Jesus Christ Superstar, Palace Theatre 1973

Jesus Christ Superstar first opened at London’s Palace Theatre on 9 August 1972.. The original West End production was directed by Jim Sharman, with choreography by Rufus Collins. It followed the success of the 1970 concept album and the 1971 Broadway production. The Palace run was hugely popular, eventually playing for eight years — closing in September 1980 after over 3,358 performances. It was one of the early rock musicals to break into the traditionally conservative West End and helped cement Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice as leading musical theatre creators.