began her successful...
, the Pilate on the original album had been living and working in London when he recorded the album. He was back in the States in time to play Pilate on Broadway.
Yvonne EllimanYvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
, the original Mary Magdalene, was also a part of the cast.
Kurt YaghjianKurt "Frenchy" Yaghjian is an American actor and singer known for his appearance as Annas in the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar....
sang Annas.
Ted NeeleyTed Neeley is a rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is probably best known for performing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973....
(who was cast as a Christ understudy),
Paul JabaraPaul Jabara was an American actor, singer, and songwriter of Lebanese ancestry. He wrote Donna Summer's "Last Dance" from Thank God It's Friday and Barbra Streisand's song "The Main Event/Fight" from The Main Event...
,
Samuel E. WrightSamuel E. Wright is an American film and theater actor and singer who is best known as the voice of Sebastian in Disney's The Little Mermaid, for which he provided the main vocals to "Under the Sea", which won the Academy Award for Best Original Song. He also voiced Kron in Disney's CGI film...
, and
Anita Morris-Career:Among many roles, Morris's most prominent film role was as Carol Dodsworth, the mistress to Danny DeVito, in Ruthless People and for her sensual performance as Carla in the musical Nine opposite Raul Julia. While nominated for a Best Featured Actress Tony Award as Carla, she lost to Liliane...
also appeared in the cast.
Carl AndersonCarl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
stepped into the role of Judas when Vereen fell ill, and the two performers later took turns playing the role. The show closed on June 30, 1973 after 711 performances.
Controversy
The Broadway show and subsequent productions were condemned by some religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying "It happens that we don't see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place." Some
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s consider these comments to be
blasphemousBlasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
, the character of Judas too sympathetic and some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive. At the same time, some Jews said that it bolstered the anti-Semitic claim that the Jews are responsible for Jesus' death by showing most of the villains as Jewish (
CaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
and the other priests, Herod) and showing the crowd in Jerusalem calling for the crucifixion. The musical was banned in South Africa for being "irreligious".
Other 1970s productions
The first stage performance of
Jesus Christ Superstar in Europe was performed on 25 December, Christmas, in
VilniusVilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
,
LithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
in 1971. This was while Lithuania was part of the
Soviet UnionThe Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
. The performance was banned by Soviet authorities and performers were persecuted by KGB.
Jesus Christ Superstar was performed in 1971 in
HungaryHungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. The performance was based on the original studio version, and the band and orchestra parts were transcribed to a five piece rockband. The group, Korong, whose author Tibor Miklós wrote the Hungarian lyrics, had a few enormously successful performances in
BudapestBudapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
's university clubs; however, it was banned afterwards from performing it.
Superstar opened at the
Palace TheatreThe Palace Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster in London. It is an imposing red-brick building that dominates the west side of Cambridge Circus and is located near the intersection of Shaftesbury Avenue and Charing Cross Road...
in London in 1972, starring
Paul NicholasPaul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
as Jesus,
Stephen Tate-Television credits:He is possibly best known for his recurring role as Alan in the 1970s television drama Survivors.His other credits include: Z-Cars, The Onedin Line, Blake's 7, Yes Minister, The Black Adder, Boon, The Bill, Minder, Cardiac Arrest, Silent Witness and Emmerdale.-Musical...
as Judas and
Dana GillespieDana Gillespie is an English actress and singer.-Career:Gillespie was born to the Baron De Winterstein Gillespie, an Austrian radiologist, and his wife. She grew up in England and her family's villa in Maccagno, a village on Lake Maggiore, Italy...
as Mary. It was directed by Australian,
Jim SharmanJames "Jim" Sharman , the son of boxing tent entrepreneur Jimmy Sharman, is a director and writer for film and stage with over 70 productions to his credit...
. This production was much more successful, running for eight years and becoming the United Kingdom's longest-running musical at the time (it was later surpassed by other works but remains the fifth longest-running). During its 20th anniversary, the production featured
Paul NicholasPaul Nicholas is an English actor and singer who has had considerable success on stage, screen and in the pop charts.-Biography:Nicholas was born as Paul Oscar Beuselinck in Peterborough, England...
from the original cast as Jesus.
In Sweden, the show began a five-day run at The Scandinavium in Göteborg playing to 74,000 people (a record at the time). Starring as Mary Magdalene was pop star
Agnetha FältskogAgnetha Åse Fältskog is a Swedish recording artist. She achieved success in Sweden after the release of her début album Agnetha Fältskog in 1968, and reached international stardom as a member of the pop group ABBA, which to date has sold over 375 million records worldwide, making it the fourth...
(in her pre-
ABBAABBA was a Swedish pop group formed in Stockholm in 1970 which consisted of Anni-Frid Lyngstad, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson and Agnetha Fältskog...
days) The première was 18 February 1972. See
Jesus Christ Superstar (Swedish version 1972)This is the Swedish cast of the Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice's musical starring as Maria Magdalena, Swedish pop star from ABBA : Agnetha Fältskog....
.
In May 1972 the original Australian production opened at the
Capitol Theatre, SydneyThe Capitol Theatre is a historic theatre building located at 13 Campbell Street, Haymarket, Sydney, Australia.-History:The Capitol Theatre is at the former site of the Belmore Markets. The latter were built in 1891 by George McRae, City Architect, and the structural engineer Norman Selfe, but were...
, later moving to the
Palais TheatreThe Palais Theatre is a former cinema, now functioning exclusively as a concert venue, located in St Kilda, Victoria, Australia. With a capacity of 2,896 people, it is the largest seated theatre in Australia....
in Melbourne. Directed by
Jim SharmanJames "Jim" Sharman , the son of boxing tent entrepreneur Jimmy Sharman, is a director and writer for film and stage with over 70 productions to his credit...
, the cast featured Trevor White (who dubbed Rocky's voice in the Sharman-directed
The Rocky Horror Picture ShowThe Rocky Horror Picture Show is the 1975 film adaptation of the British rock musical stageplay, The Rocky Horror Show, written by Richard O'Brien. The film is a parody of B-movie, science fiction and horror films of the late 1940s through early 1970s. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the...
) as Jesus,
Jon EnglishJonathan James "Jon" English is an Australian rock singer, musician, actor and writer. English emigrated to Australia with his parents in 1961...
as Judas and Michelle Fawdon (Mary Magdalene 1972-73) and
Marcia HinesMarcia Elaine Hines, AM is a vocalist, actress and TV personality who achieved success in her adopted homeland of Australia. Hines made her debut, at the age of sixteen, in the Australian version of the stage musical Hair and followed with the role of Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar...
as Mary Magdalene 1973-4 (the first black woman to play this role); other cast members included
Reg LivermoreReginald Dawson Livermore AO is an Australian actor, singer, theatrical performer and television presenter.-Childhood:From a young age, Livermore demonstrated an interest in the performing arts...
,
Doug ParkinsonDouglas "Doug" Parkinson is an Australian singer who first came to fame with his band, Doug Parkinson In Focus, in 1969. He has had numerous hits on the Australian Top 40 charts.-Career:...
,
John Paul YoungJohn Paul Young is an Australian pop singer who had a 1978 worldwide hit with "Love Is in the Air"...
and Stevie Wright. It ran until February 1974.
In 1973, the show opened in
ParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, at the
Théâtre de ChaillotThe Théâtre national de Chaillot is a theatre located in the Palais de Chaillot at 1, place du Trocadero, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Close by the Eiffel Tower and the Trocadéro Gardens—the Théâtre de Chaillot is among the largest concert halls in Paris. It has long been synonymous with...
. It had been adapted in French by
Pierre DelanoëPierre Delanoë , born Pierre Leroyer, was a French songwriter/lyricist who wrote for dozens of singers such as Edith Piaf, Charles Aznavour, Petula Clark, and Johnny Hallyday....
, who had already adapted
GodspellGodspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
two years before. The title role was sung by
Daniel BerettaDaniel Beretta is a French actor and voice actor. He has dubbed over Arnold Schwarzenegger in the French versions of all his films since 1987.-Biography:...
(later, the French voice of
Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
) and Maria Magdalena by
Anne-Marie DavidAnne-Marie David is a French singer. She represented two different countries at the Eurovision Song Contest.-Career:...
(winner of the
Eurovision song contestThe Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
the same year). The critics were very cold and the production stopped after 30 shows.
In 1974
Jesus Christ Superstar was opened in Peru by a group of fans. Practiced throughout the summer of 1974, under the direction of Lalo Lopez Therese, director, and pioneer of rock opera in Peru, it attracted many young people on stage: actors, dancers, and members of the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Raymond Krammer, Catholic University Choir, plus a live rock band "Tripping Foxter". Peru was the first South American country to present the musical.
In 1976,
Jesus Christ Superstar began its first U.S. national tour with a company managed by
Laura Shapiro KramerLaura Shapiro Kramer is a U.S. author, producer and film maker.-Early life:Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, Shapiro Kramer left New England to attend the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1960s...
. The tour continued until 1980. In 1977, the musical was performed at the first annual Illinois High School Theater Festival. Jesus was portrayed, in this rendition, by an African American woman.
In the late 1970s, two regional productions premiered in California, both under the auspices of the California Youth Theatre organization. The first production featured Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, and Yvonne Elliman reprising their respective stage and movie roles of Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene; the second production again featured both Neeley and Anderson.
1980s productions
Emilio de Soto directed the English-language South American premiere of
Jesus Christ Superstar in Venezuela in 1981, with 163 actors, an orchestra of 37 musicians, and a live rock band.
From 1982 to 1984, an Australian production toured both Australia and South-East Asia, this time directed by Trevor White (who was also reprising his role of Jesus). The cast featured Doug Parkinson as Judas, and Marcia Hines (reprising her role as Mary Magdalene); other cast members included Raymond Duparc as Pontius Pilate, and Michael-John Hurney as Peter.
In 1986 Musical Director Anthony Von Eckstein and Singer/Director Pearl Heart (former Janis Joplin stand in for Kosmic Blues band featuring Sam Andrews and Snooky Flowers formerly of Big Brother and the Holding Company and Kosmic Blues Band respectively.) began collaboration for shows via the Milbrae Theater. But the production would not be fully realized until Von Eckstein finally found the right singers he needed for this formidable production. In the mid-late 80's, Von Eckstein had been working at a San Francisco rock club called The Underground where he and Michael Krishe (Technical Director) had been booking local rock bands. It was at that nightclub in the Summer of 88 that Jesus(Danny Knop), Judas(Freeman Young, Mary(Jennifer Courtney), and Annas (Kevin Mead) would all be discovered. With the a strong trilogy for the core principles of Superstar, Pearl Heart was then able to find investors interested in backing the show for a major theater production. For various reasons after three months the investors withdrew from the project.
With nowhere else to go Von Eckstein who had previously already booked a 'dress rehearsal at the DNA Club followed through with the performance with the cast and orchestra. From there the production mounted on a "in concert" tour of Bay Area clubs and concert halls under the name of "The Superstar Band", starting in the summer of 1989. The final performances were held at the On Broadway Theater in December 1990 and again at the DNA Lounge in 1991.
1990s productions
In 1990, Jesus Christ Superstar was played at
Det Norske TeatretDet Norske Teatret is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 1913, touring with two plays, Ervingen by Ivar Aasen and Rationelt Fjøsstell by Hulda Garborg...
in Oslo, Norway (in Norwegian).
The
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n touring revival of "Superstar" in 1992, titled the AD Anniversary Tour, starred
Ted NeeleyTed Neeley is a rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is probably best known for performing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973....
and
Carl AndersonCarl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
reprising their respective
1973 film rolesJesus Christ Superstar is a 1973 American film adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice rock opera of the same name. Directed by Norman Jewison, the film centers on the conflict between Judas and Jesus during the last weeks before the crucifixion of Jesus...
as Jesus and Judas and getting rave reviews for their performances. This production also starred both
Dennis DeYoungDennis DeYoung is an American singer, songwriter, musician and producer best known for being a founding member of the rock band Styx, a tenure that lasted from 1970 to 1999.-Early life:...
of
StyxStyx is an American rock band that became famous for its albums from the late 1970s and early 1980s. The Chicago band is known for melding the style of prog-rock with the power of hard rock guitar, strong ballads, and elements of American musical theater....
and James O'Neil (Founding Artistic Director of the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura, CA) as Pontius Pilate, and Syreeta,
Irene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
, and Christine Rea as Mary Magdalene. Originally expected to run for three to four months, the tour ended up running for five years.
A 1992
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n concert cast - starring
John FarnhamJohn Peter Farnham, AO, formerly billed as Johnny Farnham , is an English-born Australian pop singer. He was a teen pop idol from 1964 to 1979, and has since forged a career as an adult contemporary singer. His career has mostly been as a solo artist although he briefly replaced Glenn Shorrock as...
as Jesus,
Jon StevensJon Stevens is a New Zealand-born singer of Maori descent, now an Australian citizen. Stevens is the brother of New Zealand Idol judge Frankie Stevens....
as Judas,
Kate CeberanoKate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
as
Mary MagdaleneMary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
and
Angry AndersonGary Stephen "Angry" Anderson AM is an Australian rock singer, television presenter/reporter, actor and conservative political activist. He is best known as the vocalist with the hard rock band Rose Tattoo since 1976 but he is also recognised for his acting roles and his charity work...
as King Herod - was created to great critical acclaim. The Australian production was produced by the entrepreneur
Harry M. Miller-Early career:Born in New Zealand, Miller grew up in Grey Lynn, Auckland, and moved to Australia in 1963, where he established a company called Pan Pacific Productions with Keith and Dennis Wong, owners of the noted Sydney nightclub "Chequers"...
Garry Van Egmond and International Management Group. In 1994, a New Zealand production (also produced by Harry M. Miller Garry Van Egmond and International Management Group) saw changes in production style, such as the rock guitar solo introducing the show played by a guitarist on a spotlighted, elevated platform, and costuming which included a complete lack of sandals. Jesus was played by Darryl Lovegrove; Caiaphas by
Frankie StevensFrankie Stevens is a New Zealand entertainer and singer. He is best known as a judge for all three seasons on the reality series New Zealand Idol.-Early career:...
, elder brother of Jon Stevens (the two played together on stage when the production toured Australia, with Jon in his previous role as Judas); and Judas by the stage, television and cinema star
Jay Laga'aiaJay Laga'aia is an actor and singer. He is best known internationally for his role as Captain Typho in the films Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.-Career:...
. Red laser was used to represent the whip during the scourging; similarly lasers were used for the wounds of the crucifixion. The show closed with an expanding cone of green laser, centered on Jesus' crucified corpse, shining through mist to eventually envelop the whole audience.
Also in 1994, a stage version titled
Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was produced and performed in Atlanta,
AustinAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Seattle. This version featured many musicians from the Atlanta alternative scene, including the
Indigo GirlsThe Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
members
Amy RayAmy Elizabeth Ray is an American singer-songwriter and member of the contemporary folk duo Indigo Girls. She also pursues a solo career and has released four albums under her own name, and founded a record company, Daemon Records....
as Jesus and
Emily SaliersEmily Saliers is an American singer-songwriter and member of the Indigo Girls. Saliers plays lead guitar as well as banjo, piano, mandolin, ukulele, bouzouki and many other instruments.-Background:...
as Mary Magdalene, and fellow guitarist
Michael LorantMichael Lorant is an American singer-musician, best known known for producing the album Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection, a project done with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, members of Indigo Girls. He is also well known for performing a live stage version with many musicians from the Atlanta...
as Judas.
In 1996,
Superstar was revived in London. Directed by Gale Edwards, this version of
Superstar was updated to appeal to a new generation of fans. It starred
Steve BalsamoSteve Balsamo is a Welsh singer and songwriter, famous for his lead role on the London version of Jesus Christ Superstar during the mid 1990s.-Biography:...
and
Zubin VarlaZubin Varla is a British actor and singer. He played the role of Judas in the 1996 West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, alongside Steve Balsamo , Joanna Ampil , and David Burt...
as Jesus and Judas. Referred to as the "
LyceumThe Lyceum Theatre is a 2,000-seat West End theatre located in the City of Westminster, on Wellington Street, just off the Strand. There has been a theatre with this name in the locality since 1765, and the present site opened on 14 July 1834 to a design by Samuel Beazley. The building was unique...
Production," it was relatively successful. This eventually led
Gale EdwardsGale Edwards is an Australian theatre director, who has worked extensively throughout Australia and internationally. She has also directed for television and film. She began her career at Adelaide youth theatre company Energy Connection...
to restage the show for a UK tour, followed by a video starring
Glenn CarterGlenn Carter is an English stage actor and singer-songwriter performing leading roles in musicals staged in London's West End...
as Jesus and
Jerome PradonJérôme Pradon is an actor and singer who has performed in the West End, Paris and various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France on 3 June 1964.- Theatre :...
as Judas. This "new" interpretation of the show was revived on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in 2000 again starring Carter, but a last minute change made
Tony VincentTony Vincent, born Anthony Peter Strascina, is an American actor, singer and songwriter born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and based out of New York City, New York. He took the stage name Tony Vincent when he was preparing to release his first EP in 1993 .-Early career:Vincent's professional career...
, who had played
SimonThe apostle called Simon Zelotes, Simon the Zealot, in Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13; and Simon Kananaios or Simon Cananeus , was one of the most obscure among the apostles of Jesus. Little is recorded of him aside from his name...
in the video, step into the role of Judas. It opened to mixed reviews and closed quickly. It was more popular in its UK/European run; it opened in November 1996 and closed in March 1998.
A concert version was performed on November 15–16, 1998 to launch the Rubicon Theatre Company in
Ventura, CaliforniaVentura is the county seat of Ventura County, California, United States, incorporated in 1866. The population was 106,433 at the 2010 census, up from 100,916 at the 2000 census. Ventura is accessible via U.S...
. Three performances were given, starring Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson and the company from the AD Anniversary Tour. All three shows were sold out.
2000s
A
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
opened at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts in April 2000 and ran for 161 performances.
http://www.ibdb.com/production.php?id=12491
In 2002, a national tour was begun with ex-Skid Row singer
Sebastian BachSebastian Bach is a Canadian heavy metal singer who achieved mainstream success as frontman of Skid Row from 1987 to 1996. Since his departure from Skid Row, he has had many television roles, acted within Broadway plays, and leads a successful solo career.-Early life:Bach was born Sebastian...
as Jesus, and
Carl AndersonCarl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
once again as Judas. Bach received mixed reviews, while Anderson was again praised. In April 2003, following a disagreement with the director, Bach walked out on the cast and was replaced with Broadway star
Eric KunzeEric Kunze , born in 1971 in San Diego, California, is a Broadway actor and singer. He showed an early aptitude for singing and was involved in choir and theater at Rancho Buena Vista High School. He attended theater studies at University of California, Irvine. In his junior year, the students...
. Carl Anderson continued on the tour for three more months, but eventually left the show after being diagnosed with leukemia and died in 2004. He was replaced by
Lawrence ClaytonLawrence Clayton was a Governor of the United States Federal Reserve System from 1947 until his death.Clayton received an A.B. from Stanford University in 1914 and an LL.B. from Harvard Law School in 1916....
, who had appeared as Simon and understudied the part of Judas in the previous national tour. The tour closed shortly after Anderson's departure.
Also in 2002, October, a production of
Jesus Christ Superstar was taken to Barbados to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee. The show starred Steve Balsamo, once again as Jesus, Miles Guerrini as Judas and Yildiz Hussein as Mary Magdalene, as well as several young performers from England. The production took place in the Sir Garfield Sobers Sports Complex in St Michael.
In August 2004 a new national UK tour began, directed by
Bill KenwrightBill Kenwright CBE is a leading West End theatre producer and film producer.He is also the Chairman of Everton Football Club, an English professional football club from the city of Liverpool....
. Originally scheduled to end in December, the tour's success resulted in a longer run, and it continued through August 2005.
Glenn CarterGlenn Carter is an English stage actor and singer-songwriter performing leading roles in musicals staged in London's West End...
reprised his role as Jesus and British pop singer
James FoxJames Fox, real name . is a pop music singer, songwriter, pianist and guitarist. He represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest 2004 in Istanbul...
played Judas, with Emma Dears as Mary Magdalene.
Later that same year, a London production with an international cast performed sell-out tours of
ScandinaviaScandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
. Most of the ensemble cast was made up of performers from the 2001 film directed by Gale Edwards. Principal roles were played by Australian singer Peter Murphy (Jesus), American actress Kristen Cummings (Mary), English actor Jon Boydon nee Stokes (Judas), and French actor and singer Jerome Pradon (King Herod) who had previously played Judas in the Gale Edwards film. The production almost didn't happen, as a prominent West End star had to withdraw from the production unexpectedly. A last minute replacement was found in veteran Australian actor Michael-John Hurney (Pontius Pilate).
A live-in-concert, one-night only, performance of JCS took place at The
Ricardo MontalbanRicardo Gonzalo Pedro Montalbán y Merino, KSG was a Mexican radio, television, theatre and film actor. He had a career spanning six decades and many notable roles...
Theatre in
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on August 13, 2006, reuniting Ted Neeley, Yvonne Elliman and Barry Dennen from the 1973 film, Broadway and Los Angeles productions of the show, as well as Ben Vereen (the original Judas on Broadway), Clint Holmes as Simon and
Jack BlackJack Black , is an American actor and musician, notably of Tenacious D.Jack Black may also refer to:* Jack Black , late 19th - early 20th Century author and hobo* Jack Black , drummer for 1970s UK punk band The Boys...
as Herod. The performance also featured Larry Friedman as Annas, Chris Carey as Caiaphas, and Chuck DiMaria as one of the priests (all three were featured performers in the AD Anniversary Tour between 1993 and 1997), as well as the Agape Choir. The performance benefitted
YouTHeatre-America! and The Ricardo Montalban Theatre.
In 2006, a tour (originally billed as "The Ted Neeley Farewell Tour", but was renamed as the new "A.D. Tour") starring
Ted NeeleyTed Neeley is a rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is probably best known for performing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973....
, reprising his role as Jesus, began in September and played almost five years to date. The tour was slated to run through 2007, but audience and critical reception for the show was so great that it booked through early May 2010.
Corey GloverCorey Glover is an American singer, guitarist and actor. He is best known as the lead singer of the hard rock band Living Colour.-Career:...
, the lead vocalist of rock band
Living ColourLiving Colour is an American rock band from New York City, formed in 1984. Stylistically, the band's music is a creative fusion influenced by free jazz, funk, neo-psychedelia, hard rock, and heavy metal...
, made his national stage debut as Judas. Glover left the show in December 2008 to rejoin Living Colour. Actor James Delisco replaced Glover as Judas through 2009, and John Twiford replaced Delisco for the fourth leg of the tour.
Since 2004, a selection of
chileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an
heavy metalHeavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
musicians have delopeved the first heavy metal version of the full opus, named
Jesucristo Metalstar (Jesuchrist Metalstar). Annually they perform this version in Santiago under the leading of Rodrigo Galaz as Jesus and Ives Gulle as Judas. The show has received excellent critics from the local press.
In Boston, frontman
Gary CheroneGary Francis Caine Cherone is an American rock singer-songwriter. He is best known for his work with the rock group Extreme, as well as his short stint as the lead singer for Van Halen on their 11th album Van Halen III and subsequent tour. In recent years he has released solo recordings. In 2007,...
of the bands
ExtremeExtreme is an American rock band, headed by frontmen Gary Cherone and Nuno Bettencourt, that reached the height of their popularity in the late 1980s and early 1990s.Among some of Extreme's musical influences are Queen and Van Halen...
,
Van HalenVan Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and
Tribe of JudahAccording to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes....
portrayed Jesus in productions in 1994, 1996 and 2003. He also portrayed Judas in 2000.
On March 25–27, 2010, the Canadian-born electronic musician
PeachesMerrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
performed a one-woman version of
Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hebbel am Ufer Theater in
BerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. Pianist and rapper Chilly Gonzales accompanied her on piano. She also performed at the Kampnagel Theater in Berlin on May 4, and at the Hebbel Theater from May 31 to June 2.
ArtforumArtforum is an international monthly magazine specializing in contemporary art.-Publication:The magazine is published ten times a year, September through May, along with an annual summer issue...
stated in their review, “Not only did Peaches set it off, she managed to surprise us all by showing off an expansive vocal range, a musician’s natural sensitivity to the dynamics of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s score, and an emotive prowess that is rarely if ever displayed in her own, less holy, music.”
A new production of Jesus Christ Superstar is being mounted at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in
Stratford, OntarioStratford is a city on the Avon River in Perth County in southwestern Ontario, Canada with a population of 32,000.When the area was first settled by Europeans in 1832, the townsite and the river were named after Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is the seat of Perth County. Stratford was...
, as part of its 2011 season. Performances began on May 16, 2011 and ran until November 6. The show is directed by
Des McAnuffDesmond McAnuff is the Canadian-American artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of musical theatre of such Broadway productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys.-Biography:...
, director of the original Broadway productions of
Jersey BoysJersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is a documentary-style musical, based on one of the most successful 1960s rock 'n roll groups, the Four Seasons...
and
Big RiverBig River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a musical with a book by William Hauptman and music and lyrics by Roger Miller.Based on Mark Twain's classic 1884 novel, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, it features music in the bluegrass and country styles in keeping with the setting of the novel...
and of the 1993 Broadway production of
TommyThe Who's Tommy is a rock musical by Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff based on The Who's 1969 double album rock opera Tommy, also by Pete Townshend, with additional material by John Entwistle, Keith Moon and Sonny Boy Williamson.-Productions:...
. Jesus is played/sung by Paul Nolan, Judas by Josh Young, Mary Magdalene by Chilina Kennedy, Pontius Pilate by
Brent CarverBrent Carver is a Canadian actor.Carver is known for a variety of stage and film roles, including The Wars, Kronborg: 1582, Lilies, Larry's Party, Elizabeth Rex, Millennium, Shadow Dancing, and Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love...
, and King Herod by
Bruce DowBruce Dow is a professional actor and singer working on stage and in film/TV in Canada and the United States....
. On July 18, 2011, it was announced that the production will move to
La Jolla PlayhouseLa Jolla Playhouse is a not-for-profit, professional theatre-in-residence on the campus of the University of California, San Diego. -Background:...
and play from November 18 until December 31. On October 4, 2011 it was announced that this production would transfer to the
Neil Simon TheatreThe Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927 and located at 250 West 52nd Street in midtown-Manhattan....
on
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, with previews beginning March 1, 2012 and an official opening on March 22, 2012.
Other international productions
The musical has been produced in Ireland, Brazil, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, The Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia (Misi Group), Croatia (Theater Komedija), Bolivia (where it was also released as a TV movie), Portugal and many more. Two notable Jesuses were
Takeshi Kagais a well-known stage and movie actor in Japan who is probably best known internationally for his portrayal of Chairman Kaga in the Japanese television show Iron Chef produced by Fuji TV. His real name is .-Biography:...
of
Iron Chefis a Japanese television cooking show produced by Fuji Television. The series, which premiered on October 10, 1992, is a stylized cook-off featuring guest chefs challenging one of the show's resident "Iron Chefs" in a timed cooking battle built around a specific theme ingredient. The series ended...
fame in the 1976
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese version, and the singer
Camilo SestoCamilo Blanes Cortés , better known as Camilo Sesto, is a Spanish singer , composer and producer who enjoyed fame during the 1970s and the 1980s...
in the 1975
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
version called
Jesucristo Súperstar with
Ángela CarrascoAngela Carrasco is a Dominican singer. Carrasco was one of a group of Latin American divas in the 1970s. This group also included Susana Giménez, Charytín, Iris Chacón, Ednita Nazario, Yolandita Monge and Rocío Dúrcal....
as Mary Magdalene. Another notable Mary Magdalene was the
MexicanThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
singer
Rocío BanquellsMaría del Rocío Banquells Nuñez , is a Mexican pop singer and actress, best known for her work on television, the stage and cinema of Mexico and Latin America. Her mezzo voice is one of the most versatile voices from Mexico...
in a 1981 production in Mexico.
Recent international productions included a 2007-2009
SpanishSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
production (
Stage EntertainmentThe musical production company Stage Entertainment is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It has a very successful subsidiary in Germany based in Hamburg which almost has a monopoly in Germany.- History :...
) starring Miquel Fernández as Jesus (later replaced by Gerónimo Rauch), Ignasi Vidal as Judas and Lorena Calero as Mary Magdalene; a 2007–2008 Italian touring production (Compagnia della Rancia) in Italian; a 2008-2009 Swedish-language production featured
Ola SaloOla Salo, born Rolf Ola Anders Svensson on 19 February 1977 in Avesta, Sweden, is the Swedish rock vocalist of the Swedish glam rock band The Ark. Salo lived in Rottne, Växjö Municipality, in Sweden when he was a child. It was while living in Rottne, in 1991, that he and his friends Jepson and...
of
The ArkThe Ark was a Swedish glam rock band formed in 1991 by Jepsson Mikael , and Lasse Ljungberg, when Ola Salo and Leari were only fourteen years old. Martin Axén officially joined the band in 1997, and Sylvester Schlegel in 1999. In late 2005, Jens Andersson joined The Ark as an official member...
at the Malmö Opera in
MalmöMalmö , in the southernmost province of Scania, is the third most populous city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg.Malmö is the seat of Malmö Municipality and the capital of Skåne County...
, Sweden; and a 2009-2010 Norwegian production featuring rock singer Hans Erik Dyvik Husby at the
Det Norske TeatretDet Norske Teatret is a theatre in Oslo. The theatre was founded in 1912, after an initiative from Hulda Garborg and Edvard Drabløs. It opened in 1913, touring with two plays, Ervingen by Ivar Aasen and Rationelt Fjøsstell by Hulda Garborg...
in Oslo.
In 2010, Australian audiences were treated to two versions featuring the same actor portraying the title role; The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of SA, Inc. (South Australia) presented a modernized version at
Her Majesty's TheatreHer Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre, in Haymarket, City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art at the theatre...
in Adelaide, South Australia from October through early November. Featuring former "Ten Tenors" star
Luke KennedyLuke Kennedy is an Australian performer best known for touring internationally with The Ten Tenors and performing the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar in various productions around the country.- History :...
as Jesus, Danny Lopresto as Judas, Sarah Lloyde as Mary, Joel Valenti as Pilate, and Kent Green as Herod the show was directed by director David Lampard with Musical Director Ross Curtis and Associate Director Sharon Angrove.
A successful 2010 production in Brisbane, Australia was presented by
Harvest Rain Theatre CompanyThe Harvest Rain Theatre Company is a theatre companies which operates a training and rehearsal facility in Brisbane, Queensland. Since the beginning of 2009, they have been a resident theatre company at The Queensland Performing Arts Centre....
and directed by Tim O'Connor and featuring
Luke KennedyLuke Kennedy is an Australian performer best known for touring internationally with The Ten Tenors and performing the title role in Jesus Christ Superstar in various productions around the country.- History :...
as Jesus,
Naomi PriceNaomi Price is an Australian stage actress, best known for her work in musical theatre.- History :Price moved from England to Australia to study at Queensland University of Technology in 2003...
as Mary,
Tod StrikeTod Strike is an actor, singer and musical theatre performer best known as being one of the original members of The Ten Tenors.-Theatre:-External links:****...
as Judas, Lionel Theunissen as Pilate and
Steven TandySteven Tandy is an Australian stage, television and film actor, best known for playing Tom Sullivan, the second eldest son in the classic Australian television series The Sullivans.-Biography:...
in a special guest appearance as Herod. The production returned to QPAC in February 2011 with
Paul WatsonPaul Watson is a Canadian animal rights and environmental activist, who founded and is president of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, a direct action group devoted to marine conservation....
(ex Jersey Boys Australia Original Cast member) taking over the role of Judas.
Other recordings and broadcasts
In 1994, a studio recording under the name of "Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection" was released and starred various artists including the
Indigo GirlsThe Indigo Girls are an American folk rock music duo, consisting of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. They met in elementary school and began performing together as high school students in Decatur, Georgia, part of the Atlanta metropolitan area...
. A video recording of their performance at SXSW in Austin was released as well but went out of print after only a few months. Bootleg copies still remain.
In a 1996 radio production for
BBC Radio 2BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
, Jesus was played by
Tony HadleyTony Hadley is an English pop singer-songwriter, occasional stage actor and radio presenter who gained celebrity as the lead vocalist for the 1980s band Spandau Ballet.-Early life:...
, Judas by
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
's
Roger Daltrey Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, and Mary Magdalene by
Frances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
.
In 1997, the band
BigtopBigtop may refer to:# Circus# Bigtop, a distributed OS project from Microsoft Research.# , a web application data language processor...
released a cover of "Pilate and Christ" (under the title "The 39 Lashes") on their album "On the Rise." The track also included some sampled dialog by
Samuel L. JacksonSamuel Leroy Jackson is an American film and television actor and film producer. After becoming involved with the Civil Rights Movement, he moved on to acting in theater at Morehouse College, and then films. He had several small roles such as in the film Goodfellas before meeting his mentor,...
from the film
Pulp FictionPulp Fiction is a 1994 American crime film directed by Quentin Tarantino, who co-wrote its screenplay with Roger Avary. The film is known for its rich, eclectic dialogue, ironic mix of humor and violence, nonlinear storyline, and host of cinematic allusions and pop culture references...
.
On 1 January 2000, an Italian performance of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Arturo Villone, was broadcast on Rai Radio 2. The cast starred Paride Acacia as Jesus, Egidio La Gioia as Judas and Olivia Cinquemani as Mary.
Carl AndersonCarl Anderson may refer to:*Carl Anderson , American college football coach*Carl Anderson , American art director*Carl Anderson , North Dakota State Treasurer...
appeared on this recording as well, singing the song "Superstar". In 2000 a national tour began which was directed by Carl Anderson and starred many of the same cast members from the radio broadcast.
In 2003 OmOm Music released a mostly instrumental surf-rock version entiled "Jesus Christ Surferstar".
In 2005 the first Dutch national tour of Jesus Christ Superstar began in The Netherlands. Produced by Joop van den Ende the production starred Dieter Troubleyn as Jesus, Martin van der Starre as Judas and Casey Francisco as Mary. Jamai Loman who previously won the Dutch version of Idols played Simon. The tour ran from October 21, 2005 through July 9, 2006.
In February 2006, progressive metal band
Vanden PlasVanden Plas is a German progressive metal band, based in Kaiserslautern and founded in the mid 1980s. In 1991, they recorded the song "Keep On Running" as an anthem for the local national league football club FC Kaiserslautern, and did the same in 1994 with "Das Ist Für Euch"...
covered "Gethsemane" as a bonus track on their album "
Christ 0Christ 0 is the fifth full-length studio album by the progressive metal band Vanden Plas, released on March 31, 2006 by InsideOut Music. This concept album interprets the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, exploring the story of a man imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit and following his chain of...
"
In summer 2007
AnastaciaAnastacia is an American singer-songwriter. Anastacia has been highly successful in Europe, Asia, South Africa and South America, but has had only minor success in her native United States...
opened the medley section of the
Concert for DianaConcert for Diana was a concert held at the then new Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, on 1 July 2007, which would have been her 46th birthday; 31 August that year brought the 10th anniversary of her death...
with a rendition of Superstar, backed by a
gospelGospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
chorus.
In November 2007 the band
Queensrÿchethumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
released "Heaven on Their Minds" on the album
Take CoverTake Cover is a cover album by Seattle-based progressive metal band Queensrÿche, released on November 13, 2007. Its release was announced by the band on August 28, 2007. After its first week of release the album entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at No. 173, with sales of 5,500 copies...
. Queensrÿche guitarist Mike Stone states in the liner notes "It's getting hot in the kitchen, and Judas can't take the heat. This is one of my favorite songs from J.C. Superstar. I have always wanted to hear a rocked-up version of this tune...and now I can!"
On 22 April 2008, the song "Superstar" was performed on
American Idol by contestant
Carly SmithsonCarly Smithson is an Irish soul/pop rock singer-songwriter and actress from San Diego, California who was the sixth place finalist on the seventh season of American Idol. In 2001, Smithson released her first studio album for MCA Records called Ultimate High. Smithson was dropped from the record...
, before getting eliminated the following day.
Films
A film adaptation of
Jesus Christ Superstar was released in 1973, and was the eighth highest-grossing film of that year. The film, directed by
Norman JewisonNorman Frederick Jewison, CC, O.Ont is a Canadian film director, producer, actor and founder of the Canadian Film Centre. Highlights of his directing career include In the Heat of the Night , The Thomas Crown Affair , Fiddler on the Roof , Jesus Christ Superstar , Moonstruck , The Hurricane and The...
, was shot in
IsraelThe State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and other Middle Eastern locations.
Ted NeeleyTed Neeley is a rock and roll drummer, singer, actor, composer, and record producer. He is probably best known for performing the title role in the film Jesus Christ Superstar in 1973....
and
Carl AndersonCarl Anderson was an American singer, film and theatre actor best known for his portrayal of Judas Iscariot in the Broadway and film versions of the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.-Early life:Born in Lynchburg, Virginia, Anderson was one of 12 children of...
were both nominated for 1974
Golden Globe AwardThe Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign...
s for their portrayals of Jesus and Judas.
Bob BinghamRobert 'Bob' Bingham born 29 October 1946 in Seattle, Washington U.S. is an actor and singer. Bingham is most remembered for playing the role of Caiaphas in Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar....
reprised the role of
CaiaphasJoseph, son of Caiaphas, Hebrew יוסף בַּר קַיָּפָא or Yosef Bar Kayafa, commonly known simply as Caiaphas in the New Testament, was the Roman-appointed Jewish high priest who is said to have organized the plot to kill Jesus...
, having played the part in the original
BroadwayBroadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
production.
Barry DennenBarry Dennen is an American actor, singer, and writer.Dennen was born in Chicago, Illinois. In New York City from 1960 to 1963, he had a relationship with Barbra Streisand, including living together for a year, during which time he helped her develop the nightclub act that began her successful...
(Pontius Pilate) and
Yvonne EllimanYvonne Marianne Elliman is an American singer who performed for four years in the first cast of Jesus Christ Superstar...
(Mary Magdalene) were the only performers who remained from both the original recording and Broadway cast. Though it attracted criticism from some religious groups, the film was generally well received.
A second film adaptation was released in 2000, starring
Glenn CarterGlenn Carter is an English stage actor and singer-songwriter performing leading roles in musicals staged in London's West End...
as Jesus,
Jérôme PradonJérôme Pradon is an actor and singer who has performed in the West End, Paris and various other places around the world. He was born in Boulogne-Billancourt, Hauts-de-Seine, France on 3 June 1964.- Theatre :...
as Judas, Renee Castle as Mary Magdalene and
Rik MayallRichard Michael "Rik" Mayall is an English comedian, writer, and actor. He is known for his comedy partnership with Ade Edmondson, his over-the-top, energetic portrayal of characters, and as a pioneer of alternative comedy in the early 1980s...
as Herod. The film was directed by Gale Edwards and Nick Morris, and won an Emmy in 2001 for Best Performing Arts film. The style of the film is more like the stage version than the location-based 1973 adaptation, and used many of the ideas from the tour from around that time. Several members of the film's cast, including Carter, later went on to the Broadway production after shooting the film.
A third film adaptation will be released in 2014.
Marc WebbMarc Preston Webb is an American music video, short film and major motion picture director. He directed the 2009 romantic comedy-drama Days of Summer and is currently directing the 2012 Spider-Man reboot The Amazing Spider-Man.-Life and career:Webb was born in Bloomington, Indiana, the son of...
is set to direct.
1972 Tony Award Nominations
- Tony Award for Best Original Score
The Tony Award for Best Original Score is the Tony Award given to the composers and lyricists of the best original score written for a musical in that year. The score consists of music and lyrics...
- Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by Tim Rice
- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Ben Vereen
- Tony Award for Best Scenic Design - Scenic Design by Robin Wagner
- Tony Award for Best Costume Design
These are the winners and nominees for the Tony Award for Best Costume Design. The award was first presented in 1947 and included both plays and musicals...
- Costume Design by Randy Barcelo
- Tony Award for Best Lighting Design
This is a list of the winners of the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a play or musical, first presented in 1970. In 2005 the category was divided with each genre represented separately.-1970s:* 1970: Jo Mielziner – Child's Play...
- Lighting Design by Jules Fisher
1972 Drama Desk Awards
- Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...
for Most Promising Composer—Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber (WINNER)
2000 Tony Award nomination
- Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical
The Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical has been awarded since 1994. Before that time, both plays and musicals were considered together for the Tony Award for Best Revival....
- Produced by The Really Useful Superstar Company, Inc., Nederlander Producing Company of America, Inc.; Produced in association with Terry Allen Kramer
External links