Watched over Fall Break
Jesus Christ Superstar as a show makes me think a little more than most other people. Since I was born, I have been raised in the Catholic faith, and not just any Catholic faith, the Italian Catholic faith that originated from Italy, then New York, and then somehow, we ended up in Virginia. Needless to say, I come from a long line of Catholics who all sang in the choir, and I genetically inherited their musical ability, so Jesus Christ Superstar was obviously a family watch over Fall Break. My mom, sister, and I even saw it live in Norfolk in the spring of 2023, so the basic story was relatively fresh in my mind. For the second time seeing it, I did still enjoy it, but seeing it live was so much better than the comfort of my living room. In the live production, I kid you not, my mother (who has also been a practicing Catholic her entire life) was so touched by the performance that she cried. I can understand why some people do not appreciate religious musicals, much like the hit musical The Book of Mormon, both productions received backlash for “making light” of a religion. In Jesus Christ Superstar’s case, it is the crucifixion of Jesus and the serious events that led up to his death. Personally, I think that is stupid. As I said in the beginning, I have been raised Catholic my entire life, and I did not take offense to this one bit. I am happy that people are sharing the story, whether they believe it or not. I realize that not all people understand that, and traditional practicing Catholics will probably hear the first musical number in the film, “What’s the Buzz?” and immediately think it is sacrilegious because of its drums and guitar riffs.