Tim Rice: "Jesus Christ Superstar"

PBS has its spotlight on a great Tim Rice song, "Heaven on Their Minds."

It's the start of "Jesus Christ Superstar." We see Judas; he wrings his hands.

Judas recalls an exciting era with Young Jesus; at the start, these two guys were running around scoring points for social justice, making the case for a redistribution of power and wealth.

But, at some point, Jesus seemed to lose interest in politics. Jesus's story became something more than a political story; people wanted to call Jesus "God," and, terribly, Jesus seemed OK with the shift.

Judas understands what will follow. If people put you on a pedestal, it's only a matter of time before people will try to kill you. At the same time, Judas can't just abandon his old friend, who (now) seems sort of repellent. Judas loves Jesus. "Believe me: My admiration for you hasn't died."

This is a terrific opening--because we might not expect to identify with Judas, but Tim Rice makes a strong case. It's also exciting to imagine a different path for Jesus: "Like his father, carving wood....He'd have made good. Tables, chairs, and oaken chests -- would have suited Jesus best...."

You can see the opener, on PBS, via Brandon Victor Dixon -- for the next few weeks:

https://www.pbs.org/video/brandon-victor-dixon-s50zfg/

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