How Jesus Christ Superstar went from blasphemous to beloved
Ted Neeley, who played Jesus, reflects on the blockbuster's cultural impact 50 years after film's debut
When it debuted on Broadway in 1971, the musical Jesus Christ Superstar was steeped in controversy.
"We were protested every single night," said Ted Neeley, the actor who played Jesus. "No violence, but they were protesting."
The musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice tells the story of Jesus's final days — from Judas' betrayal to the crucifixion. Today, the show has amassed a large cult following, but at the time of its debut, it was controversial.
Many Christians felt that there was an implied romantic relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene in the story. Others were upset by the show's sympathetic view of Judas, and some felt that the story was denying Jesus' divinity by portraying him as doubtful, fearful and, at times, angry.
Several Jewish groups, including the American Jewish Committee and the Anti-Defamation League, spoke out against the show too, accusing it of highlighting anti-semetic tropes about Jesus' death.
Fifty years ago, Neeley also starred as Jesus in the film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Norman Jewison, and has since reprised the role thousands of times on stages around the world.
Neeley is now 80. Looking back on the protests during the early days of Superstar's stage run, Neeley — a Christian himself — was struck by the controversy the show stirred up.
"I gotta tell you, it was very strange," he told Tapestry.
"Our production company said, no matter what they may say to you, don't say anything, because they might punch you right in the face. So we were silent."
Before Superstar
The show was anything but blasphemous for Neeley, however.
"I was so proud to be in something that was all about spirituality and I knew exactly what the story was with the lyrics of the songs," he said.
"I was feeling so good that we could spread spirituality to people through music and celebration."
Neeley grew up in Ranger, Texas, a small town where church was the center of his community. He describes growing up in the church, where he sang in the choir, as a "party every Sunday."
So when Neeley had the opportunity to be involved in Jesus Christ Superstar, he was thrilled.
"I could not believe what a beautiful story it was… because of my religious background, I picked up elements of the Bible in every song that was in the show," he said.
Reactions have changed over time
In the decades since the show's debut, the protests and controversies surrounding Jesus Christ Superstar have mostly disappeared, as they have for many film and theatre productions that deal with religion in subversive ways.
"[We've] kind of forgotten how violent some fairly recent Christian responses were to pop culture, depictions of Jesus, or conversations around Jesus," says Ken Derry, an associate professor of historical studies at the University of Toronto who studies the intersections of religion, violence and popular culture.
Derry points to another film with an unorthodox depiction of Jesus, Martin Scorcese's 1988 film The Last Temptation of Christ, as a relatively recent example of high profile controversy that escalated to violence.
At a 1988 screening of the film in Paris, a conservative Catholic group set fire to the theater, injuring over a dozen people.
The people who want to see the spiritual element that's in it, see it- Ted Neeley
During performances of Jesus Christ Superstar, Neeley would go against his production company's advice to not engage with protesters — in spite of the potential dangers.
He says that often, the protesters would tell him they hadn't actually seen the show and were protesting based on the show's premise and reputation. "It's sacrilegious," he recalled them saying.
So Neeley extended an olive branch.
"I said, 'Well, could you please do me a favor? Come in tonight as my guest, watch the show, wait for me in the lobby. I'll come out after the show and you can tell me what it is you don't like, maybe we could change that for the better.' And their attitude would change."
When Neeley would meet them in the lobby after the show, "They would go, 'We love your show. It's incredible. We're gonna come back and bring our families,'" Neeley said.
"There are people everywhere [who] feel it is maybe not a spiritual example. Yet, when they do get to see it, 90 per cent of them will go, 'This is beautiful.'"
That change in attitude on an individual level is what Derry thinks might be playing out on a larger, societal scale.
Jesus Christ Superstar is, "clearly not an orthodox presentation of Jesus in many ways, and he's clearly presented in a way that's much more human than some Christians might think about Jesus. But it's not inherently an assault on Christian beliefs or Christianity," Derry said.
"There's a sense that this is, because it's pop culture, irreverent and unserious. But then people kind of realize, oh, it's actually not that. It may not be what I think, but no harm is really intended here."
Lifetime of playing Jesus
Five decades since its debut — and through rising and falling controversies — Jesus Christ Superstar remains a core part of Neeley's life.
He frequently hosts screenings of the film and still occasionally performs as Jesus. Neeley says he's happy to see love for the show passed down through generations.
"Every family passes it on to their children and then their children and their grandchildren and so on," he said. "We suddenly all are the same family because of this film."
And the spiritual connection to Jesus Christ Superstar remains as strong as ever for Neeley.
"The people who want to see the spiritual element that's in it, see it. And I, being able to perform every night, I swear, sometimes I don't feel my feet even touch the floor," he said.
"I'm the luckiest man alive to be able to be a part of this still."
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