Jesus Christ Superstar

This article is about the musical production. For the film, see Jesus Christ Superstar (film). For the album, see Jesus Christ Superstar (album). For other uses, see Jesus Christ Superstar (disambiguation).

Jesus Christ Superstar
Album cover for the 1970 American release of Jesus Christ Superstar
MusicAndrew Lloyd Webber
LyricsTim Rice
Premiere12 October 1971 (1971-10-12): Mark Hellinger Theatre
Productions
  • 1970 Concept album
  • 1971 Broadway
  • 1972 West End
  • 1977 Broadway
  • 1996 West End
  • 2000 Broadway
  • 2012 Broadway
  • 2012 UK tour
  • 2016 Regent's Park Open Air
  • 2017 Regent's Park Open Air
  • 2019 US tour
  • 2020 Regent's Park Open Air
  • 2023 UK Tour

Jesus Christ Superstar is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with much of the plot centered 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.

Initially unable to get backing for a stage production, the composers released it as a concept album, the success of which led to the show's Broadway on-stage debut in 1971. By 1980, the musical had grossed more than $237 million worldwide.[1] Running for over eight years in London between 1972 and 1980, it held the record for longest-running West End musical before it was overtaken by Cats in 1989.[2]

  1. ^ "London's Longest-Running Musical To Close". The Indianapolis Star. 20 August 1980. p. 25. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  2. ^ Sternfeld, Jessica (2006). The Megamusical. Indiana University Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-253-34793-0.