Show guide
Jesus Christ Superstar
"Jesus Christ Superstar" retells the final days of Jesus's life through a rock opera lens, focusing on the fraught relationship between Jesus and Judas.
- Broadway premiere
- 1971
- Music by
- Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Genre
- Sung-through
- Setting
- 30s
Jesus Christ Superstar: quick answers
What is Jesus Christ Superstar about?
- Jesus Christ Superstar retells the last week of Jesus's life, from his arrival in Jerusalem to his crucifixion, with much of the story seen through Judas Iscariot, a disciple disillusioned with the direction of Jesus's ministry.
When did Jesus Christ Superstar open on Broadway?
- Jesus Christ Superstar opened on Broadway on October 12, 1971, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre and closed on June 30, 1973, after 711 performances. It has since returned to Broadway in revivals in 1977, 2000, and 2012.
Is Jesus Christ Superstar sung-through?
- Yes. Jesus Christ Superstar is a sung-through rock opera with no spoken dialogue; Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice first released it as a 1970 concept album before it was ever staged.
Where and when is Jesus Christ Superstar set?
- It is set in and around Jerusalem during the final week of Jesus's life in the first century AD, though productions deliberately mix in modern slang, attitudes, and other anachronisms.
Has Jesus Christ Superstar played in London's West End?
- Jesus Christ Superstar opened in the West End at the Palace Theatre in 1972 and ran for eight years, holding the record as the longest-running West End musical until Cats passed it in 1989. The Regent's Park Open Air Theatre revival that began in 2016 won the Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival.
Is there a Jesus Christ Superstar movie?
- Norman Jewison's 1973 film, shot in Israel, starred Ted Neeley as Jesus, Carl Anderson as Judas, and Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene. NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, broadcast on Easter Sunday, April 1, 2018, starred John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, and Alice Cooper as King Herod.
The story of Jesus Christ Superstar
Set in the biblical era, around the last week of Jesus's life, the show follows the mounting political and personal tensions surrounding him, seen largely through the eyes of a doubting, conflicted Judas. It covers familiar events, including the entrance into Jerusalem, growing opposition from religious authorities, and the betrayal and crucifixion, but frames them as a story about fame, faith, and human frailty.
Rather than a straightforward retelling, the show is interested in the psychological pressure on its central figures, portraying Jesus as increasingly weary under the weight of expectation and Judas as torn between loyalty and fear of what the movement is becoming.
The music and the makers
Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the score, working with lyricist Tim Rice to create a sung-through rock opera that was groundbreaking for its genre when it first appeared. The music draws on hard rock, gospel, and orchestral drama, giving the story an urgent, contemporary sound rather than a traditional sacred one.
Because nearly every line is sung, the score has to carry the full emotional and narrative arc, and its blend of electric guitar-driven numbers with soaring vocal set pieces became a template for the rock musical as a form.
Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway
The show opened on Broadway in 1971, arriving after its concept album had already made it a sensation, and it helped establish the rock opera as a viable Broadway genre. Its bold, contemporary sound and provocative framing of a familiar story made it both controversial and hugely popular.
It has been revived numerous times since, including major arena and television productions, and remains a defining early work in Andrew Lloyd Webber's career and in the history of rock-influenced musical theater.
Jesus Christ Superstar: frequently asked questions
When did Jesus Christ Superstar open on Broadway?
It opened on Broadway in 1971.
Who composed Jesus Christ Superstar?
Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote the music, with lyrics by Tim Rice.
What genre is Jesus Christ Superstar?
It is a sung-through rock opera, one of the earliest and most influential examples of the form.
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