Rome School Production of Jesus Christ Superstar Sparks Backlash
Image courtesy of Melena Ventresca.
By Alexandra Berrick
To commemorate its 40th anniversary season, the Rome School of Performing Arts is putting on a production of Jesus Christ Superstar as its Fall 2025 musical. Originally released as a concept album by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice in 1970, the rock opera depicts the final days in the life of Jesus from Judas’ perspective. There will be five showings between November 20–23 at Hartke Theatre. The link to purchase tickets is available on The Nest.
Although the show has Jesus Christ in the name, it is a secular interpretation of the gospels. In the words of Father Aquinas Guilbeau, O.P., University Chaplain and Director of Campus Ministry, “The production is intentionally provocative… the music takes us into the mind of a man who misunderstood Jesus, who got his mission terribly wrong, and who in frustration finally handed Jesus over to death.”
The play differs from traditional Christian doctrine in a few key areas: it portrays Jesus as a flawed, undivine human; it depicts Jesus as a messenger rather than the savior; and the lyrics strongly imply, at the very least, a one-sided romantic attraction between Mary Magdalene and Jesus.
The show has a history of controversy; when the concept album was initially released, it was banned by BBC Radio for sacrilege. More recently, this past August, a Hollywood Bowl production of Jesus Christ Superstar drew accusations of blasphemy. These accusations were due to the casting of Cynthia Erivo, a Black bisexual woman, as Jesus. Erivo is considered an LGBT icon and also identifies as Catholic.
With this history of controversy, it is no surprise that there has been backlash surrounding the Rome School’s production.
On Sunday, September 28, an email was sent out to members of the CUA community who are affiliated with the music department. This email expressed concern regarding the production and questioned whether or not it aligned with the university’s mission. The email urged recipients to voice any worries to administrative staff.
As a papally chartered institution, Catholic University is in a unique position. According to its mission statement, The Catholic University of America is committed to being “faithful to the teachings of Jesus Christ as handed on by the Church.”
On whether the musical conflicts with this mission statement, Jay Brock, the production’s stage director, says, “We always have to see this as a secular piece of art and not as an explicitly Catholic work… this musical has the potential to advance the message of Christ in our University community and in the greater DC area.”
On Friday, October 3, Brock and Bryan Lilley, the production’s music director, held a listening session to respond to student concerns. According to Brock, this event was “a beautifully gracious dialogue… one of my favorite aspects of working at CUA for the past 15 years in that no conversation is off the table and when there are disagreements, thoughtful and charitable conversations can be had.”
When asked how he will address concerns, Brock pointed to the uniqueness of Jesus Christ Superstar as a concept album without a script; there are no written stage directions or character descriptions. “This is very unusual for a musical, and it opens the text up to be highly moldable by a director to essentially ‘author’ their point of view into the musical.” Brock will take advantage of this flexibility to minimize potentially misleading plotlines.
For example, on the controversial relationship between Jesus and Mary Magdalene, Brock says, “I do not find that this is explicitly implied in the lyrics, and I do not hold this view personally. So, as the director, I can create thoughtful staging to avoid any misconception about this issue.”
Regarding depictions of Jesus as solely human, “Remember this is the story of Jesus told through the perspective of the betrayer Judas. His perspective is flawed and inaccurate… We have some plans to add some staging and visuals that will add support for the divinity of Christ. Additionally, we plan to write a director’s note to help the audience frame the musical and plan to have a short pre-show speech to provide context.”
According to Fr. Aquinas, this production will allow for prayerful contemplation—if it is correctly executed. “Christians have long placed themselves imaginatively into the roles of the apostles, the crowd, and other characters in the Gospel narratives. This is a good way to enter prayerfully into the mysteries of Our Lord’s life and teachings. If done well, placing ourselves imaginatively into the role of Judas, too, can be helpful… As long as Judas remains for us a prime example of what not to think and do.”
To students discerning whether or not they should see the play, Fr. Aquinas would advise, “read up on the production, including positive and negative reviews of it. I would suggest too that they speak with their peers in the cast, to get their take on it. Students can also reach out to the Rome School or Campus Ministry for further guidance regarding the production.”
In the end, the choice is up to the individual on whether or not they choose to see Jesus Christ Superstar. In the words of Fr. Aquinas, “Good people can disagree over the goodness or usefulness of certain pieces of art, especially provocative ones. When the subject of the art is Jesus, the stakes rise for all sides. As long as everyone proceeds in patience, understanding, and presuming the goodwill of the other, then disagreements over art—especially religious art—can be enlightening and healthy.”
