"Jesus Christ Superstar" is essentially the same story as "Evita." We have the charismatic antagonist who steals the show. We have the drippy third wheel who gets one memorable solo ("I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Another Suitcase"). We have musings on celebrity and power--we have questions about where money should flow. Consider this:
Woman, your fine ointment--brand new and expensive--
Could have been saved for the poor!
Why has it been wasted?
We could have saved maybe...
Ten thousand silver pieces or more...
Also this:
The money kept rolling in from every side...
Eva's pretty hands reached out, and they reached wide...
Now you might hear a little of the cash has gone astray...
But that's not the point, my friends.
When the money keeps rolling out, you don't ask how.
Both shows also feature a direct address to God. ("Oh, what I'd give for that hundred years...My Creator...") "Superstar" gives Jesus his most memorable moment shortly before the Crucifixion:
I only want to say--
If there is a way--
Take this cup away from me...
For I don't want to taste its poison...
Feel it burn me...I have changed.
I'm not as sure as when we started.
Jesus is at his most articulate--and most relatable--when he is bargaining with God. We remember this scene because Jesus--who generally seems so certain--suddenly reveals himself. He isn't what he seems. He is consumed with doubt. It's not entirely clear to me why anyone would consent to play Jesus when Judas is a much flashier part--but it seems to me that the answer must be linked with "Gethsemane." This is a highlight from the early chapters of ALW's career.
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