Russian theatre shelves 'offensive' 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

france24.com ^ | September 29th, 2012 | Staff

[bronxville]

AFP - A theatre in southern Russia has stopped selling tickets to the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" after prosecutors launched a probe into whether it is offensive to devout Christians, officials said Saturday.

Saint Petersburg's Rock Opera company was to perform the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical -- a 1970s classic that has been regularly performed in Russia -- at the Philharmonic in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on October 18.

However prosecutors launched a probe after a group of local residents complained that the musical presented a distorted image of Jesus Christ.

"A probe is under way, and subsequently the appropriate decision will be taken," a spokesperson for the Rostov prosecutors told the Interfax news agency....

[Gene Eric]

In before the statists.

[Romulus]

Good. This mawkish spectacle of recycled legends has nothing new or interesting or authentic or in any sense worthwhile to say about Jesus

[fieldmarshaldj]

It’s just bad ‘70s theater.

[dalebert]

just bad theater...yes it is.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Even worse, thanks to that headline, I now have that stupid title song playing over and over again in my head.

[Blue Highway]

Hopefully it is at least the Ian Gillan from Deep Purple version of Jesus Christ Superstar you are hearing in your head.

[KGeorge]

Thank you. I was so offended by this as a teenager.

[SpaceBar]

Jesus Christ Superstar was great. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice at their best. What’s wrong with all these perpetually offended?

[bronxville]

Agree, it’s a slippery slope once started. Start doing it for us and the Islamists will have their way.

[Secret Agent Man]

Jesus Christ Superstar IS offensive.

Jesus is not a rock star. He is not a superstar. He does not parade around on a stage singing to crappy rock music. He is not your buddy you go listen to tunes with.

He is God. he is Lord. He is Savior. And when He comes back in full glory and power all the people who looked at Him as some tune singing, redneck fantasy to be mocked and ridiculed as the butt of their small jokes, are going to be clawing the carpet.

[SpaceBar]

The above is obviously a rhetorical question, but the real answer is that the mind nazis want to dictate what you think. Mohammed blows goats through chain link fence.

[SpaceBar]

Jesus Christ Superstar IS offensive.

No it isn't. But if you think it is, move to pakistan.

[Political Junkie Too]

He does not parade around on a stage singing to crappy rock music.

Maybe they should have done Godspell instead.

-PJ

[Secret Agent Man]

You can worship crappy musicals, I will worship the real Jesus Christ.

And I have the 1st Amendment, so you can move to Pakistan, jerk.

[SpaceBar]

I seem to have touched your “inner taliban”.

[VanDeKoik]

Ok, but do you support censorship of this production?

[Agamemnon]

Jesus Christ Superstar was great. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice at their best. What’s wrong with all these perpetually offended?

The most significant problem is that Jesus Christ Superstar leaves Jesus Christ as dead -- just the way Satan would have liked Him to have remained.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead and His purpose on Earth was to conquer death -- the consequence of sin. His personal sacrifice which conquered death is what allows for man's eternal salvation.

Funny how you refer to those who care about such an important doctrinal point as the "perpetually" offended.

The ignorance found in your statement actually carries with it "perpetual" consequences.

FReegards!

[Secret Agent Man]

Don’t they as a people have a right to determine that on their own? If they believe so strongly in it, defy the government, do it anyway, take it to court. They have the right to determine what they think is offensive, through both the government and citizen action.

[SpaceBar]

Don’t they as a people have a right to determine that on their own?

You inadvertently redeemed yourself.