Did you know that on November 6, 1975, after four years of development, overcoming all kinds of obstacles, the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" premiered at the Alcalá Palace theater in Madrid?
The musical, produced by and starring Camilo Sesto, had an enormous impact on the world of culture and copyright in Spain at the time. Let's recall some of its milestones and lessons.
The international trajectory of the musical
"Jesus Christ Superstar" was created in 1967 by a young Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, and its commercial exploitation followed a paradigmatic trajectory: first, it was recorded on an album (October 1970, with Ian Gillan of Deep Purple as the singer!); then it premiered in the theater (Broadway 1971, London 1972); next, it became a film (1973); the film's soundtrack was then released on an album (1973); after that, the musical began touring the world with various productions and stage revisions that continue practically to this day; and finally, the title was registered as a trademark of the European Union (….)
His arrival in Spain
The reception of the musical in Spain, due to the political and market situation, presented a very different picture. The film was presented at the Valladolid Film Festival on May 5, 1974, and did not reach commercial theaters until February 1975; the stage premiere took place in November of that same year; and the Spanish soundtrack, sung by the three main actors (Camilo Sesto, Teddy Bautista, and Ángela Carrasco), arrived in record stores during Christmas 1975.
Private production and legal obstacles
The musical in Spain was an entirely private production. "The tax structures/business associations of today didn't exist then, and Camilo Sesto couldn't find sponsors," he tells us. Mabel KlimtCamilo Sesto risked his personal fortune in the endeavor.
To secure the rights, the organizers traveled to London to meet first with the record label, then with Lloyd Webber's agent, and finally with his lawyers. The Spanish version of the booklet also required authorization later.
Securing a license for a Spanish company must have been quite an achievement, given the significant differences in copyright law compared to the UK. Although Spain had ratified the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works in 1973, its own law dated back to 1879. It wasn't until Law 22/1987 that Spain began modernizing its legal framework.
Censorship and social repercussions
Back in Spain, the musical's production had to contend with the censors of the time. There were revisions to the script, cuts to necklines, and adjustments to the staging. And plenty of cunning was used to overcome the difficulties!
Camilo Sesto's live performance of the legendary theme song "Getsemani" on television programs awakened many consciences, scandalized a few, and marked for others the very beginning of the political transition in Spain.
A musical and documentary legacy
As it warns Antonio Castan"If a melodic artist like Camilo Sesto was able to embrace the cause of rock in a religious opera, what wouldn't be possible in Spain at that time?!"
For those who wish to delve deeper into the subject, we recommend the documentary "Jesus Christ Superstar: A Milestone in the History of the Spanish Musical," by Marta García Sarabia, produced in 2018 and still available on Filmin. It offers a fascinating overview of the producers' struggles to obtain the license, circumvent censorship, and create from scratch a musical that was groundbreaking in every aspect (technical, artistic, social, political, and spiritual).
Meanwhile, let us sing, if you please, the "Hosanna, hey-sanna-sanna-sanna / Hosanna, hey-sanna, hosanna…"
