New York City’s famed theater district is readying for the early November premiere of a new musical setting “the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” to the pop songs of Britney Spears.
Titled, “SPEARS: The Gospel According to Britney,” the show, which will be performed Nov. 7 at the same theater where, “Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark,” is playing, promises in its promotional materials to answer the timeless question, “Is it the greatest story ever told to the greatest music ever written?”
“These are Britney’s lyrics. These are Jesus Christ’s images,” writes the production’s creator, Patrick Blute. “The Britney Spears you see is not Britney Spears. Remember that. The Jesus Christ you read is not Jesus Christ.
“These are manifestations. Accounts through the media, through the words of followers, of friends, of foes, of villains, of heroes, of liars, of biases. It’s a falsehood that people believe fame and fortune create happiness. That all ‘deaths’ receive a resurrection. I hope this project will show you otherwise through the power of listening and the power of forgiveness.”
And according to Radio.com, the Spears-centric show will chronicle Jesus’ life using boilerplate Britney hits like “Stronger,” “One More Time,” “Lucky” and “Crazy.”
The production, which already reportedly played in April to a packed-house at Columbia University, or Blute’s alma mater, will – for now – only run one night in the Foxwoods Theatre, off Times Square on 42nd St.
“SPEARS is a very special type of theatrical experience,” adds Blute on the show’s website. “It is a piece that reconciles a lot of the anxiety 20-somethings feel about living in a society that has thousands of statements and not much substance. It appeals to those from a religious background because it tells an essential story using fragments of pop culture in a non-offensive way.”