Show Notes

Jesus Christ Superstar is one of the most successful musicals of all time, grossing over $230M worldwide. But before composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice launched their technicolour dream careers, the pair was told their proposal of a Christ-themed musical was “the worst idea in history.” They were rejected by music labels, producers, impresarios. Then they got news from The Vatican.

Major sources for this episode include:
1) Jesus Christ Superstar: Behind The Scenes of the Worldwide Phenomenon by Ellis Nassour
2) Get Onto My Cloud: The Tim Rice Podcast
3) The Making of Jesus Christ Superstar (DVD Special Feature, 2000)
4) New York Times – “Superstar: A Hit Before Opening”
5) Broadway World – “How It All Began? The Story of Jesus Christ Superstar”

From the creators of Under the Influence:
Writer & Host: Sidney O’Reilly
Executive Producer & Co-Host: Terry O’Reilly
Research: Allison Pinches
Director: Callie O’Reilly
Supervising Producer: Debbie O’Reilly
Engineer: Geoff Devine
Theme music: Ian Lefeuvre & Ari Posner

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