Jesus Christ Superstar

Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Introduced in 1970, it highlights the political and interpersonal struggles of Judas Iscariot and Jesus. The action takes place within the last week of Jesus's life, beginning with the entry into Jerusalem and ending with the Crucifixion. Twentieth-century attitude and sensibilities pervade the lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout.

Aftermath

By the turn of the century, the furor over the play had died down so greatly that it is now often performed by church groups, who appear to appreciate it simply as a secular play concerning Jesus, with excellent music. There was also a North American touring revival of "Superstar" in 1992, with Ted Neeley and Carl Anderson once again reprising their roles as Jesus and Judas. Neeley and Anderson would end up getting rave reviews for their performances. Originally expected to run for a couple of months, the tour would end up running for seven years total.

Related Topics:
North American - 1992

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1992 also saw the London production on its 20th Anniversary, featuring Paul Nicholas from the original cast as Jesus, and the highly acclaimed Australian concert cast, starring John Farnham as Jesus and Jon Stevens as Judas and produced by entrepreneur Harry M. Miller.

Related Topics:
London - Paul Nicholas - Australian - John Farnham - Jon Stevens - Harry M. Miller

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In 1994, a revival (also produced by Harry M. Miller) in New Zealand saw a novel change in production style, such as the rock guitar solo which introduced the show where the guitarist was on a spotlighted, elevated platform, and costuming which included a complete lack of sandals. Caiaphas (Frankie Stevens, elder brother of Jon Stevens; the two played together on stage when the production toured Australia, with Jon reprising his previous role as Judas) in a long, black vinyl coat with gold trim and Judas (stage, televison and cinema star Jay Laga'aia) garbed in modern black trousers, shirtless but with an unbuttoned waistcoat. During the scourging red laser was used to represent the whip, very evident on Jesus' (Darryl Lovegrove) back, similarly lasers were used for the wounds of the crucifixion. The show closed with an ever expanding cone of green laser, centred on Jesus' crucified corpse, shining through mist to eventually envelop the whole audience.

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In 1996, "Superstar" would be revived once again in London. Directed by Gale Edwards, this version of "Superstar" would be updated to appeal to a new generation of fans. This new production starred Steve Balsamo and Zubin Varla as Jesus and Judas. Referred to as the "Lyceum Production," it was relatively successful. This eventually led Gale Edwards to restage the show for a UK tour, followed by a video starring Glenn Carter as Jesus and Jerome Pradon as Judas. This "new" interpretation of the show was revived on Broadway in 2000 again starring Carter, but a last minute change made Tony Vincent, who had played Simon 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 1998 and closed around 2001.

Related Topics:
Zubin Varla - Lyceum - Gale Edwards - Glenn Carter - Jerome Pradon - Broadway - 2000 - Tony Vincent - Simon - 1998 - 2001

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In 2002, a national tour was begun starring 1980s rock star Sebastian Bach as Jesus and Carl Anderson once again reprising his role as Judas. Bach received mixed reviews, while Carl Anderson was once again praised for his performance as Judas. In April 2003, following a disagreement with the director, Bach was replaced with Broadway star Eric Kunze. Carl Anderson would eventually leave the show after being diagnosed with leukemia. Anderson was replaced by "Superstar" veteran Lawrence Clayton, who had appeared as Simon and understudied the part of Judas in the previous national tour.

Related Topics:
2002 - Sebastian Bach - Eric Kunze

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Carl Anderson died of leukemia on February 23, 2004. He was 58 years old. According to the Los Angeles Times, Anderson had been planning to appear in a worldwide tour that was to open in Vatican City in the fall of 2004. As of 2005, this tour is still scheduled to open, with Ted Neeley as Jesus, at an undisclosed time.

Related Topics:
Leukemia - 2004 - Los Angeles Times - Vatican City

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The show has become a cultural phenomenon and has been produced around the world many times, including productions in Hungary, New Zealand, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Sweden, Moscow, Poland, Austrailia, Bolivia (where it was also released as a TV movie) and many more. Notable casts also include the 1976 Japanese cast, starring Takeshi Kaga of Iron Chef fame as Jesus. Germany has also produced the show several times, such as the 2001 live recording. In 2004, "Superstar" would once again be revived, this time as yet another tour around Britain. Glenn Carter would reprise his role as Jesus and British pop star James Fox would star as Judas.

Related Topics:
1976 - Japanese - Takeshi Kaga - Iron Chef - Germany - 2001 - 2004 - Glenn Carter - James Fox

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