October 12, 1971: Jesus Christ Superstar premieres on Broadway, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, having not yet done so in Britain, home of its composers, Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics). However, the concept album had already been released nearly a year earlier, on October 16, 1970.
Jeff Fenholt has the title role. Controversially, a black man, Ben Vereen, was cast as Judas. The show is nominated for 5 Tony Awards, but wins none.
The Mark Hellinger Theatre was at 237 West 51st Street. In 1989, the building was converted, or so to speak, into The Times Square Church, and is still in use as such today.
The play was filmed in 1973, with Ted Neeley playing Jesus. Again, a black actor was cast as Judas, Carl Anderson, and he recalled receiving lots of hate mail, more than the producer, the director and the casting director did for casting him. Josh Mostel, son of Broadway legend Zero Mostel, played King Herod. He did not receive hate mail for his role, a mass murderer of Jews. Nor did Barry Dennen get any for playing Pontius Pilate.
A side effect of the show was that English soccer fans adapted the title song. When Charlie George, the long-haired star of North London team Arsenal, celebrated his winning goal in the 1971 FA Cup Final by lying on the grass with his arms extended, someone thought he was posing like Jesus on the Cross, and the song developed: "Charlie George, superstar, how many goals have you scored so far?" But people who hated Arsenal noted his hair, and sang, "Charlie George, superstar, looks like a woman and he wears a bra!"
Although that song is the most familiar one from the show, a different song became the only hit song: Yvonne Elliman, who played Mary Magdalene in the original production, had a Top 10 hit with "I Don't Know How to Love Him." She reprised the role in the film. Helen Reddy would also have a Top 40 hit with it.
The play was revived on Broadway in 1977, with William Daniel Grey as Jesus; 2000, with Glenn Carter; and 2012, with Paul Alexander Nolan. In a 2012 British arena tour, Jesus was played by Ben Forster, and Mary Magdalene by Melanie Chisholm, formerly Sporty Spice of the Spice Girls. Her version of "I Don't Know How to Love Him" became a hit in Britain. In 2018, NBC staged a live concert version of the show, with black singer John Legend as Jesus, black actor Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas, and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene.
*
October 12, 1971 was a Tuesday. Game 3 of the World Series was played at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh. The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Baltimore Orioles, 5-1. Steve Blass outpitched Mike Cuellar. Bob Robertson hit a home run for the Bucs, while Frank Robinson hit one for the O's. The Pirates won the Series in 7 games.
Football was in midweek. The NBA season began that night, with 4 games:
* The New York Knicks lost to the Detroit Pistons, 91-84 at Madison Square Garden.
* The Seattle SuperSonics beat the Buffalo Braves, 123-90 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.
* The Cincinnati Royals beat the Atlanta Hawks, 127-113 at the Cincinnati Gardens. Tom Van Arsdale scored 34 points. This was the beginning of the Royals' last season in Cincy: The next season, they became the Kansas City-Omaha Kings, and are now the Sacramento Kings.
* And the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls, 114-100 at the Chicago Stadium. Bob Love scored 34 in defeat for the Bulls.
The ABA season began the following night. There were 2 games in the NHL. The St. Louis Blues beat the Buffalo Sabres, 4-1 at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. And the Vancouver Canucks beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-2 at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver.
