Is Jesus Christ Superstar (the musical) suitable for Christians?

[Oricolt]

I have extra tickets to go and see the show. Was thinking of inviting dd's friend and her mum - but they are Christians and I obviously don't want to invite them to something that they will find offensive. I saw it years ago and I don't think it's offensive, but then I'm not a Christian. Friend and mum are not super evangelical or in a weird cult or anything - they're just ordinary people who go to a Baptist church service most Sundays.

Sam Ryder sang Gethsemane on The Musicals show last night BBC1. Available to watch on iPlayer. He was phenomenal, what a voice!

Where’s the poking fun bit?

Indeed. I am a Christian. I found d JCSS thought provoking when 8 first saw it aged around 12. I still enjoy it. 8 enjoyed a TV show called: 'Messiah' recently too. 8ve enjoyed Godspell (of its tome, like JCSS). I know a family who would not (banned Harry Potter books as 'blasphemous' even had concerns with Lion Witch & Wardrobe)

U do not enjoy issues with MN app which exposes my awful typing in small phone screen however ... (sorry!)

CurlewKate
the whole point of it to me is it being farcical and poking fun. I don’t know, nobody else seems to have the same notion, just how I saw it, again I haven’t seen this adaptation

Ummm are you sure you have seen Jesus Chirst Superstar? It isn't a satire or comedy. It is a play within a play about a bunch of young theatre students staging a musical play about the last weeks of Jesus' life, it just so it happens they used music, language and dress contemporary with when it was written - the early seventies. It makes the story more interesting and accessible to modern audiences.

It's not an uncommon approach - that is exactly what mystery and passion plays have been doing since medival times.

It is a play within a play about a bunch of young theatre students staging a musical play about the last weeks of Jesus' life

No it isn’t! Have you actually seen it?

It’s about the last weeks of Jesus’ life but no young theatre students or play within a play to be seen…

Have you not seen the film? It starts with a load of young of actors in seventies dress arriving at the location in a van unloading props and then at the end they all troop back in to the van happily chatting and laughing and drove off?

No, I haven’t seen that - but have seen the stage show multiple times and it’s never been a play within a play.

It looks like the film is quite different from the stage show!

Very jealous. It's my favourite of all time . Now trying to figure out how to get to London to see it .

I remember it being released. The most offensive thing was actually the title . Superstar was not acceptable to a lot of people .

I don’t think it’s offensive. Well I’m a little offended by another blond aryan depiction if I’m completely honest. Beyond that it’s fairly close to gospels and good tunes. Some Christians dislike how it ends with crucifixion and no resurrection. I saw the new Jesus (is he called Sam Ryder?) doing a song from it on the telly yesterday and it was horribly overdone and tuneless.

Might also depend on the particular production. I saw one where JC was crucified on a mic stand, probably that would be quite offensive for Christians.

Generally I detest musicals. But one line has stuck with me from when I only ever saw the film (about 30 years ago).

"So you are the Christ.
The great Jesus Christ.
Prove to me that you're divine
Turn my water into wine".

So as neither as a Xtian or a fan of musicals, it's one of the better ones 😀

A theatrical troupe travel by bus to the Negev Desert to perform a modern-day re-enactment of the Passion of Christ told through song. Carl Anderson, already in character as Judas Iscariot, wanders away from the group as they prepare their props and costumes and dance to the overture

This from the film synopsis I haven't seen it on stage just snippets, so I don't know if this is how it is done on stage.

My memory was that after a load of people whinged about the crucifixion scene in Life of Brian, it emerged that the pythons were historically spot on. In fact probably the most historically accurate depiction ever ?

The film production was done as the play within a play concept, maybe to try and circumvent blasphemy accusations, but it doesn’t have to be done like that.

In the production I saw, the 'questioning' song mentioned above was done in such a way as to make it seem a bit crass that all these free, presumably reasonably happy/healthy people in the future were standing around doubting and asking for yet more proof, simultaneously with Jesus agonisingly dying for them on the cross in the centre of the stage. I'd say that was quite a Christian take!

Fair, so different productions might present it differently.

Add a Christian, I don't find out offensive, satirical or poking fun. In fact, i love it. Especially the Tim Minchin/Sporty Spice version. I'm desperate to see Sam Ryder but can't afford it and it's probably sold out already.

The movie is a different thing IMO. Still good, but strange. Still not offensive though.

I also didn't find Book of Mormon to be offensive. One lyric was close to being so, but in the context made sense. I can imagine a Mormon might find it offensive though.

I saw it again last year.
It would never cross my mind that it might be offensive.
It tells the story from the bible, and has some cracking good songs to accompany it.

Glad you are going to ask them.
As a pp said, Christians are all individuals and do not all have one mind, or one thing that everyone would find offensive anyway.

Enjoy - it is a great show.

Which version are you referring to? I'm competley confused and bemused.

This isn't a show with an alternate reading. No version is laughing at people who follow God, it's not in the material at all! Like Pilate, so conflicted in his duty as a Roman, yet half believing Jesus and sending him to Herod because he can't make a decsion what to do with him? The pressure of confliction factions? Peter's guilt in his denying Jesus three times? Judas' conflicting feelings about betraying him?

Laugh a minute, right?!

If anything, it's about people having their viewpoints challenged, not laughing at anyone for their beliefs!

Way too over-invested in this argument, bit if you don't like it, that's fine, but the reasons you're giving don't stand up at all!

I love the musical, must have seen it on stage or on film at least 8 times over the years.
i went with my best friend and her husband the first time, many years ago. At that time they were both vicars, they enjoyed it too.

Is there anything in this world that wouldn't be offensive to some of the many, many loons in Northern Ireland?

Totally annecdotal, but the first time I saw JCS was at the Lyceum in 1996. Behind us were a woman and her bf who was clearly there under sufference im the beginning. At the interval, after Steve Balsamo had just finished singing Gethesemene, as the curtain and lights came up, we heard him say 'oh shit', completely stunned and overwhelmed by the performance 😅

For any JCS fans who didn't see Blasamo and Varma production, YouTube it! They were incredible and the whole cast was flawless IMO.

I’m a Christian and I’ve always loved it.

I’ve seen it twice as a Christian and love it, loved the soundtrack - never saw the original but discovered the soundtrack in the 80s, real 70s vibe, so brilliant

also love Joseph