Rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar' comes to Great Falls Jan. 28

Four generations of people across the world have associated the voice of Jesus Christ with Ted Neeley.

Rock opera 'Jesus Christ Superstar' comes to Great Falls Jan. 28

By JAKE SORICH • Tribune Staff Writer • January 22, 2010


Four generations of people across the world have associated the voice of Jesus Christ with Ted Neeley.

Neeley, still going strong at age 66, has played the role of Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar" on and off since working in the original Broadway play in the early 1970s. He starred in the feature film in 1973 and won a Golden Globe in 1974.

Since then he has played in at least 3,000 JCS shows.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" is a rock opera that Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber adapted into a musical. It's based on St. John's Gospel account of the last week of Jesus' life, ending with his crucifixion. Much of the plot follows Judas, played by John Twiford. Judas is dissatisfied with what he views as Jesus' lack of planning and is also concerned with claims of Jesus' divinity.

This latest version is directed by Dallett Norris and choreographed by Arlene Phillips.

The score includes "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "The Crucifixion" and the signature "Superstar."

A youthful, talented cast surrounds Twiford and Neeley. Sarah Hanlon is making her JCS debut as Mary Magdalene and sings solo on "I Don't Know How to Love Him," thought by many to be the play's most revered song.

"Jesus Christ Superstar" has received several award nominations through the years. Perhaps the biggest was in 2000 when the play earned a Tony nomination for best musical revival for the production that opened at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts. Both U.S. and U.K. tours followed.

The original Broadway cast recording, which stars Ian Gillan (Jesus), Murray Head (Judas) and Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene), topped the American album charts three times.

Nearly 20 years after the Broadway show ended, Neeley returned to the role in 1992 along with Carl Anderson as Judas. The touring show ran for five years. Later in 2002, ex-Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach took the helm as Jesus with Anderson returning as Judas.

Bach left the production in April 2003 following a disagreement with the director. Neeley's latest run began in 2006, and he has been on tour since.
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The play has been performed around the world including in Ireland, Hungary, India, New Zealand, Italy, France, Mexico, Chile, Bulgaria, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Russia, Poland, Czech Republic, Greece, Australia, Philippines, South Africa, Panama, Colombia, Croatia and Bolivia. Takeshi Kaga from the original "Iron Chef" played Jesus in the 1976 Japanese version.
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Over the years the production has sparked its share of controversy. Religious leaders claim the character of Judas is too sympathetic and find some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive.

But theater fans have long flocked to the show. The original Broadway show ran for 771 performances and the subsequent revivals in 1977 and later in 2000 were performed more than 300 times.

"'Jesus Christ Superstar' is that rare musical — or rock opera, for the purists out there — that affects its audience in deep psychological, physical and, yes, religious ways," a reviewer in Buffalo, N.Y., wrote. "This touring production, which stars the surprisingly vivid and powerful Ted Neeley, is a well-sung and competently acted tour de force that no doubt gave longtime 'Superstar' fans a deep degree of satisfaction."

Neeley, Twiford and cast will be onstage at the Mansfield Theater in Great Falls on Jan. 28. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $47 and $52, all seats are reserved.

Tickets are available by calling 455-8514 or by going online to http://ticketing.greatfallsmt.net.