Jesus Christ Superstar -- Mancunian Pop Stylee

[zenmomma]

This is on tonight on BBC... I think they are showing it twice... strange enough to make me want to watch... Tim Booth is playing Judas...
Bez is one of the disciples...

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The BBC plans to mark the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ this Easter with an hour-long live procession through the streets of Manchester featuring pop stars from The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays and featuring songs by The Smiths and New Order.

In the programme, called Manchester Passion, a character representing Jesus will sing the legendary Joy Division anthem Love Will Tear Us Apart before dueting his arch-betrayer Judas on the New Order hit Blue Monday, according to senior church sources involved in the production.

Mary Magdelene, the penitent whore of the New Testament, is also getting in on the act: she is being lined up to sing the Buzzcocks hit Ever Fallen in Love (with Someone You Shouldn't have) accompanied by a string band.

Former Happy Monday and Celebrity Big Brother winner Bez will play a disciple.

The climax of the event sees Jesus sing the Smiths classic song Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now as he is being flayed by Roman soldiers. He will then come face-to-face with his Roman prosecutor Pontius Pilate with the two of them singing a duet of the Oasis hit Wonderwall and its chorus:

"I said maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall."


The broadcaster, which plans to show the event live on BBC3 on Good Friday, insisted the event was inspired by "the way Bach and other composers fused music and the Passion story".

The "contemporary retelling" of Jesus' last hours will begin with the messiah - who is yet to be cast - singing the Robbie Williams hit Angels, which will mark his procession into Jerusalem.

In this case, Jerusalem will be represented by Manchester's gay and red light area near Canal Street and the Passion scene will pass via Chinatown and St Peter's Square to culminate in Albert Square.

The march will be followed by members of the public who will be encouraged to join in the singing of relevant anthems, which include the M People hit Search for a Hero Inside Yourself.

The crowd will carry a large white cross and the public will also be asked to bring a symbol of their own burden - "something they are personally concerned about" - according to senior church sources involved in the programme.

[ifihadahifi]

I wanna see it!

But I'll have a hard time seeing it without Yvonne Elliman singing "I don't know how to love him". That gets to me everytime.

[monet2u]

oh man, I read about this awhile back..*JEALOUS* that's one my faves and all those people in it...damn it!

[IAmEllie]

haha, me and my mum watched this. we had fun playing 'guess the song', and singing along badly to robbie williams et al

[Dutch]

I wanna see it!

But I'll have a hard time seeing it without Yvonne Elliman singing "I don't know how to love him". That gets to me everytime.

BECUASE YOU ARE HUMAN

...even though the slides in her voice can be a bit much sometimes.

[zenmomma]

Just to clarify... it wasn't actually Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a musical of the passion play (like JC Supahstar)... but done with songs from Manchester bands.

They showed it live... just the logistics of something like that was really amazing as they were walking through the streets of Manchester to Albert Square and performing scenes along the way.

[James]

Just to clarify... it wasn't actually Jesus Christ Superstar. It was a musical of the passion play (like JC Supahstar)... but done with songs from Manchester bands.

They showed it live... just the logistics of something like that was really amazing as they were walking through the streets of Manchester to Albert Square and performing scenes along the way.

Jesus singing "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" almost made me want to be religious again.

Ok not really, but it was moving...