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Musical: Jesus Christ Superstar
Song: SYNOPSIS
Act I
After an overture, the production starts with a musical monologue from the apostle Judas Iscariot, who expresses concern over Jesus' rising popularity as a "king" and the negative repercussions that it will have ("Heaven on Their Minds"). While Judas still loves Jesus, he believes that Jesus is just a man and that the movement is getting too large and will eventually be seen as a threat to the higher order. Judas believes, once this comes to pass, that not only will Jesus receive the consequences, but so will all of his followers.
However, Judas' warning falls on deaf ears, as Jesus' followers have their minds set on going to Jerusalem with Jesus. As they question Jesus as to when they will be arriving in Jerusalem, Jesus tells them to stop worrying about the future since whatever will happen is already predetermined by God ("What's the Buzz?").
Recognizing that Jesus is irritated by the badgering from his followers, Mary Magdalene helps Jesus relax by anointing him with ointment. Judas expresses concern over the fact that Jesus is associating himself with Mary, a prostitute. Judas says that by associating with her, he (Jesus) is contradicting everything that he says and this, in turn, will be used against him and his followers ("Strange Thing Mystifying"). Jesus gets angry and tells Judas that unless he is without sin himself, he should not judge the character of others. Jesus then reproaches his apostles for being "shallow, thick and slow" and exclaims that not a single man among them cares about him.
In a scene added exclusively for the 1973 movie version, a high priest Caiaphas complains about the provocations that Jesus is causing and how his actions threaten the people, the Romans and the priests themselves. Fellow priest Annas tries to reassure him that Jesus is merely what the people want and that he is simply a fad; but when Caiaphas points out the risks that believing so takes, Annas advises him to present his case to the priests' council, which Caiaphas agrees to do ("Then We Are Decided"). Though most versions abstain from the inclusion of this song, it has been praised for its development of the characters of Annas and Caiaphas and its linkage of the rest of the plot.
Mary Magdalene tries to assure Jesus that everything will be all right and attempts to relax him with more ointment ("Everything's Alright"). In response, Judas angrily insists that the money used to obtain the ointment should have been used to help the poor. Jesus sadly explains that he and his followers do not have the resources to help every poor person.
Meanwhile, Caiaphas, Annas, and other high-ranking proud Jewish priests meet to discuss Jesus and his movement. At this point, his followers continue to grow by the thousands, so much that even the higher order is aware of the hype. Given the size of Jesus' movement and the fact that the movement consists of Jews who are unwilling to accept the Romans as their kings (in contrast to the high Jewish priests), the priests believe that he is becoming a threat to the Roman Empire; and if the Roman Empire is threatened, then many Jews will suffer – perhaps even those who are not following Jesus. As all of the priests attempt to solve the problem of Jesus and his followers, Caiaphas states that the only real solution is to kill Jesus ("This Jesus Must Die").
As Jesus and his followers arrive in Jerusalem, they are confronted by Caiaphas, who demands that Jesus disband them. However, Jesus replies that putting an end to the hysteria is impossible ("Hosanna"). Afterwards, Jesus is approached by his apostle Simon the Zealot. Realizing the popularity that Jesus has attained, Simon suggests that he (Jesus) lead his mob in a war against Rome and gain absolute power ("Simon Zealotes"). But Jesus vehemently rejects this suggestion, stating that none of his followers understand what true power is nor do they understand his true message ("Poor Jerusalem").
Meanwhile, Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judea, reveals that he has dreamed of meeting with Jesus and seen the aftermath of Jesus' death, where he, Pilate receives all of the blame. However, Pilate is not entirely clear of the meaning of his dream ("Pilate's Dream").
Jesus arrives at the temple in Jerusalem and finds that it is being used for selling everything from weapons to prostitutes and drugs. When Jesus arrives, he is furious and demands that the merchants and money changers leave the temple ("The Temple"). Angry and tired, Jesus wanders off and is confronted by a mob of lepers, cripples, and beggars, all wanting to be healed. However, the mob is too large and Jesus is overwhelmed. Unable to solve everyone's problems for them, Jesus tells the crowd to heal themselves.
After the mob leaves, Mary Magdalene finds Jesus upset. Mary tells him to rest ("Everything's Alright (reprise)"). While Jesus is asleep, Mary reflects on the fact that while she is in love with Jesus, he is unlike any man that she has loved before. As a result, Mary does not know how to cope with her feelings ("I Don't Know How to Love Him"). As Jesus sleeps, Mary leans down to kiss him...only to look up and see that Judas has seen her do so. Judas has been worrying more and more about Jesus' ever growing movement, and the discovery of this apparent infatuation with a prostitute is the final push for him to take some sort of action. He seeks out the priests and promises to help them against Jesus, while emphasizing that he is acting with unselfish motives ("Damned for All Time"). Caiaphas demands that Judas should reveal the whereabouts of Jesus, so that the authorities can apprehend him and imprison him. In exchange for the information, Judas is offered money ("Blood Money"). Judas initially turns down the offer, as it raises some ethical concerns within him. But he eventually obliges when Caiaphas tells of charities that he can give the money to. Judas decides that it would be better to turn Jesus in before his movement gets any bigger, which would thus lead to the deaths of not only him, but all of his followers as well. Thus, presumably to save the thousands of followers and himself, Judas reveals that on Thursday night, Jesus will be at the garden of Gethsemane.
Act II
On Thursday, Jesus meets with his twelve apostles for the Last Supper. Jesus realizes, unbeknownst to the apostles, that this will be his last supper with them. As Jesus passes bread and pours wine for his dining partners, he reminds them that they should remember him during supper by thinking of the wine as his blood and the bread as his body. Upon reflection, he angrily exclaims that nobody will even remember him after he dies and that two of his closest friends will betray and deny him. Jesus then reveals that Peter will be the one who denies him, not once, but three times. When Jesus states that one the twelve will betray him, Judas reveals to everyone that he is the person who will make the betrayal, but Jesus still allows him to go. Judas attempts to explain why he will do it, but Jesus refuses to listen. This makes Judas angry and he blames Jesus for all the trouble that has occurred up until this point. Upset, Judas leaves to find the Roman soldiers and bring them to Jesus ("The Last Supper").
After his apostles go to sleep, Jesus speaks to God, addressing him as "Father". He implores God to not let him go through his horrible, predetermined death (as Jesus puts it: "this cup of poison"). He reveals that he has become disillusioned with his quest as the Messiah and wishes to give up. Exhausted and afraid, he asks God to show him how his death will be in any way meaningful. God does not answer, and Jesus realizes that he cannot go against God's will. Jesus agrees to go with God's plan, and pleads to take his life quickly before he changes his mind ("Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)").
Judas arrives with the soldiers and, in order to point Jesus out to them, kisses him on the cheek. Afterwards, Jesus is arrested. As his apostles wake up, they attempt to fight the authorities in order to free their Messiah, but Jesus asks them to put their swords away and let the authorities take him to Caiaphas. As the Roman soldiers take him to Caiaphas, a mob, imitating news reporters, asks Jesus what he plans to do, but Jesus declines to comment. When Jesus meets with Caiaphas, Caiaphas asks if he is the son of God. Jesus responds: "That's what you say, you say that I am." This answer provides enough justification for the high priests to send Jesus to Pontius Pilate ("The Arrest").
Meanwhile, Jesus' apostle Peter is confronted by an old man, a soldier, and a maid by a fire. Each state that they remember seeing him with Jesus, but to all three people, Peter denies that he knows him. Peter's denial is witnessed by Mary, who, after the three people leave, asks Peter why he denied Jesus. Peter responds that he had to do it in order to save himself, since he would possibly be arrested and prosecuted if it is discovered that he is a close friend of Jesus. Mary wonders how Jesus knew ahead of time that Peter would deny him ("Peter's Denial").
When Jesus is brought to Pilate, Pilate mocks him. When Pilate asks Jesus if he is the son of God, Jesus gives Pilate the same answer that he gave Caiaphas: "that's what YOU said" (in the original recording). Pilate is unsatisfied with his answer, but eventually comments that since Jesus is from Galilee he is not under his jurisdiction, and sends him to King Herod ("Pilate and Christ"). While Jesus is being dragged away the chorus asks where his power has gone; they ask him "where is it now?" ("Hosanna (reprise)").
King Herod has heard all the hype about Jesus and is excited to finally meet him. He asks him to prove his divinity by performing miracles - "Change my water into wine" - "Walk across my swimming pool", offering to free him should he comply, but Jesus ignores him. Herod decides that Jesus is just another phony messiah and does not even want to take the time to prosecute him. Herod sends him back to Pilate ("[[King Herod's Song ("Herod's Song (Try It and See)").
In a scene added for the Broadway production, the apostles and Mary Magdalene wistfully remember the beginnings of their movement and solemnly wish that they could just start again ("Could We Start Again Please?").
At this point, Judas has seen Jesus beaten and battered by the authorities. Feeling extreme guilt, he meets again with the high priests and expresses regret over what he has done. Judas feels that in the aftermath, he will be blamed for the death of Jesus and will forever be remembered as a traitor. Caiaphas states that Judas has nothing to be ashamed of and that what he has done will save everyone. However, this does nothing to rid Judas of his guilt. As Judas is left alone, he feels betrayed by God for having chosen him, within the divine plan, to be the one to betray Jesus. Judas blames God for murdering him and commits suicide ("Judas' Death").
Jesus is brought back to Pilate for his trial. Pilate asks Jesus to defend himself, but Jesus barely speaks. Pilate asks the crowd if they would crucify their king, to which the crowd declares "We have no king but Caesar!" (In the Broadway production, a stanza is added where Pilate admonishes the crowd for their sudden respect for Caesar, as well as how they "produce Messiahs by the sackful".) After hearing the crowd shouting "We need him crucified, it's all you have to do," Pilate suddenly remembers the dream he had about the crowd and the tune from Pilate's Dream (then I saw thousands of millions) is played at this point. Pilate goes on to declare that while Jesus is not mentally stable, and should be imprisoned, he (Jesus) does not deserve to die, and demands that the crowd give him a reason to do so. The crowd breaks into an improvised pep rally style cheer about how Jesus has defied Rome. Pilate calls the crowd hypocrites, for their hatred of Rome is far greater than that of Jesus. Reluctant to kill Jesus, Pilate attempts to satisfy the crowd's bloodlust by flogging him. After 39 lashes, however, the crowd is still unsatisfied. At this point, Jesus is so badly beaten that Pilate cannot handle the guilt. Hoping that he can somehow free Jesus, Pilate pleads with him to defend himself. But once again, Jesus (albeit weakly) says everything has been predetermined and Pilate cannot change it. With the crowd screaming for Jesus' crucifixion, reminding Pilate that he has a duty to Caesar to keep the peace which if not fulfilled will cause his demotion from power, Pilate reluctantly agrees to crucify him. Pilate declares that if Jesus won't defend himself, Pilate now "washes his hands" of the death of this "innocent puppet" ("Trial Before Pilate (Including the Thirty-Nine Lashes").
As Jesus prepares to be crucified, he is met by the spirit of Judas. Judas questions why Jesus chose to arrive in the manner that he did and if what happened to him was really part of a divine plan ("Superstar").
Jesus slowly dies on the cross ("The Crucifixion"). The play ends with an orchestral piece, "John Nineteen: Forty-One". The title is a reference to a verse in the Bible about Jesus being laid in the tomb (Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid John 19:41
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