Not the original, but a new British take on this classic play. Herein, I feel the aethetics are more to the point, particularly demonstrated in the polarities between the followers of the nazarene, who are basically filthy egalitarian peasants, vandalizing walls, dressed in rags {& the apostles were tattooed with crosses on their shoulders}, & who are dispersed & disciplined by `Imperial Guard'-looking enforcers {whose helmets look like Darth Vader's}, whereas the elite rulers of the day, The Sanhedrin, are frocked in black leather trenchcoats, commanding from their darkened chambres, & wearing silver medallions - verily, they could even be called "The Sanhedrin Grotto" for the overall effect of their powerful presence.

In this remarkable presentation, jesus is portrayed in plain `uniform' prole vestments, sans a beard - looking more like a portrayal of an angel Gabriel than a wandering jewish madman - although the character does demonstrate his self-destructive insanity, as typical of the nazarene myth.

Judas Iscariot is decked in what can be seen as "commie-punk" attire, which goes along well with his communistic mentality - although again, he does appear to be a much more interesting character, & a much more groomed one. It seems, according to this version, the "eviler" you are, the cleaner & neater one is.

So jesus disrupts the marketplace, which moved into the `holy temple' {which is quite a statement, considering the money-begging evangelists of the day}, which contained, among other things, a slot machine, voluptuous dancers, & jesus actually tosses a television set across the room. So you can see, there was much artistic liscence taken with this presentation.

Another mentionable dynamic I observed was the undelying homosexual undertones between the two, as well as among the apostles themselves. The embraces were more to the intimate manner, particuarly seen when Judas disturbingly gives jesus the "death kiss", with just a bit too much lingering.

Still more telling, jesus sings in a falsetto high, whereas Caiaphas is a deep bass baritone.

One impressive scene transpired when the nazarene was being led away from the Garden of Gethsemene, phantom figures in black assailed him with ghostly pallor & flashlights - the women wore shawls & cloaks {a very gothic aesthetic}, whereas the men wore leather trenchcoats & fedoras - an overall LaVeyan look.

Although probably the most impressive character was that of Pontius Pilate, who appeared in again, a black leather trenchcoat & general's hat, but armored in a muscular design reminiscient of the Roman militia - an imposing figure emminating authority & Power, in a solid 12 o' clock frame. He fiercely grills jesus while in the Roman court, & adresses the bloodthirsty crowd, who claim no other allegience except to that of Caesar. Tired of the problematic & pathetic nazarene, he sends him to be judged by Herod.

Herod appears on the scene surrounded in his Las Vegas-ornamented environment, complete with bowtie, ragtime cane & showgirls,, who, after a comical musical repartee', sends him back to Pilate, who sends him to be flogged, crowned with thorns, & finally, crucified. Interestingly, while on the path of pain, dragging his misery cross up to Golgotha, Judas, who had previously hung himself before a crowd of enthusiasts, appears again, dancing about with fetishistic angels {angels never looked this `good'}, who adore him accordingly, & he actually blasphemously stands upon the cross, beneath which is the crawling nazarene, jiding him impishly.

Mary Magdalene is played by a sexy young black girl, who arrays jesus with love & affection - the only `man' she ever loved. This originally caused some contension between Judas & she, despite her chosen profession.

In the end, they all witness the suicidal masochist-demigod perish like a deranged common criminal - & that is where it ends. No fantasies of resurrection, no scriptures , no blindlight references, just the display of a tragic myth in all its morose, & torment-filled splendour.

This is actually a fairly bloodless, passionless retelling of JCS. The singing in general leaves much to be desired. The directing is fairly bland and unimaginative. To be honest just decorating a set and costuming it in a new and different way does not a directorial vision make. Acting is generally weak and the choreography is ridiculous.
Skip this and see Norman Jewison's version instead.

For those seeking new, fresh, and challenging ways to experience the possibilities of our "Jesus," this stands out as a FIVE STAR event. There were two specific variances that make this my absolute favorite, even over the earlier version I saw on stage and in film. The close-up photography stands in contrast to the earlier version which was groundbreaking in its own time. This allows viewers to experience Jesus and His followers in a dramatic new way. We see the joy, sadness, confusion, and fear of those last days. And, we also see a tortured Judas who eventually gives way to the dark side. I love the portrayal of a man who was a dear friend of Jesus but a real rascal and betrayer of our Saviour. This film is a must for all who can leave their rigid, ultraconservative agendas in the closet. So, go for it!

What on Earth did the director do with the characters???? Great staging, costuming, updating, and fantastic vocal performances can't possibly compensate for the homosexual like interaction of Jesus and the apostles. Either the woman director has an agenda she's pushing, or she simply has no idea about the way men relate and interact with each other. One can't watch the scenes between Judas and Jesus without believing the two are 'breaking up'... It's simply painful to watch.

The priests and guards are totally cool, Pilate is great, Simon Zealots is a tremendous improvement over anything done before, but... Jesus STILL ISN'T GAY - and shouldn't act like it!!

The play LOOKS great, but because Jesus interacts with the disciples like he's dating them, it destroys everything else in the musical.

What caught my attention to Jesus Christ Superstar was the commercial of it on the previews of the Cats video. I then rented the film version and loved every minute of it. I then was ready to watch this version and was blown away even more than what the film had to offer. I have heard many people say Jerome Pradon was a horrible Judas but I dissagre completely. This dude has some talent, people. Do you not think we he goes off in his voice that he is just a proffesional? I liked him even more than Carl Anderson and think he needs to go and reprise this role several more times. At that very moment in the begining of "Heaven on their minds" when he goes "Jesus!" the story just begins and that's it. His "Superstar" is what made me go out and buy this DVD, 6 soundtracks and see it live twice! Of course, now I have moved on to Les Miz and Miss Saigon but I must say, just see 1 minute of "Superstar" and you will love this, and musical theare. This show and that little performance by Jerome got me to like Broadway. 'Nuff said only that if Jerome Pradon is reading this, I just got to say good job.