Before “Godspell” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” first hit off-Broadway and Broadway, respectively, 40 years ago ”” the first like an ember that caught fire, the other like an explosion ”” who but the most prescient or devout would have laid odds on any musical that ended with a crucifixion?
But both shows have been entertaining audiences ever since. And there’s no sign of either of them wearing thin. A revival of “Godspell” opened on Broadway this fall; and a revival of “Superstar,” born at Canada’s Stratford Shakespeare Festival and now playing at the La Jolla Playhouse, is slated for Broadway next spring. One can’t help wonder what it is about these works that enabled them to beat the odds when they were new and that has enticed a new generation now to try to reproduce their success.
For a truly Christian “musical” with “miraculous staying power,” how about The Messiah by GF Handel?
I’m curious to see how Godspell holds up after 30+ years. Will it seem dated, if not silly? Will the 20-somethings today like it, as I did when I was 20-something, or will be just be nostalgia for the Jesus freaks geezer crowd?
I never liked Superstar all that much, except for a couple of the songs.