In 1993, the 20 year reunion tour came to my college town, with Neely and Carl Anderson in the starring roles. The Jesus was immaculately sung, with powerful high notes and untouchable rock licks. After the show, I talked with Mr. Anderson about how the both of them could keep singing like that after all of these years. His response, after a healthy tug of his 3rd beer, was simply, "clean living."
Think about this Jesus though, Tim Rice's Jesus; a man with a quiet dignity that people latch onto, who is thrust into a position of power. His words gets twisted and used on both sides, and yet he stays on message with a cool, wry fatalism. Then, just when you think the guy is on the brink of becoming a soulless automaton, he opens his veins on Fs above high C. No girly locks and rosy, pseudo-gay-mormon Jesus cheeks hanging on the wall feigning penitence. This motherfucker is raw. This is a man with a message of healing. This is a man who is resigned to follow through on his promises no matter what the personal cost. This is a man.
What the hell happened to that guy? Did he ever exist until he was put on the stage? Could Andrew Lloyd Webber and Nikos Kazantzakis be the only people who ever got both Jesus and Judas right? I don't have any answers to that, but 35 years plus, and this Jesus is still relevant to me; the atheist in a foxhole.
"The Last Temptation" sealed the deal in my leaving the Catholic church. That, and Bingo.
ReplyDeleteI saw that production too, when it came through Baltimore. It was absolutely spectacular. Ted Neely sounded better in 1993 than he did in 1973.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that doing a production of JCS(back in '92) totally changed the way I felt about all I was ever raised to believe concerning Jesus. Kinda sad in a way, that a musical touched me more than a life-time of going to church, youth group, choir directing, blahblahblah...! Rob, I agree with absolutely everything you point out! Right on brother!
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