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In 2013, promoter Frank Munoz turned to Ted Neeley and said, “Hey, what are you and Barry Dennen doing for the 40th anniversary of Jesus Christ Superstar‘s film release?” Informed there were no plans, he suggested a screening at the legendary (now TCL) Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. If people showed up, awesome; if not, they’d have a few laughs watching the movie themselves as Ted and Baz recounted memories from the set. Boy, were they not prepared for what was in store! One screening at the Chinese mushroomed into two, and then many more across the country.

Each evening typically includes a screening of a newly remastered digital print of JCS, a special appearance by original cast members (more of whom popped out of the woodwork as the tour continued), Q&A and/or a costume contest for fans with cosplay skills, a sing-along, and up-close-and-personal, meet-and-greet face-time with the cast. This tour has seen appearances from not only Ted Neeley and the late Barry Dennen, but also Kurt Yaghjian, Yvonne Elliman, Josh Mostel, Larry Marshall, and even the elusive Bob Bingham. Perhaps their crowning achievement in 2015 was a reunion of the film’s stars and Oscar-winning director Norman Jewison at the Beekman Theatre in NYC, documented in the film SuperstarS. Not even a pandemic slowed them down; Frank has joked that every time they played the last dates on their schedule at the time of the initial COVID-19 outbreak, the city shut down almost immediately following.

The tour resumed post-lockdown in 2021, and what started as a 40th anniversary celebration continued long enough to become a 50th anniversary celebration of this beloved film. As we enter 2024, there are still chances to see Ted Neeley (and friends, when available) touring to cinemas around the continental U.S. (licensing issues currently prevent screenings elsewhere) with this time-honored classic. All the most up-to-date info can be found at the link above, but we will include dates, ticket info, and the appearances of additional cast members (subject to change) here as well! (See below.)

A personal request from JCS Zone: as any longtime fan will tell you, the original cast — and Ted in particular — is very hands-on with fans, as in “hugs are usually a given.” We don’t want to risk our heroes’ health and safety over a movie we’ve seen countless times. Vaccinated or unvaccinated, in this time of ongoing health emergencies, please be mindful of this, follow all protocols requested by Team Neeley or the venue(s), and do the smart thing — stay home and catch them next time — if you test positive. Thank you!