Last night some friends, Earl, and I went to see the touring production of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” a rock musical from the 1970s that revolves around the last few days of Christ’s life. We all know how the story ends, but that isn’t the real reason I came away dissatisfied.
Plainly put, the lead character of Jesus didn’t act the part as much as he merely walked through it. And this is sad, because it was Ted Neely, one of the originators of the role and the one chosen to play it on the big screen, who starred (I use the word loosely) in this production. He was wooden, prone to the same arm gestures over and over, clearly off key, and almost an embarrassment to the rest of the cast, even if he did come alive in the scene where he ejects the sellers from the temple.
I was so taken with his lack of “performance” that I dialed him up on Google®, and learned I am not alone in my opinion. The man is my age — sixty-three for the record — and has made a career of playing Christ for 36 years. It’s belaboring the obvious to note he’s been playing Christ longer than Christ played himself.
I read several reviews of Neely’s work and must admit that some people felt we should cut him slack. They are the ones who, admittedly, went to see Neely playing Christ in the show. They were more interested in the man’s longevity than in seeing a refreshing take on the lead. I can see this point of view, but even if I had gone to see Ted Neely reprise his famous role, I still wish he had shown up to do it.
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