I frequently forget that my interests in Meat Loaf/Jim Steinman and musical theater overlap. (I know, I know, for some people it's hard to forget, but I have so much in my head that it's hard to keep it all in.) In this case, they overlap in the form of Ted Neeley.
You might remember the name... he sang background vocals on
Dead Ringer and the ensuing tour (he can be seen in the music videos and the movie as the mustachioed fellow, occasionally with a peaked cap, and as a clean-shaven version of that fellow in the 1982 Wembley video), and co-wrote "If You Really Want To" on
Midnight at the Lost and Found.
However, Meat/Jim involvement aside, he is best remembered for a "little musical that could" called
Jesus Christ Superstar.
He understudied the title role in the original Broadway cast, eventually assumed the part in L.A., and went on to two Golden Globe nominations as the star of the 1973 film version.
If you know of Ted's involvement with JCS, you might also know that, much like it has for other actors who've played the role of Jesus, it left an impact, such that his involvement has never really ended. He appeared in a couple of stock productions back in the late Seventies, and undertook two major national tours of the show in the U.S., one in the Nineties to celebrate the film's 20th (and then 25th) anniversary which ran for four years and grossed $130 million (making it one of the most successful touring shows ever), and one in the mid-to-late 2000's which also ran successfully for four years.
Well, after a few decades of begging, he's finally saddled up the donkey, packed his crown of thorns, and taken the show to Europe. After a couple of successful engagements in Italy, touring has recently expanded to the Netherlands and Belgium, and hopes to take in the rest of Europe. (Our own
evil nickname caught this one, and offers a review
here.) Yes, folks, he is still screaming high notes as the big J.C. eight times a week at the age of 73! (Now whose determination and skill does that remind you of?
)
Wait, wait, I've got proof!
For those able to make trips to the Continent, tickets are on sale now! Check the official websites for the
Dutch and
Italian jaunts for more details. He's very grab-able after a show for meet and greets if you stick around, and he loves to hear from people who know he did something other than JCS!