!Hero has been revived for another concert run. One of the courses I am teaching at the university this semester is Bible and Literature which explores the Bible’s influence on western literature and culture as well as the Bible as a literary work and cultural artifact . . . so, the reviews of !Hero are timely material for my students and I as we see this generation’s answer to Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspel return to the stage . . . !Hero Returns with a History of Sell-outs, Controversy and Critical Acclaim . . .

Think of it as ‘Broadway meets video game’ and drop contemporary Christian music’s hippest black rocker—platinum selling Michael Tait of dcTalk fame—into the center of the mix for the starring role in the critically acclaimed, multi-award winning production of !Hero—returning in live concert for a 2006 run. The tour will include a six day December run at The Majestic Theater in Dallas. The premise of !Hero is a simple one: “What If He Were Born in Bethlehem….Pennsylvania?” The stark reality of what that might look like: An African American Jesus with dreadlocks being crudely crucified on a street sign in New York ( Jesus is portrayed by Tait); a Judas that kills himself with a .45 caliber bullet to the head; and a drug addicted, tarot card reading “girl of the streets” updating the role of Mary Magdalene. A 21 member cast floods the stage amid the fervent blast of rock music and video screens constantly flashing a litany of high tech images and pulsating graphics. Noted Tait in a recent interview: “This production struck a chord with me from the very first time I read the script. I knew I had to be involved. People for years have tried to put a ‘face’ on what they believe in and this expereience will definitely stretch your thoughts about the Jesus you knew growing up. It has stretched me to new levels artistically and spiritually and I’m passionate to be back on the road with a message as timely as that of !Hero.” Initially introduced to audiences at a time when The DaVinci Code was setting records atop the New York Times best seller list, and The Passion Of The Christ was establishing all time first release box office records worldwide, the question was instantly posed of !Hero: ‘Have we finally gone too far in reaching the MTV generation with the gospel?’ The controversy centered around !Hero only seemingly served to attract major crowds and wide praise from critics . . .

See the full review for more details.

All the best,
Brian