Jesus Christ Superstar hit the world of theater and music in 1971 when I was in high school. It was among the first rock operas. Among my many musical pursuits back then was singing and playing guitar and bass in a sort of Christian Up With People. That group, which I would later join, played our town and a canny youth pastor saw possibilities. I gladly joined his version of UWP for the opportunity to perform, if not necessarily to build up positive points in Heaven. Among the pieces we did in that group, and in my high school choir, were selections from Superstar. Arrangers were quick to get in on the rock opera’s fame, which expanded dramatically with the movie version in 1973.
I eventually played in a summer stock pit orchestra, doing a two-month run of the entire work. By then I had nearly completed a music degree and a few new tunes, like Could We Start Again, had been added to the score. The opera was not only fun to play—it was more complex than mere rock–the gospel message of Superstar was infectious. Done well—and those performances were—I’ve no doubt many were brought closer to God. But as with all plays, the fire eventually died down, though the work, like Godspell, which I also played many times, never died.
Back in the 1970s Superstar was controversial. There were no “praise” bands in churches in those days, and the idea of combining scripture with rock music was the stuff of dinner table and church board arguments. “Blasphemy” was among the milder epithets thrown. Even then, no one thought to cast Jesus as anything other than a Levantine male. Of course, back then there were only the two genders God created. No one thought to rebel beyond them.
Not so in our demented and arguably, intentionally blasphemous artistic sector.
Author” src=”https://images.americanthinker.com/e3/e3exjr3ln5el4giagnmo_640.jpg” />
Graphic: X Screenshot
A black, queer woman will play the part of Jesus Christ in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at this summer at the Hollywood Bowl. Cynthia Erivo, 37, who played Elphaba in film production of “Wicked” identifies as queer and bisexual.
In an Instagram story from Erivo, the actress said, “Just a little busy this Summer, can’t wait,” next to a post from Official Broadway World announcing the role with Erivo. The post from the page stated, “Cynthia Erivo will be playing Jesus in the upcoming Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar!”
Erivo kindly provides her unique qualifications, not only for the role of Jesus, but the witch in Wicked:
In her role for “Wicked,” Erivo previously said that being a “black woman who is queer” made her a good fit for the role of Elphaba better than other women. [skip]
She has been nominated for an Oscar in the musical.
Of course she has.
In teaching my students how to critique art, I told them I was a great artist and offered to draw one of them. The chosen among a sea of anxious, laughing raised hands came to the front of the classroom and I laboriously drew a stick figure on the blackboard. I feigned disappointment at their lack of appreciation for great art, which allowed us to list the qualities of truly great artists, things like talent, dedication, skill, genius, experience, training and artistic vision, the kind of vision that allowed Michangelo to see David in a huge block of marble and remove every chip that wasn’t David.
Author” src=”https://images.americanthinker.com/xd/xdshity9silerfuwyiaf_640.jpg” />
Graphic: X Screenshot
Art sometimes allows us to the see the world in different ways. It reacts to the status quo by providing the fresh and new, which in their turn become the status quo. Yet good art, as opposed to bananas duct taped to gallery walls, is always the product of those qualities, of artistic vision.
In his 1992 movie Leap of Faith, Steve Martin plays a con man evangelist who, finding his humanity through a miracle, realizes you never mess with “the genuine article.”
Because it accurately portrayed Christ dying for our sins in a way the rebellious young of the 70s could embrace, Superstar filled the place God prepared in young human hearts. It was the genuine article.
Author” src=”https://images.americanthinker.com/z2/z2es91jpqd7vz2czysbm_640.jpg” />
Graphic: X Screenshot
Portraying Jesus as a queer, black woman takes no artistic vision. It’s a throwback to 60s and 70s juvenile angst, sticking a thumb in society’s eye for the sake of rebellion.
It’s not the genuine article.
On a different subject, if you are not already a subscriber, you may not know that we’ve implemented something new: A weekly newsletter with unique content from our editors for subscribers only. These essays alone are worth the cost of the subscription.
Mike McDaniel is a USAF veteran, classically trained musician, Japanese and European fencer, life-long athlete, firearm instructor, retired police officer and high school and college English teacher. He is a published author and blogger. His home blog is Stately McDaniel Manor.
This article was originally published at www.americanthinker.com
Author
