It's finally here... Today, we turn to the Gospel According to Andrew Lloyd Webber: the Biblical rock-opera phenomenon that is Jesus Christ Superstar (1970)!
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We talk about:
– Groovy Gospel: The context of the late 60s/early 70s that gave rise to a rock opera treatment of the Jesus story
– Eroticism: The eroticism in Mary Magdalene’s (and maybe Judas’?) relationship with Jesus and the question of how sexuality & love intersect in the Christian tradition. What does it mean to fall in love with a God with a human body?
– Mary Magdalene (not a prostitute in the Bible!) and the way the musical treats her as a woman, a sex worker, and a romantic lead.
– Anti-Judaism & Anti-Semitism in Jesus Christ Superstar and in the New Testament and what responsibility Christians bear in challenging it.
– Christology: What kind of Christology (big fancy theological word for “understanding Jesus”) undergirds Jesus Christ Superstar, and whether there’s any good news in this musical.
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You’ll hear:
– Ian Gillan, Murray Head, Yvonne Elliman and the cast of the Original Studio Recording (a.k.a. “The Brown Album”) from 1970.
– "Could Ye Not Watch With Me One Hour?" from John Stainer’s Crucifixion sung by the St. Michael Singers (Fox Records, 2009).
– Joshua Mostel singing "Herod’s Song" from the 1973 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.
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