Everything You'd Want To Know About Jesus Christ Superstar, Including How To Watch Each Version This Easter
What's the buzz? Well, it's Holy Week and with Easter on April 4, you better believe Jesus Christ Superstar is what's a-happening, or should we say, what we plan on watching! The beloved musical is not your typical portrayal of the Passion of Jesus Christ, but rather a rock opera with music and lyrics by award-winning composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
What is Jesus Christ Superstar?
You are likely familiar with the story of Jesus' final days, but the tale in Superstar is told from the perspective of the one who betrayed him, Judas Iscariot.
"We were toying around with various subjects, and I think it was the dean of St. Paul's Cathedral who said, 'Why don't you think about the story of Jesus?'" Webber shared in a 2012 interview with NPR. "And we kind of toyed with it and then thought, 'Maybe yes, maybe no.'"
Webber and Rice ultimately decided to tell the story from Judas' point of view.
"It's logical that he might've been worried about the man that he admired, and had joined, [that he] was kind of getting out of control," Rice said. "In the Bible, there is absolutely no motivation for Judas, other than that he is sort of a 100 percent figure of evil. And it seemed to me that that was probably not the case."
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Jesus Christ Superstar was originally released as a concept album before opening on Broadway in 1971.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2018, Webber called the Superstar album "an accident." "Nobody thought it was even remotely possible to produce onstage, and the record company, MCA, said they’d like to do it," he said. "It’s funny. Superstar was written like a radio play, because that was the closest thing we had available to us. I think it works best when it’s closer to a rock concert than to a stage show that’s shoehorned into a proscenium theater."
Jesus Christ Superstar has since been adapted into two movies, and in 2018, got the live TV musical treatment on NBC. The worldwide phenomenon is known for its catchy tunes including, "I Don't Know How To Love Him," "Gethsemane," "Superstar" and "Everything's Alright."
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1973's Jesus Christ Superstar
The film adaptation was released in 1973. The movie, directed by Norman Jewison, starred Ted Neeley as Jesus as well as Carl Anderson (Judas) and Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene). Jesus Christ Superstar earned an Academy Award nomination in 1974 for Best Music Scoring: Original Song Score and Adaptation or Scoring: Adaptation and scored several Golden Globe nominations that same year, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.
1973's Jesus Christ Superstar Cast
Ted Neeley as Jesus
Carl Anderson as Judas Iscariot
Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene
Barry Dennen as Pontius Pilate
Bob Bingham as Caiaphas
Larry Marshall as Simon Zealotes
Josh Mostel as King Herod
Kurt Yaghjian as Annas
Paul Thomas as Peter
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How to watch 1973's Jesus Christ Superstar
Rent the movie for $3.99 on YouTube, Prime Video, Google Play or iTunes.
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2000's Jesus Christ Superstar
A new production of Webber and Rice's musical, filmed for video, came out in 2000 and was adapted for the 21st century. Glenn Carter took on the role of Jesus in the movie, while Jérôme Pradon portrayed Judas.
2000's Jesus Christ Superstar Cast
Glenn Carter as Jesus
Jérôme Pradon as Judas Iscariot
Renée Castle as Mary Magdalene
Fred Johanson as Pontius Pilate
Rik Mayall as King Herod
Frederick B. Owens as Caiaphas
Michael Shaeffer as Annas
Tony Vincent as Simon Zealotes
Cavin Cornwall as Peter
How to watch 2000's Jesus Christ Superstar
The movie is not currently available in the US iTunes store, but you can purchase the film on Amazon here.
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2018's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
NBC tapped Grammy winner John Legend to play Jesus in their live musical production of Jesus Christ Superstar in 2018. “I probably look a lot closer to what he [looked] like than most of the people we’ve seen portray him in the past,” Legend told Vanity Fair. The cast also included Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Alice Cooper as King Herod and Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas. Both Webber and Rice served as executive producers of the special TV event, which earned 5 Emmy Awards.
2018's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Cast
John Legend as Jesus
Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas Iscariot
Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene
Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate
Alice Cooper as King Herod
Norm Lewis as Caiaphas
Jin Ha as Annas
Erik Grönwall as Simon Zealotes
Jason Tam as Peter
How to watch 2018's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert
Although it won't be airing on NBC nor streaming on Peacock this year, you can watch the musical on Daily Motion here.
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Bonus: How to watch 2012's Jesus Christ Superstar: Live Arena Tour
The show, filmed in the UK during the Live Arena Tour, was "reimagined for the 21st century as an arena rock spectacular." The performance starring Ben Forster, Tim Minchin and Spice Girls member Melanie Chisholm a.k.a. Sporty Spice can be rented on Prime Video, YouTube or Vudu for $3.99
Planning a virtual Easter celebration? Try these Easter Zoom backgrounds!
