Bill and I went to see Jesus Christ, Superstar at the newly refurbished Fox Theater in Riverside. I was amazed at the difference between the Fox Theater of today, and the windowless, weed infested eyesore of the last twenty years or so. In it's heyday, the Fox Theater was a marvel. Gone With the Wind premiered there. Big doings.

Anyway, I have felt relunctant to tell anyone, at church or family functions anyway, how much I love this movie, and it's wonderful soundtrack. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice did the score, and if I had said I was going to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor dreamcoat by these great composers, no one would bat an eye. But this play is sacrilege. It is a mockery of Christ and his ministry. The only mocking of Christ in the play is by Herod, and if you read your scriptures, Herod Antipas mocked Jesus's ministry in real time too.

As a kid, I heard how outrageous this play/movie was, and had no interest in seeing it. Really, why would I want to watch something that had my mom and my grandparents up in arms so badly?? Why would I want to watch something that had misheard lyrics like these:(skip if you are sensitive to blasphemy) Jesus Christ, Superstar, who in the Hell do you think you are?? It hurt to even write that out.

As an adult,I held on to these beliefs. I had no interest in seeing it, even though Bill loved it and wanted to share it with me. I finally told him why I had no interest, and why I would never see it. He was stunned. He said of all people, I am surprised you are going on uninformed hearsay. I hate that and he knows it. I don't care what your opinion is, as long as it is yours, and not gathered by the panicked ramblings of someone else. For example, I used to know a girl who listened to all sorts fear mongers, including her husband. I used to tell her to read up on her own and not parrot Rush, or Glen. I gave up. Honestly, if she came to me babbling the sky is falling I would 1) believe she really believed it, and 2) fall down laughing. So for me to do the same thing I hated in others was a tough pill to swallow. I agreed to watch it one night with Bill after the kids went to bed. I may be willing to risk my own damnation, but I refused to risk the kids'.

Wow. I loved the music, first off. My favorite song in the whole thing is The Last Supper. There were lighthearted parts, but I think Jesus had a lighter side. Could you imagine always carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?? One line 'Christ, you know I love you, Did you see I waved?' LOL Like waving is proof?? Your good works is a wave?? Funny stuff. Herod was very goofy, and could be construed as mockery, but his song is funny. But, the test, the Title Song. They sing it very fast, but I could hear they were not saying what I had been told they were saying. I was the victim of gossip and was very upset. The line actually goes: Jesus Christ, Superstar, Do you think you're who they say you are?? Totally different, and a question Jesus was asked many times, by his disicples and by those who held his life in their hands. The other one, Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ, who are you, what have you sacrificed?? Another good question that was asked of Jesus, more than once.

This play, I felt, accurately portrayed what our savior went thru the last week of his life. It was beautiful and I wish I had taken the kids. But you can bet I will be dusting off our DVD copy this weekend. And listening to the soundtrack on the Zune.