This year marks the 40th anniversary of the movie version of Jesus Christ Superstar, and this weekend its star will be performing in Wilmington.
Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the 1973 movie and in various stage versions of the show, will perform with his band Sunday at the Delaware Theatre Company
[audio:http://www.wdde.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/neelyfull.mp3|titles= Listen to WDDE Morning Edition host Susan Geary's interview with Ted Neeley on the history and durability of Jesus Christ Superstar.]
Neeley, who was the Jesus understudy in the original Broadway production, told WDDE this week the show did not initially receive the warm welcome it gets today.
“When we first did it in New York, at 51st and Broadway, The Mark Hellinger Theatre at that time, every night when we went it to perform, we had to fight our way through picket lines—well I shouldn’t say fight—we had to certainly be a bit aggressive just to get into the theater to go to work. It wasn’t just a few people holding signs; it stretched around the block and stopping traffic and all that,” said Neeley.
But the show has stood the test of time, enjoying numerous revivals over the years. Neely explains why he thinks the show has such durability.
“Honestly, it’s the fact that people actually get a chance to look at the character of Jesus Christ as a man. That was the concept of it originally,” said Neeley.
Neeley will perform songs from Jesus Christ Superstar, other Broadway hits, and his own music with The Little Big Band in Wilmington.
Sunday’ show at The Delaware Theatre Company is at 7:30. Tickets are available at the Delaware Theatre Company website - with proceeds going toward DTC’s artistic, educational and community outreach programming.
This piece is made possible, in part, by a grant from the Delaware Division of the Arts, a state agency dedicated to nurturing and supporting the arts in Delaware, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts.