Jesus Christ Superstar
Behind the Scenes of the Worldwide Musical Phenomenon
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- $46.99
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- $46.99
Publisher Description
In 1969, when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice decided to write a rock opera about Jesus Christ, they had little idea they were about to embark on one of the most popular, boundary-pushing, and influential musicals ever. The show’s success was hardly assured at first: unable to secure enough funding, they initially resorted to just releasing its title song as a single. A full album followed to widespread acclaim, and only then could a full production get underway. More than fifty years later, Jesus Christ Superstar continues to be beloved in all its forms—the live show, various cast albums, and the wildly successful movie.
Few people had the chance to witness the musical’s evolution from as many angles as Ellis Nassour, whether collaborating with Rice and Lloyd Webber at MCA, writing for the New York Times, or assisting with the Broadway and LA productions. In this expansive, beautifully illustrated book, Nassour draws on a wealth of knowledge, first-hand experience, and new interviews to give the definitive story of the musical. Combining an engaging narrative with abundant photographs—many in color and never before published—he follows the show from its uncertain beginnings, through setbacks and controversies, to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ultimate triumph, serving up an unparalleled look at one of the most important and best-selling musical works of all time.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Entertainment writer Nassour (Honky Tonk Angel) offers an uneven account of the genesis of the polarizing 1970s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Created by English composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, the production grew out of the pair's 1969 single "Superstar," which features "a contemporary Everyman questioning all aspects of Jesus's mission" and was sung live on British TV prior to its release in stores, igniting "a firestorm of protests" that "jamm the ITV network switchboard for more than an hour." Further controversy followed as Webber and Rice expanded the song into a double album (in 1970), a Broadway show (in 1971), and finally a Hollywood film (in 1973), eliciting a divided response from the Christian community—many felt the musical was "blasphemous" and "sacrilegious," while some American priests used excerpts in sermons and Sunday school discussions. Though rich with intriguing trivia (a pre-fame Bette Midler was nearly cast as Mary Magdalene in the Broadway production), the narrative suffers from repetition (including several recycled quotes and facts) and tends to fawn over its subject (much is made of the "marvelous" songs presented on the original album and the "beautifully arranged" performances on Broadway's opening night, when "each tune received hosannas)." Still, devoted fans of the musical may want to take a look.
