 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Lyrics by Tim Rice
Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York 12 October, 1971 (711 perfs)
Palace Theatre, London 9 August, 1972 (3358 perfs)
Synopsis
Jesus Christ Superstar traces the last seven days
of the life of Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas
Iscariot. Judas fears that the compassionate movement with
Jesus at its head has become a personality cult with many of
Jesus' statements being taken up and twisted by his
followers. Jesus must be stopped! Jesus is regularly
ministered to by a street woman, Mary Magdalen but what is
worse, he is being hailed as the Messiah. Judas meets with
the Priests of Judaea and resulting from the meeting agrees
to betray Jesus for which he will receive 30 pieces of
silver in payment. Meanwhile, Jesus preaches throughout the
land offering riches in the after-life - but not here on
earth.
Pontius Pilate, a Roman Officer, dreams of a strange
Galilean whose path will cross his own and cause Pilate to
be despised. Jesus throws out the traders in the Temple and
has a last supper with his followers when he lets Judas know
he is aware of the coming betrayal. At Gethsemane, Jesus
prays for strength for the coming ordeal but also for the
deliverance that he knows is not possible.
When Judas brings the soldiers to Gethsemane Jesus does
not resist arrest. When he is brought before Pilate, he is
recognised as the subject of Pilate's own dreams. Pilate
refuses to convict him and send Jesus to Herod. Judas,
meanwhile, has committed suicide by hanging himself.
Back in Pilate's court, Herod, too, has refused to
convict Jesus, but the rabble insists. Jesus is convicted
and crucified. |
Instrumentation:
Electric guitar/acoustic guitar, electric bass guitar, piano/organ, drums/percussion,
bandstration, trumpet I, II, trombone, French horn, flute/piccolo, flute/clarinet,
oboe, bassoon, violin I, II, cello, viola.
Cast:
40 roles (doubling of parts is written), 6 principals Judas, Jesus, Mary Magdelene, Caiaphas, Annus, and Pontius Pilate,
singers who act. The part of Judas has traditionally been played by a
black, which has been a source of controversy. There are also various
Palm Sunday attendants, members of the crowd, and mob. Total cast 50 -
70.
Scenes and sets:
2 acts, continuous action.
Large unitized playing area in which major set pieces flow in and out.
The original production used surrealistic bridges and shapes carried by
actors. The Crucifixion set was a giant aerial set that looked like a
butterfly; it elevated Christ garbed in a 20-foot robe that created a
tentlike effect. Instead of a cross, there was a triangular cutout area
in the backdrop that was back-lit to create an interesting effect. The
segments are:
Scene l: Friday Night, Bethany
Scene 2: Sunday, Jerusalem
Scene 3: Monday, Pontius Pilate's House
Scene 4: Tuesday, The Plot
Scene 5: Thursday Night, The Last Supper/ The Garden
Scene 6: Friday, Pilate's Palace/ House of Herod/ Pilate's Palace/ Golgotha
Period and Costumes:
The time of Christ. A variety of male
and female robes ranging from peasant garb to nicer plain cloaks for Jesus,
his Apostles, and their women, to the elaborate robes of the high priests,
Pilate, Herod, and their women. There are loin-cloths, helmets for soldiers,
surrealistic hats, head pieces, spears, and other accessories.
Choreography:
Choreographed movement, production numbers
that take the form of mini-pageants.
Lighting and Special Effects:
Dramatic lighting throughout. Vast lighting areas. Several follow spots
in front. Boxes and backstage lofts are helpful and add to the Superstar
effect.
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