Jesus Christ Superstar is a 1970 rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The story is loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the last week of Jesus' life, beginning with the preparation for the arrival of Jesus and his disciples in Jerusalem and ending with the crucifixion. It depicts political and interpersonal struggles between Judas Iscariot and Jesus that are not present in the Bible.
The work's depiction offers a free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and other characters. Much of the plot centers on Judas, who is dissatisfied with the direction in which Jesus is steering his disciples. Contemporary attitudes, sensibilities, and slang pervade the rock-opera's lyrics, and ironic allusions to modern life are scattered throughout the depiction of political events. Stage and film productions accordingly contain many intentional anachronisms.
Jesus Christ Superstar in "The Great White Way"[]
Jesus Christ Superstar was something of a joker in the deck for Brent Birley's army of virtual Webberites. A Roman Legion from the play was included, as was the character of St. Peter who resembled Philip Toubus from the movie. The Last Supper dining room was an important setting in the game, and the Sondhead witch discovered the coat of many colors hidden there.
During the Sondheim-Webber battle, the Romans were slaughtered by their analogs from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, led by Miles Gloriosus, and Peter was stabbed to death by Sweeney Todd. Nevertheless, when the Webberite cause seemed lost, Birley summoned his secret champion, Jesus himself. The Sondhead champion John Wilkes Booth was momentarily confounded by his awe for the divine figure. Charles Guiteau prostrated himself before Jesus, saying that he was going to meet the Lordy and was glad about it. But Sondhead programmer Trina Hutchinson assigned George the artist to find a way around this.
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