Artist:Barry Dennen f/Ted Neeley
Song:Pilate and Christ
Album:Jesus Christ Superstar: The Origial Motion Picture Soundtrack Album
Actor Barry Dennen is mainly known for playing Pontius Pilate in the Broadway and film productions of Jesus Christ Superstar. He had a long career but mostly played small roles. He was born Feb. 22, 1938 in Chicago. While living in New York, he lived with Barbra Streisand and helped her develop her nightclub act. The relationship was platonic. Dennen was gay and later he wrote a book about his relationship with Barbra. I guess Dennen wasn't having much luck on Broadway. Because he moved to London and landed the starring role of the master of ceremonies in the 1968 London production of Cabaret. And this led to the role of Pontius Pilate in Jesus Christ Superstar. Of course the show was written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. When they were unable to get financing for a stage production, they turned it into a rock opera concept album. And the success got them the financing they needed to stage Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway and on film. Dennen played Pontius Pilate on the album, on Broadway and on film. Meanwhile, he played Mendel in Norman Jewison's 1971 film Fiddler on the Roof and Dennen suggested to Jewison that he should direct the Jesus Christ Superstar film which he did. The soundtrack is available in a 2CD deluxe edition. Those were Denen's two big roles. Other than that, he played small roles in films and TV. Films include The Shining, Ragtime and Trading Places. He also did a lot of voice work in video games starting in 1995. That kind of work is very lucrative. Dennen suffered a fall in his home in California and died on Sept. 26, 2017 at age 79. Here's Barry Dennen featuring Ted Neeley performing Pilate and Christ in the 1973 film Jesus Christ Superstar.
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