Memories of ABS-CBN’s ‘Jesus Christ, Superstar

Now that the Lenten season is almost over, I am reminded of the local TV version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" which was shown by ABS-CBN on Easter Sunday, April 11, 1971. This was months before the musical made its debut on the Broadway stage on October 17, 1971 and years before the movie with Ted Neely in the title role was shown in 1973. In April, 1971, "JCS" was a rock album that had become a big hit in 1970. It was also quite controversial because it portrayed the human side of Jesus Christ. It was unthinkable, even sacrilegious, at that time to portray Jesus saying to God:

Take this cup away from me

For I don't want to taste its poison

Feel it burn me

I have changed

I'm not as sure as when we started

The ABS-CBN version was a low-budget production. Bernardo Bernardo as Jesus, Tommy Abuel as Judas and Laurice Guillen were theater actors who did not command high talent fees. The sets were stylized, another word for inexpensive. The director was also not a problem when it came to fees. This was his first directing job. He was the son of a co-host of the network's late night talk show, "Two for the Road." That newbie was Johnny Manahan. To save on musical arrangements and paying a live band, the network decided to let the actors lipsynch the songs as the album was played I still don't know up to now whether ABS-CBN got permission from Robert Stigwood, who owned the rights to the album.

I was then writing for The Manila Chronicle and I lambasted the production for desecrating the work of Weber and Rice by lipsynching the songs. The actors were all Filipinos but they had this very American accent. I criticized the inadequacies of the first-time director and the awful sets but praised Tommy's performance.

I knew Laurice from her days as fellow director at the Ateneo Center for EducationalTelevision and her many stage appearances. A few months after "JCS," Laurice appeared in her first film, "Crush Ko Si Sir." She would go on to act in several prestigious movies like "Tinimbang Ka, Ngunit Kulang." and "Sister Stella L" She would move on to directing, winning awards for movies like"Tanging Yaman" and "Salome." Tommy continued his stage appearances after "JCS" but found lots of opportunities in cinema and TV where he is still in great demand as a character actor. Bernardo would also branch out to movie and television and won an acting award for his role in Ishmael Bernal's "Manila by Night" retitled "City After Dark" on orders of Imelda Marcos. .The TV audience knows him as Steve Carpio on "Home Along Da Riles." He is based in the US where he has appeared in many theater productions.

As for the newbie director, Johnny, he has gone a long way since his "JCS" debut. His directorial skills have improved considerably. He is known for his impressive work on musical variety shows and live coverage of special entertainment events. He is now a top executive at the Kapamilya Network.

Wouldn't it be interesting if Johnny did a non-lipsynch version of "JCS"? We've got lots of good singers who have done "JCS" onstage. Joanna Ampil played Mary Magdalene to rave reviews on The West End in London and does local shows. She has been performing at Resorts World as Maria on "The Sound of Music." Other performers like Robert Seña, Bituin Escalante and Isay Alvarez would do a great job on this project.

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this blog.