{"id":29224,"date":"2022-04-11T00:49:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-11T00:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=29224"},"modified":"2022-04-25T20:50:48","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T20:50:48","slug":"best-easter-pageant-ever-half-a-century-of-jesus-christ-superstar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/best-easter-pageant-ever-half-a-century-of-jesus-christ-superstar\/","title":{"rendered":"Best Easter pageant ever? Half a century of \u2018Jesus Christ Superstar\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Henry Bial<\/a>, University of Kansas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the days leading up to Easter Sunday, Christians around the world will participate in retellings of the story of the last days of Jesus\u2019 life, from his entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper and to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection. They may walk the Stations of the Cross<\/a> \u2013 a processional ritual marking key points in the biblical narrative \u2013 attend a pageant or simply gather in church for religious services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And some people will view or listen to \u201cJesus Christ Superstar,\u201d the 1971 rock musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber<\/a> and Tim Rice. NBC\u2019s \u201cJesus Christ Superstar: Live in Concert<\/a>,\u201d featuring R&B star John Legend in the title role, was first broadcast on Easter Sunday 2018 and re-aired for Easter 2020. This year, if you find yourself in Dallas during Holy Week, you might even score a ticket to the latest touring production<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As I detail in my book \u201cPlaying God: The Bible on the Broadway Stage<\/a>,\u201d \u201cSuperstar\u201d is the most commercially successful adaptation of a biblical story in Broadway history, with well over 1,000 performances spanning multiple productions. In some ways, this is unsurprising. Church reenactments of biblical scenes were foundational<\/a> for the development of Western theater, especially the \u201cquem quaeritis trope<\/a>,\u201d a 10th-century dialogue that reenacts the moment when Jesus\u2019 body is supposedly discovered missing from the tomb. Put another way, Christians have seen drama as an appropriate way to communicate the story of Jesus\u2019 passion and resurrection for more than a millennium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet something about \u201cSuperstar\u201d has always seemed a bit improbable, and its depiction of Holy Week set off controversy from the start. Composer Lloyd Webber has recounted how<\/a> London producers initially regarded the project as \u201cthe worst idea in history<\/a>.\u201d Many religious audiences viewed the play with deep suspicion<\/a> for what they considered an irreverent approach, questionable theology and its rock \u2018n\u2019 roll-influenced score.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Andrew Lloyd Webber, Yvonne Elliman and Tim Rice promoting the musical \u2018Jesus Christ Superstar\u2019 in London in 1970. Gijsbert Hanekroot\/Redferns via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As a theater professor<\/a>, I see \u201cSuperstar\u201d as an important step in the evolution of the Broadway musical, a groundbreaking rock opera<\/a> that paved the way for contemporary hits like \u201cMamma Mia!\u201d and \u201cHamilton.\u201d But the musical\u2019s now-canonical status was anything but inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Jesus is cool\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The show\u2019s irreverent attitude is encapsulated in its title song<\/a>, which combines a soaring choral hook (\u201cJesus Christ, Superstar, Do you think you\u2019re what they say you are?\u201d) with a series of pointed and ironic questions via rock melody \u2013 \u201cWhy\u2019d you choose such a backward time and such a strange land?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Though set in the Jerusalem of 2,000 years ago, the play uses modern language \u2013 \u201cJesus is cool\u201d \u2013 and imagery, such as paparazzi following Jesus through the streets. By representing Jesus as a charismatic celebrity whose fame spirals out of control<\/a>, \u201cSuperstar\u201d offers audiences a contemporary framework for understanding the ancient biblical narrative. This is underlined by self-aware lyrics that offer commentary on how the Passion story would go on to be told. During the Last Supper scene<\/a>, for example, Jesus\u2019 disciples sing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Always hoped that I\u2019d be an apostle
Knew that I could make it if I tried
Then when we retire, we can write the gospels
So they\u2019ll still talk about us when we die.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

For conservative Christians, such lighthearted paraphrasing of Scripture may have been offensive. More troubling, in the eyes of many religious leaders, was the musical\u2019s theology. \u201cSuperstar\u201d is structured similarly to a traditional Christian Passion play, depicting Jesus\u2019 final days. But it abruptly ends with the crucifixion, omitting the resurrection that is at the heart of the Easter story<\/a> \u2013 and Christianity itself. What\u2019s more, the play hints at a romantic relationship between Jesus and his supporter Mary Magdalene<\/a>, and gives a prominent role to Judas<\/a>, the disciple whom the Gospels say betrayed Jesus \u2013 in fact, Judas is arguably the show\u2019s leading man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Two
Nuns protest the musical \u2018Jesus Christ Superstar\u2019 in 1992. Blick\/RDB\/ullstein bild via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

All this caused many Christian leaders to dismiss the show<\/a> as blasphemous. Others argued that, while well-meaning, \u201cSuperstar\u201d was overly focused on Christ\u2019s humanity, to the exclusion of his divinity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Jewish organizations expressed concern<\/a> that the play would inspire antisemitism by perpetuating the idea that Jews bear responsibility for the death of Christ. A trio of Jewish priests sings \u201cThis Jesus Must Die,\u201d and later pressures a reluctant Pontius Pilate to have Jesus crucified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1971, this was a particularly sore spot for Jewish-Christian relations. The idea that the Jewish people bore collective guilt for killing Jesus had long been part of antisemitic rhetoric from Catholic leaders like the Rev. Charles E. Coughlin<\/a>. In fact, it wasn\u2019t until 1965 that the Vatican officially declared<\/a>, \u201cwhat happened in [Christ\u2019s] passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock \u2018n\u2019 rebels<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Still, most early objections to \u201cSuperstar\u201d were driven less by its content and more by its form. The mere idea of turning the Bible into a loud, flashy, rock \u2018n\u2019 roll spectacle was often seen as a kind of sacrilege. As religion scholar David Chidester<\/a> and others have observed, conservative Christian groups have historically complained about the superficial and amoral nature of American popular culture, with particular distaste for its music. In this view, rock lyrics advocate sin<\/a> while the loud, sensual and unrestrained nature of the music encourages it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Actors Paul Nicholas and Dana Gillespie as Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene in the rock opera \u2018Jesus Christ Superstar\u2019 in the U.K. in July 1972. D. Morrison\/Express\/Hulton Archive via Getty Images<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For such critics, \u201cJesus Christ Superstar\u201d seemed to pose a threat simply by juxtaposing the sacred narrative of the Bible with the profane atmosphere of the rock concert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet half a century after its premiere, the musical no longer generates much controversy. The recognition and appreciation of Jesus\u2019 humanity has gradually become more acceptable<\/a> among American Christians, though not to the exclusion of his divinity. Compared with earlier generations, Generation X and millennials are less likely to read Scripture<\/a>, and therefore less likely to be concerned over fine points of theological interpretation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rock music, meanwhile, is aging along with its fans<\/a>, while the rise of the American megachurch has blurred the line<\/a> between rock concert and church service, between celebrities and spiritual leaders. No longer are electric instruments, flashy costumes, spotlights and microphones seen as disrespectful or inconsistent with worship<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps most significantly, today\u2019s audiences, both religious and not, may simply have a greater regard for so-called superstars. For many people in the 1970s, the musical\u2019s comparison of the deification of Christ and the idolatry of a rock star was inherently derogatory, undercutting Jesus\u2019 spiritual significance. Yet today, in an era when Lady Gaga has six times as many Instagram followers<\/a> as Pope Francis<\/a>, arguably the title \u2013 and the musical itself \u2013 reads as a more sincere form of appreciation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[The most interesting religion stories from three major news organizations.<\/em> Get This Week in Religion.<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Henry Bial<\/a>, Professor of Theater and Dance, University of Kansas<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article is republished from The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Henry Bial, University of Kansas In the days leading up to Easter Sunday, Christians around the world will participate in retellings of the story of the last days of Jesus\u2019 life, from his entry into Jerusalem to the Last Supper and to his trial, crucifixion and resurrection. They may walk the Stations of the Cross […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":44,"featured_media":29225,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[293,8025],"tags":[11639,11637,1829,5984,3205,2150,53,10975,6610,8898,11638],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29224"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/44"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29224"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29224\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29361,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29224\/revisions\/29361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/29225"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29224"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29224"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29224"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}