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From: anderskb@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu
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Subject: JCS Paper (in full)

Kenny Anderson
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
November 9, 1992

"The Controversy of Jesus Christ Superstar"

            In the summer of 1992, a nervous small-time director  
named Nancy Garrett, took the Presbyterian Church stage in the small  
Illinois town of Paris, before a crowd in excess of three hundred  
people.  Her message was clear.  She explained to the audience that  
the production it was about to witness was controversial.  Nancy  
explained to the people that she had conferred with her minister who  
encouraged her to forge ahead anyway.  The director was a veteran of  
four successful high school musicals, one of which casted ninety-six  
players.  She had pulled off the major production without incident.   
Why then, was Ms. Garrett so concerned about this performance?  This  
was not an ordinary musical.  This was Jesus Christ Superstar, a rock  
opera by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber which had a notorious  
history.  

            Jesus Christ Superstar, or "Superstar" to which it is  
frequently referred, depicts the final days of Christ's life on earth  
in a non-traditional manner.  First, "Superstar" is not even a  
musical.  It is an opera.  In an opera, the entire plot is presented  
in song.  Not a single line of the presentation is spoken.  Jesus  
Christ Superstar is more specifically a rock opera.  This means that  
all dialogue is set to a rock beat rather than set to traditional  
opera music.  "Superstar" is infamous for its perspective, which  
looked at Jesus from Judas Iscariot's point of view.  This contrasts  
with the Bible's Jesus point of view such that, in the words of Kathy  
Seay of the Alamo Foundation, " they turn the whole thing around to  
where Judas was really good and Jesus was bad" (Kroll 84).  Each of  
these points caused controversy, especially in the religious  
community.Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera concerning the final  
seven days of Christ's life.  It opens with a crowd of people  
joyously following Jesus.  Judas enters, puzzled by the huge crowd,  
and accuses Jesus of listening to the people instead of God.  Judas  
sings, "You've started to believe the things they say of You, You  
really do believe this talk of God is true..." (Rice "Heaven...").   
Mary Magdalene, who was a famed biblical prostitute, then enters.   
She comforts Jesus as He prepares to rest.  Judas quickly tells Jesus  
that His actions contradict His preachings.  Jesus defends Himself  
contending Judas is not free from sin and therefore should not judge  
Mary Magdalene.  The high priests, led by Caiaphus, discuss how to  
get rid of Jesus, using dramatic dialogue and backed by a powerful  
orchestra number.  The scene changes with the crowd following Jesus  
singing Hosannahs and waving palm branches which upsets Caiaphus.   
The crowd then settles back to reveal Simon Zealotes, who tells Jesus  
that His followers believe in Jesus and God.  They implore him:   
"Tell me that I'm saved" (Rice "Simon...").  Pontius Pilate enters  
the stage to reveal his dream which foreshadows his future dealings  
with Jesus.  Pilate exits and a crowd of people enter a temple  
setting buying and selling various services and merchandise, but  
Jesus clears them out and reflects on His life.  A new crowd enters  
begging to be healed, but Jesus escapes claiming, "There's too little  
of Me. Heal yourselves" (Rice "Poor Jerusalem").  Mary Magdalene ends  
His departure and once again consoles Him.  She then admits she  
doesn't know how to love Him.  In the next scene, Judas conspires  
with Caiaphus and the high priests despite his temptation to remain  
loyal to Jesus.  Judas contends, "I don't want your blood money..."   
(Rice "Blood Money").  However, the priests convince Judas to take  
thirty pieces of silver in exchange for his betrayal of Christ.   
Thus, the first act ends in a point of great conflict.  

            Act II opens with "The Last Supper", where Jesus serves  
to His disciples wine and bread to symbolize His blood and His body.   
He tells His disciples that Peter will deny Him and Judas will betray  
Him which leads to an argument between Jesus and Judas.  The argument  
results in Jesus dismissing Judas to the betrayal.  Jesus takes  
Peter, John and James with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane.  Jesus  
implores them to stay awake with Him as He prays to His Father.  None  
of them heeds Jesus.  Jesus sits alone in the garden and reveals to  
God His uncertainty surrounding His own death.  With the three  
disciples sleeping, two guards enter led by Judas.  The guards arrest  
Jesus and Judas gives Him a kiss.  The disciples awaken demanding an  
explanation.  They want to avenge the arrest of Jesus, but He bids  
them to remain peaceful.  They oblige and all exit to see Caiaphus,  
who presents the charges.  In the courtyard, Peter fulfills Jesus'  
prophecy in denying Christ three times.  Two guards lead Jesus to  
Pilate.  After mocking Jesus, Pilate dismisses Him saying, "He's  
Herod's race.  He's Herod's case", for Pilate wants not to deal with  
Christ (Rice "Pilate and Christ").  Then the guards lead Jesus to  
Herod, who tells Jesus to save His life.  Herod gives Jesus the  
opportunity to perform miracles in order to free Himself.  At one  
point, Herod requests Jesus walk across his swimming pool (Rice  
"Herod's Song").  Jesus fails to please Herod, so Herod sends Jesus  
back to Pilate.  In the Broadway version, all exit except Jesus and  
the two guards.  Mary Magdalene and Peter question Jesus in the song  
"Could We Start Again Please?" (Forbes 42).  Judas, in the following  
scene, pleads with the priests, not wanting the blame for Jesus'  
death.  The priests offer Judas some consolation, but Judas  
eventually rationalizes the situation to escape blame.  A crowd  
enters to torture Judas resulting in Judas' suicide.  Pilate is  
outraged to see Jesus return.  Caiaphus explains that only Pilate can  
execute Jesus lawfully.  Pilate asks the crowd if it wishes to save  
Jesus.  The people continually shout for Jesus' crucifixion.  Pilate,  
unable to get Jesus to respond, orders the killing of Jesus by order  
of the people.  Pilate does not want responsibility, for he washes  
his hands of the affair, after Jesus endures a flogging of 39 lashes.   
The entire company heads for Golgotha.  On the way it breaks for the  
title song.  Judas returns to life to lead the cast in "Jesus Christ  
Superstar".  Once the outfit reaches Golgotha, Christ is nailed to  
the cross during the haunting "Crucifixion" which ends in Jesus dying  
upon uttering:  "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit" (Rice  
"Crucifixion").  The opera concludes with the orchestra's emotional  
"John 19:41" as Jesus is carried off stage on the cross.  

            Reaction to "Superstar" varied widely.  Most  
consternation came from religious groups.  Says Kauffmann, "The New  
York opening has met with strong protests from different religious  
groups, Jewish, Catholic, Protestants, [but] I think there has been a  
little over-reaction on their part" (24).  Religious writers from  
publications such as Commonweal, Christianity Today, the Christian  
Century, and Commentary denounced "Superstar".  Additionally, the  
American Jewish Committee published a seven page report outlining  
Anti-Semitism in Rice's work (Walsh 77).
            The religious community was not the only source of  
criticism.  Audiences attending Tom O'Horgan's production of Jesus  
Christ Superstar had to thwart off picketers in front of the Mark  
Hellinger Theatre.  The protesters handed out leaflets and carried  
signs with a variety of inscriptions including: "Jesus Christ  
Superstar Lamb of God" where "Superstar" was crossed out (Walsh 77).  

            Many of the objections regarded specifically, O'Horgan's  
Broadway show.  O'Horgan used novel approaches to "Superstar", each  
of which created controversy.  He dressed Jesus in a $20,000 gown.  
During the number "Jesus Christ Superstar", Judas appeared with wings  
of a butterfly.  Pilate entered through a door resembling Caesar's  
head and the high priests perched atop giant bones.  O'Horgan also  
casted a black for the role of Judas.  O'Horgan's goal was to shock  
the audience and "to stir people up", both of which he did  
effectively ("Gold Rush..." 64-71).
            One orchestra member of the Paris production claims by  
her church elders that the satanic church commissioned Lloyd Webber  
to write the opera through the view of Judas.  Perhaps the composer's  
intentions led to the controversy surrounding Jesus Christ Superstar.   
"Superstar" originated as a pop single.  Rice and Lloyd Webber  
decided to release on song from the entire score in order to test the  
market.  After the huge sales of the single "Jesus Christ Superstar",  
Rice and Lloyd Webber chose to release the whole album.  They  
produced  Jesus Christ Superstar a double album with twenty-three  
songs.  Again, sales were very successful.  The two entered the next  
phase of their plan.  They created a rock opera based on the album of  
the same title.  Immediately, the work became engulfed in  
controversy.  Rice and Lloyd Webber didn't understand.  Stated Rice,  
"If people had said, after hearing the single, that we were  
blasphemous bastards, we wouldn't have gone ahead" (Kroll 84).
            Both Rice and Lloyd Webber grew up in the Anglican  
church, yet neither man was very religious.  They wanted to tell a  
fantastic story, but differently from the Bible (Saal 97).  They even  
convinced Father Sullivan to make a statement of support which ran on  
the single's dust cover.  At one point, Sullivan considered allowing  
the opening of Jesus Christ Superstar to be held at St. Paul's  
Cathedral.  (The canons of the church later decided against the  
plan.)  The Father claimed an interest in young people.  He thought  
it was fine for them to place Jesus in a more contemporary light  
(Walsh 62).  A minister who reviewed the album called it:   
"thematically significant...deeply serious...highly entertaining"  
(Kroll 64).  Although Tim Rice and Andrew LLoyd Webber see Christ as  
more human than God (Bender), they used Life of Christ, a summary of  
all the Gospels, as well as the Gospels themselves to form  
"Superstar" ("Gold Rush..." 65).  However, they feel the audience  
should make the final decision in the opera's significance.
            Although Jesus Christ Superstar was a huge success,  
controversy accompanied the production.  Even the Paris production  
shared in the conflicts.  After the first dress rehearsal, the flute  
player in the orchestra quit, claiming religious pressure.  She said  
that members of her church disliked the idea of her involvement  
because the satanic church commissioned Lloyd Webber to write  
"Superstar".  After thoroughly searching all available sources, this  
author could find no evidence to support this accusation.  Paris  
director, Nancy Garrett, noted that there were as many ways to  
perform "Superstar" as there are directors in the world.  One cast  
member added, "If we had done this in a dark basement flooded with  
red light and pentagrams the effect would have been entirely  
different.  We did it instead in a church giving the performance the  
most positive religious impression possible."  These two statements  
follow closely to the feelings of Rice and Lloyd Webber:  "neither of  
us is very religious:  ...We're not trying to make any particular  
religious point.  If people want to read into that Christ was God or  
not, then they may" (Walsh 63).  

            In this author's opinion, Jesus Christ Superstar was a  
positive way to appeal to young people.  Jesus Christ Superstar can  
be used as a witnessing tool.  If just one person who sees the show  
becomes a follower of Jesus then the show can be deemed a success.   
As for believers, if they are offended then no harm is done, for they  
already accept Christ.  The show will not change their opinions.  

            The current views of "Superstar" have changed  
considerably since the show's opening in the early seventies.  Over  
the course of twenty years, people tend to forget about the  
circumstances surrounding a particular event.  Much of today's  
society may not recall the controversy of Jesus Christ Superstar.   
The novelty of the rock opera may be a contributing factor in this  
instance.  As an event such as "Superstar" becomes more and more  
distant in the past, people become indifferent; the controversy loses  
its effect.  In 1990, a twentieth anniversary performance of Jesus  
Christ Superstar ran on Broadway.  This version had neither the  
controversy nor the publicity of the original.  Even by 1973 the  
controversy changed to praise.  Ray Browne states that people  
appreciated Jesus Christ Superstar more after they became familiar  
with it.  Despite early blasphemy, "Superstar" is now a "remarkable  
experience" in pop music (149).  Perhaps too, it can become a tool of  
the church rather than a nemesis.


Thesis:  Jesus Christ Superstar was controversial particularly in the  
religious realm.

  I.  Jesus Christ Superstar is a rock opera.
            A.  Act I introduces Jesus and builds a conflict.
            B.  Act II provides climax and shows the resolution.
 II.  "Superstar" was a controversial show.  

            A.  Religious groups denounced "Superstar".
            B.  Other people protested Jesus Christ Superstar.
III.  The authors had no underlying intentions.
            A.  They gave Jesus qualities of humans. 

            B.  They provided ideas for interpretation by the  
audience.


		Works Cited
Bender, William.  "Rock Passion."  Time 9 Nov. 1970:  47.
Browne, Ray, ed.  Popular Culture and the Expanding Consciousness.   
New York:  Wiley,                                                                        
1973.
Forbes, Cheryl.  "From Bach to O'Horgan."  Christianity Today 3 Dec.  
1971:  42-3.
"Gold Rush to Golgotha."  Time 25 Oct. 1971:  64-71.
Kauffmann, Stanley.  "Jesus Crisis."  The New Republic 6 Nov. 1971:   
24+.
Kroll, Jack.  "Jesus Christ Superstar."  Newsweek 25 Oct. 1971:   
84-5.
Rice, Tim.  "Blood Money."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Crucifixion."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Heaven On Their Minds."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Herod's Song."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Pilate and Christ."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Poor Jerusalem."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Rice, Tim.  "Simon Zealotes."  Jesus Christ Superstar.  MCA,  
MCAD2-10000, 1970
Saal, Hubert.  "Pop Testament."  Newsweek 16 Nov. 1970:  96-7.
Walsh, Michael.  Andrew Lloyd Webber.  New York:  Abrams, 1989.

I am mass mailing this paper to many people.  You are all on your  
honor and I trust that each of you will accept it for your own  
personal use.  I appreciate your honesty in this.  I don't believe  
too many people on rec.arts.theatre are like this.
	Again, thank you for your interest.  I wish you all the best,  
and hope that each of you can catch the show on its 1993 tour.  
(Unfortunately, I cannot.)  


				Sincerely,
				Kenny Anderson
				anderskb@nextwork.rose-hulman.edu