Jesus Was a Hippie Freak

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Remember "The Golden Turkey Awards"? They voted Ted Neely ("Jesus Christ Superstar") as the winner in The Worst Performance by an Actor as Jesus Christ category, beating out Jeffrey Hunter ("King of Kings") and others. I actually kind of liked Neely's performance, as over the top as it was. Who would you pick?

 

[JazzManJim]

As the worst Jesus? Easy - Willem Dafoe in "The Last Temptation of Christ".

 

[Spinaroonie]

Didn't Donny Osmond play Jesus or something?

 

[Spinaroonie]

Oh wait! Keanu Reeves in the Matrix. Not a good Jesus.

 

[Starblayde]

Graham Chapman....

oh wait, he wasn't the Saviour... he was just a very naughty boy.

Ahh but Neo was a metaphorical/allegorical Jesus..... shouldn'y count

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Didn't Donny Osmond play Jesus or something?

That was Joseph, and he was actually pretty good.

 

[Dhalgren]

You mean Ted Neely?

I think he’s a wonderful actor.
I saw Superstar in Santa Barbara with the entire original cast in 92.

It was absolutely surperb..

 

[kotori]

I liked Billy Crudup as Jesus' Son, does that count?

 

[riff]

I loved JCS and still listen to it from time to time.

Neeley was an excellent Jesus for the role in that production.

What the fuck did Jesus look like anyway? Seems to me that the best Jesus would be the one that conveys the idea of the production in the first place- not the "real" Jesus, if there was such a person. The was a guy named Jesus back there in the days of Charlton Heston and Victor Mature, yes?

I loved Dafoe in The Last Temptation of Christ. It was an excellent movie, I thought. Dafoe doesn't look like the Jesus that the artists of the Italian Renaissance painted. He didn't act like that either. He was HUMAN- not god. Human- full of doubt, fear, and lust. I mean what is the point- if the real Jesus didn't feel that stuff, why would anyone listen to him anyway? Neeley in JCS also portayed the idea of a human Jesus at times (even though he resembled the idea of what people think Jesus looked like). And just like the Last Temptation of Christ, people got pissed of at JCS. WAY TO GO Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice!

I still have the double cover LP recording of the Broadway production starring Ian Gillan as Jesus. Even got the little brown book with the lyrics too.

On a strictly aesthetic appeal, who was the dude that played the king of the hebes in Jesus of Nazareth? Sven someone... (?)

Emotionally, spiritually- Willem Dafoe, hands down.

 

[bored1]

I like the guy who plays Jesus on Southpark

 

[riff]

I like the guy who plays Jesus on Southpark

HELL YES! I forgot all about Him!!!

~laughing~

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I still have the double cover LP recording of the Broadway production starring Ian Gillan as Jesus. Even got the little brown book with the lyrics too.

Jeff Fenholt played Jesus on Broadway. I think that's the concept album you have, created before there ever was a stage production. It's a great album -- hang on to it, a lot of people want it.

 

[riff]

Jeff Fenholt played Jesus on Broadway. I think that's the concept album you have, created before there ever was a stage production. It's a great album -- hang on to it, a lot of people want it.

Thanks for the info, DCL. Yes, I am very aware that it is a collectors item. It is still in pretty good condition- a couple of pops and crackles, but not a skip on any of the 4 sides.

I wonder how much I could get for it? No, it ain't for sale? Wait, maybe.... No. Just like the guitar my dad bought me when I was 17. I ain't sellin'... yet... anyway.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Yeah, I have two of them, myself. I don't think they're worth much right now, but they will be one day (hang onto that lyric book!).