Happy Easter, JC Superstar

When I was a teenager, I was absolutely enthralled by the hit musical of the times, Jesus Christ Superstar. And I loved the 1973 movie version by Canadian director Norman Jewison too. It was on TV again this Easter weekend, of course. I watched it for the umpteen-gazillionth time and enjoyed the movie as much as ever.

Jesus Christ Superstar taught me that it was okay to question Christian dogma and to search more deeply for the truth. I still regard it as a central milestone in my spiritual journey.

I also really like the re-visioned 2000 made-for-TV movie version based on a UK stage production. It stars Glenn Carter as Jesus and Jérôme Pradon as Judas.
The clip I'm posting this Easter morning is the play's final big song and dance number when Judas audaciously questions Christ.



However, this rendition is much, much darker than the cheeky-but-still-earnest 1973 movie version. In a significantly more pointed fashion than the original, it also questions the depth and sincerity of our modern society's ability and desire to search for spiritual truth. Are we just too self-absorbed and superficial to truly understand the significance of the Easter message? Judas certainly appears way more interested in courting paparazzi attention than in truly striving for enlightenment. He's essentially portrayed as being just an obnoxious prick, not a truth seeker at all.