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leuchtstabrebell · 9 months ago

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just saw the Jesus Christ Superstar production in Nuremberg with a friend and thought i'd share some of my observations because this was WILD

details under the cut because i have a lot to say but this might be one of the queerest and boldest productions of JSC i have ever seen. the pope is herodes, nuns are participating in orgies, Mary is a mother, the catholic church is critizised every step of the way, hirarchies and power structures are questioned, and Judas wears a skirt. There are neon crosses and halos and a lot of blood, and so much thought and love put into this. The production value is very good as well. The cast is very young, especially the apostels and Judas and Jesus who are all in their early to mid-twenties, and the vibes are simply amazing.

This production is set in modern day rome and the vatican. jesus and the apostels are queer leftists activists trying to reform/act against the catholic church. like, this is the central element of this production.

(text on these signs reads, from l. to r.: No mandatory celibacy, God is a woman, Maria 2.0, #outinchurch, renewal now, the head of the fish is rotten. The banner reads "God is the love")

Many of these signs are references to reform movements inside the church and discussions around abuse of all kind in the catholic church, as well as demands for a more inclusive christianity (and society).

Jesus officates a wedding between two women apostels and everything is very gay. there are several rainbow flags involved. jesus is draped in a giant version of the flag at one point.

that being said, it is made pretty explicit that mary and jesus have some kind of relationship thing goin on??? They also sometimes seem removed from the rest of the group who have major found family vibes. they go on picnis and protests together, they care for each other, they dance, they sing, they cuddle. there was so much going on, I probably missed a lot of interactions between the apostels. Judas was very involved in the group, more than mary or jesus even, and judas and simon had a very cute friendship (they even play-fought in the beginning). They all hugged and kissed each other a lot as well. (Fun fact: many of the apostels are still in actors school and they did a cooperation with the staatstheater nuremberg which offered them the chance to participate in such a big production)

Now my thoughts on the individual characters:

Mary: sadly, my least favourite character in this production. i didn't really vibe with the actress, although she was great vocally. She rarely interacted with the apostels and kept mostly to herself and the apartment she shared with jesus and her child (I don't like the decision to have them live together almost like a nuclear family). it also did not help that she was noticeable older than the rest of the group and her costume wasn't great either. i loved her kid though, she was really cute (apparently, the gender of the kid changes depending on the child actor that day, here it was a girl). The child also connects the group, there were some cute found family vibes (although they could have done so much more with this ahhh). there are also several moments where the child symbolizes a brighter future to come, and hope, and innocence. she was such a cutie!!!!

This Jesus is a weirdo. Just a weird guy. Kinda Enjolras vibes, kinda angelic, kinda high as a kite beliefs in magic, depressed queer vibes. He would sometimes do weird motions with his hands to summon his powers to heal people????? his outfit was a statement as well.

I liked the acting, although the interpretation is one i had not seen before. The singing was pretty good, although the actors voice was a bit weak sometimes and he often had difficulty with belting higher notes. the actor has a very very soft voice in general??? it kinda contributed to the vibes of this jesus though and worked fine

I didn't like that they actually showed him being able to heal people, I like it more when it stays ambigious if he can actually do wonders/if he is actually the son of god. Interestingly, at the same time this Jesus felt very deserted by God to me? Gethsemane was very intense but also so absolutely defeated. it did not feel like a conversation with god but more pure desperation screamed into a void... This Jesus was really broken :( Also, the torture and whipping (which happens in the vatican???? kinda illegally???) was absolutely brutal and very bloody and he was sobbing in fetal position at several points of this production. also shaking like a little deer. in the last scenes, they filmed close-ups of his tortured face with a camera live and projected it on the large background screen which was very horrifiying and genius, especially during superstar. poor guy. he seemed very sad and burdened a lot of the time

Judas: There he is!!! My boi!!!! He was my absolute fave. The acting and singing was amazing, one of my fav interpretations of this character. The costume choices for him were amazing ( I mean look at him in that skirt and these boots) and this production chose to portray him in a very sympathetic light. He is the soul of the group in this production, while Jesus is the brain and Simon is the heart. (Peter is the bedrock, and Mary and her kid are honey-grease holding them together)

I mean, look at him!!! This judas cares so much, he contains multitudes. He is clearly loved by the people around and loves them back fiercely. He hugged people a lot and was very physical in general and the actor had so much charisma!!! In this version, Jesus and Judas also kind of seemed like two sides of the same coin, which I really liked. While Jesus is kind of otherworldy, charismatic, calm, and enigmatic, Judas is much more hands-on, real, passionate and energetic.

This Judas (like the whole production really) was very angry but he had every right to. In this production it also seemed like his anger at Mary and Jesus being with her was less about Mary (taking out some of the misogyny, luckily) and more about jesus retreating to something that could be perceived as a bourgouise lifestyle (my interpretation, at least). This judas seemed very queer but then again, most apostels in this production seemed to be queer. (The betrayal kiss was very passionate, btw)

Oh, and the cardinals waterboarded Judas with holy water in a church on wooden benches they put together??? And they also threatened and hurt him several other times??? I'm not sure what to feel about this because this makes the betrayal very very cooerced and that might flatten the character but it adds so many new layers as well. They also just push suitcase full of money on his arms and leave him there clutching the thing and sobbing??

Judas death ripped my heart out, it was so raw and cruel and also put emphasis on the cruelty of the catholic church and an uncaring or even cruel god?

and then he absolutely slayed in superstar. all the background dancers were the apostels (which was a deliberate choice because they had a huge cast they could have used for this), including Mary and they all had neon halos?? Judas descended from the ceiling. the staging was kinda similar to the 2012 revival with Judas as a show-caster and entertainer. there was golden glitter falling from the ceiling.

the whole production seemed very angry at institutionalized christianity and God himself but also full of hope and love, and superstar really examplified that.

Herode is the pope. Just straight up the pope. At first I was a bit underwhelmed because the set was very minimal bit then they revealed the pope and started their amazing choreography and I really loved that! just a good solid portrayal, very sexual as well. (this production was very much about hypocricy and not about condemming lust, the opposite really. this production is pretty sex-positive) 8/10

Caiaphas and Annas were pretty solid, like all the other high priests they were cardinals. I thought the actors did a good job although would have liked a deeper base for Caiaphas and a higher tenor for Annas. I thought it was interesting how often the priests/cardinals crossed themselves and blessed people and did christian gestures, especially during "This Jesus must die". They were also pretty violent both towards the apostels and towards jesus and judas.

Peter was really giving dark academia vibes except a bit more boring. I thought it was pretty funny that it was easy to tell that he was Peter just from the costume alone. he had a nice, warm voice and I liked the acting choices - he was very soft and calm, except for when he went absolutely wild on the SWAT team coming to arrest Jesus and broke a bottle to use a shard to cut of the ear (i suppose) of one of them. iconic. 8/10

Simon: what an icon! at one point, he carries petrol and a lighter around to fucking burn the whole thing to the ground. he is passionate and kind and ready to punch someone at any time. his acting and singing were really really good. At the last supper, Simon sucker punches Judas in the face and calls him a "fucking traitor" before shakily ending the song on his guitar to try and comfort the other apostels because their whole world just fell apart. I really love this Simon

Pilate: He had such a great voice and presence, and carried himself with a lot of gravitas. Pilates dream was very stripped down but it worked because of the actor. He seemed really desillusioned and kind but ultimately deafeated, conforming to the will of people around him (lower clergy and devout catholics in this version) (That reminds me, the ouverture was accompanied by various clergy making out in the vatican with each other while headlines about scandals in the church were projected in the background.

There are probably a lot of things I forgot to mention, and there were also some things I did not like about this production but overall, I am really really impressed and just happy that I got to see it live.

You can still see the production too btw, at least if you can make it to Nuremberg :)

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loveinhawkins · 1 year ago

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Thinking again about theater kid Dustin so naturally I had to come to you 💙 Specifically I’m thinking about Dustin auditioning for a community theater production of Jesus Christ Superstar with an eccentric director who convinces Eddie to audition for Judas. He knows his reputation and thinks his notoriety will add an extra meta layer to the role (and get some butts in the seats he’s gotta keep the lights on somehow). Eddie is reluctant to put himself in the spotlight but ultimately does cause Dustin is excited about it. Also he’s really good? He plays it completely sincerely which no one is expecting, really leans into the interpretation that Judas was in love with Jesus and amps up the tragedy. (Afterwards Steve also asks him if that kiss with Jesus is in the script or…?)

i love this so much, thank you for sharing with me! ❤️ theatre kid Dustin is just so incredibly precious & i just love the thought of him having so much fun with it in his future. like i see him as such a little social butterfly, i think everyone in the theatre group would adore him (i’m always so upset when his peers make fun of him at the snow ball, no, that’s my boy!!!)

and oh my god Jesus Christ superstar yes!!! yeah i can see Eddie being so hesitant about it, like the thought of how certain factions of hawkins might still view him makes him nauseous.

but the director—who maybe knows through close-knit community theatre circles that a very young Eddie once played Action in West Side Story (i love your story so much ❤️)—has one last parting shot which convinces him.

“So you never want to have fun ever again?”

… Huh, Eddie thinks.

he still asks for Dustin’s approval, all too concerned with the thought that this is Dustin’s thing and maybe he’s overstepping or something, or—

“Holy shit, that’s some seriously impressive over-thinking,” Dustin says. “You’re my friend, asshole.”

And maybe he says it with a tone, but he means I wanna hang out more with you not less!

so Eddie takes the role and of course he’s brilliant—okay everyone’s got opinions on the auto tune used in Tim Minchin’s rendition but dear god the depths in his eyes, the acting. also maybe the director does a present day take like that version did & Eddie’s jokingly like “I could wear the hellfire tshirt” & the director’s eyes light up & Eddie quickly goes, “No. That was a joke, it wouldn’t even make sense.”—and maybe there’s something empowering in playing this figure when people once said his name and the Devil’s in the same breath.

Maybe, maybe.

and oh we all know who Eddie is thinking about when he’s singing:

I don't know how to love him I don't know why he moves me He's a man, he's just a man He's not a king, he's just the same As anyone I know He scares me so

and

Does he love, does he love me too? Does he care for me?

And oh on a lighthearted note, Steve asking if the kiss is in the script has me in hysterics, especially if this is pre-them getting together.

just the thought of Steve staring grumpily any time there’s a scene with Jesus & Judas—the guy who plays Jesus is maybe like a couple years older than Eddie, not originally from Hawkins perhaps so he’s kinda not fully aware of Eddie’s history & sure, he’s nice, but he’s just not on Eddie’s radar at all.

So when Steve asks if the kiss was in the script (not that he cares! At all! He doesn’t care! Look at how much he doesn’t care!), Eddie stares at him for a long moment and says, “Steve. Did you think I improvved the Bible?”

Dustin, who is also here—currently doing English homework up on a barstool in Steve’s kitchen while Eddie & Steve lounge on the couch—sighs very loudly and says, “How the fuck am I supposed to know what role dialogue plays in Much Ado About Nothing?”

Eddie waves a hand distractedly at him. “Just make it up.”

“I can’t just because my way through Shakespeare,” Dustin says, adds in a huffy undertone, “this isn’t one of your campaigns.”

Eddie mimes being stabbed in the heart. “Oh, betrayal!”

“So it was in the script?” Steve says.

“Oh for—yes, Steve, it was,” Eddie says. “It’s called acting. Also, it was on the cheek.”

“So?”

“So—ugh, just—” Eddie tugs on Steve’s wrist impulsively, while another part of his brain is screaming in vain for him to stop. “Come here.”

“What’re you doing?”

“I’m just showing you how fucking little it—”

I’m never finishing this essay, Dustin thinks. My home life is distracting and chaotic.

And Eddie kisses Steve very very chastely on the cheek, just to show it was nothing, that’s all, but Steve can feel Eddie’s breath on his skin, the warmth of his lips, and Eddie doesn’t really think it through until he does it and then oh shit, his heart is pounding—

“Oh, yup cool,” Steve says. “That’s—yeah, wow, that’s it? Huh. I need some air.”

“From your own house?” Dustin says, to the front door already slamming shut.

And Eddie’s eyes are wide and shiny, like, did I fuck up, and it takes all of Dustin’s self control to not roll his eyes and slam his face into his book.

Then he softens a bit, remembers looking out into the audience and seeing Steve silently crying while Eddie sang You have murdered me.

“You’re so dumb,” Dustin tells Eddie as gently as he can. “You’re lucky I love you.”

“Uh.” Eddie blinks. “Did I—should I…?”

Dustin sighs wearily, slings his backpack over his shoulder. And he has a parting shot of his own:

“I’m not waiting through another production for you two to get your shit together.”

#i hope this repays even a little bit the joy i had thinking about this! ❤️#dustin henderson headcanons #eddie munson headcanons #steddie headcanon #steddie hcs #henderfam #steddie #eddie and dustin #steve and dustin #steddie ficlet #dustin henderson #steve x eddie #eddie munson #steve harrington #JCS AU

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ohmyenjolrass · 8 months ago

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things i adored of the catalan version of jesus christ superstar

so i just saw the catalan version of after discovering there is one (it's here, check it out!) and i think it was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. shoutout to @this-is-a-name-dont-worry for making me discover it <3

catalan is my favourite language and i am lucky enough to speak it every day, and this production didn't disappoint at all!

so as a tradition in this blog, let's review my favorite parts!

first of all, i adored the setting and the cast. the costumes were also fabulous. so the whole aesthetic of the show was impeccable, giving me the same vibes as the 2018 nbc version. 10/10 for scene.

now, specific things. many of these things have to do with lyrics because i think the translation was EVERYTHING.

heaven on their minds is always a banger, no matter the production. one thing i loved about this particular version was the lyric obri els ulls i escolta el que t'he de dir / que no veus que no vull veure't morir?, which literally translates to open your eyes and listen to what i have to say / can't you see that i don't want to see you die? (more or less).

that translation changed my life forever.

the percussion break right before what's the buzz? gave me +20 years of life.

then, judas's expression during mary's bit was so funny.

and also, some note changes during strange thing mystifying that i LOVED.

i also think it was clever how judas was arguing with the apostles in the background during the first chorus of everything's alright.

moreover, the way mary soothes judas in the second chorus

AND HOW THEY CHANGE THE LYRICS SO THEY CAN MAKE IT PLURAL (like mary talks to both jesus and judas).

ANNAS IS A GIRL !!!!! and an amazing performer, gotta say.

also, the little dancing of the priests during this jesus must die.

i adored how in hosanna, jesus and judas enter together and then mary joins them (and judas gives her a little kiss!!).

also judas telling the crowd to be chill while caiaphas sings.

and how he gets mad when jesus talks about heaven.

SIMON IS A GIRL !!!! and also SPECTACULAR.

the way pilate and jesus look at each other just before pilate's dream.

the priests being in the temple during the scene.

mary confessing to jesus during i don't know how to love him and jesus ALMOST KISSING HER???? WOAH.

a priest offered judas some food while he was having a mental breakdown in damned for all time and i thought it was the funniest thing ever.

okay so during the last supper happened a lot of things

first, JUDAS SMOKING. i'm always a fan of that (please, don't smoke).

also, during their first confrontation, judas says deixa'm que t'expliqui (let me explain) to jesus, and I WANTED TO CRY

the way the apostles tidy up the table after jesus and judas's first fight.

at the end, judas looks for comfort in the apostles AND THEY REJECT HIM???? the audacity.

gethsemane was in general absolutely stunning, but some things i liked about it is the way it was translated. the song in catalan seems like jesus is asking god to show himself so that he can see that everything is real. HEART B R E A K I N G.

ANOTHER HEARTBREAK. the lyrics just before the song starts say ningú es vol quedar despert amb mi? / no em deixeu sol avui, which translates to none of you wants to stay awake with me? / don't leave me alone today. I MEAN.

some other lyrics that destroyed me were the pre-chorus. in catalan, jesus sings: vas donar-me llum / però ara sols veig fum / esperant que tú vinguessis / vaig donar-te el que tenia / una vida / no pots esperar més d'un home sol, which translates to you gave me light / but now i only see smoke / waiting for you to come / i gave you what i had / a life / you cannot expect more from only a man. I MEAN X2.

peter's voice was one of my favorites.

and also, herod serving cunt in that animal print trousers. chef's kiss.

judas's death affected me more than any other production

in superstar, judas singing de debò el teu sacrifici et converteix en salvador? which translates to does your sacrifice really makes you a savior? in the cuntiest way possible. yes, king.

and to finish, the timer above the cross going down before jesus's death.

if you reached this point, hi! i hope you enjoyed it, 'cause i know i did. check out this production, it is truly amazing. see you in the next post! x

#ro likes musicals #jesus christ superstar #jcs #catalan jcs

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disregardcanon · 11 months ago

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just got done watching the 50th anniversary touring production of jesus christ superstar. here are The Thoughts

i've watched either the movie or a different bootleg of jcs during the week of easter for the past 8 years. i LOVE jcs and am very familiar with the material, so this was not a first for me except for seeing it live

i'm not sure if the setup for the staging was unique, but there were 3 big parts: 2 two level bits that were set up towards the back (one that was used almost solely for the instruments) and then in the middle was a very large, elevated cross made of grated metal. it was where the smoke machine bits came through and it had bright lights that hugged the edges.

the way that the cross elevated a bit in the middle of the stage and bisected it was really cool. it let different actors (a lot of the time jesus pre-arrest) elevate themselves over the rest of the scene, and created a pretty clear divide between two different events/sides.

costumes- most of them were what i'd expect from a jcs production, but i was impressed by how lowkey and modern jesus's civilian clothes were (the khaki shorts, the loose white top, the light gray hoodie) and then the way that the leader guy of the I BELIEVE IN YOU AND GOD SO TELLLL ME THAT I'M SAVED! has jesus's exact same outfit but with the colors of the shirt and hoodie swapped. i dunno that worked for me. judas's look, of course, SLAYED in the don't you get me wrong number. sparkling like a star, with his hair all done up in this brilliant and gorgeous updo... *chefs kiss* and then pilot's crown was good and subtle and i love love loved herod and his gang. herod had a big goofy overcoat that gave him a cartoony frame and then he took it off and was in this straight up cabaret bright gold high boots outfit with french revolution aristocracy era face paint and get up. the lackeys had on these striped outfits and harem pants and the like, big circles that surround your head kinda like a dog cone? and at the very end of the number when he's encroaching in on jesus and about to kick him out he kicks the head of every single lackey who's on the ground in a line, like waiting for a beheading? and then it like SPEWS BLOOD along their neckline and the cone. visually appealing, horrifying, and interesting, especially with the french revolution imagery.

they did this really interesting thing with guitars and microphones with the actors. so jesus had a guitar that he carried around with him a lot and peter did too. jesus took it out during emotional moments and the way that they framed the gethsemane number to start with was him just working out his emotions through song? he plays the number himself (and he and peter were playing on pilot's first little number, which is interesting symbolism) and then as he finally builds to a point where he can't keep going he unplugs the guitar from the amp and goes to cry and finish the number with no mic.... just him.

additions on gethsemane- as he was winding up to the FIIINNNNEEEEE I'LLLLLL DIIIIIIEEEEE bit, the lights started flashing from all different directions. in the divine intensity. you will be doing this. you don't have a choice. then jesus, who's mainly performed in a much more.... traditional? style than neeley's jesus finally DOES take it into that piercing, 70s rocker falsetto belt.... and to have that happen right before he finally... does give up. just collapse into a little pile of just him, no more lighting anymore but this single spotlight on this sad, tired little man... the heart. it wrenches. then judas comes in from the Super Secret Suprise Entrance Cross and everything just keeps going.

super funny when we got all the apostles looking between each other when judas and jesus have their fight and judas leaves and then peter strums a cord and restarts" ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT I'D BE AN APOOOOSTTTLLLEEEEEE"

caiphas was, unfortunately, hot.

thinking about the shift of the ensemble so quickly from We Are The Sinful Temple Fuckers to We Are The Ailing of the Earth and how the ailing surround and overwhelm jesus and the way that it just. is visually even more in person

the use of the mics was also interesting. the high priests had mic stands that they always came in with as props and the dancing with them was cool and worked well, and then jesus/judas/mary passed around a mic some, both on the mic stand and without it. and especially when it was on the stand it gave this sense of... presence and importance. a lot of the judas-mary altercations were spent moving the mic back and forth and it was +++++ especially since we saw the microphone taken away from jesus when he was arrested (taking away his power along with his guitar, his ability to express himself). the mic's cord was ALSO used in really interesting ways. the first time it really comes up is when judas is realizing that he's been duped by the narrative and he's been left with the bag... and then he stretches the bright red cord out to its full length as he climbs up to the second story and threads the cord to stage the hanging... with the microphone. the lighting in this scene was great and just UUUUUGGGGGGHHHHHH watching judas send the microphone over the edge and leaving IT hanging as the symbol of judas's death. fucking. fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck

the other time that the microphone cord itself comes up is in pilot's last number, when the crowd is getting increasingly YOU HAVE NO CHOICE CRUCIFY HIMCRUCIFY HIM! and pilot's like. uh. how about i beat him? will that satisfy your blood lust? and he fucking wraps his mic cord around jesus's hands and holds him in place with it??? like oh my god. that made me feel some kind of way.

peter brought his guitar back out when he and mary magdalene were singing about how jesus should probably make things stop sucking now, please? then them on the smaller, more cut off scene watching jesus get beaten and sentenced to crucifixion. the powerlessness of that staging

jesus spends most of that number physically on the ground. he falls off the cross to the ground. he's so bloody and broken looking and it was painful.

the way the crowd shifts from being the taunting crowd to the JESUS CHRIST! SUPERSTAR! background singers. but. this staging... it had jesus. out during this number. and the chorus kept on hurting him as they KEPT DEMANDING ANSWERS? just like the way that they made every character who did that a guard (they had different roman emperor heads, it was great) and then. jesus is still there. he is still broken and beaten and Not Yet Crucified. and they're passing him around like emma perkins in inevitable.

(and his horror keeps going on)

something about how they gave judas's actor bright white hands after touching the blood money to contrast against his dark brown skin. something about how in this show he gets both pilot and jesus's symbols of being doomed by fate (pilot's bloody hands, jesus's crown of thorns).

like. they do not crucify this poor motherfucker until after the entire staging of "don't you get me wrrrroooonnnngggggg". and then we have to watch him raised onto the cross and his painful cries and everything. a few murmured notes from the crowd. then it's just a few actors helping to take jesus down off the cross and judas sitting on the edge, looking forlorn and regretful and just. so lost.

and a tattered jesus manages to move to the spot across from him, and sends him a tiny smile. he takes the crown of thorns off his own head and passes it over to judas.

the lights go down and the show is over. judas is forgiven. he's elevated! he's trapped!!!!!!! he and jesus are here together in this story that neither of them can control. they share that knowledge, and then the lights go down.

i am no longer the same. i don't want to be

#jcs #sarah watches jcs #jcs 2024 #jcs meta #jcs 50th anniversary

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dukethomas · 1 year ago

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jesus christ superstar featuring the ultimate doomed by the narrative girlies. judas singing "just don't say i'm... damned for all time!" the anachronistic usage of "you liar you judas!" "christ you deserve it!" in the last supper. "i'm sick i've been used god i'll never ever know why you chose me for your crime your foul bloody crime" and also when judas betrays jesus with the kiss and depending on the production whether it's tender or rough or full making out it's because of love judas betrayed jesus out of love it couldn't have gone any other way and also because they have roles to play. god i'll never ever know why you chose me for your crime your FOUL BLOODY CRIME. btw

#crys speaks #putting my jcs breakdown on main 👍

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vixonimus · 2 years ago

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I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS FOR EACH OF THESE EXCEPT FOR ST PETERSBURG AS I HAVE YET TO SEE IT.

Ian Gillan and Murray Head

okay this is a weird one. there is not much of them here as there is nothing physical to analyze and that is where most subtle adoration is shown, but what is evident is some bitter care towards jesus on judas' end.

in the realm of jesus reciprocating these thoughts, it feels like they are in the early stages of a relationship -- not quite "crushing," per se, but still navigating those bumps and hiccups. that is most evident in everything's alright to me. from there, judas' emotions are what become most clear since JCS 1970 is very judas-centric. final point here is that there is so much yearning in this version of judas' death

Ted Neely and Carl Anderson

i have a couple of thoughts here, actually. it is actually a little difficult to infer much of their relationship here due to the pretense of a meta-musical (overture + john 19:41) but i honestly did not see much romance/pining here. this is mostly because there was no clean bridge between IDKHTLH and damned for all time -- often the highest moment with jesus/judas tension -- and judas is just... surprised by some tanks and goes "oh hi pharisees <333."

judas' death does offer a lot of things alongside strange thing mystifying and what's the buzz! there is obviously a lot of fondness between jesus and judas, especially on jesus' behalf -- only to me, this feels like a platonic type of fondness, albeit that of very closely intimate friends. maybe the canon actors (again because of overture and 19:41) friendzoned each other or something?

Glenn Carter and Jerome Pradon

THIS ONE. THIS ONE. i did not vote for it because they do not feel like current lovers. i am a firm believer in "divorcees where judas is still so salty about the divorce" here because this judas is just so spiteful. once again i am bringing up the post-IDKHTLH scene as this is where it becomes most important; mary is about to kiss jesus when uh oh! judas jumpscare!

the performative heterosexuality of the scene (as someone put it) hammers in the spite and rage of judas here. he gets close to mary and never once breaks eye contact with a very uncomfortable jesus -- he wants him to be uncomfortable because, in judas' eyes, there is a sort of betrayal there where those soft moments were exclusive to what they shared, and suddenly there is this new person whom jesus likes more than judas in the ways judas yearns for and he just does not like it WHATSOEVER.

tl;dr divorcees also i am a firm believer in 2000s jesus and mary <33

Ben Forster and Tim Minchin

i have an unending rage for 2012 JCS and so this will be a little bit biased just as a forewarning.

there is not much i can say here in favor of them being romantic. during pivotal moments of their shown relationship -- heaven on their minds, what's the buzz, and post-IDKHTLH -- judas treats jesus more like a friend whose ideas have gotten out of hand. their somewhat-banter has no proper love to it and it all feels a little bit factual more than anything. honestly that is all i feel like saying about 2012 i would like to Not think about it forever

Ola Salo and Peter Johansson

OH. MY. GOD. ALL THE WAY ALL THE WAY. i voted for them not because SJCS is my favorite but because this is legitimately the strongest jesus/judas relationship i have seen in any production. johansson's portrayal of judas as an upset but still deeply caring and fond lover is ultimately the core of this production and it ties in very well with salo's performance as jesus and the resolved emptiness of him -- he is aware of his fate, judging by the cross necklace he wears, and while crowdwork once brought him joy, something you can still see bits of, the fame and sensation he has become is ultimately besting him.

judas -- and mary, by the time the musical begins -- was a gentle and stubborn yet important force to his life. judas has this care in the realm of his words, particularly in HOTM where he is focused on the effect of jesus' fame and how it might affect jesus. during the post-IDKHTLH scene, it is judas' irrationality (which has been established already in moments like HOTM's instrumental break) that stops the peace. this is when their relationship goes sour -- judas even tries to kiss jesus after he topples the chair-swing over because his jealousy is growing out of control.

the reason he ultimately betrays jesus is because he feels abandoned by the man he loves after everything, and even once he tells the pharisees about gethsemane you can just see how broken up he is about it. not even mentioning the kiss here because wow these bitches gay good for them

so those are my thoughts <3

(decided to officially nominate myself JCS Polls Maker)

#oh wow okay lots of writing there! oops!

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freddiekluger · 4 years ago

Note

please drop the essay length analysis Judas and Jesus (extra gay Swedish edition), O great and knowledgeable monarch of our times

alright, you ask i deliver! please excuse any typos, my eyes aren't exactly working rn

welcome to my probably super subjective but correct analysis, aka

Judas Was Right and Jesus Was A Victim (At Least, In Swedish)

Before we get started, a couple points: i’ll try to avoid comparisons to other specific productions, i’ve only seen the other recorded 2012 british version which i didn’t like for reasons including but not limited to the amount of white people with dreadlocks. Also, my understanding of swedish is limited to a couple words and phrases, so most of the lyrics i reference will be english subtitles from Ola Salo’s swedish translation and therefore might not be the most accurate !

There’s so much i could cover in this, but for now i’m going to focus on how jesus and judas are portrayed in the 2014 swedish arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar (JCS) starring Ola Salo as Jesus and Peter Johansson as Judas, along with how this production more implicitly views god.

From the opening number, translated into swedish as En Dimmig Himmelsdröm (A Foggy Heaven’s Dream), Peter Johansson’s acting and semantic differences in the lyrics present us with a deeply sympathetic portrayal of Judas. Looking purely at language, the english equivalent Heaven On Their Minds instantly paints Judas as much more of a faithless doubter- lyrics exclusive to the english version like “all your followers have gone blind / too much heaven on their minds” and “they think you’re the new messiah / and they’ll hurt you when they find they’re wrong” strongly enforce Judas’ main motivation for his actions being that he has less belief in Jesus and God’s plan than any of the other disciples with strong statements judging the other disciples for following him and claiming that Jesus ISN’T the messiah. The swedish translation doesn’t paint exactly the same picture- the focus of Judas’ number becomes his fear for Jesus’ wellbeing, not because he isn’t the messiah (the production remains fairly ambiguous on this point), but because Jesus can’t cope. The root of Judas’ concern comes from fear for Jesus’ wellbeing, and the disciples are referenced as regularly misunderstanding and wilfully twisting Jesus’ words. The swedish equivalent lyrics for the above examples are “they say, “jesus is god’s son” / but you know how people can change” (judas isn’t concerned with truth, just the danger that jesus will be in if the tide turns), and “the kingdom of heaven is within us, that’s what you said / bu they sew it, stitch by stich into some kind of foggy heaven’s dream”. Judas is showing that he HAS been listening and cares for Jesus’ teachings, but ‘they’ [his disciples] are turning them into something else entirely, and Judas’ worries that the support of the masses is fragile at best- the lines “and everything you say gets twisted by your lackeys / it will be anything but what you’ve said” and “you are being used by people who want you in their battle” reinforces this again. When combined with Peter Johansson’s tough but tender performance, in which he dances between disdain for Jesus, the institution, and affection for Jesus, the man (an important distinction), Judas is the harsh realist doing his best to look out for the man he loves. The way he takes Jesus hands and looks at him with love and urgency straight away establishes that his motivations are pure- Judas is doing what he thinks is best, even though it feels like no one will listen to him.

That was long, but En Dimmig Himmelsdröm is the perfect character introduction for Judas. He’s not totally unrecognisable, still delivering digs about ‘Jesus, the little carpenter’s son’, his manner is still rough and at this point we’re not sure whether or not the claims he makes about the disciples have any truth to them, BUT we can also see how much Jesus means to him, an important point that give context to the intensity of their future arguments and really makes the whole story much more heartbreaking.

This brings me to Ola Salo’s Jesus. Delightfully camp and queercoded, Judas describes him as being caught up in his own magic and mystery and buckling under the pressure, and he’s not entirely wrong. Throughout the first act, Jesus basks in the luxuries that being messiah can give him (the oils Mary paid for using disciple funds that were supposed to go towards helping the poor, him absolutely thriving in the shopping cart in What’s the Buzz?), and is shown actively avoiding any reminders of the seriousness of his position. He’s sick of the disciples asking him for a plan, he chooses the comforting Mary, who’s theme consists of telling Jesus everything is okay and he doesn’t need to think about anything, over Judas, who is less perhaps ‘cosy’ but is actively trying to warn and protect Jesus from an awful fate. During The Temple, he starts to crack as he’s overcome by the followers begging him to make him well, fear in his eyes as he raises his arms while frozen on the spot trying to avoid being devoured by the frenzy in desperate need of a messiah. Judas’ point about Jesus buckling under the pressure is starting to look more and more reasonable, and the dashes of showbiz campness add to the sense that much of Jesus is a persona constructed for the masses to give himself enough distance to prevent him from being crushed by the weight of God entirely. Jesus, the institution, prances around, lays his hands on his followers, and projects an air of easygoing calm. Jesus, the man, is scared and alone, and Jesus, the man, really comes out in Last Supper, but before we get there, I want to circle back to the Jesus/Mary/Judas thing.

Jesus, Mary, and Judas are presented as a love triangle: so much so, that Judas seeing Mary sing of her love for Jesus (I Don’t Know How To Love Him) is actually played as the inciting incident that sends him to the pharisees. Judas, the picture of the jealous lover, storms onto the scene, breaking them up and attempting to kiss Jesus, who instead shoves him to the ground in disdain. Judas, who is perhaps a little controlling, realises that any influence he had over Jesus has gone, and it’s likely a combination of jealousy and the knowledge that Jesus won’t stop that prompts him to head to the pharisees. In his meeting with the pharisees (known in english as Damned For All Time, although that phrase doesn’t appear once in the swedish), Judas’ expresses outright that “I’m the one who sees / Jesus, he can’t handle it anymore” “the truth is that this hysteria is making him lose control”, once he can get past explaining how much this plan of action feels like a last resort. He never even verbally or physically accept the pharisees’ offer of money, he denies it twice before it is eventually thrown over him after he reluctantly gives them the date and time to find Jesus- we never even see him pick it up, unlike other productions which show Judas grabbing for the cash and place a higher emphasis on Judas making sure he ‘won’t be damned for all time’, painting Judas as far more self serving. When it comes to Jesus, Judas is active- he’s running around trying to help, caressing him, embracing him, grabbing his hand, kissing him. They share countless moment of intimacy, especially at the start, establishing the fondness between them instead of instantly jumping to their conflict. When it comes to Mary (and admittedly, this is partially because she’s a secondary character- don’t get me wrong I still love her and Gunilla Backman does a brilliant job), she’s much more passive. Other than the much more gentle kisses in I Don’t Know How To Love Him and her penchant for dabbing Jesus’ forehead, she’s mostly just ‘there’. She cares for Jesus after the fact, and even when performing acts of intimacy like the oil and the kiss, she maintains a lot of physical distance- her songs touch on this as, much like Jesus (admittedly for different reasons), she actively distances herself from feelings to protect herself, so naturally she literally places distance between herself and the object of her love.

This brings me back to Last Supper, Gethsemane ( I Only Want to Say), and the kiss of death that broke all of our hearts. Throughout this segment, this is when Jesus, the man, really comes through, and it’s devastating. In Last Supper, he properly expresses the sheer amount of loneliness he feels, reiterating how he feels everyone will forget about him once he’s gone, and doesn’t really care about him as a man (”for you, my blood is not worth more than wine / for you, my body is not worth more than bread” “you will have forgotten me as soon as i give up my life”). This devolves into the disciples fighting each other and, you guessed it, ignoring him. For the first time, Jesus meaningfully lets out his anger, and as it turns to Judas, Judas does the same. Because of the set up of their complicated romantic relationship and the stakes involved, the amount of personal attacks and anger that comes out of Jesus and Judas’ repeated fights (which get physical) make complete sense- Jesus’ frustrations come from the fact that his entire fate has been predetermined and to him, Judas is just another instrument in the ways he’s been controlled (both with Judas being his betrayer, but also the way that Judas’ constant advice and interference with Jesus’ life (most obviously, the mary thing) are acted by Ola Salo as becoming increasingly frustrating to Jesus)- these frustrations are directed at their real cause, God, in Gethsemane. Judas’ frustrations come from the fact that no matter how hard he tries to help Jesus and keep him safe, Jesus keeps rejecting his efforts resulting in “all that we’ve built up [being] destroyed”- Judas’ heart hasn’t just been broken by Jesus rejecting him romantically, but on every level. Here, he’s actually shown to be the disciple most passionate about helping people practically and long term, being the only one concerned about Mary taking money which was supposed to help people, manipulated by the pharisees with the promise of doing good for the masses, and criticising Jesus for how they could be doing so much for people, ending his part of Last Supper with “every time i look at you i ask myself why you let all your things go so wrong? / all i ever wanted was to help you”.

This is also the point where Judas’ claims about the disciples are essentially confirmed, and this productions intent to portray Judas as more of a tragic hero become absolutely clear. In the english version, the disciples chorus remains virtually the same each time it appears, generally being far too calm considering their leader is about to die, revealing their aspirations to be apostles, and their intent to write the gospels to be remembered. the swedish translation still achieve this, but with variations from chorus to chorus it becomes much more poignant. i’m just going to stick to ttwo, which are choruses 1 and 3. In chorus 1, lines roughly translate to “i’ve always wanted to be an apostle / life is so nice when you’re saved/ then when we’ve got time we’ll write the gospels / then everything will be the way we want”- the apostles declaring that life is so good when you’re saved supports Judas’ opening statement that they care more about some idea of heaven than anything else, not to mention ignoring the absolute horrors that Jesus will have to go through to be saved, while the final line about the gospels introduces their intent to change whichever details they need to make ‘everything the way we want’: once again, exactly what Judas warned us of in En Dimmig Himmelsdröm. In chorus 3, taking place after Judas storms out for the last time, these lines change to “never really liked that judas / never saw what jesus saw in him / then, when we’ve got time we’ll write the gospels / and we’ll angle it so he gets all the blame”. Judas as a sympathetic character is confirmed here, as the disciples straight up admit how they don’t like Judas anyways and intend to write him as a villain (also inadvertently admitting that, since they have to write the gospels to make it look like only Judas’ fault, Judas isn’t really the sole one responsible for everything that is to come). It’s deeply unsettling, and for me was the point where I really began to question how good any of these disciples were, and by extension, how good is this production’s God if his truly sanctified followers are acting like this?

Jesus vents out all of his anger and desperation in Gethsemane. He acknowledges his own powerlessness and begs him to change the plan, but with the dark stage and no response (along with Ola Salo’s spectacular acting) it becomes clear that if anyone is there, they’re certainly not listening (”you, who have all the power / can you please change the plan / for i can already feel the pain burning in me”). It’s worth mentioning that a lot of the imagery in this swedish version is much more intense than the english, both in this song and the production as a whole. Jesus plainly calls god “thoughtless”, begging to understand, and it’s that this point we realise that he agrees with much more of what Judas has been saying than he’s been letting on- Jesus’ faith appears to be the only thing keeping him from listening to Judas and running away. Judas’ messages about people misunderstanding Jesus’ words also come out (”you care that everyone sees / but not that anyone understands”), and his eventual agreeing to die is played less as an inspiring act of faith, and more an act of desperation as he realises, he realise has no other choice. In this song, we see just how much of Judas Jesus has valued and taken on board, and that his air of carefree aloofness which frustrated Judas was, as we’ve already touched on, a complete act. The line “might as well finish what i’ve... what YOU’VE started” is absolutely miserable, reinforcing one of the major themes of this production: the idea that Jesus and Judas were both just ordinary men tormented by futures defined by forces out of their control. Just as Jesus has absorbed Judas’ logic, as an audience so we have, and it’s difficult to view the rest of the play’s events as anything other than an immense and unnecessary act of cruelty.

we’re almost done i promise!

Even knowing what Judas has/will do, Jesus still greets him with love. Judas, still under the impression that Jesus will be okay and that he’s doing what’s best, approaches him with the utmost tenderness, and the kiss is a beautiful signifier of two things. For Jesus, the return of his love for Judas shows his realisation in Gethsemane that Judas isn’t the one who’s sealed his fate and has only being trying to help, it’s god himself who has decided Jesus’ future. For Judas, the kiss shows that despite all of the anger and frustration that has been pouring out of him, he truly does love Jesus, and the way he cradles the scared and alone Jesus to his chest afterwards shows just how much he wishes he could be the one to help him and keep him close. Even with all their arguments and dysfunction, here Jesus and Judas find comfort in each other, and it almost seems like everything will end up alright. It’s in this moment that Judas and Jesus are most identifiable not as enemies, or as villain and hero, but as archetypal lovers from a Shakespearean tragedy. Neither of them set out to hurt each other, but through miscommunications, their own flaws, and external forces (both natural and supernatural), their love is simply never to be. Furthermore, in the following torture and spectacle, everything that Judas predicted for Jesus is about to come true. Another detail I find interesting is the way that Jesus and Judas both sport black nail polish, leather pants, and similar length hair: along with just looking cool as hell, the similarities really reinforce how close they are and how much they influence each other- it feels like a contemporary version of carrying a cameo or a lock of your lover's hair with you, a way for 'star crossed lovers' to keep a piece of their beloved no matter what.

The disaffected persona of Jesus, the institution, comes back as he’s taken by the authorities and subsequently insulted, degraded, and whipped. Also the swedish version of The Arrest, when the chorus starts singing questions, contains this dick joke and I think we all deserve it: “why were you dating a whore? / talk about a huge magic wand!”

Skipping forward to Judas’ Death, this is where both his character and the production’s conception of god beautifully (and miserably) align. When Judas runs to the pharisees, minor semantic changes (along with the genuine concern and great acting from Peter Johansson) reinforce that this Judas genuinely didn’t know that Jesus would be beaten and sentenced to death the way he has been, and Judas’ concern regarding how things look is played less as ‘oh no people will hate ME!’, but how having sentenced the man you love to death is one nightmarish thing, but for everyone to think you did it knowingly and willingly and then congratulate you for it is unthinkable. Where the english shows Judas’ attempting to evade responsibility for Jesus death, the swedish is more focused on Judas’ guilt, horror, and regret. The english “I’d save him all the suffering if I could / don’t believe our good / save him if I could” is swapped in swedish for “If anyone should die here I should / don’t say I’m good / better if I died”. While the english statements are somewhat empty (sure, Judas says he’d save Jesus’ suffering if he could, but he can’t so we’ll never truly know) and are still focused on Judas’ attempt to construct himself as a good guy, the swedish translation has Judas admit his guilt (even if it’s not really his fault), and make the promise of “better if i died” which, given the name of this sequence, he later delivers on. When english Judas sings “Christ, I’d sell out the nation / For I have been saddled with the murder of you”, swedish Judas sings “Jesus, I’ve been deceived / because of my act your blood’s now being spilt”, and instead of ending this first section with “I should be dragged through the slime and the mud”, swedish jesus returns to the theme of character assasination with “i will be cursed as the one behind your murder”.

The swedish translation of the next rework of I Don’t Know How to Love Him also places much more emphasis on Judas’ genuine romantic love for Jesus- we’d be here for hours if i listed everything but here are a few key contrasts. The english has Judas sing “I don’t know how to love him / I don’t know why he moves me”, whereas the swedish has Judas crying while singing “how do I show my love / all I want is to be close to you”. Along with acknowledging Judas already loves Jesus, the entirety of this segment is shifted from Judas singing about Jesus in the third person ‘he’, to a direct address. Judas isn’t performing his sadness, or venting his emotions, he’s emitting one last desperate cry to the man he loves as he sobs on a stage completely shrouded in darkness, and it’s devastating. Peter Johansson lets his voice run raw as he’s belting, and interrupts lines with sobs, and this Judas answers the question of “do you love me too? do you care for me?” with a quiet “no”- Judas is about to go to his death convinced Jesus must hate him, just as Jesus will face his knowing his love inadvertently put him there.

We finally reach Judas’ actual death, and the production’s far more ambiguous (if not negatively geared) depiction of god comes to a head. Judas’ screaming at god the moment he realises that his god essentially forced Judas to be the one to kill Jesus (an act of ultimate cruelty given their love) comes across as horrifying in it’s validity, unlike in other english language productions where it follows the more common characterisation of Judas being an unbeliever who can’t take responsibility for his own actions. When he spits on the ground, screaming “you have murdered me!”, we can’t help but agree- Judas was trying everything he could to stop Jesus from dying, and yet here he is. Most notably, Judas doesn’t set up his own suicide- a noose literally descends from the heavens, already tied, and Judas is literally trapped between the edge of the stage, and the symbol of death behind him. Much like he didn’t choose to kill Jesus, Judas has no choice in his own suicide- it’s suggested to merely be another part of the plan god has for him, and Judas raising his arms to form a crucifixion pose before he finally turns and jumps, disappearing into the depths of the theatre as the rope trails down (somewhat evocative of a leap to hell), highlight the sick joke. Much like Jesus begging in Gethsemane, a plea with god that in anyway implies fault or cruelty is met with silence followed by a death sentence.

When Judas reappears to the broken and bloodied Jesus in Superstar, he appears as more of a twisted hallucination than the literal spirit of Judas. He’s the opposite of everything he was in life, draped in colour, surrounded by red lighting instead of the signature blue, his hair quite literally let down, joking and dancing. Despite singing about him, Judas virtually ignores Jesus for the whole song except when he’s taunting him, snatching his hand away after a broken and desperate Jesus reaches out for the image of his beloved (refuting Judas’ belief that Jesus would die hating him), along with the swedish additions of Judas repeatedly addressing him as “little Jesus”. Where the living Judas was serious, sometimes harsh but always well intention, often paying more attention to Jesus than he received, this Judas is the opposite: light hearted but cruel, not caring about Jesus one bit. It’s somewhat an inversion of the beginning of JCS, where the tormented Judas was constantly reaching out to Jesus, and often met with scorn and insult (see: most of their arguments, this line from Everything’s Alright: “the thought is beautiful but quite unrealistic / yes, even quite stupid”). As the song goes on, and even as Jesus is crucified, the victorious scoring of the Superstar theme ends up reinforcing the cruelty and questioning of god distinctive of this production: Ola Salo’s Jesus is one of the bloodiest Jesus’s (Jesii?) I’ve been able to find, with blood covering his torso, his arms, and all over his face, not in passive dribbles, but violent ‘swooshes’ spreading out from his eyes, emphasising the fear and pain contained within them. As the music suggests how great and wonderful Jesus’ death is, the images straight out of a horror movie before us don’t seem to match up: as both Judas and Jesus question, if no one is understanding what Jesus is saying, why kill him? instead of making a point, you’re ensuring that the falsehoods continue to circulate, unless spreading the true message isn’t really the intent at all. or, simply that Jesus was wrong: his interpretation and teachings of god were far too kind and practical, and the true god really is the one that he briefly saw in the garden of Gethsemane, and that Judas saw before his death- a cruel and vindictive god using them for his own sick purposes. If you're a strong Christian, I'm sure you could watch this production and still believe that God was right (although I think Jesus and Judas being in love counts as blasphemy), but I think in doing so you'd lose part of what makes this production so hard hitting and, as i keep saying, devastating.

that’s pretty much it for this one! i feel like jesus and judas as a queer couple is less significant to this production than the fact that it’s specifically jesus and judas that are in love - they don’t face explicit homophobia as such, although i do think the paratextual and historical associations of queerness (both with them each looking visibly queer, and them as a couple) adds a beautiful dimension by subverting the standard christian teaching of Jesus’ sacrifice as “a love that changed the world” and making the love that truly could have been transformative (and was, to a degree) the love between Jesus and another man, not to mention the way in which queerness is often viewed as radical perfectly upholding the ‘radical’ views of god and the story of Jesus shown in the production. Why wouldn’t the love between two men be the love which has us questioning god, faith, and that which many of us have been taught since birth? Ola Salo has talked about how he’s able to be positive and negative towards christianity, along with how he wanted Jesus and Judas to really represent two sides of the same coin (’faith and intelligence’), and being bisexual along with having alluded to being raised christian (not to mention Breaking Up With God, a song by his band The Ark), it’s not surprising he’s managed to present such a nuanced and layered interpretation of Jesus Christ Superstar that even me, a trans exvangelical, can fall in love with.

UPDATE: @bands-and-hobbits has just let me know that Ola's dad was a priest! Apparently he's said that he liked the organs and the music, but that was all when it comes to christianity, which (when combined with Ola stating in interviews that the JCS soundtrack has been one of his favourite albums since he was 14) makes a lot of sense about the level of familiarity he had with the text giving him confidence to go in and make changes to really capitalised off of some of the themes that are hinted at in the english version- you have enough information to understand how everything works together, but aren't so dedicated to preserving belief that you feel you can't improve/change things (and my god are we glad he did)

#thank you if you made it this far!#also the inherent rhythm in swedish as a language just makes all of the songs sound better i'm gonna say it #english is really hit and miss when it comes to music and can get especially clunky with musicals requiring exposition #also sorry there's so much i've left out !#anyways enjoy #jesus christ superstar #jesus christ superstar swedish arena tour 2014 #jcs #peter johansson #ola salo #also i have barely edited this so i hope it's coherent

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emptymasks · 4 years ago

Text

Jesus Christ Superstar New Lyrics (based on the 2012 UK Tour)

So I really like the 2012 UK production of Jesus Christ Superstar and was sad there is no soundtrack for it so I made my own by ripping the audio from the DVD and putting it into tracks. Only problem, the lyrics don’t match up with the lyrics you can find online on websites like Genius and AZLyrics. Now I know a lot of lyrics were changed in the 1992 West End revival, but I don’t know if this production has lyrics that differ from other main productions running at the same time (2012 Broadway revival, 2011 Austrian revival) or if these were continued over to the 2019 NBC live production, so this might be the right lyrics for those productions as well, but I don’t know those productions well enough to be certain. Some of the songs are the same as the original, but I wanted to include all songs in here just for the sake of completionism.

These lyrics are transcribed directly from the official subtitles on the 2012 UK Arena Tour DVD.

Tracklist:

Overture

Heaven on Their Minds

What’s the Buzz?

Strange Thing, Mystifying

Everything’s Alright

This Jesus Must Die

Hosanna

Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem

Pilate’s Dream

The Temple

Everything’s Alright (Reprise)

I Don’t Know How to Love Him

Damned for All Time/Blood Money

The Last Supper

Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)

The Arrest

Peter’s Denail

Pilate and Christ

King Herod’s Song

Could We Start Again Please

Judas’ Death

Trial Before Pilate

Superstar

The Curcifixion

John 19:41

All songs are in this post, just click on the ‘read more’ directly below. In bold are lyrics that differ from, or have been added since, the original 1970 cast album that’s on Genius.com.

Overture

[This is exclusive just to the 2012 UK production, they’re pre-recorded voices. They’re not really lyrics I guess, but I thought I’d include them]

As around twenty-thousand people took part in a protest against- Meanwhile, hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters- -are the 99 percent! Society continues to generate waste and squander resources-

[Inaudible shouting]

This is a global issue- John, what’s your view on the oil market’s reaction? I mean, earlier today, we were- Hundreds of anti-war activists who have rallied- -Spain and Greece and right across Europe-

[Inaudible shouting]

-resorted to using gas, stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the angry crowd. Hey, stop filming! The police can use it!

[Inaudible shouting]

Stay back! Stay back! Calm down! But the tough economy is pushing people to the brink.

[Inaudible shouting]

The question remains, are their voices being heard?

Heaven on Their Minds

[Judas] My mind is clearer now At last, all too well I can see where we all soon will be If you strip away The myth from the man You will see where we all soon will be

Jesus! You've started to believe The things they say of you You really do believe This talk of God is true And all the good you've done Will soon get swept away You've begun to matter more Than the things you say

Listen, Jesus, I don't like what I see All I ask is that you listen to me And remember I've been your right hand man all along You have set them all on fire They think they've found the new Messiah And they'll hurt you when they find they're wrong

I remember when this whole thing began No talk of God then, we called you a man And believe me My admiration for you hasn't died But every word you say today Gets twisted 'round some other way And they'll hurt you if they think you've lied Nazareth, your famous son Should have stayed a great unknown Like his father carving wood He'd have made good Tables, chairs, and oaken chests Would have suited Jesus best He'd have caused nobody harm, no one alarm Listen, Jesus, do you care for your race? Don't you see we must keep in our place? We are occupied! Have you forgotten how put down we are? I am frightened by the crowd For we are getting much too loud And they'll crush us if we go too far If they go too far

What’s the Buzz?

[APOSTLES] What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening [JESUS] Why should you want to know? Don't you mind about the future Don't you try to think ahead Save tomorrow for tomorrow Think about today instead [APOSTLES] What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening [JESUS & (APOSTLES)] I could give you facts and figures (What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening) I could give you plans and forecasts (When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem?) Even tell you where I'm going- (When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem?)

[APOSTLES] When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem? When do we ride into Jerusalem?

[JESUS] Why should you want to know? Why are you obsessed with fighting Times and fates you can't defy? If you knew the path we're riding You'd understand it less than I [APOSTLES] What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening [MARY MAGDALENE] Let me try to cool down your face a bit Let me try to cool down your face a bit Let me try, let me try, try to cool down your face a bit Let me try to cool down your face a bit Let me try to cool down your face a bit Let me try, let me try, let me try to cool down your face a bit [JESUS] Mary, ooh that is good While you prattle through your supper Where and when and who and how She alone has tried to give me What I need right here and now [APOSTLES] What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's-a-happening

Strange Thing, Mystifying

[JUDAS] It seems to me a strange thing, mystifying That a man like you should waste his time On women of her kind Yes, I can understand that she amuses But to let her stroke you and kiss your hair It’s hardly in your line It's not that I object to her profession But she doesn't fit in well with what we teach and say It doesn't help us if you're inconsistent They only need a small excuse to put us all away [JESUS] Who are you to criticize her? Who are you to despise her? Leave her, leave her, let her be now Leave her, leave her, she's with me now If your slate is clean, then you can throw stones If your slate is not, then leave her alone! I'm amazed that men like you Can be so shallow, thick and slow There is not a man among you Who knows or cares if I come or go [ APOSTLES] No, you're wrong! You're very wrong! No, you're wrong! You're very wrong! No, you're wrong! You're very wrong! No, you're wrong! You're very wrong! How can you say that! How can you say that! How can you say that! How can you say that! [JESUS] Not one, not one of you!

Everything’s Alright

[MARY MAGDALENE] Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to Problems that upset you, oh Don't you know Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine And we want you to sleep well tonight Let the world turn without you tonight If we try, we'll get by So forget all about us tonight [APOSTLE'S WOMEN] Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes [MARY] Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you Myrrh for your hot forehead and Then you'll feel Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine And it's cool and the ointment's sweet For the fire in your head and feet Close your eyes, close your eyes And relax, think of nothing tonight [APOSTLE'S WOMEN] Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes

[JUDAS] Woman, your fine ointment, brand new and expensive Could have been saved for the poor Why has it been wasted? We could have raised maybe Three hundred silver pieces or more People who are hungry, people who are starving Matter more than your feet and hair [MARY] Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to Problems that upset you oh don't you know Everything's alright, yes, everything's fine And we want you to sleep well tonight Let the world turn without you tonight If we try we'll get by so forget all about us tonight [APOSTLE'S WOMEN] Everything's alright, yes, everything's alright, yes [JESUS] Surely you're not saying we have the resources To save the poor from their lot? There will be poor always, pathetically struggling Look at the good things you've got! Think! While you still have me Move! While you still see me You'll be lost, you'll be so sorry when I'm gone

[MARY & (APOSTLES)] Sleep and I shall soothe you, calm you and anoint you Myrrh for your hot forehead and then you'll feel Everything's alright yes everything's fine And it's cool and the ointment's sweet For the fire in your head and feet Close your eyes, close your eyes And relax, think of nothing tonight (Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax think of nothing tonight) Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax, think of nothing tonight (Everything’s alright, yes, everything’s alright, yes) (Close your eyes, close your eyes and relax think of nothing tonight) [Repeat until fade]

This Jesus Must Die

[In this version Annas has more of the lines and the lines are divided up differently because there are 5 un-named priests instead of 3]

[ANNAS] Good Caiaphas, the council waits for you The Pharisees and priests are here for you [CAIAPHAS] Ah, gentlemen, you know why we are here We've not much time and quite a problem here [MOB OUTSIDE] Hosanna! Superstar! Hosanna! Superstar! Hosanna! Superstar! Hosanna! Superstar! [ANNAS] Listen to that howling mob of blockheads in the street! A trick or two with lepers and the whole town's on its feet [ALL] He is dangerous [MOB OUTSIDE] Tell us that you're who we say you are [ALL] He is dangerous

[MOB OUTSIDE] Tell us that you're who we say you are

[PRIEST 1] The man is in town right now to whip up some support [PRIEST 2] A rabble rousing mission that I think we must abort [ALL] He is dangerous [MOB OUTSIDE] Jesus Christ, Superstar! [ALL] He is dangerous [PRIEST 3] Look Caiaphas, they're right outside our yard [PRIEST 4] Quick, Caiaphas, go call the Roman guard [CAIAPHAS] No, wait! We need a more permanent solution to our problem [ANNAS] What then to do about Jesus of Nazareth Miracle wonderman, hero of fools? [PRIEST 5] No riots, no army, no fighting, no slogans [CAIAPHAS] Infantile sermons, the multitude drools [ANNAS] We dare not leave him to his own devices His half-witted fans will get out of control [PRIEST 2] But how can we stop him? His glamour increases By leaps every minute; [PRIEST 3] He's top of the poll

[CAIAPHAS] I see bad things arising: the crowd crown him king Which the Romans would ban I see blood and destruction, our elimination Because of one man Blood and destruction because of one man [ALL] Because, because, because of one man [CAIAPHAS] Our elimination because of one man [ALL] Because, because, because of one Cause of one, cause of one man [PRIEST 3] What then to do about this Jesusmania? [ANNAS] How do we deal with the carpenter king? [PRIEST 1] Where do we start with a man who is bigger Than John was when John did his Baptism thing? [CAIAPHAS] Fools! You have no perception! The stakes we are gambling are frighteningly high! We must crush him completely So like John before him, this Jesus must die For the sake of the nation, this Jesus must die [ALL] Must die, must die, this Jesus must die [CAIAPHAS] So like John before him, this Jesus must die [ALL] Must die, must die, this Jesus must Jesus must, Jesus must die

Hosanna

[CROWD] Hosanna, hey sanna, sanna sanna ho Sanna hey, sanna hosanna Hey JC, JC, won't you fight for me? Sanna ho, sanna hey, Superstar [CAIAPHAS] Tell the rabble to be quiet; we anticipate a riot This common crowd is much too loud Tell the mob who sing your song That they are fools and they are wrong They are a curse, they should disperse [CROWD] Hosanna, hey sanna, sanna sanna ho Sanna hey, sanna ho sanna Hey JC, JC, you're alright by me Sanna ho, sanna hey, Superstar [JESUS] Why waste your breath moaning at the crowd? Nothing can be done to stop the shouting If every tongue were still, the noise would still continue The rocks and stones themselves would start to sing [CROWD] Hosanna, hey sanna, sanna sanna ho Sanna hey, sanna ho sanna Hey JC, JC, won't you fight for me? Sanna ho, sanna hey, Superstar

[JESUS] Sing me a song, but not for me alone Sing out for yourselves for you are blessed There is not one of you who cannot win the Kingdom The slow, the suffering, the quick, the dead [CROWD & JESUS] Hosanna, hey sanna, sanna sanna ho Sanna hey, sanna ho sanna Hey JC, JC, won't you die for me? Sanna ho, sanna hey, Superstar Superstar

Simon Zealotes/Poor Jerusalem

[Simon Zealotes] [CROWD] Christ, you know I love you; did you see I waved? I believe in you and God, so tell me that I'm saved! Christ, you know I love you; did you see I waved? I believe in you and God, so tell me that I'm saved Jesus, I am with you; touch me, touch me, Jesus! Jesus, I am on your side; kiss me, kiss me Jesus! [SIMON ZEALOTES] Christ, what more do you need to convince you That you've made it and you're easily as strong As the filth from Rome who rape our country And who've terrorized our people for so long? [CROWD] Christ you know I love you; did you see I waved?

[SIMON ZEALOTES] They love you, Jesus!

[CROWD] I believe in you and God, so tell me that I'm saved Christ you know I love you; did you see I waved? I believe in you and God, so tell me that I'm saved

[SIMON ZEALOTES] We believe! [CROWD] Jesus, I am with you; touch me, touch me, Jesus! Jesus, I am on your side; kiss me, kiss me, Jesus!

[SIMON ZEALOTES & (CROWD)] There must be over fifty thousand Screaming love and more for you And every one of fifty thousand Would do whatever you ask him to Keep them yelling their devotion But add a touch of hate at Rome You will rise to a greater power We will win ourselves a home! You'll get the power and the glory (You’ll get the glory) For ever and ever and ever (And the power) You'll get the power and the glory (You’ll get the glory) For ever and ever and ever (And the power) Forever, forever (You’ll get the glory) You’ll get the power and the glory (And the power) Forever and ever and ever (You’ll get the glory) You’ll get the power and the glory (Forever, amen!) Forever and ever, forever amen!

[Poor Jerusalem] [JESUS] Neither you, Simon, nor the fifty thousand Nor the Romans, nor the Jews Nor Judas, nor the twelve, nor the Priests, nor the scribes Nor doomed Jerusalem itself Understand what power is Understand what glory is Understand at all Understand at all

If you knew all that I knew, my poor Jerusalem You'd see the truth, but you close your eyes But you close your eyes While you live, your troubles are many, poor Jerusalem To conquer death you only have to die You only have to die

Pilate’s Dream

[PILATE] I dreamed I met a Galilean A most amazing man He had that look you very rarely find The haunting, hunted kind I asked him to say what had happened How it all began I asked again; he never said a word As if he hadn't heard And next the room was full Of wild and angry men They seemed to hate this man They fell on him and then They disappeared again Then I saw thousands of millions Crying for this man And then I heard them mentioning my name And leaving me the blame

The Temple

[CROWD] Roll on up, for my price is down Come on in for the best in town Take your pick of the finest wine Lay your bets on this bird of mine Roll on up, for my price is down Come on in for the best in town Take your pick of the finest wine Lay your bets on this bird of mine Name your price; I got everything Come and buy, it's all going fast Borrow cash on the finest terms Hurry now while stocks still last [CROWD] Roll on up, Jerusalem Here is isn’t us and them While our temples still survive We at least are still alive Come all classes, come all creeds I can fix your wildest needs Name your pleasure, I will sell I got heaven, I got hell What your see is what you get No one’s been disappointed yet Don’t be scared, give me a try There is nothing you can’t buy [CROWD] Roll on up, for my price is down Come on in for the best in town Take your pick of the finest wine Lay your bets on this bird of mine Roll on up, for my price is down Come on in for the best in town- [JESUS] My temple should be a house of prayer But you have made it a den of thieves Get out! Get out! My time is almost through Little left to do After all I've tried for three years Seems like thirty, seems like thirty [CROWD] See my eyes, I can hardly see See me stand, I can hardly walk I believe you can make me whole See his tongue, he can hardly talk See my skin, I'm a mass of blood Change me life, oh I know you can I believe you can make me well See my purse, I'm a poor poor man Will you touch, will you mend me, Christ? Won't you touch, will you heal me, Christ? Will you kiss, you can cure me, Christ? Won't you kiss, won't you pay me, Christ?

[CROWD] See our eyes, we can hardly see See us stand, we can hardly walk We believe you can make us whole See the tongues that can hardly talk See our skin, we’re a mass of blood Change our lives, oh we know you can We believe you can make us well You’re the hope of the poor, poor man Will you touch, will you mend me, Christ? Won't you touch, will you heal me, Christ? Will you kiss, you can cure me, Christ? Won't you kiss, won't you pay me, Christ?

[CROWD & (JESUS)] See my eyes, I can hardly see (Ah, there’s too-) See me stand, I can hardly walk (Too many of you) I believe you can make me whole (Don’t) See his tongue, he can hardly talk (Ah, don’t crowd me) See my skin, I'm a mass of blood (Don’t crowd me) See my legs, I can hardly stand (Don’t crowd me!) I believe you can make me well See my purse, I'm a poor poor man Will you touch, will you mend me, Christ? Won't you touch, will you heal me, Christ? Will you kiss, you can cure me, Christ? Won't you kiss, won't you pay me, Christ? [JESUS] Heal yourselves!

Everything’s Alright (Reprise)

[MARY MAGDALENE] Try not to get worried, try not to turn on to Problems that upset you, oh Don't you know everything's alright, yes Everything's fine [JESUS] And I think I shall sleep well tonight Let the world turn without me tonight [MARY MAGDALENE] If we try, we’ll get by So forget all about us tonight

I Don’t Know How to Love Him

[MARY MAGDALENE] I don't know how to love him What to do, how to move him I've been changed, yes really changed In these past few days When I've seen myself I seem like someone else I don't know how to take this I don't see why he moves me He's a man He's just a man And I've had so many Men before In very many ways He's just one more Should I bring him down Should I scream and shout Should I speak of love Let my feelings out? I never thought I'd come to this What's it all about? Don't you think it's rather funny I should be in this position? I'm the one Who's always been So calm, so cool No lover's fool Running every show He scares me so

I never thought I'd come to this What's it all about? Yet, If he said he loved me I'd be lost; I'd be frightened I couldn't cope Just couldn't cope I'd turn my head I'd back away I wouldn't want to know He scares me so I want him so I love him so...

Damned for All Time/Blood Money

[Damned for All Time]

[JUDAS] Now, if I help you, it matters that you see These sordid kinds of things are coming hard to me It's taken me some time to work out what to do I weighed the whole thing up before I came to you I have no thought at all about my own reward I really didn't come here of my own accord Just don't say I'm Damned for all time I came because I had to, I'm the one who saw Jesus can't control them like he did before! And furthermore, I know that Jesus thinks so, too Jesus wouldn't mind that I was here with you I have no thought at all about my own reward I really didn't come here of my own accord Just don't say I'm Damned for all time Annas, you're a friend - a worldly man and wise Caiaphas, my friend, I know you sympathise Why are we the prophets? Why are we the ones Who see the sad solution - know what must be done? I have no thought at all about my own reward I really didn't come here of my own accord Just don't say I'm damned For all time [Blood Money] [ANNAS] Cut the protesting, forget the excuses We want information; get up off the floor [CAIAPHAS] We have the papers, we need to arrest him You know his movements, we know the law [ANNAS] Your help in this matter won't go unrewarded [CAIAPHAS] We'll pay you in silver - cash on the nail We just need to know where the soldiers can find him

[ANNAS] With no crowd around him [CAIAPHAS] Then we can't fail [JUDAS] I don't need your blood money! [CAIAPHAS] Oh, that doesn't matter - our expenses are good [JUDAS] I don't want your blood money! [ANNAS] But you might as well take it; we think that you should [CAIAPHAS] Think of the things you can do with that money Choose any charity - give to the poor We've noted your motives - we've noted your feelings This isn't blood money, it's a fee

[ANNAS] Just a fee

[CAIAPHAS] It’s a fee nothing more

[JUDAS] On Thursday night, you'll find him where you want him Far from the crowds, in the Garden of Gethsemane

[CHOIR] Well done, Judas, Good old Judas Well done, Judas, Good old Judas Well done, Judas, Good old Judas Well done, Judas, Good old Judas

The Last Supper

[APOSTLES] Look at all my trials and tribulations Sinking in a gentle pool of wine Don't disturb me now; I can see the answers Till 'this evening' is 'this morning', life is fine Always hoped that I'd be an apostle Knew that I would make it if I tried Then when we retire we can write the gospels So they'll still talk about us when we've died [JESUS] The end Is just a little harder when brought about by friends For all you care, this wine could be my blood For all you care, this bread could be my body The end! This is my blood you drink This is my body you eat If you would remember me when you eat and drink I must be mad thinking I'll be remembered - yes I must be out of my head! Look at your blank faces! My name will mean nothing Ten minutes after I'm dead! One of you denies me One of you betrays me - Peter will deny me in just a few hours Three times will deny me - and that's not all I see One of you here dining, one of my twelve chosen Will leave to betray me - [JUDAS] Cut out the dramatics! You know very well who - [JESUS] Why don't you go do it? [JUDAS] You want me to do it? [JESUS] Hurry, they're waiting [JUDAS] If you knew why I do it... [JESUS] I don't care why you do it! [JUDAS] To think I admired you, for now I despise you [JESUS] You liar - you Judas [JUDAS] You want me to do it! What if I just stayed here and ruined your ambition? Christ, you deserve it! [JESUS] Hurry, you fool, hurry and go Save me your speeches, I don't wanna know - GO! [APOSTLES] Look at all my trials and tribulations Sinking in a gentle pool of wine What's that in the bread it's gone to my head Till 'this morning' is 'this evening', life is fine Always hoped that I'd be an apostle Knew that I would make it if I tried Then when we retire we can write the gospels So they'll all talk about us when we die- [JUDAS] You sad pathetic man - see where you've brought us to Our ideals die around us, and all because of you And now the saddest cut of all: Someone has to turn you in Like a common criminal, like a wounded animal A jaded mandarin Like a jaded mandarin Like a faded, jaded, jaded, faded, faded mandarin [JESUS] Get out! They're waiting! Get out! They’re waiting! Oh, They're waiting for you! [JUDAS] Every time I look at you, I don't understand Why you let the things you did get so out of hand You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned Why?!

Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)

[JESUS] I only want to say If there is a way Take this cup away from me For I don't want to taste its poison Feel it burn me, I have changed I'm not as sure as when we started Then I was inspired Now I'm sad and tired Listen, surely I've exceeded expectations? Tried for three years, seems like thirty Could you ask as much from any other man? But if I die See the saga through and do the things you ask of me Let them hate me, hit me, hurt me, nail me to their tree I'd wanna know, I'd wanna know my God I'd wanna see, I'd wanna see my God Why I should die? Would I be more noticed than I ever was before? Would the things I've said and done matter any more? I'd have to know, I'd have to know my Lord I'd have to see, I'd have to see my Lord If I die, what will be my reward? I'd have to know, I'd have to know my Lord Why should I die? Can you show me now that I would not be killed in vain? Show me just a little of your omnipresent brain Show me there's a reason for your wanting me to die You're far too keen on 'where' and 'how' and not so hot on 'why' Alright, I'll die! Just watch me die! See how I die! Then I was inspired Now, I'm sad and tired After all I've tried for three years Seems like ninety - why, then, am I Scared to finish what I started? What you started! - I didn't start it! God, I will be done Take your only son I will drink your cup of poison Nail me to your cross and break me Bleed me, beat me, kill me, take me now Before I change my mind Now, before I change my mind!

The Arrest

[Judas sings the opening line instead of Annas] [JUDAS] There he is! They're all asleep - the fools! [JESUS] Judas, must you betray me with a kiss? [PETER] What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening Tell me what's happening [APOSTLES & (PETER)] What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening What's the buzz? Tell me what's happening Hang on Lord, we're gonna fight for you Hang on Lord, we're gonna fight for you (You) Hang on Lord, we're gonna fight for you (Hang on Lord) Hang on Lord, we're gonna fight for you (We're gonna fight for you) Hang on Lord, we're gonna fight for you (Yeah) [JESUS] Put away your sword Don't you know that it's all over? It was nice, but now it's gone Why are you obsessed with fighting? Stick to fishing from now on [CROWD] Tell me, Christ, how you feel tonight Do you plan to put up a fight? Do you feel that you've had the breaks? What would you say were your big mistakes? How do you view your coming trial? Have your men proved at all worth while? Did you pick an efficient team? Is that it for the Jewish dream?

Come with us to see Caiaphas You'll just love the High Priest's house You'll just love seeing Caiaphas You'll just die in the High Priest's house Come on, God, this is not like you Let us know what you're gonna do You know what your supporters feel You'll escape in the final reel Tell me, Christ, how you feel tonight Do you plan to put up the fight? Do you feel that you've had the breaks? What would you say were your big mistakes? Come with us to see Caiaphas You'll just love the High Priest's house You'll just love seeing Caiaphas You'll just die in the High Priest's house Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we have got him! [CAIAPHAS] Jesus, you must realize The serious charges facing you You say you're the Son of God In all your handouts - well, is it true? [JESUS] That's what you say - you say that I am [ANNAS] There you have it, gentlemen What more evidence do we need? Judas, thank you for the victim Stay a while

[CAIAPHAS & ANNAS] And you'll see him bleed

[CROWD] Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Now we have him! Now we’ve got him! Take him to Pilate! Take him to Pilate! Take him to Pilate! Take him to Pilate!

Peter’s Denail

[MAID BY THE FIRE] I think I've seen you somewhere, I remember You were with that man they took away I recognize your face

[PETER] You've got the wrong man, lady, I don't know him And I wasn't where he was tonight - never near the place

[SOLDIER] That's strange, for I'm sure I saw you with him You were right by his side, and yet you denied -

[PETER] I tell you, I was never, ever with him

[OLD MAN] But I saw you too - it looked just like you

[PETER] I don't know him!

[MARY] Peter - don't you know what you have said? You've gone and cut him dead

[PETER] I had to do it, don't you see? Or else they'd go for me

[MARY] It’s what he told us you would do - I wonder how he knew ...

Pilate and Christ

[PILATE] Who is this broken man cluttering up my hallway? Who is this unfortunate? [SOLDIER] Someone Christ - king of the Jews [PILATE] Oh, so this is Jesus Christ, I am really quite surprised You look so small - not a king at all We all know that you are news - but are you king King of the Jews? [JESUS] That's what you say [PILATE] What do you mean by that? That is not an answer You're deep in trouble, friend - Someone Christ - king of the Jews How can someone in your state be so cool about your fate? An amazing thing - this silent king Since you come from Galilee, then you need not come to me You're Herod's race! You're Herod's case!

[MOB] Hosanna Hey Sanna Sanna Sanna Ho Sanna Hey Sanna Ho and how Hey JC, JC, please explain to me You had everything, where is it now?

King Herod’s Song

[HEROD] Jesus, I am overjoyed to meet you face to face You've been getting quite a name all around the place Healing cripples, raising from the dead, ha that’s pretty good And now, I understand you're God At least, that's what he said So, you are the Christ, you're the great Jesus Christ Prove to me that you're divine - change my water into wine That's all you need do, and I'll know it's all true C'mon, king of the Jews! Jesus, you just won't believe the hit you've made round here You are all we talk about, the wonder of the year! Oh, what a pity if it's all a lie Still, I'm sure that you can rock the cynics if you try So, if you are the Christ, yes the great Jesus Christ Prove to me that you're no fool - walk across my swimming pool If you do that for me, then I'll let you go free C'mon, king of the Jews!

So you decide, is he the lord or is he a fraud? Text our number now, we’ll see you after the break I only ask things I'd ask any superstar What is it that you have got that puts you where you are? Oh, I’m waiting, yes, I'm a captive fan I'm dying to be shown that you are not just any man So, if you are the Christ, yes, the great Jesus Christ Feed my household with this bread - you can do it on your head! Or has something gone wrong? Why do you take so long? C'mon, king of the Jews! Hey! Aren't you scared of me Christ? Mr Wonderful Christ! You're a joke, you're not the Lord You are nothing but a fraud! Take him away - he's got nothing to say! Get out, you king of the Get out, you king of the Get out, you king of the Jews Thank you for watching the show tonight. Join me tomorrow when I’ll be interviewing One Direction Thank you, Birmingham, and good night

Could We Start Again Please?

[This song wasn’t listed on the 1970 cast album on Genius, but it was for the 1996 London cast so I can’t tell what is different to the original]

[MARY & (APOSTLES)] I've been living to see you Dying to see you, but it shouldn't be like this This was unexpected; what do I do now? Could we start again please? (Could we start again please?) [MARY & (APOSTLES)] I've been very hopeful so far Now for the first time, I think we're going wrong Hurry up and tell me this is all a dream Or could we start again please? (Could we start again please?) [PETER] I think you've made your point now

[PETER & MARY] You've even gone a bit too far to get your message home

[PETER] Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt [MARY] So could we start again please? [APOSTLES] Could we start again please?

[MARY & (APOSTLES)] I've been living to see you Dying to see you but it shouldn't be like this This was unexpected, what do I do now? Could we start again please? (Could we start again please?) [PETER & APOSTLES] I think you've made your point now

[PETER, MARY & APOSTLES] You've even gone a bit too far to get your message home [PETER] Before it gets too frightening, we ought to call a halt [MARY] So could we start again please? [APOSTLES] Could we start again please? [PETER] Could we start again please? [MARY] Could we start again?

Judas’ Death

[JUDAS] My God! I saw him - he looked three-quarters dead! And he was so bad I had to turn my head They beat him so hard that he was bent and lame And I know who everybody's gonna blame I don't believe he knows I acted for our good I'd save him all this suffering if I could! Don't believe ... our good ... I’d save him ... if I could [ANNAS] Cut the confessions, forget the excuses I don't understand why you're filled with remorse All that you've said has come true with a vengeance The mob turned against him - you backed the right horse [CAIAPHAS] What you have done will be the saving of Israel You'll be remembered forever for this And not only that, you've been paid for your efforts Pretty good wages for one little kiss [JUDAS] Christ! I know you can't hear me But I only did what you wanted me to Christ! I'd sell out the nation For I have been saddled with the murder of you I have been spattered with innocent blood I shall be dragged through the slime and the mud I have been spattered with innocent blood I shall be dragged through the slime and the slime and the slime and the mud! I don't know how to love him I don't know why he moves me He's a man - he's just a man He's not a king - he's just the same As anyone I know He scares me so When he's cold and dead, will he let me be? Does he love me too? Does he care for me? My mind is in darkness now - my God, I am sick! I've been used! And you knew all the time! God! I'll never ever know why you chose me for your crime Your foul, bloody crime! You have murdered me! You have murdered me! You have murdered me! Murdered me! Murdered me! Murdered me! Jesus! [CHOIR] Poor old Judas, so long, Judas Poor old Judas, so long, Judas Poor old Judas, so long, Judas Poor old Judas, so long, Judas

Trial Before Pilate

[PILATE]

And so, the king is once again my guest

And why is this? Was Herod unimpressed?

[CAIAPHAS]

We turn to Rome to sentence Nazareth

We have no law to put a man to death

We need him crucified - it's all you have to do

[CAIAPHAS & ANNAS] We need him crucified - it's all you have to do

[PILATE] Talk to me Jesus Christ You have been brought here - manacled, beaten By your own people - do you have the first idea Why you deserve it? Listen king of the Jews Where is your kingdom? Look at me - am I a Jew? [JESUS] I have got no kingdom in this world - I'm through, through, through [MOB] Talk to me, Jesus Christ [JESUS] There may be a kingdom for me somewhere - if I only knew [PILATE] Then you're a king? [JESUS] It's you that say I am I look for truth, and find that I get damned [PILATE] But what is truth? Not easy to define We both have truths - are yours the same as mine? [MOB] Crucify him! Crucify him! [PILATE] What do you mean? You'd crucify your king? [MOB] We have no king but Caesar! [PILATE] He's done no wrong - no, not the slightest thing! [MOB] We have no king but Caesar! Crucify him! [PILATE] Well, this is new, Respect for Caesar! Till now, this has been noticeably lacking Who is this Jesus? Whys is he different? You Jews produce Messiahs by the sackful

[MOB] We need him crucified - it's all you have to do We need him crucified - it's all you have to do [PILATE] Talk to me, Jesus Christ! Look at your Jesus Christ I’ll agree, he’s mad Ought to be locked up But that is not a reason to destroy him He’s a sad little man Not a king or God Not a theif I need a crime [MOB] Kill him, he says he’s God, he’s a blasphemer He’ll conquer you and us and even Caesar Kill him! Crucify him! Crucify him! [PILATE] Behold the man, behold your shattered king [MOB] We have no king but Caesar [PILATE] You hypocrites, you hate us more than him [MOB] We have no king but Caesar Crucify him!

[PILATE] I find no reason, I see no evil This man is harmless so why does he upset you? He's just misguided - thinks he's important But to keep you vultures happy, I shall flog him! [MOB] Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify him! Crucify him! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! Crucify! [PILATE] One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four, twenty-five, twenty-six, twenty-seven, twenty-eight, twenty-nine, thirty, thirty-one, thirty-two, thirty-three, thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight, thirty-nine [PILATE] Where are you from Jesus? What do you want Jesus? Tell me You've got to be careful - you could be dead soon - Could well be Why do you not speak when I have your life in my hands? How can you stay quiet? I don't believe you understand [JESUS] You have nothing in your hands Any power you have comes to you from far beyond Everything is fixed, and you can't change it [PILATE] You're a fool, Jesus Christ - how can I help you? [MOB] Pilate! Crucify him! Crucify! Remember Caesar - you have a duty To keep the peace, so crucify him! Remember Caesar - you'll be demoted, you'll be deported Crucify him! Remember Caesar - you have a duty To keep the peace, so crucify him! Remember Caesar - you'll be demoted, you'll be deported Crucify him! Remember Caesar - you have a duty To keep the peace, so crucify him! Remember Caesar - you'll be demoted, you'll be deported Crucify him! [PILATE] Don't let me stop your great self destruction Die if you want to, you misguided martyr! I wash my hands of your demolition Die if you want to, you innocent puppet!

Superstar

[So much of Judas’ part of this song is ad-libbed so it’s really up to the performer how he sings and what he sings in the chorus]

[JUDAS] Every time I look at you, I don't understand Why you let the things you did get so out of hand You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned Why'd you choose such a backward time and such a strange land? If you'd come today, you would have reached a whole nation Israel in four BC had no mass communication [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Superstar Do you think you're what they say you are? Jesus Christ, Superstar Do you think you're what they say you are? [JUDAS] Tell me what you think about your friends at the top Who'd you think, besides yourself, was the pick of the crop? Buddha, was he where it's at? Is he where you are? Could Muhammad move a mountain, or was that just PR? Did you mean to die like that? Was that a mistake, or Did you know your messy death would be a record-breaker? [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] Don't you get me wrong [JUDAS] Don't you get me wrong [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] I only wanna know [JUDAS] I only wanna know [CHOIR] Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ Who are you? What have you sacrificed? Jesus Christ, Superstar Do you think you're what they say you are? Jesus Christ, Superstar Do you think you're what they say you are? [CHOIR] Only wanna know, only wanna know Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Tell me, tell me, don’t you get me wrong Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Only wanna know, only wanna know Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Tell me, tell me, don’t you get me wrong Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Only wanna know, only wanna know Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Tell me, tell me, don’t you get me wrong Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Only wanna know, only wanna know Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now Tell me, tell me, don’t you get me wrong Only wanna, only wanna, only wanna know now [JUDAS & CHOIR] Are you what they say you are?

The Curcifixion

[JESUS] God forgive them - they don't know what they're doing Who is my mother? Where is my mother? My God, my God, why have you forgotten me? I'm thirsty I'm thirsty It is finished Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit

#jesus christ superstar #jcs #jesus christ superstar 2012 #jcs 2012 #andrew lloyd webber #did this to distract my brain #because i keep wanting to refresh my kickstarter page every two seconds because i keep freaking out about whether it will reach its stretch #goals and i cant focus on drawing because i just keep shaking im so on edge #but apparently doing something like this will hold my attention #mytext #mine

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lesbianalw · 4 years ago

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Ok so judas and mary are basically parallels in jcs and that's super cool and interesting of timmy and alw to do and I'm going to explain how.

Ok so judas and mary come into conflict A LOT in the first act, judas doesn't even think jesus should associate with Mary because it'll look bad and hypocritical because she's a prostitute, and when she annoints jc with oil judas gets pissy because that money could have been used for the poor. I don't remember if any of this is biblically accurate I have not been in a theology class in years. Anyways Judas's big flaw, as you may be able to tell, is that he doesn't see nuances in jesus's teachings so he kind of just takes them literally and when jesus starts getting pissy at people (which is biblically accurate) he's like oh shit this guy's out of control and he goes to the pharisees. Mary is in love with Jesus and she respects him but she doesn't really think he's divine, she thinks he's powerful and shit but she thinks he's basically just some dude.

So judas goes to betray jesus and his reasoning is that jesus himself would want this and he initially refuses any monetary payment until the pharisees are like 'u could give it to the poor" and judas is like ugh fine. So last supper jesus screams in gethsemane whatever whatever and judas does the famous 😘. And in a lot of productions it's just like a little peck on the cheek but in some productions they like fully go for it and those productions are better.

Anyways jesus is arrested uh oh and there are some shenanigans and Peter denies him three times which is a thing in the bible and mary magdalene is like "oh shit" maybe this guy is god?? Meanwhile judas is like "what the actual fuck why are u guys being so cruel to him and he throws the money he was given down because he's so mad.

and one of the lines in the song where he does this is "pretty good wages for one little kiss" which shsbsbbsbssnwns. Its a parallel to him dissing mary for being a prostitute and when he throws the money down in parallels her spending money on the oil and "wasting it' in his eyes!!!!

Anyways then he sings a reprise of I don't know how to love him which is mary's torch song for jesus and its a very oh shit moment in the show.

Anyways jcs is absolutely fascinating and I have a bajillion thoughts on this.

#if u feel like u have read this b4 i posted it in the discord a few months ago 💔#alw #jcs

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jadelotusflower · 5 years ago

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Jesus Christ Superstar, aka dreadlocks, dreadlocks everywhere

Okay, so I already gushed about how much I love the film, but Andrew Lloyd Webber has put the 2012 Arena Spectacular up on YouTube so I thought I’d share my thoughts about this production which I also love.

I think it’s available for another 24 hours or so, and do recommend:

https://youtu.be/GpO4ohqx3os

So, I actually saw this version on stage and it really was impressive - the Overture hits much harder live.

It’s a simple set; stairs with scaffolding on each side (and the band on stage at all times). It opens with news footage of rising social tensions and protests followed by a masked mob flooding the stage - now you can’t see it very well in the filmed version, but live it was very effective seeing the row of police in riot gear slowly rise at the top of the stairs, banging their nightsicks in time with the music.

It’s pretty obviously inspired by the Occupy movement - Jesus’ followers live in a tent city and use slogans like #romelies and #followthe12 (which makes the line “No riots, no fighting, no slogans” in This Jesus Must Die rather ironic).

I’ve been a fan of Tim Minchin for a long time and I think he makes a good Judas, even if he doesn’t have a traditional musical theatre voice and his writing and performance oeuvre leans towards to comedic. He’s also a pretty outspoken atheist which gives an interesting dimension to his performance imo. He also rocks some white person dreadlocks - as does Melanie C as Mary and a few of the ensemble which...yikes.

I really like Ben Forster as Jesus, who doesn’t have dreads but does have a bit of an unfortunate wig. He does have the voice, and iirc won the role through an ALW tv show (I remember watching the ones they did for Joseph and Oliver! when I lived in the UK, but this was after I came back to Oz.)

What’s the Buzz is actually more prescient in a modern context - a trawling of social media - than when the song was written.

It’s a nice touch that at the end of Poor Jerusalem, Jesus leaves only a few followers - leaving the rest of the crowd behind, to give a stronger visual clue to the turn of the mob.

I’m not completely sure re-imagining The Temple as a nightclub really works, but I can appreciate the new arrangement with the electronic backing. I also appreciate changing the line “See my tongue I can hardly talk” to “See his tongue he can hardly talk” - for obvious reasons!

Mel C was the most talented Spice Girl.

I do like that at when Jesus orders Judas to leave in The Last Supper, he gives this petulant little “as you wish” bow. And that several of the apostles try to stop him, and he is so very heartbroken to leave - it really sells that he’s being ejected from a community of which he was once a prominent, valued member.

I really love this version of Gethsemane - particularly my favourite line of the whole show, and it only appears in this version (that I know of). The original is God thy will is hard/But you hold every card, and is changed to God thy will be done/Take your only son. I just think it’s such a powerful, anguished line.

Again you can’t see it overly clearly in the filmed version, but after the Judas kiss, and Jesus hugs him on Must you betray me with a kiss? Judas starts to desperately cling to Jesus and has to be forcibly removed by the guards.

Peter is so wee! I’m not sure Peter’s Denial works set below ground as it’s kind of hard to believe some homeless drunks would be a genuine threat to him - in the film it works better since there’s actually an off duty Roman solider there.

But I much prefer this version of Could We Start Again Please? Wee Peter has pipes!

When I lived in the UK I had a job where Radio 1 was played all day - so I’m very familiar with Chris Moyles, as he was hosting the breakfast show at the time. He’s fine - I think it’s always a challenge to make a modern interpretation of Herod, and “King of TV” is probably a good a choice as any. The “Is he the Lord or is he a Fraud” text voting is fairly apt though.

The fine print: The results are for entertainment purposes only and do not affect any real votes. The outcome is predetermined by the character of King Herod who really is going to find Jesus guilty of being a fraud otherwise it would be a very short Act 2.

Andrew O’Keefe was Herod in the Australian production. He was also fine.

Trial by Pilate is so very grim. I do appreciate the line from the mob Kill him!/He says he’s God he’s a blasphemer/He’ll conquer you and us and even Caesar which the film excised. It’s also interesting that the mob is contained behind barbed wire - all the power remains with Pilate, and the choice.

The crown of thorns is also made from barbed wire, and the cross is made from stage lights. I feel like I say “that’s a nice touch” I lot, but it is.

John 19:41 is very moving - Mary weeping and rose petals falling from above; the followers create a wall of remembrance. It really is a beautiful piece of music, and when I saw it live you could hear a pin drop.

So yeah, I really love this version too.

#jesus christ superstar #andrew lloyd webber #tim rice #stage musicals #my musical long weekend #my musical binge watch #jlf posts #jlf rewatch

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five-wow · 5 years ago

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Author Asks

Rules: answer these questions and tag five other fic writers to do the same.

I was tagged by the wonderful @novemberhush. Thank you, omg, because I love rambling about writing and this is the best kind of opportunity to do so, handed on a silver platter, ahh. 😊

Author Name: Square / Squares / SquaresAreNotCircles

Fandoms You Write For: I’m a fandom hopper! In the past year or so it’s been Hawaii Five-0 (a truly ridiculous amount), Shadowhunters, Venom, Harry Potter, due South and Stargate Atlantis. Other fandoms I’ve written at least one fic for are Twilight, Doctor Who, Torchwood, Glee, BBC Merlin, BBC Atlantis, Teen Wolf, In The Flesh, Star Wars, Supernatural, the MCU and High School Musical. And uh, Alexander the Great/Voltaire fic (which would be... history fandom? RPF?) and one (1) Judas/Jesus Biblefic. If we’re getting really technical, also a tiny little bit of One Direction fic.

It should be noted that all of this is about fic that ended up getting posted somewhere on the interwebs - there are multiple Star Trek (TOS/AOS and DS9) fics lingering in my drafts (!! one day I will finish one of them), as well as some How To Train Your Dragon, The Good Place and Deadpool stuff, and definitely more I’ve forgotten.

Where You Post: Since I made the switch to writing in English everything has landed on ao3, but I used to write mostly in Dutch, so there’s still close to a million words, I think, under my name on quizlet.nl (not to be confused with quizlet.com, which is a very different website).

Most Popular One-Shot: That depends on how you’re measuring popularity! Going by kudos, it’s Tell me I’m perfect (but tell me the truth), a Magnus/Alec Shadowhunters fic. It’s the truth is a really old fic about Percy Weasley/Oliver Wood from Harry Potter that has the most hits out of all my works, and That time Steve kissed every single Avenger (and also Bucky), an MCU Steve/Bucky fic, has the greatest number of comment threads.

Also, since this is an h50 blog: for my fic in this fandom Wanted: partner (in crime) has the most kudos and hits; You had me at meow has the most comments.

Most Popular Multi-Chapter Story: I’m working on one for h50 (going slowly, so slowly), but I don’t have any posted to ao3. I used to write a lot of multi-chaptered work in my quizlet.nl days, and I think my most popular fic there was probably the second fic I ever wrote, when I was fourteen or fifteen, which was a next-gen Harry Potter fic with shifting and overlapping POVs from the three Potter kids. It was kind of, well, not great, but it’s probably what really cemented my writing habit, it’s still my longest fic ever (over a 100k!) and I got my first fandom friends out of it, including one I’m still in contact with to this day, even though neither of us writes much if anything for Harry Potter anymore.

Favourite Story You Wrote: Ohhh, that’s such an impossible question, especially because I’ve been churning out one-shots like I might actually be getting paid for it, so there’s so much to choose from, which is a thing I have difficulty doing at the best of times, holy shit. Uh, I once wrote a 70k Remus/Sirius (Harry Potter) modern college-ish AU in Dutch that I still like; weirdly, I think that Biblefic holds up (also Dutch), and the HSM fic is fun to reread once in a while because of the fourth wall break, as is That escalated quickly, a Percy/Oliver fic. Ooh, and the fic about Shuri and Stucky and a goat!

For h50, it’s even harder to choose, because my preferences change pretty much weekly (a combination of newer fic being shinier, looking back at fic from even just a few months ago and finding things I would have done differently now, and comments influencing the way I personally look at my own fic), but right now, I’d say I still really like the fic where Steve adopts some guinea pigs, the one with the slightly tipsy team bonding by talking about mutual crushes and this 9.11 coda fix fluff getting together thing.

Story You Were Nervous to Post: That Biblefic, haha, because it’s a very complicated topic and my aim was definitely not to offend. People were really sweet about it, though! Mostly, they were kind of shocked it wasn’t crack, but that’s fair, because so was I.

Also pretty much anything I post in a new fandom, really, and low key just... anything at all. I’m always a little scared I tagged something super badly or accidentally copy-pasted the wrong text or unknowingly wrote something super offensive or whatever, despite my double- and triplechecking of the posting form. (I’m also still kind of scared people on ao3 will randomly decide they hate my fic and my writing and me personally (ao3 is really big and very anonymous and coming from the small town that was quizlet.nl even in its heyday, that’s scary), but that fear has abated as I’ve posted more, just because the data is showing pretty conclusively that thought is as irrational as it sounds. Everyone is always so nice, gosh.)

How Do You Pick Your Titles: Mostly, I steal lines from random songs. I have a small pile of song lyrics to use as potential titles, because going on a seperate hunt for every new fic would take most of my waking hours. Sometimes, I’ll use a pun (like You had me at meow or Retail Therapy) or something else that I think sounds good, especially if the fic is mostly comedy and/or has a specific premise that would do well in a title (like Five times the Governor of Hawaii suspects his taskforce leaders are violating fraternization policies (and one time they tell him they are)).

Do You Outline: I’m mostly writing fic of (sometimes much) less than 5k at the moment, so not really. I do sometimes write tiny bits of a bunch of scenes and then fill in the rest around that, which is a kind of outline, in a way. For longer works, I usually make a one page bullet point list of things that need to happen and work from there, because I can’t do really extensive outlining or I’ll just get caught up in the details and lose all of the oversight a tool like that is supposed to give you, as well as most of my enthusiasm for the project.

How Many Of Your Stories Are Complete: Of the ones posted? On ao3, all of them, because unfinished posted one-shot works would require some strange bending of those concepts. On quizlet.nl, I do have some abandoned works, but I think 80% is finished.

In-Progress: SO MUCH. Seriously, just, so much, oh god. I’d really like to write another Stargate Atlantis fic (and I have 30% of one done), and something more for due South, too, and maybe a small Percy/Oliver thing again some time because they were my very first OTP and I kind of miss them, but mostly I have, like, 100+ half written things for h50. I really wish that number was an exaggeration. There’s no way they’ll all get finished, but maybe... a third? Mayhaps?

That One Truly Long H50 Fic that I was already talking about way back in October last year is also eternally “in progress”. The thing is that it has about 25k now, after a year, and I think it needs... at least four times that. Probably. So either I’ll have to stick with this fandom and my slow progress for another three years to have a shot at getting it finished, or I’ll need to find a way to up the speed a little. Maybe I could try working on it for NaNo this November? That would be pretty awesome, but honestly, part of why it’s moving this slowly is because NaNo-style fast and messy writing for this scares me a little, because I might end up writing a lot, decide it’s not what I wanted for it, and become too intimidated to ever edit and/or rewrite the entire thing. But idk, I probably just need to get over my own fears, because I really do want to write Longer Fic again. Short stuff is fun and feels really productive and that’s great, but I miss the actual slow burn and build-up that only 50k+ words can give you.

Coming Soon: Hopefully a lot? For h50, that is. I have no idea what’s getting posted next, because I’m never entirely sure what’s going to be finished next and something really random might come jumping in, but at the moment I’m trying to direct most of my energies at a slightly longer fic I’ve been working on for months (not The Long Fic, a different one), a fic labeled “9.01 memory loss fic”, another one temporarly entitled “Perfect Kauai beach house vacation”, and maybe an ace!Steve fic I’ve been working on, if I ever manage to uh, actually finish that, instead of rewriting three sentences during every round of editing and never actually adding anything to fill in the gaps it still has. There will also be more season 10 codas, in all likelihood.

Do You Accept Prompts: I’ve never done that before in the traditional way, but I’m thinking about it! I’d love to try (and it would be a breath of fresh air, in some ways!), but the main thing holding me back is that I have way too much on my plate with just my own ideas to work off of, and I don’t want to disappoint people. Maybe if I do drabble-ish prompt fills? It’s definitely been on my mind.

Upcoming Story You’re the Most Excited For: I’m excited for a lot of stuff, but honestly, the top spot right now probably goes to the ace!Steve fic. I’m not even sure it’s that good, necessarily, but it’s, idk, really cathartic, I suppose. Seriously self-indulgent in strange but very good ways. I really like writing it. (Second spot goes to the beach vacation fic, because I haven’t actually written that much for it, but it’s been my go-to easy happy place for the last few weeks.)

I’m tagging @love2hulksmash @thekristen999 @stephmcx @girlonastring @flowerfan2 and @pterawaters, which is six people because I can’t count, but I’m about to make it seven because I’m also tagging you, the person reading this (hi there!). Say I tagged you and tag me so I can read it! I know that kind of thing can feel awkward, but it won’t be, because I’m cheering you on. Go for it, if you want to do it. :D

#tagged in #writing #*#question: [requires maybe two words to be answered]#me: [writes two lengty paragraphs]#i guess that also tells you something about what kind of writer i am

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