This past Sunday I quoted Judas. Actually it was from the song in Jesus Christ Superstar where Judas asks "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you, what have you sacrificed?" I don't know whether anyone else noticed that organist Doug worked in the tune of another Superstar song during communion -- pretty clever on the spur of the moment. And it was the Last Supper song!
It is forty years since JCS first hit the stage and then in 1973 the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical was made into a popular movie. As I said Sunday, the songs were on the radio and people sang them without reservation. It's hard to imagine that a musical on a Christian theme would have that impact today.
Still, Stratford, usually home for Shakespeare's plays, is offering Jesus Christ Superstar this summer and the reviews are really positive. The Globe and Mail declared it divine on Saturday. Who knows, it may stir some interest in Jesus, even though this musical has been described as an agnostic view of the last week of Jesus' life.
Any memories of JCS from the first time around? Do you ever revisit the movie -- it is kinda corny. Plans to go to Stratford to see it this summer? Are you just too young to have a memory of it?
4 comments:
Saw JCS first time around in Toronto. It was very instrumental in my search into religion.(It portrayed the group of them as people). Loved the music and the whole hippie story. Have watched the movie many times. It still hits a chord in me. Saw Ted Neeley's last performance in Toronto a few years ago. Horrible show but he was still amazing. Saw an early show at Stratford, it was very good. It may be a corny show but it still makes more sense than lots of other shows depicting the last week of Christ's life (Passion of the Christ????)
Our high- school youth group watched it at our last gathering, and it didn't seem to wow them. It was neat that they could connect it to our recent study of the last week of Jesus' life but to say they loved it would be inaccurate. We were a smaller gathering that evening, and they mostly commented that it was interesting, in a curious sort of way.
I was very young when I first saw it, and have not had much interest in it since beyond a nostalgia (if that is possible) of an era I didn't know.
That being said, for some reason, my interest was peaked when I saw the Stratford season announced. I love the story, and the music and want to love this hit but somehow have seemed let down the few times I have watched it.
I've seen it a few times (once, even in Port Hope with the old man on keys) and it just rocks. The score is just classic rock and blues lines, which is my musical bread and butter.
I know it was NOT well received back in '73 in some circles, but it still packs people in today, so ALW must have done something right, right?
No wonder Doug could conjure up that piece on the spur of the moment.
I'm with you Laurie on the superiority of Superstar to The Passion and others. Maybe corny wasn't fair -- there is much of the idealism of that era that has been lost.
Thanks for the perspective of the youth viewing Laura. I guess you just had be part of that 60's/early era!
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