I have been a big fan of Jesus Christ Superstar since high school. The cast is amazing! My two favorites are Caiaphas and Annas. The pairing of these two characters was a good combo. Tall guy with Very deep voice and little guy with a high voice. They’re just so SINISTER! Annas is such a weasel. He plays it up unbelievably well. Caiaphas has a really hot six pack!
Annas plays the part as sort of gay. Was that his interpretation or is he really gay? No offense–just asking!
Our high school did a version of it, too, in 1971.
Four months before it opened on Broadway. It was the North American premiere (and grudgingly authorized by Andrew Lloyd Weber). The kid who played Judas did a masterful job.
He might mean the current Broadway production, which just garnered two Tony nominations. The Caiaphas is an old friend of mine, who is very impressive.
There have been two film versions. The better known one was made in 1973; it was directed by Norman Jewison and starred Ted Neeley, Carl Anderson, and Yvonne Elliman. The 2000 movie was directed by Gale Edwards and Nick Morris and starred Glenn Carter, Jerome Pradon, and Renee Castle. There’s also a third movie in pre-production, scheduled for a 2014 release.
Would it be uncontroversial to say that no matter how good the subsequent bajillion versions have been, none have ever surpassed the Ian Gillian/Murray Head version? (Except RealityChuck’s, of course)
Note: The only two cast members who did the same roles on the original album, the Broadway production, & the 1973 movie were Yvonne Elliman (Mary Magdalene) & Barry Dennen (Pontius Pilate). She went on to have a few pop hits in the mid-70s & I think a come-back in the early 80s. He is basically retired tho pops up occasionally for a cameo movie appearance (Titanic) or a JSC reunion, from what I’ve heard.
Fellow fan. The movie is pretty good, though it’s “very 70s” (but then, hey, that’s when it came out.)
The mannerisms of the various characters in the musical are all, as far as I know, the invention of Andrew Lloyd Webber (or Tim Rice or whomever)… I don’t think there’s any textual support (or opposition for that matter) for King Herrod being a flamboyant fop like he is in the musical & film.