47. Carl Anderson, Superstar
I never really understood the essence of Christianity—why it remains so compelling—until I saw Jesus Christ Superstar. The musical elevates the perspective of Judas Iscariot, typically the ignoble loser in the Passion story, too low and worthless even to be called a villain. Here, Judas is an everyman for the skeptical among us. He’s all too human—vulnerable, ironic, and righteously angry. He appears at the end in an incongruous disco number, a contemporary Greek chorus, to demand answers from Jesus that he's never going to get: “Did you know your messy death would be a record breaker?”
Carl Anderson, “Superstar,” from the film Jesus Christ Superstar, 1973. Written by Tim Rice & Andrew Lloyd Webber, 1969.
This post is part of Music 100, a love letter to songs. 100 words on 100 songs in 100 days, running from Groundhog Day through early June, 2025. Inspired by my MFAH 100 project.
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This musical changed my attitude toward faith -- a long missive, but thank you for your response which is once again "right-on" in that I agree with you. I wore out two eight-track tapes, one during the winter I worked at Cimarroncita helping get ready for summer. I played it so much, everyone knew the words to every song! Thank you....