‘Duck Dynasty’-Backed Gen Z Jesus Musical ‘His Story’ To Debut in Texas

“The story is unlike ‘Jesus Christ Superstar,’ which a lot of Christians tell me they don’t like because it’s told through the eyes of Judas, who’s basically saying to Jesus, ‘enough with this thinking you’re God, you’re ruining the movement here,’” Lazarus told RNS. “And then he dies, and that’s the end. It didn’t feel like it was authentic to them.”

Spoiler alert: “His Story” doesn’t skimp on the resurrection.

It can’t, however, resist adding a bit of romance to the gospel narrative. Mary Magdalene and Judas are entangled in a relationship, and, like “Jesus Christ Superstar” and many other adaptations before, the show casts Mary Magdalene as a prostitute.

Still, Bial said, “His Story” seems to present a more “sincere” approach to the gospels than “Superstar,” which was intentionally provocative in its use of rock music and centering of Judas. It was also counter-cultural with its then-groundbreaking multiracial casting.

“Part of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and ‘Godspell,’ and frankly, ‘Hamilton’ was to retell its story with a conspicuously multiethnic cast to put a different set of bodies that’s younger and hipper and more contemporary and more multicultural than they were used to telling this story with,” said Bial.

But though crafted with Gen Z in mind, “His Story” isn’t going for a radical take on the gospel.

“We’re not doing a ‘woke’ Jesus, we’re just doing a piece of art, and we just hired the best people. And fortunately, our cast looks like the fabric of America,” said Calhoun.

Bial said the show’s promotion and creation outside of “mainline Broadway development” could be evidence of growing “separatism” in certain Christian cultures — it seems to be a show by and for evangelicals, he suggested, designed to reaffirm, rather than challenge, audience values.

But Calhoun and Lazarus insist the show, which has its opening night on May 18, will appeal to people of all faith backgrounds, as demonstrated already by the range of beliefs among the investors, cast, crew and leadership team, some of whom are drawn more to the show’s artistry than its message.

As for Brown, she still sees the show as a form of ministry, but one that’s more of an invitation than a sermon.

“I just really wanted to open the door for people to come and have their own personal experience with the story, and walk out with whatever they need. Whatever they lacked coming in, hopefully, they can find it in that story, like I did all those years ago.”

This article originally appeared here.