The songs were written and conceived as an
album musical, before the musical was created and staged. On the original album, the part of Jesus was sung by
Ian Gillan, with
Murray Head as Judas,
Michael d'Abo as
King Herod,
Yvonne Elliman as Mary Magdalene, and
Barry Dennen as Pilate. In July 1971, the first authorised American production of the
rock opera took place in front of an audience of 13,000 people at
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's
Civic Arena—staged as a concert, like an
oratorio, rather than enacted, with
Jeff Fenholt singing the role of Jesus,
Carl Anderson as Judas and Elliman repeating as Mary Magdalene. In August 1971,
MCA Records executive David Skepner reported that MCA had been investigating and shutting down 21 unauthorised productions in the US to protect the rights of London-based
Leeds Music, which owned the musical. The biggest violations Skepner found were a theatre troupe from
Toronto that had crossed the US–Canada border to perform with the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra, with only a few hours' prior announcement, and another big production mounted by the
Las Vegas Hilton. Other American cities with unauthorised productions included
Washington D.C.,
Boston,
Kansas City,
Baltimore,
San Francisco,
Cincinnati,
Richmond,
Louisville,
Cleveland,
St. Louis,
Memphis,
Atlanta,
Columbus,
Troy,
Philadelphia,
Los Angeles,
New Orleans,
Brooklyn in
New York City, and
Hollywood, Florida. Court injunctions were obtained in each of these cities to close the shows. Producer
Robert Stigwood, who was assembling an authorised touring company, called these unsanctioned groups "outright pirates", stressing that he would continue to protect his rights by "relentlessly" pursuing legal action.
Original Broadway production The musical opened on Broadway on 12 October 1971, directed by
Tom O'Horgan, at the
Mark Hellinger Theatre. It starred
Jeff Fenholt as Jesus,
Ben Vereen as Judas and
Bob Bingham as Caiaphas. Dennen and Elliman played the roles that they had sung on the album. Paul Ainsley was Herod. Carl Anderson replaced Vereen when he fell ill, and the two performers later took turns playing the role. The show closed on 30 June 1973 after 711 performances. The production received mixed reviews; the bold casting of African-Americans as Judas was lauded, but reviewer
Clive Barnes from
The New York Times said, "the real disappointment was not in the music ... but in the conception." The show was nominated for five
Tony Awards, including Best Score, but won none. Lloyd Webber won a
Drama Desk Award as "Most Promising Composer", and Vereen won a
Theatre World Award.
Controversy The Broadway show and subsequent productions were condemned by different religious groups. Tim Rice was quoted as saying, "It happens that we don't see Christ as God but simply the right man at the right time at the right place."
Christians considered such comments to be
blasphemous, the character of Judas too sympathetic, and some of his criticisms of Jesus offensive. The musical's lack of allusion to the
resurrection of Jesus has resulted in criticism similar to that of fellow musical
Godspell, which also did not clearly depict a resurrection. At the same time, some
Jews claimed that it bolstered the myth of
Jewish deicide by showing most of the villains as Jewish (
Caiaphas and the other priests, Herod) and showing the mob in Jerusalem calling for Christ's crucifixion. The musical was banned in
South Africa for being "
irreligious", and in the
Hungarian People's Republic for "distribution of religious propaganda".
Other 1970s and 1980s productions Superstar opened at the
Palace Theatre in London in 1972, starring
Paul Nicholas as Jesus,
Stephen Tate as Judas and
Dana Gillespie as Mary Magdalene. It was directed by Australian
Jim Sharman and based on his 'stripped back' production staged in Australia soon after the Broadway production opened. This version was deemed by the creators to be more efficient than the New York show, hence its use as a template for London and other subsequent productions. This production was much more successful than the original production on Broadway, running for eight years and becoming the United Kingdom's longest-running musical at the time.
Dmitri Shostakovich attended this production in London just before his death. He regretted that he could not have composed something like it; he lauded especially a rock band underpinning full symphonic strings, brass, and woodwind. One of the earliest foreign productions was
a five-day run in Sweden at
Scandinavium in
Gothenburg, opening on 18 February 1972 and playing to 74,000 people (a record at the time). Starring as Mary Magdalene was
Agnetha Fältskog. On 16 March 1972 an oratorio version was performed at
Memorial Drive Park in Adelaide, South Australia as part of the
Adelaide Festival of the Arts. This was followed in May by the first official Australian production (A studio production was made in Australia earlier the same year, but it wasn't officially licensed), at the
Capitol Theatre, Sydney, later moving to the
Palais Theatre in Melbourne. Sharman again directed, and the cast included Trevor White as Jesus,
Jon English as Judas, and
Michele Fawdon (1972–1973) and
Marcia Hines (1973–1974) as Mary Magdalene. Hines was the first black woman to play the role. Other cast members included
Reg Livermore,
John Paul Young,
Stevie Wright and
Rory O'Donoghue as well as
Graham Russell and
Russell Hitchcock who met during the production and subsequently formed the band
Air Supply. The production ran until February 1974. In June 1972 the show opened in
Belgrade,
Yugoslavia, in
Atelje 212 theatre, in adaptation by
Jovan Ćirilov. The role of Jesus Christ was played by
Korni Grupa vocalist
Zlatko Pejaković, the role of Mary Magdalene by Azra Halinović and the role of Pontius Pilate by
Branko Milićević. The production was praised by the Yugoslav public. In 1974, first Spanish-language production ran in Mexico with the title "Jesucristo Super Estrella".
Julissa played Mary Magdalen. One year later, the musical was released for the second time in a Spanish-speaking country. It was released in Spain under the title "Jesucristo Superstar" and directed by the Spanish singer and songwriter
Camilo Sesto, who also played the title role of Jesus Christ. The musical was seen in 1974 in Peru and Singapore.
Robert Stigwood launched two road touring companies in 1971 to cover North America, with
Robert Corff and Tom Westerman as Jesus, respectively. The first major United States national tour, however, began in 1976, managed by Laura Shapiro Kramer. The tour continued until 1980. In 1977, the show had its first Broadway revival, running from 23 November 1977 to 12 February 1978. It was directed by William Daniel Grey, with choreography by Kelly Carrol and starred William Daniel Grey as Jesus, Patrick Jude as Judas, and Barbara Niles as Mary Magdalene. Regional productions followed. In 1981, Emilio de Soto directed an English-language version in Venezuela, with 163 actors. From 1982 to 1984, an Australian production toured Australia and South-East Asia, directed by Trevor White, who also reprised his role of Jesus. The cast included
Doug Parkinson as Judas and
Marcia Hines (reprising her role as Mary Magdalene).
1990s and 2000s The
North American touring revival of
Superstar in 1992 starred Neeley and Anderson reprising their respective Broadway and
1973 film roles as Jesus and Judas, receiving positive reviews for their performances. This production also starred both
Dennis DeYoung as Pilate, and
Syreeta and
Irene Cara sharing Mary Magdalene. Originally expected to run for three to four months, the tour ended up running for five years. Original cast replacements to this tour included Christine Rea as Mary Magdalene,
Jason Raize as Pontius Pilate and
Simone as the Maid by the Fire and understudy for Mary. Also in 1992, a touring concert version was staged in Australia starring
John Farnham as Jesus,
Jon Stevens as Judas and
Kate Ceberano as Mary.
Anthony Warlow was also originally set to star as Pilate but he had to leave the production due to his
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma diagnosis, though he was replaced by John Waters. This production broke box office records and produced a number 1 soundtrack album. In 1994, a New Zealand production starred Darryl Lovegrove as Jesus,
Jay Laga'aia,
Catherine Laga’aia’s father, as Judas and
Frankie Stevens as Caiaphas. Also in 1994, a stage version titled
Jesus Christ Superstar: A Resurrection was performed in
Atlanta,
Austin and
Seattle featuring
Amy Ray and
Emily Saliers of the
Indigo Girls as Jesus and Mary Magdalene respectively, and
Michael Lorant as Judas. In 1996, the musical was revived in London at the
Lyceum Theatre and ran for a year and a half. Directed by
Gale Edwards, it starred
Steve Balsamo and
Zubin Varla as Jesus and Judas, and
Joanna Ampil as Mary Magdalene.
Alice Cooper sang the role of King Herod on the cast recording but did not play the role on stage. The production was nominated for an
Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival but did not win. It was followed by a UK tour. This production was revived on Broadway at the
Ford Center for the Performing Arts in 2000, starring
Glenn Carter as Jesus and
Tony Vincent as Judas. It opened to mixed reviews and ran for 161 performances. It was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical but did not win. In 2002, a national tour starred
Sebastian Bach as Jesus and Carl Anderson once again as Judas. Bach received mixed reviews while Anderson was again praised. In April 2003, Bach was replaced by
Eric Kunze. Anderson left the show later in 2003 after being diagnosed with leukaemia and died in 2004. The tour closed shortly after Anderson's departure. In 2004, a year-long UK tour began, directed by Bob Tomson and
Bill Kenwright. Carter reprised his role as Jesus, with
James Fox as Judas. In December 2004, a successful Scandinavian tour starred Peter Murphy as Jesus, Kristen Cummings as Mary Magdalene, Jon Boydon née Stokes as Judas,
Jérôme Pradon as King Herod and Michael-John Hurney as Pilate. A US tour starring Neeley, reprising his role as Jesus,
Corey Glover as Judas, and Christine Rea as Mary, began in 2006 and played for five years. A Chilean
heavy metal version has played annually in
Santiago since 2004. In Boston,
Gary Cherone portrayed Jesus in productions in 1994, 1996 and 2003 and Judas in 2000.
2010s and 2020s A new production of
Jesus Christ Superstar was mounted at the
Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in
Stratford, Ontario, in 2011. Directed by
Des McAnuff, the cast starred
Paul Nolan as Jesus,
Josh Young as Judas,
Brent Carver as Pilate,
Chilina Kennedy as Mary Magdalene,
Bruce Dow as Herod and
Melissa O'Neil as Martha. This moved to
La Jolla Playhouse later in the year and transferred to the
Neil Simon Theatre on Broadway in 2012, with
Tom Hewitt taking over the role of Pilate. Reviews were mixed. The revival was nominated for two Tonys: Best Revival and, for Young, Best Actor. Neither award was won, but Young won a
Theatre World Award. The revival closed after 116 performances and 24 previews. Through a 2012
ITV competition TV show called
Superstar, produced by
Andrew Lloyd Webber, the UK public chose
Ben Forster for the role of Jesus in an
arena tour of the musical, beginning at
O2 in September 2012. Lloyd Webber stated, "The funny thing is that
Jesus Christ Superstar [as a rock concert] is what we actually intended it to be. When it is done in a conventional proscenium theatre production, it feels shoe-horned in. That is why I wanted to do this."
Andrew O'Keefe played King Herod in Australia, with
Jon Stevens, who had played Judas in the 1992 Australian arena tour, as Pilate. In 2016, celebrating 45 years since the musical debuted on Broadway,
Jesus Christ Superstar returned to London at
Regent's Park Open Air Theatre from 15 July to 27 August, directed by
Timothy Sheader. The production won the
BBC Radio 2 Audience Award for Best Musical at the
Evening Standard Theatre Awards, and a
Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival. The production returned as part of the 2017 season, running from 11 August 2017 to 23 September. The
Lyric Opera of Chicago hosted a run from late April 2018 to late May 2018. before returning to London at the
Barbican Centre from 9 July to 24 August 2019, prior to a 50th anniversary US tour from October 2019. However, due to the
COVID-19 pandemic, the US tour was temporarily suspended in March 2020. The production returned to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in a socially distanced environment in a concert staging from 14 August to 27 September 2020. The US tour resumed performances on 28 September 2021 at the
Keller Auditorium. On 23 November 2021, James D. Beeks, who played Judas in the tour, was arrested for involvement in the
2021 United States Capitol attack. Beeks, performing in the show under the stage name James T. Justis, is alleged to have been one of those who forced entry into the Capitol and to have paid dues to the far right-wing anti-government militia
Oath Keepers. Beeks was immediately suspended from the touring production with the role of Judas assumed by another performer in the cast. On 2 December 2021,
Tyrone Huntley, who played Judas in the 2016 London production, and later Simon, in Hollywood, was announced to have replaced Beeks. A UK tour began at the
Palace Theatre, Manchester from September 2023 featuring comedian
Julian Clary as Herod. In 2017, a production featuring an all-Black cast was directed by
Ron Kellum at the
Paramount Theatre in
Aurora, IL. Kellum's production ran from 19 April 2017 through 28 May 2017. A new actor-musician revival was performed at the
Watermill Theatre,
Newbury from 24 June until 21 September 2025, directed by Paul Hart. In August 2025, a production of the show was presented at the
Hollywood Bowl starring
Cynthia Erivo as Jesus,
Adam Lambert as Judas,
Phillipa Soo as Mary,
Raul Esparza as Pilate,
Josh Gad as Herod,
Zachary James as Caiaphas,
Milo Manheim as Peter,
Tyrone Huntley as Simon, and
Brian Justin Crum as Annas. Two days before opening, Gad tested positive for
COVID-19 and the role of Herod was covered by
John Stamos the following day for one of the three performances. In October 2025, it was announced that an international tour of the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production would begin in
Manila,
Philippines, at the
Theatre at Solaire from May 2026, with additional stops in
Taipei,
Taiwan at the
National Theatre,
Hong Kong at the
Hong Kong Cultural Centre and
Singapore at the
Sands Theatre announced thus far. On 7 November 2025, it was announced that the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production will be staged at
The London Palladium, running for a limited 11-week season from 20 June to 5 September 2026.
Sam Ryder will star as Jesus.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson,
Boy George,
Layton Williams,
Simon Russell Beale,
Richard Armitage, and
Julian Clary are set to alternate in the role of King Herod. In March 2026,
Tyrone Huntley joined the cast as Judas with Desmonda Cathabel as Mary and
David Thaxton as Pilate.
Notable international productions Two notable Jesuses were
Takeshi Kaga, in the 1976 Japanese production, and
Camilo Sesto in the 1975 Spanish production. Mary Magdalene was played by
Rocío Banquells in a 1981 production in Mexico. An Australian arena tour launched in 1992, with an all-star line-up. Headline stars John Farnham (Jesus), Jon Stevens (Judas) and Kate Ceberano (Mary) lead this star-studded cast, including John Waters (Pilate) and Angry Anderson (Herod). A Czech version premiered in 1994 in
Prague's Spirála Theatre and ran until 1998, with 1288 performances. In the 2000s, a Venezuelan production ran for two years (2006–2008), directed by
Michel Hausmann. A Spanish production produced by
Stage Entertainment ran from 2007 to 2009, followed by long-running productions in Italy and Sweden (featuring
Ola Salo) and Norway. Concerts of the show have been mounted in Vienna, Austria, since 1981, including one on Easter of 2015 starring
Drew Sarich in the title role. A 2014 production in
São Paulo, Brazil starred
Igor Rickli as Jesus.
Negra Li was Mary Magdalene. A 2014 production in
Lima, Peru, at the Sarita Colonia prison, as part of a rehabilitation program for inmates, received some press. Eighty prisoners mounted the production, directed by inmate Freddy Battifora, who also played the role of Jesus. The Catholic Church approved of the production. It was so successful it would run again in 2021 and 2024. == Recordings and radio broadcasts ==