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Photo Coverage: Jesus Christ Superstar--Live in Concert

by BWW News Desk Aug. 21, 2006

A benefit reunion concert of Jesus Christ Superstar, held on Sunday, August 13th at 8 PM at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre (1615 N. Vine St.) in Hollywood, was a great success, selling out all of the theatre's almost one thousand seats. In attendance for the landmark Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice rock opera were the likes of Harrison Ford, Janet Jackson, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Tracie Thoms, Geena Davis, Wayne Brady, Yeardley Smith, Bryan Singer and Danny Bonaduce.

The stars from the film version of the musical--Ted Neeley, Yvonne Elliman, and Barry Dennen-- starred in the concert, which benefited YouTheatre America! and the Ricardo Montalban Foundation. Neeley played Jesus in the 1973 Norman Jewison film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, while Elliman (who starred in the original Broadway production) played Mary Magdalene and Dennen was seen as Pontius Pilate. For the reunion concert, they were by Ben Vereen as Judas Iscariot, Clint Holmes as Simon Zealotes and film star Jack Black (Nacho Libre, King Kong) as King Herod. Vereen received a Tony nomination for creating the role of Judas on Broadway. Garry Goddard directed the concert.

The film version of Jesus Christ Superstar, which also starred Carl Anderson as Judas, Larry Marshall as Simon Zealotes and Josh Mostel as King Herod, tells of the last few weeks in the life of Jesus Christ to a pulsing rock operatic score (music by Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Rice). The score includes the title song, "I Don't Know How to Love Him," "Everything's Alright," and "Gethsemane." Jesus Christ Superstar, after a hit London run, ran on Broadway for 711 performances after opening on October 12th, 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.

Photos provided by Garry Goddard Entertainment (1-6, 13, 15, 17, 20-22: Gil Smith; 8 and 10: Taylor Jeffs; 7, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18: Daniel Tam-Lung; 19: Bob Young)