Jesus Christ Superstar Opens in London

Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar opened in London at The Palace Theatre on 9th August 1972. Paul Nicholas played the role of Jesus, with Stephen Tate as Judas and Dana Gillespie as Mary Magdalene.

By the time the show closed, after some eight years and 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history.

Jesus Christ Superstar, which was originally released as a concept album in 1970, is a rock opera that tells the story of the last seven days in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The show was the first musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to be produced for the professional stage.