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Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League – a group that exists to promote Bill Donohue, er, prevent “virulent anti-Catholicism” – is leading a protest against Jerry Springer: The Opera, which will be performed at Carnegie Hall on January 29th and 30th and stars Harvey Keitel as Springer. The show chronicles Jerry Springer’s adventures in hell, where he's forced to host an outrageous talk show whose guests include Adam and Eve, Mary, Jesus, and, as his crowd “warm up” man, Satan.
Donohue’s dutifully parsed the script and excerpted all the blasphemous material, which may not be the best tactic because after reading his synopsis, we realized we have got to see this. A sample:
Jesus then grabs the biscuit from Satan and holds it above his head before throwing it down as he sings: "I am Jesus, son of man, son of Mary, son of God. So do not, do not, do not fuck with me. I do not want your biscuit. I want your love and your respect, for I am love and I love all mankind." The chorus then sings, "Jesus is gay, Jesus is gay."
Okay, so maybe that does sound a little blasphemous to Catholic ears, as well as the part where the choir sings about Mary being raped by angels. But isn’t it the point of the outré libretto to use taboo subject matter as a cudgel to satirize the tabloid culture Springer hath wrought? And come on, the part where the choir triumphantly sings “Jerry Eleison”? Even the pope would have to admit that’s gold.
Speaking to amNew York, Donohue concedes that “the producers have a First Amendment right to stage the musical.” But his fear is that if Jerry Springer: The Opera isn’t stopped now, it might head for an extended run on Broadway, thus damning the entire Times Square area straight to hell. (An attempt to stage the show on Broadway in 2004 was stymied by financial problems.) Carnegie Hall reps deny the two night concert production is being staged as a tryout for hell or Broadway.
Photo from the British production of Jerry Springer: The Opera, which also drew outrage.
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hahaha. John, you are seriously the best writer Gothamist has.
First Shrek the musical, now this?
This sounds like a must-see!
But only if Harvey won't be nekkid.
Has there ever been a headline affiliated with the Catholic League that didn't start with "**** Condemned By"?
Bill Donohue, who defends pedophile priests, is the Catholic version of John Liu and Al Sharpton.
Man, some Catholics are sooooo dumb. Why give the show free publicity? There is no way this story is not a net win for the producers.
Donohue should just be happy the script includes the fanciful Catholic notion of a place called Hell.
Omg does anyone want to get tickets with me and be my date
Jesus had long hair, flowy robes and sandals, had Mommy issues, was into BDSM and rolled with 12 other guys. Yeah, definitely gay.
I saw this in London a few years back. It was truly fantastic. Exhilarating and hilarious. Definitely worth your time if you can get tickets.
I saw this in London a few years back. It was truly fantastic. Exhilarating and hilarious. Definitely worth your time if you can get tickets.
The news that Carnegie Hall of all places, will hold a blasphemous
production such as “Jerry Springer: The Opera in Concert” is shocking. I’m
deeply upset and disappointed. The show is vulgar beyond description and is
an egregious display of blasphemy. Over 82% of America is Christian.
Millions feel insulted by this show.
Such a production offends in many ways because it is at the opposite end of
the spectrum of basic decency and moral behavior. Anyone – regardless of
how much they may love and respect the arts and free expression – will be
offended by any show as immoral as the Jerry Springer Opera.
Nothing like this should be seen in public, especially not within the
historical walls of a respected institution such as Carnegie Hall. In the
future I hope the Board of Directors will continue to promote fine musical
art and close its doors to blasphemous productions like the Jerry Springer
Opera. Thank you! Lucia
Opera with Jerry Springer!? What would Andrew Carnegie say?
Andrew Carnegie was a "positivist" and did not have bonds with organized religion but he held a humanistic view on life. He held hope for humanity...does Jerry Springer promote a positive hope for humanity?
Carnegie was honored for his philanthropy and support of the arts by initiation as an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity on October 14, 1917 at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. The fraternity's mission reflects Carnegie's values by making the world a better place by developing young men to share their talents to create harmony in the world.
This so called "opera" will tear at many people's belief of humanity in general, not mentioning the Christian aspect of apostasy toward God and Christ. This will be a moral upheaval promoting arguments, hatred and contempt of civility with Carnegie Hall's stamp of approval.
In Andrew Carnegie's biography it states,
"Many persons of wealth have contributed to charity, but Carnegie was perhaps the first to state publicly that the rich have a moral obligation to give away their fortunes. In 1889 he wrote The Gospel of Wealth, in which he asserted that all personal wealth beyond that required to supply the needs of one's family should be regarded as a trust fund to be administered for the benefit of the community."
Does Carnegie Hall stand for humanity or only for wealth? By allowing Jerry Springer to be on stage at Carnegie Hall we will know money is the motive. I guess we will have to wait and see what the outcome will be.
I adamantly oppose such an "Opera" by Jerry Springer not only for religious beliefs but also for its degradation of humanity, it's degeneration of morals, it's intellectual decadence and it's perverted corruptness.
My daughter wrote this and emailed this to them-~Lucia~
Lucia, do you or your daughter know anything about opera? It's doesn't exactly present the best side of humanity. A typical opera might contain murder, adultery, deception, violence, hatred, and self centered behavior. That's why people love them.
If you actually took the time to find out the truth about the Jerry Springer Opera, you would know that what is presented in Act II is not intended to be the creator's views on your religion. Rather what takes place is a fever dream in Springer's head as he lay dying. He projects the guests that we saw in Act I onto Christian icons as a form of his own judgment and guilt.
I have a final question for you. I'm confused as to why you would create such a small God, a God who needs you to stand up against a trivial musical, a God who is threatened by anything we could do. Why is your God so weak? Why is your God so fragile? Or are you really protesting because your own beliefs are weak and fragile?