What a great chapter, John! I love all the theater detail and the insight you invite about artistic commitment and the personal consequences.

Of course, your last line worries me.

As a side note, "your edge of the Bible belt" description interests me. I'm not sure exactly why, but Bible Belt Christians loathed Jesus Christ Superstar when it hit the stage and the screen.

I think it's probably fair to say that my Ohio family would have been as likely to buy tickets to a sex club as to JC Superstar.

Something about blasphemy is tangled up in the issue, something I've never really grasped, but I'm fascinated to read your account of starring as Jesus in a respectful, completely non-blasphemist way.