Jesus Christ losing Rock Edge, Hair

Last night, we attended Jesus Christ Superstar starring Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the original film. We were not pleased. The drums were electronic, the keyboards filled in for brass and strings, the dancers weren't dressed like hippies, the music wasn't very loud and there was little dancing. Not very Rock n' Roll. It was as if Ted Neeley, 67, was making the show age with him in every way.

But that's not all. The play opened with Jesus reviving a dead person, an amendment to the original production. Big deal, right? He is Jesus H. Christ, after all. But the opening scene undermined the character conflict between Judas and Jesus. The film doesn't allude to Christ's divinity, therefore empathizing his humanity and casting Judas_as well-meaning detractor_in a sympathetic light. Not so, last night. Instead, we were watching something that could have been directed by Billy Graham, especially because Neeley acted as if he were talking with God constantly. Not very Rock n' Roll, indeed.