Jesus Christ Superstar: A Real Superstar

I’ve been familiar with the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber since I was a little girl. My parents are big fans of his and have seen several of his shows on Broadway, including the original production of Evita with Patti Lupone. I used to counteract my insomnia by listening to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at night to fall asleep. And then I eventually graduated to more music, including Jesus Christ Superstar. I saw the 1973 movie version and my mother and I went to see the 2000 revival (which has a story attached to it that’s kinda funny, kinda sad. Maybe I’ll tell it later).

So I was thrilled when I found out the latest entry into the catalogue of live musical events would be Jesus Christ Superstar, fittingly on Easter (and my birthday!). The cast announcements proved it was shaping up to be a good one and I eagerly tuned in, waiting to be blown away.

I was not disappointed.

First, a little synopsis because some people were still confused about the plot even though it should be well known. Jesus Christ Superstar tells of the last 7 days of Jesus’ life…through song. We start before he rides into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday as Judas worries about how large the crowds that surround Jesus are starting to get. He is afraid they will draw the wrong kind of attention from the Pharisees as well as the Roman officials, leading to disaster. It leads to some tensions between him and Jesus while Mary Magdalene tries to keep the peace. But Judas ends up turning Jesus over to the authorities as the crowd turns against him. Ultimately, Jesus is crucified.

Got it? Good. Let’s get on to the review!