It’s hard to avoid pop culture phenomenons. Our current obsession is Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of The Christ. Beneath these behemoths lie a world of a billion smaller cultural moments, places, people, and things.
My Significant Other took a singing workshop with Carl Anderson in Rome a few years ago. I remember her speaking of him at the time. He told them never to compete when singing. Don’t compete with others ontage, don’t compete against your singing idols, don’t even compete with your own mental vision of what your singing should be. He said to merely be, to sing as you are.
Carl Anderson was a great artist, a man who knew that there was no Passion without betrayal. Again and again, he played Judas. Again and again, the thirty pieces of silver. Again and again, he preceded Jesus into death onstage. Let us remember Judas, to sing as we are, and never let the big compeletely smother the small.
February 27, 2004
Carl Anderson, 58, Judas in Rock Opera, Dies
By REUTERS
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 26 (Reuters) — Carl Anderson, the actor and singer best known for his stage and film portrayal of Judas in the rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar,” died here on Monday. He was 58.
The cause was leukemia, his manager said.
Mr. Anderson learned that he had leukemia last summer, during a national revival tour of the musical, which is by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. Ben Vereen originated the part of Judas in “Jesus Christ Superstar” on Broadway in 1971, but Mr. Anderson took over when Mr. Vereen fell ill, and the two later took turns playing the role.
Mr. Anderson caught the attention of a talent agent and got an audition for the part after his rock band performed songs from “Superstar” at a Palm Sunday church service. The show had been a hit in Britain.
Mr. Anderson was subsequently cast as Judas in the 1973 movie adaptation, receiving Golden Globe nominations as most promising newcomer and best musical actor.
He returned as Judas for a 1992 touring revival of “Superstar.” He also appeared in Steven Spielberg’s “Color Purple” (1985) and in the 1997 Broadway musical “Play On!”
He is survived by his wife, Veronica; a son from a previous marriage, Khalil McGhee-Anderson; stepdaughters Hannah and Laila Ali; and several sisters.