Directors Note:
Thank you for attending this performance of Mount Pleasant High School’s Spring Musical, Jesus Christ Superstar. We are truly honored and excited that you have chosen to spend time with us today.
My history with Jesus Christ Superstar dates back to 2nd grade, when I was flipping through the TV one night and happened upon a guy in a white bathing suit, sitting near a huge beautiful lake, singing a song that asked the person in front of him to “feed my household with this bread”. I came to find out this was “King Herod’s Song” in Jesus Christ Superstar. I was hooked. I went out and bought the original “Brown concept album” on vinyl and began listening to it non-stop. I also went out and rented the 1973 movie on VHS (yes VHS!).
As a second grader, my initial attraction to the record was the music. It was rock music. It was catchy. Or as the kids today say, “it was a real banger.”
As I began to watch the movie and listen to the record more, I really began to focus on the words and the interactions of all the characters. In the movie, Carl Anderson portrayed Judas as a confused man, just wanting for his friend to listen to him and heed his warning about the path he was going down. His “Judas’s Death” still stands as one of the most heart-breaking performances I’ve ever seen and heard.
Since then I’ve gone on to be involved in 6 productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, this one at MPHS marks my 7th. And while each show has been varied in its presentation of the story with some focusing on the religious aspect of the show, while others taking a more political topical slant, one thing has always remained true: the idea of friendship and the impact of celebrity and mob mentality.
Those themes are what we are focusing on in our production: the idea that as humans we experience feelings of love, jealousy, betrayal, anger, and fear, and how we are able to experience them individually and also as a group. Our reaction to these feelings is what defines us as people. How do we deal with divisiveness among our peer groups and families? How do we react when we are being asked to choose a side and to dismiss the feelings of others? Do we, as an individual, have the courage and ability to stand up for what’s right and what’s wrong, and even call out our peers when what they’re doing may be wrong.
At the end of the day, Jesus Christ Superstar, is a human experience story. Each person in this show is asked to make a decision and then they have to deal with the consequences of those actions.
Our students are put into these situations every day of their lives, especially in high school, and especially when social media is ruling their lives and helping make decisions for them. But then our students can see this happening outside the walls of school, and in their own communities. What do they do with all this information? How do they challenge themselves to make the “right” decision? What is the right decision?
