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.

On stage they update it every so often to be more modern, following whatever is trendy, but it always follows a group of outsiders / hippies / rebels. There's TVs and mobile phones and things in the latest one for example.

The film is framed as a group of hippies performing the play, but the play doesn't have the framing device at the beginning because the audience can see it's a play if that makes sense.

The stage version is vastly better than the film, which has dated badly.

And it's also by far the best (and least sentimental) Lloyd Webber musical.

frenchnoodle

no, saw the show of JCS years ago, don’t think I’ve seen LOB but I am beginning to doubt everything 😅😅😅

I have a lot of affection for the film - flares, afros and the lot. I think I see those sorts of religious rock operas as a very seventies thing any way so it makes sense to me.

Gosh they’d have to be unbelievably strict to be offended! I’m Catholic and my mother used to go to mass every day. We had the album when I was a kid and it’s the most amazing show. I love the movie too. It’s pretty faithful to the bible - it’s just whether you find the characterisations offensive? But can’t imagine anyone world worry about it - it’s fabulous.

I know.

I think it depends if they’re the precious kind of Christians or not! “Normal” (or let’s say very mainstream) ones like Catholics or most C of E would be fine with it.

I think a lot of Catholics love it because they tend to love anything even remotely on a Jesus theme, especially if it’s about the crucifixion (I was brought up Catholic, not being rude!)

At school I’m sure we had to sing some of the songs from it even! 😂

I think it’s so as not to give a point of view on the actual religious beliefs - so they stop short of the resurrection but they don’t say it did or didn’t happen.

If they’d done a play where it gets to Sunday, nothing special happens, and all the apostles and MM say “oh dear isn’t it a shame about Jesus, I know, let’s make up that we saw him again risen from the dead” - that might have been something Christians could object to!

But they leave that neutral which I think works.

Well we did manage to get tickets, and I can honestly say it's the best thing I've ever seen. I (as a CofE Christian) found it intensely moving. Sam Ryder was phenomenal.

I actually like the fact that it ends with the crucification and doesn't include the resurrection. I think it's far more powerful that way. Plus it's left to the viewer to decide if Jesus was "who they said he was".

Like @GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing says, if they'd shown the resurrection day but he didn't appear in the garden, then the writers/producers etc would be saying they don't believe it really happened. If they had shown the resurrection, then it's the opposite. Not sure how well I've phrased that. But by leaving the ending open, it's up to the viewer to decide. The whole show is followers vs non followers.

I'm a Catholic and have seen it and enjoyed it a couple of times.
I have Southern Baptist friends (in US) who think Halloween is the devil's birthday and shun all related activities, though, so maybe ask your friends first.

I heard the comedian Frank Skinner talking about it and he said he enjoyed it very much but was unsettled and disappointed that it stopped before the resurrection.

Given OP posted 4 months ago she has likely either used the tickets or not used them by now. 🧟

My family are v. V. Religous. Its our favourite musical.

(We are catholics)

I realise this but thought it was an interesting debate

I have alot of time for Frank Skinner but personally I think it wouldn’t make

I’m so looking forward to going to this musical myself next week - I do really want to see Sam Ryder and will be gutted if he’s eg got a sore throat that day. I’ll have to go again if he does I think!

Went at the beginning of the month and it was fantastic. Very energetic production. The ending is as I would have expected.

There are lots of different types of Christians. It will depend on their denomination.

I went to see it yesterday. It’s an amazing production and I really enjoyed it. It is totally camp and mad in places. I still find it strange that full on Christians are happy with it.

Why ?

Because of the weird glitter whipping and wild dancing and singing while Jesus dies and the way Jesus explains the bread and wine at the last supper (for all you care this may as well be my body and blood) and how the disciples sing about how they are pleased they made it as an apostle and can write the gospels when they retire - just not taking things seriously I guess. King Herod doing his funny song while Jesus is bleeding on the floor. It’s just not very respectful. Maybe the point is that people weren’t very respectful?

I sound really critical now and I am not being critical. The glitter made the whipping bearable to watch and was somehow artistic and the apostles song was funny. I enjoyed King Herod and all the camp and fun and madness. I am just surprised how few people are offended. Maybe we are a liberal minded country which is a good thing.

It's very pro-Christ and loosely faithful to the Bible. It's not the Christian equivalent of Book of Mormon if that is what you were worried about. When I was young, all the Christian teens at school loved it and sang songs from it all the time.

Such a great song!

I loved the replica of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci

It's basically a rock musical of the last week of Christ. Welcomed with hossana and pelted whilst carrying the cross to his crucifixion.

I thought the glitter whipping was really powerful. And the crowds would have been whipped up into a frenzy. They would have been disrespectful. They wanted him dead. They weren't going to nice about it.