Rock opera with lyrics by Tim Rice & music by Andrew Lloyd Webber

German version by Timothy Roller (2023)
Andrew Lloyd Webber created his first hit in the early seventies with the rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Tim Rice's libretto skilfully combined biblical history with the current zeitgeist in the wake of the student movement of 1968. The rock opera tells the story of the last seven days of Jesus' life in a sequence of images: the Nazarene, celebrated by the masses as a superstar, is seen by the Pharisees as a threat to Roman supremacy in the country, as the enthusiasm of the population takes on a life of its own. An uprising against the rulers was imminent.
In Judas' opinion, the enthusiasm of the masses must be stopped, which he believes is only possible if Jesus is arrested. To this end, he reveals the whereabouts of the superstar, who is arrested. Dragged before the crowd and mocked by Herod, the people's former admiration for Jesus turns to hatred. The humiliation of the people's former idol causes even Judas to despair. Jesus ends up on the cross.

With their work, the composer and his librettist Tim Rice created a prototype for the rock opera genre, which is conceived as a show despite its serious content. For his setting of the text, Lloyd Webber utilised almost all the possibilities of pop music available at the time and combined the sound of a rock combo with the tonal possibilities of a classical orchestra. Songs such as Jesus Christ Superstar and I don't know how to love him still contribute to the great success of this rock opera today, as do the emotional songs of Judas.


Secure your place now for our Jesus Christ Superstar summer theatre in Görlitz!


Please note: We would like to point out that strobe lighting will be used in this production.

Alter Schlachthof Görlitz | Cottbusser Straße 21, 02826 Görlitz