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A THEATRE IN southern Russia has stopped selling tickets to the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” after prosecutors launched a probe into whether it is offensive to devout Christians, officials said today.
Saint Petersburg’s Rock Opera company was to perform the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical – a 1970s classic that has been regularly performed in Russia – at the Philharmonic in the southern city of Rostov-on-Don on 18 October.
However prosecutors launched a probe after a group of local residents complained that the musical presented a distorted image of Jesus Christ.
“A probe is under way, and subsequently the appropriate decision will be taken,” a spokesperson for the Rostov prosecutors told the Interfax news agency.
NTV television said ticket sales had been stopped pending the outcome of the probe.
“We are shocked that someone has demanded that the musical be cancelled,” an employee of the Philharmonic told the Komsomolskaya Pravda daily. “We will be told on Monday whether it is going ahead.”
The employee said the show had already been performed in Rostov five times and had been sold out the last time.
The complaint, sent by 18 local residents to the prosecutors and theatre, said that the “image of Christ presented in the opera is false from the point of view of Christianity”, local media reported.
“As it stands, the work is a profanation,” it added.
The controversy over the performance comes at a time of heightened tensions in Russia been religious believers and secular activists after the conviction of feminist punk rockers Pussy Riot for performing in the Moscow Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.
“This show has been performed by our theatre for 20 years,” one of Rock Opera’s actresses Maria Klimova was quoted as saying by the daily Moskovsky Komsomolets.
“People come to know this story – generations. There is nothing insulting in this work. It is his (Lloyd Webber’s) version of the story. This is all some kind of misunderstanding.”
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Can someone start a religion that finds the x factor and fair city offensive so we can get them cancelled.
Add Celebrity Bainisteoir to that list
and Expose. Il be the pope.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster Religion does. :)
If you search real hard…you’ll find there is an Off button. The more you use it..the less they programme you.
I think rigging elections is far more offensive
And deal or no deal
And winning streak..
To be offended isn’t against the law. Also, to be offended is subjective. And in the case of religion, people should allow their faith be challenged in order to try strengthen their faith. Everything should be questioned.
some people need to get a life. it’s entertainment, if you don’t like it, don’t go. bible bashers are entitled to have their beliefs but are not entitled to force them on others.
Scary how the church is rising in Russia. Jesus freaks with nukes, a terrifying thought.
And who do you think pulls Washington’s strings?
AIPAC…Samson freaks with nukes accusing non-proliferation compliant Iran of having their own hegemonic intentions.
No need for Hammer Films. Its going 3D.
@damien last I heard from Obama he was criticising Christians for upsetting Muslims so I think we can safely say they don’t pull the strings. If the Republicans get in however…
@Waffler
AIPAC are the fundamentalist tribal Israeli lobby and funding operation in the US. They run both parties…but RMoney is more compliant.
The born again brigade are more neo-Mosaic in their biblical literalism(the Jewish Mosaic Law racist/tribal deism)than the new testament with its injunctions to inclusive humanism. Islam has a better understanding(and a less filtered focus) on JC as a prophet than most of the so-called Christian churches, which are really inheritors of the Sanhedrin priestcrafty politicking Rome is so renowned for. Hence the Christian tendency for roasting their heretics…crucifixion might have blown the PR cover. Don’t tell the Congregatio de Propaganda Fidei…I’m not dressed for Inquisition at this hour.
At least jesus is a superstar. Unlike that other fella who you cant talk about these days
Buddha?
@Joseph
No, Bono!
If a person or group tries to use censorship on any issue they disagree with, it gives rise to the idea that the issue has merit.
Censorship laws and hate speech laws are for the intellectually inept.
Celebrity Bainisteoir is totally without merit
JCSS is almost 40 years old. Bit of delayed reaction from some Russians. What could be more offensive to devout Catholics than paedo priests? It’s only a bloody musical and not a particularly good one at that. Written by a man who’s face is inside out ..
The Russians are Orthodox Christians, not Catholics. However, I’m pretty sure the Russian Orthodox Church has its own murky past, as in the Soviet era priests were used as KGB informants.
The church was banned by Soviet authorities so yeah, that story is bs.
They are offended….so what.
I wouldn’t call anything done by webber offensive, but I think sh1te should be the collective noun for his body of work
have your say