Fair warning: If you’re offended by the idea of a Rock Opera based on the life of Jesus, you should skip this one.
If not, enjoy my favorite number from the film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar.
It’s the dancing that grabs me. I saw this for the first time back in the VHS days. I rewound this one four or five times. It just makes me happy.
Kind of funny – at a tender young age I knew the soundtrack to this as well as any pop song. My parents picked up the original Broadway album when it was released, we went to see the first traveling version of the musical and years later I saw the movie in the first run. I hated the movie at the time (the musical version had zero props, Jesus was on stage at all times, etc. and then the movie had machine guns, wild props etc.) and hadn’t seen it since. I was shocked when I discovered most of my peers had never seen it or heard the music because their parents thought it sacrilegious.
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Yeah. That’s why the disclaimer. I don’t really see the blasphemy, but I’m sensitive to the fact that other people do. I didn’t see it until I was in my 20s for that very reason.
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I love the music of this one (it was one of those childhood soundtracks for me too), but the movie version never really spoke to me — just seemed to corny! Haven’t had the chance to see it on stage yet (but, then, most of the musicals I love I haven’t seen on stage yet).
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Agreed about the film overall. It’s memorable to me, but it didn’t really grab me in the sense of being excellent overall. Some of the music and choreography is fabulous, though.
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I liked this film! It’s one of the only versions of JCS where I liked both Jesus and Judas!
I saw the UK arena tour in October and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ben Forster was AMAZING in the role of Jesus, it’s just a shame that Tim Minchin was a bit of a let down (vocally) as Judas. He’s a great actor though! 🙂
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Thanks for the trip down memory lane. I need to “resurrect” a few of the songs. 🙂
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