I HEART TED NEELY FOREVER!!!!

I was raised in a VERY strict Catholic home that did not allow rock music, bell bottom blue jeans or gawd forbid bikini underwear among other things. As teenagers do, I always managed to find ways of getting around these oppressive "rules." I would hide my jeans in the garage, wear my bikini's under my big girl underwear and listen to rock opera under the guise that it was "all about Jesus, mom. How can that be bad?"

In 1973 the movie Jesus Christ Superstar came out and I got to go with a girlfriend, unaccompanied by a parent. A rare treat for me. My mother clearly had not heard the music or lyrics and would never have let me go if she had seen King Herod's song. She was just pleased that I was interested in a musical about the Crucifiction of Jesus Christ.

At this movie/musical I fell madly in LOVE, LOVE with Ted Neely who plays Jesus in the movie. He is burned in my brain and my heart forever. Seriously!

Yesterday Henry and I went to see the live version of JCSS at the Civic theater and TED NEELY is still playing Jesus all these 35 long years later. I have to say the performance is as powerful as I remembered and if you don't believe me... watch these. I urge you to watch them until the very end. That's when they give me the chills.

Jesus has a little arm flab these days, but he still blows my mind. What a killer performance! (no pun intended.)


1973 movie version


2008 live stage version


Oh and this one is for you MOM!