Jesus Christ Superstar 

A rock musical version of the Passion Play seen from the point of view of Judas.

Directors:

Gale Edwards, Nick Morris

Writer:

Tim Rice (book)

Stars:

Glenn Carter, Jérôme Pradon, Renée Castle

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Glenn Carter	...	Jesus of Nazareth
Jérôme Pradon	...	Judas Iscariot (as Jerome Pradon)
Renée Castle	...	Mary Magdalene
Fred Johanson	...	Pontius Pilate
Rik Mayall	...	King Herod
Frederick B. Owens	...	Caiaphas
Michael Shaeffer	...	Annas
Tony Vincent	...	Simon Zealotes
Cavin Cornwall	...	Peter
Pete Gallagher	...	First Priest (as Peter Gallagher)
Michael McCarthy	...	Second Priest
Philip Cox	...	Third Priest
Matt Cross	...	Apostle / Ensemble (as Matthew Cross)
Kevin Curtin	...	Apostle / Ensemble
Paul Vickers	...	Apostle / Ensemble

Storyline

The Passion of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas. This popular rock musical is based on the 1996 London/2000 Broadway revivals of the show, directed by Gale Edwards. Re-orchestrated and set to modern times, it is not the Superstar of the 70's but rather one for the 21st Century.

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Plot Keywords:

rock musical | rock | jesus christ | passion play | crucifixion of jesus | 

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Genres:

Music

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Certificate:

Unrated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Glenn Carter played Jesus as a political leader who let things get out of control rather than as a divine person.

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Quotes

Jesus: I have got no kingdom in this world, I'm through, through, through.
Crowd: Talk to me, Jesus!
Jesus: I may have a kingdom somewhere, if I only knew!
Pontious Pilate: Then you're a King?
Jesus: It's you who say I am! I know the truth, and find that I get damned!
Pontious Pilate: But what IS truth? Not easy to define! We both have truths! Are yours the same as mine?

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Connections

Version of Jesus Christ Superstar (1972)

User Reviews

Objective opinion

Having not seen the 1973 version, I would like to offer some objective opinions. Please forgive me if I did not get the song names right, but I have named them after reoccurring lyrics.

Starting with Jesus. His vocal range is far to small for some of the higher notes, such as the ones in "understand what power is" in which he is very, very flat, but his falsetto is quite good. Also, it is interesting to note that although he has only 4 facial expressions (angry, distraught/frightened, joyful and blank) he manages to convey the emotions of the character very effectively through the timing of said expressions.

Simon: is one of the most aggravating characters I have ever seen. He looks fresh out of an American soap opera, and although he has a good voice and expresses the emotions of the character, I can't help but find his facial expressions rather amusing ("Jesus I am on your side") Judas: my personal highlight of the film. Expertly acted and providing a cynical touch to balance out the terminal perkiness of Simon. He manages to portray both sides of the story, the devoted follower of Jesus, and the almost prophetic and panicked alter-ego.

Pilot: truly wonderful performance. Sensitively acted, he was amazing.

Caiaphas: Fantastic voice. I nearly jumped out of my skin on his first low note. Supported by a fantastic group of actors as the high priests.

Herod: Not as subtle as it could have been.

In general, this is an excellent movie, although it is often melodramatic. If you are to enjoy it to the full, accept that it is a musical and isn't going to be realistic. It makes Jesus real, and does so in a very entertaining way. Combining a well thought out plot with strained lyrics (did you see I waved?), this is one of the best modernized period pieces I've seen.

Details

Official Sites:

The Really Useful Group

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 April 2001 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Toronto, British Columbia, Canada

Company Credits

Production Co:

KQED, Really Useful Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Color:

Color