TED NEELEY AND
THE LITTLE BIG BAND

UPDATE: 10/12/15 - Ted's website now  has a new name! You can visit it at this link:

https://tedneeley.com/

UPDATE: 3/13/07 - Ted now has his own website!  You can visit it at this link:

http://neeleyontheroad.com/ 


BREAKING NEWS!!!

TED'S NEW 2023-2024 VENUES
AND PROJECTS!!!

1. UPDATE 1/10/24 (From Ted Neeley.com and Ted's Facebook Page)







UPDATE 1/3/24 (From Ted Neeley.com and Ted's Facebook Page)


 



 


 

JCS 2022-2024 JCS SCREENING/SING-A-LONG TOUR - ITINERARY

DATES

CITY

THEATRE

September 16, 17 & 18, 2022

Woodbridge, IL

Hollywood Blvd. Cinema

September 20, 2022

Columbus, OH

Drexel Theatre

December 7, 2022

Orinda, CA

Orinda Theatre

January 14, 2023

Trenton, NJ

Villa Victoria Academy Performing Arts Center

March 17-18, 2023

Santa Ana, CA

Frida Cinema

May 11, 2023

Eugene, OR

Eugene Art House

May 13, 2023

Sacramento, CA

Crest Theatre

June 21-22, 2023

Arlington, MA

Regent Theatre

June 24, 2023

Greenwich, RI

The Greenwich Odeum

June 25, 2023

Jaffrey, NH

The Park Theatre

June 29, 2023

Cleveland, OH

Cedar-Lee Theatre

July 22, 2023

Davenport, IA

Paul V. Galvin Fine Arts Center

July 25, 2023

Los Angeles, CA

Laemmie Royal

July 26, 2023

North Hollywood, CA

Laemmie NoHo7

July 27, 2023

Claremont, CA

Laemmie Claremont5

August 15, 2023

Dallas, TX

The Texas Theatre

September 9, 2023

Freeport, IL

St. John United Church of Christ

September 12, 2023

Fort Pierce, FL

Sunrise Theatre

September 13, 2023

Delray Beach, FL

Movies of Delray Theatre

September 15, 2023

Orlando, FL

The Abbey Orlando

September 17, 2023

Tampa, FL

Tampa Theatre

September 20, 2023

Ventura, CA

80TH Birthday Bash Event
Rubicon Theatre Company

December 6, 2023

New Brunswick, NJ

New Brunswick Performing Arts Center

December 9, 2023

Trenton, NJ

Villa Victoria Academy Performing Arts Center

February 24, 2024

Sonoma, CA

Sebastiani Theatre

February 26, 2024

North Hollywood, CA

Laemmie NoHo7

February 27, 2024

Los Angeles, CA

Laemmie Royal

February 28, 2024

Claremont, CA

Laemmie Claremont5

February 29, 2024

Santa Clarita, CA

Laemmie Newhall

March 1-2, 2024

Burbank, CA

Marriott Burbank Convention Center - The Hollywood Show

March 23, 2024

Coldwater, MI

Tibbits Opera Hall

March 26 & 28, 2024

Arlington, MA

Regent Theatre

March 30-31, 2024

Greenwich, RI

The Greenwich Odeum

Please keep checking here, on Ted's Facebook page & on tedneeley.com, as more dates will be announced.

For more details on this tour, you can also go HERE.

2. UPDATE 3/4/24 (From Ted Neeley.com and Ted's Facebook Page)

TED IS IN ROME FOR JCS MARCH 7-20, 2024!!! - THIS IS FOR A CELEBRATION, NOT A PERFORMANCE!!!

3. SuperstarS The Documentary Extended Version

On Blu Ray, DVD and Streaming Aug 10th


RTC-LBB-Poster

Ted put on quite a show at Rubicon Theatre Company from January 20-29, 2012! Many of us wish we could have come to this latest "Ted-Venue", particularly me, since I feel as though RTC is my second home / extended family, but distance and money have been hard on a lot of us this year, so many couldn't attend this wonderful, fun evening. Fortunately, Ted kept his "previously indicated promise" that he would tour with this show on the road the following season, so check the dates listed above and see if he's coming to your city!!! In the meantime, enjoy what's below, it's the closest most of us got to being at the original launching, and a nice preview to what may be coming your way soon!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkK96l9ZLJw

Gethsemane - from a video of Sunday's closing show, made for archival purposes, and not for sale :-( !!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hix2xjCma4

A new 30-second promo!!!

http://www.youtube.com/user/rubicontheatre?blend=1&ob=video-mustangbase#p/u/6/tFOUajg2V-M

A sneak peek at Ted and his band in rehearsal at RTC!!!

Ted Neeley returns to Rubicon in a world premiere performance with The Little Big Band!
We caught up with the band at rehearsal and got Ted to tell us all about it..

From RTC!!!

THE FIRST REVIEWS ARE IN!
Neeley shines like a Superstar™ at Rubicon

The exceptional grace that made Ted Neeley a perfect fit as the star of Jesus Christ Superstar, was evident in concert Saturday night at the Rubicon.

Neeley chatted with the directness of a homespun storyteller who relishes his connection with an audience.

Neeley and his five-piece group, which he calls The Little Big Band, blasted into Saturday's concert with rock musical highlights, including a rousing ˜Age of Aquarius™ from Hair and searing renditions of ˜Pinball Wizard™ and ˜See Me, Feel Me™ from Tommy.

Neeley and crew are not one-note performers. They nail rock, but they also run with heartfelt folk, pop and blues.

Neeley proved he hasn't lost his vocal chops. He could unleash his trademark wails during ˜Gethsemane,™ then slow things down and sing in a fine, mellow voice.
 

[Read the FULL ARTICLE]
Rita Moran - Ventura County Star
 

NOW THRU SUNDAY ONLY!
ONLY 4 PERFORMANCES LEFT!

Order online or call our Box Office at (805) 667-2900.

© 2009 Rubicon Theatre Company

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jan/24/ted-neeley-shines-like-a-superstar-at-rubicon/

January 24, 2012 - Second Ventura County Star Feature Article!!!

Ted Neeley shines like a 'Superstar' at Rubicon

Singer's heartfelt, homespun concert act will continue Jan. 26-29

  • By Rita Moran
  • Posted January 24, 2012 at 1:41 p.m.
Ted-LBB-NEW

Photo by James Scolari/Contributed photo

Ted Neeley is breaking in his new concert act at Ventura's Rubicon Theatre through Sunday, Jan. 29. The show mixes Neeley's original tunes with hits from such classic rock musicals as "Hair," "Tommy" and, of course, "Jesus Christ Superstar."

The exceptional grace that made Ted Neeley a perfect fit as the star of "Jesus Christ Superstar," first on stage and then in the iconic 1973 film, was evident in concert Saturday night at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura.

Neeley, 68, was a musician before he was swept up in the"Superstar" phenomenon. His run at the Rubicon, which continues Jan. 26-29, is his way of getting back to his singer-songwriter roots.

"Superstar" still gets its due, though.

To hear him tell it, it took persistence and passion to persuade director Norman Jewison even to consider him for the role of Jesus. After a series of scheduling mismatches and months of waiting, suddenly Neeley got the call that secured his international fame. Along the way he also bolstered his rock credentials in companies of "Hair," "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road" and "The Who's Tommy."

Pausing well into the concert to recount his path to embodying the rock Jesus, Neeley chatted with the directness of a homespun storyteller who relishes his connection with an audience. He put the exclamation point on the tale by delivering the piercing cry of "Gethsemane," sung when Jesus has had his Last Supper with his apostles. They don't know his fate, but he does, and in soul-wrenching anguish he battles God, and himself, over why the ultimate sacrifice is necessary. In essence, God wins, but so does Jesus.

Neeley and his five-piece group, which he calls the Little Big Band, blasted into Saturday's concert with rock musical highlights, including a rousing "Age of Aquarius" from "Hair" and searing renditions of "Pinball Wizard" and "See Me, Feel Me" from "Tommy." Later in the 90-minute set they segued into another "Hair" number, the brighter "Let the Sun Shine In," rounding out some of the most famous rock musical hits.

But Neeley and crew are not one-note performers. They nail rock, but they also run with heartfelt folk, pop and blues. They dropped in on Neeley's success in composing for films with the hard-driving "Blame It on the Night" and a philosophical look at love in "Crazy Heart."

Through it all, Neeley proved he hasn't lost his vocal chops. He could unleash his trademark wails duirng "Gethsemane," then slow things down and sing in a fine, mellow voice. His band members had the skills to keep up, too, even throwing in a bit of deft vocal harmony on cue.

Rubicon and Neeley bonded even as the company was founded in 1998. Co-founder James O'Neil first met Neeley in a 1978 production of "Superstar" and performed with him again in the 1992 tour of the show. When O'Neil and Rubicon co-founder Karyl Lynn Burns were putting together a professional troupe based in Ventura, Neeley pitched in with his technical expertise and proven talent to help them mount a big "Superstar" as a major fundraiser, then continued his friendship and affiliation with the company.

Debuting his new act at the Rubicon before it heads for wider audiences is the star using his professional popularity to further one of his heartfelt goals: building support for top-notch local theater to enrich the community.

Neeley brought the high-energy evening to a close with his thoughts for the future, one in which peace will reign and the world will be seen "through the eyes of a child," one who believes in good prevailing over anger and violence and grows up working to make that happen.

The Little Big Band appearing with Neeley is composed of Ed Martel, piano and synthesizer; Gavin Salmon, drums; Kim Norton, guitar, piano, banjo, mandolin and vocals; Candy Chase, bass and vocals; and Craig Stull, guitar and vocals. Neeley hopes to take the show on the road next season.

Tickets to Neeley's remaining concerts are $25-$54. Call 667-2900 or visit rubicontheatre.org.

Email Rita Moran at ritamoran@earthlink.net.

© 2012 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.vcstar.com/news/2012/jan/20/little-band-big-dream/

January 20, 2012 - Ventura County Star Feature Article!!!

'Superstar' Ted Neeley returns to his first love

When Ted Neeley became a 'Superstar,' he stopped playing in bands. Tonight at the Rubicon in Ventura, he returns to his first love

TROY HARVEY/THE STAR  Neeley of the Little Big Band poses for a portrait at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura Monday afternoon.

Photo by Troy Harvey, Ventura County Star // Buy this photo

TROY HARVEY/THE STAR Neeley of the Little Big Band poses for a portrait at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura Monday afternoon.

Photo by Troy Harvey, Ventura County Star

TED NEELEY

The singer-songwriter-actor will perform with his Little Big Band during a 10-concert run at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, 1006 E. Main St., with a preview at 7 tonight, opening night at 7 p.m. Saturday, and regular shows at 2 p.m. Sunday and Jan. 29, 2 and 7 p.m. Wednesday, 7 p.m. Thursday and Jan. 27, and 2 and 8 p.m. Jan. 29. Opening night: $125 (includes a post-show party). Regular shows: $25-$54 general admission, $25 full-time students with ID. For tickets or more information, call 667-2900 or visit rubicontheatre.org. Neeley's website is neeleyontheroad.com.

-----------------------
Troy Harvey/The Star
Neeley practices a set on stage at the Rubicon Theatre Monday afternoon.

Photo by Troy Harvey, Ventura County Star

TedUCATION

Here are some random Ted Neeley nuggets:

Texas to California and back to Texas and California: Neeley was born and raised in Ranger, a small town in Texas. He met his wife, Leeyan, during production for the film version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in Israel; she was a dancer in the cast. "Leeyan and I just have been in love with California since we first came out here; we got married up in the Carmel Valley," Neeley said. Their children, Tessa and Zachariah, were born in California in the 1980s, Neeley said, and in 1989 they moved back to Texas to be closer to family. When Tessa and Zachariah decided to attend college at CSU Channel Islands, the entire family moved to Ventura in 2007.

Chips off the block: Both Tessa and Zachariah, now in their 20s, are interested in the arts, Neeley said, although they also followed their parents' advice and earned business degrees in college. "In this business, if you don't have marketing and some sort of business sense, you're going to get lost in the shuffle real quickly," Neeley said. Zachariah, who lives in Thousand Oaks, "has leanings toward being a producer." Tessa, who lives in West Hollywood, "leans toward the performing arts."

Who has the Honda?: In 2005, when Neeley played Lucky in the Rubicon Theatre's "Waiting for Godot," he flew out from Texas to Ventura, but drove home in Rubicon Artistic Director Karl Lynn Burns' 1995 Honda Accord because he hates to fly. "I love the tactability of holding on to that steering wheel and knowing where I want to go at the end of the day, stopping whenever I feel like it," he said. Burns didn't get the car back until 2007, when Neeley returned to Ventura. She doesn't mind, however. "It's the extended Rubicon family car," she said.

Ventura County haunts: Neeley said he's a "movie freak." He and his wife also "do the beach thing, and anytime we get a chance we spend time up in Ojai. We love just walking around Main Street" (in downtown Ventura).

Advice to aspiring performers: "No matter how well-trained you are, until you actually have hands-on experience within the theater or a film or a TV show or a band or whatever, you still don't know what you're doing. So at the earliest age possible, be an apprentice so you have the experience of working with people who are doing the trade you wish to get into."

Future film: In March, Neeley said, he'll begin filming a movie shot in New Orleans. He can't say anything about it, however, because "the director wants his projects to be done before people start yammering about them."

He's a tart: Neeley's wife has a business, Granger's Cookies, that sells her gourmet baked goods. Neeley fans can order a cookie tart called "Teddie's T'heart" for $19.95. grangerscookies.com.

-----------------------
Troy Harvey/The Star
Singer Ted Neeley practices with his Little Big Band at the Rubicon Theatre in Ventura, where he's premiering a series of concerts starting tonight.

Photo by Joan Marcus

Joan Marcus/Contributed photo Ted Neeley has played the title role in "Jesus Christ Superstar" countless times on stage.

Ted Neeley will make you think he talks too much.

"I have a reputation for yammering a lot," he says sheepishly in his Texan drawl. "I run off at the mouth."

"Don't get me started," he warns, after almost veering off into a discussion of how "career politicians need to make the political system something that really serves the people as opposed to serving themselves."

But at heart, Neeley is more gracious listener than garrulous gabber.

The "Jesus Christ Superstar" star, 68, who has played Jesus so many times in the pop-rock musical since 1971 that he's spent more time as Jesus than the real Jesus, is known for staying hours after shows to meet with every fan who wants one-on-one time. During such conversations, and even during an interview with a reporter, you have to steer him away from asking the questions.

And although Neeley has never had any formal training as a singer, drummer, actor or composer, he's been successful in all those areas in part because he's all ears.

"He's probably the most insightful person I've ever met, and I think in a way it's tied to the notion of him being a good listener," said Karyl Lynn Burns, founder and producing artistic director of the Rubicon Theatre Company in Ventura and a longtime colleague and friend of Neeley's. "He learns very quickly."

Burns saves most of her praise, however, for the insightful listening connections that Neeley makes with fans.

"Ted can spend hours with someone; I think people feel heard and loved," she said. "He is kind of this soulful listener. I've heard people say he's looking into their soul."

Neeley is now listening to his own soul. Despite his thousands of performances as Jesus — and he'll still do any production of "Superstar" if someone asks — Neeley is most drawn to being in a band, something he hasn't done "officially" since the 1960s.

Fans will get a chance to hear many of Neeley's original tunes, which are a mix of country, rock and blues, for the first time when he returns to his music roots at the Rubicon.

Tonight, he'll premiere a run of 10 concerts at the theater as the frontman for his newly formed Little Big Band (five musicians with big talent).

The Rubicon has a history with Neeley: Burns' husband, Rubicon co-founder James O'Neil, became friends with Neeley when they both performed in a touring production of "Jesus Christ Superstar." Neeley starred in Rubicon's first-ever fundraiser, a concert version of "Superstar," in 1998 (and even hosted a "First Supper" meal for potential board members), then played a convicted murderer in "Murder in the First" in 2000 and Lucky in "Waiting for Godot" in 2004.

One reason he moved to Ventura from Texas in 2007 is his tremendous respect and affection for the Rubicon Theatre, and Burns and O'Neil.

When Rubicon offered Neeley the part of Lucky in "Waiting for Godot," Burns said, the actor had never been in a Samuel Beckett play. Director Walter Asmus (a Beckett expert who worked directly with the playwright) "was amazed at how he got the essence of who the character was, without any history of studying Beckett."

BACK TO A BAND

As a musician, Neeley never studied either. He started playing drums in a band during grade school because "we needed a drummer," and as a songwriter, has mainly absorbed material from other musicians, he said.

"I'm influenced by everybody," Neeley said of his original songs. "I've stolen from every other artist I've heard in my life."

He did get an early start in the music business, long before he joined the musical business.

"Singing and playing drums in a band got me from Texas to California to start with," Neeley said. The night he and his bandmates graduated from high school, they headed to California." The idea, he said, was to tour during the summer and return to Texas in the fall, but "we did well enough in California that we never went back."

The band stuck together, living in Los Angeles, "until the draft board split up the band, and then I was on my own," he said. Neeley drifted to Las Vegas and survived at nightclubs doing his Bobby Darin impression.

Then, he heard about an audition for a musical in Los Angeles. He planned to just go with a friend to watch, but ended up trying out and landed a lead role in "Hair."

"Hair" led to roles in "Superstar," both the musical and 1973 film, and other musicals such as "Tommy" and "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." He's also composed music for film, and participated in marathon tours of "Superstar" from 1992-97 and 2006-10.

Lee Marshall, CEO of MagicSpace Entertainment, which produces touring theater shows, worked with Neeley for eight years as a producer for "Superstar." He recently invited Neeley to play Jesus in a community production of the show in Marshall's hometown of Park City, Utah, at the 300-seat Egyptian Theatre. "Fifteen of 18 shows sold out," Marshall said. "In our town, that's a mighty feat."

Neeley "is the only person I've seen play Jesus that is totally believable," Marshall said. "He's a legend in this role; people come from far corners of the earth to see him" (fans are known as "Ted Heads"). "And he can still hit all the high notes."

Marshall, who will travel from Utah to see Neeley at the Rubicon, said the singer "has been talking to me about the band thing for 20 years. 'Superstar' had gotten in the way of his dream."

Neeley, however, repeatedly emphasizes how grateful he is for his "Superstar" longevity.

"But still in the back of my mind, I've been longing to get with the band and play," he said. "There's nothing as free for me as being able to be in a band singing songs, no matter whose songs they are."

The Rubicon shows will include Neeley's original compositions along with cover tunes by artists he's a fan of such as The Beatles and The Eagles, and songs from the Broadway shows he's known for.

"There's a lot of recognizable material mixed in with my original material," he said. "I could do easily three hours of all original music, but I thought as an audience person that would be kind of boring. I hope I can make my original music sound or feel as good as the songs from somebody else."

His "Little Big Band" members are guitarist-vocalist Kim Norton, who played lead guitar in numerous productions of "Superstar" with Neeley; guitarist Craig Stull; singer-bassist Candy Chase; pianist Ed Martel; and drummer Gavin Salmon. All are session musicians in L.A., he said, who are "cutting some of their own employment down to do this with me. They're being very generous to give me some time."

Those eager to see Neeley reprise his drumming prowess will be disappointed, however. "The people I discussed doing this project with thought I should be out front, as opposed to sitting behind the drums," he said.

If the show tours around the country, however, "I'll have a second set of drums up there so I can go back and play from time to time with the band," he said.

And Neeley definitely needs a band backing him, he said. "It's a little bit boring to just have a guy screaming behind the drums."

LONGER THEATER LIFE

About the only subject Neeley WILL talk about endlessly, because he wants everyone to know about it, is the Rubicon Theatre Company.

"This is home for me," he said of the theater. "I've seen lots of shows in lots of places, including New York, and there's nobody who does productions any better and more artistically beautifully than Jim and Karyl Lynn and their associates. I'm going to do as much as I can now with the Rubicon."

He doesn't have a formal position with the theater — at least not yet — and isn't a likely candidate to participate on a board of directors, he said, because "I'm too much of a free spirit."

Burns said that "we've talked about possibility of a formal role for Ted; informally he's definitely been the best consultant we can have."

Neeley would like to get involved with encouraging Rubicon and other local theaters to tour their productions rather than stick to a limited run at home before moving on to something else.

"Community theater is thriving in this country, but nobody knows it," he said. "There's thousands of them, literally. So I'm feeling it's maybe my calling, because of my touring experience, to help all of them develop a touring circuit of community theaters who will collaborate with each other to do great projects. They all then have the opportunity to just stay in their community, or expand to adjoining communities, and ultimately, go to Broadway. Why not?"

Rubicon has experimented successfully with touring productions, Burns said.

Neeley encouraged Rubicon early on, she said, to give shows a longer life and create an alternative revenue stream.

"Donation income has been pretty moderate in last couple of years, so touring income helps sustain the company," she explained. "It's helped us through the challenges of the recession." Rubicon's production of "Daddy Long Legs," for example, has now played in 14 cities. The theater's "Lonesome Traveler," written and directed by O'Neil, is starting a run at the Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, and "Fascinating Rhythms" was "built to tour as well," Burns said.

Neeley doesn't limit his sights to professional theaters like the Rubicon.

"It's the little tiny nonunion theaters that create some of the most wonderful work in the world," he said.

"I can talk all day and night about it."

Keep your ears, and your mind, open to the idea.

© 2012 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Ted Neeley Returns to Rubicon in a Premiere Concert Event January 20-29

The Film, Broadway and National Tour Star of Jesus Christ Superstar Premieres his New Concert with the Company He Helped Launch Jan. 20-29 at Rubicon

Ted Neeley, best known as the star of the Norman Jewison film of Jesus Christ Superstar, as well as the Broadway and National Tours, helped launch Ventura's Rubicon Theatre Company back in 1998. He starred in the then-fledgling Rubicon's first production -- a concert version of that same show at the Majestic Theatre fourteen years ago. Initially announced for two performances only in the 1,400-seat venue, Rubicon's Superstar quickly sold-out, a third show was added, and Rubicon Theatre Company was born. Each performance received a standing ovation. Critics from both the Ventura County Star and The Reporter summed up Neeley's performance in one word: "stellar."
Neeley returns to the company his talent helped christen this month with the debut of his new concert, Ted Neeley and The Little Big Band, an up-close-and-personal musical event which previews January 20, opens January 21, and continues for a limited run through January 29 at Rubicon.
Neeley will tell a few anecdotes about his career and will sing in a variety of styles and genres, representing his own eclectic musical passions. Neeley will sing folk and pop hits by his favorite songwriters of the past few decades (both electric and acoustic); perform highlights from rock musicals such as Tommy, Hair, Sgt. Pepper's … and Superstar; offer excerpts from his film scores for Robert Altman and others; and premiere new, never-before-heard compositions from shows he's developing for future production. Neeley will be backed by a "little" five-piece band of instrumentalists with big talents.
Tickets are now on sale and may be purchased with cash, check or charge through the Rubicon Box Office at 1006 E. Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 (Laurel entrance). To charge by phone, call (805) 667-2900 during normal box office hours (Noon to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday). Specific seats may also be selected and purchased online 24-hours-a-day through the company's website: www.rubicontheatre.org.
About Ted
Ted Neeley (born Teddie Joe Neeley) began his career in his hometown of Ranger, Texas as a rock-and-roll drummer in the 1960s. He signed his first record deal with Capitol Records, and played the club circuit on that label for years with The Teddy Neeley Five. He then became a vocal arranger and record producer, working with such artists as Ray Charles, Tina Turner, Bo Diddley, Keith Carradine and Meat Loaf.
In the late '60s and early '70s, Neeley's career took a different trajectory. The producers of Hair were going outside the normal New York casting process for their revolutionary new rock musical (some say the first). On a lark, Ted tagged along with some musician friends to an audition and was cast in leading roles in the New York and Los Angeles companies.
The Broadway director of Hair, Tom O'Horgan, suggested the long-haired, charismatic Neeley to producer Robert Stigwood for Jesus Christ Superstar. Ted started in the Broadway ensemble and then was tapped to play the role of Jesus in the O'Horgan production at Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. There he was seen by Norman Jewison, who interviewed him and immediately invited him to recreate his performance in the film, for which Neeley was nominated for Golden Globe Awards for both Best Actor and Best Newcomer in 1974.
Fresh from the success of Superstar, Neeley released a solo album, "1974 A.D." He then brought his distinctive wail to the role of Billy Shears in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road.
Neeley became a frequent musical guest star on network television shows like The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and A Touch of Gold; and appeared as a guest star on network dramas and television movies in the 1970s and 1980s, ranging from Starsky and Hutch, to Of Mice and Men, to McLaren's Riders.
Neeley composed music for and appeared in Robert Altman's film “A Perfect Couple,” and performed the music for the TriStar feature film Blame it on the Night, NBC-TV's Highway to Heaven, and The Big Blue Marble for the Children's Television Network. He also wrote music for, and starred in Cowboy Jack Street at the Mark Taper Forum in L.A.
Neeley returned to the role of Jesus in the 1992 A.D. revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, which became the longest-running revival in North American theatrical history, criss-crossing the nation for some 1,700 performances.
The Neeley-O'Neil Connection
Neeley and Rubicon Artistic Director James O’Neil first met in a 1976 production of Superstar at the Santa Barbara County Bowl, a benefit for Jack Nakano's Youth Theatre directed by Gary Goddard. O’Neil, recently out of Cal Arts (and an alum of the Santa Barbara program), played Annas in that production, and O’Neil and Neeley became fast friends. Says O'Neil, "I went into the wings every performance to watch Ted sing Gethsemane. His performance of that song is one of the most electrifying moments I've experienced in a theatre."
Later, when Goddard's Landmark Entertainment Group and Forbes Candlish produced the 1992 AD tour of Superstar, O'Neil was hired as Associate Director and played Pontius Pilate. The intense nature of their performances in those seminal roles drew them even closer. Says O'Neil, "Playing opposite Ted in The Trial and Pilate and Christ sections of the musical was very moving. The truth of his performance was undeniable and powerful."
The run, initially scheduled for three months, continued breaking house records across the country for years. Says O'Neil, "Audience members were so profoundly touched by Ted's work that they would wait outside the stage door to meet him, some staying until 3:00 or 4:00 a.m. in the morning."
"As much as he gives of himself in his performances," continues O'Neil, "Ted also gives of himself in that same way to fans. Ted is a great listener and has deep personal reservoirs - each person he meets feels heard and valued -- and they are."
Neeley "Crosses the Rubicon"
When O'Neil and Rubicon Co-Founder Karyl Lynn Burns dreamed of starting Rubicon, they approached locals Elena Brokaw and Cassandra Petrovich about producing a first event. At their suggestion, O'Neil sent Neeley a letter about the vision for Rubicon as an actors' and directors' company committed to doing revelatory work. Neeley immediately and generously offered his support, signing on to the idea of a Superstar reunion. The cast was made up of Neeley, Carl Anderson (it would be the last time the two performed together as Anderson passed away from Leukemia in 2004), O'Neil (as Pilate), Paul Ainsley (the original Broadway Herod), many performers (and musicians) from the '92 AD National Tour, and local actor/singers from Los Angeles, Ventura, Oxnard and Ojai who auditioned. Barry Dennen, the original West End and Broadway Pilate, agreed to attend and lend his name. (O'Neil had previously directed Dennen in Drood!) The production drew interest from across the nation and, remarkably, more than a third of the attendees were from out-of-state. The Ventura County Star called it a staging of 'biblical proportions.' Lisa McKinnon wrote, "There's no denying that this 'Superstar' was something special."

Following Rubicon Theatre Company's inaugural production of Jesus Christ Superstar back in 1998, Neeley remained in Ventura to help establish Rubicon in the community. O'Neil recalls, "In addition to sharing his talents with our community, Ted was incredibly committed to ensuring the company got a strong start in other ways."

Neeley and Honorary Chairs Rosa Lee Measures and Albert Harris hosted the first board recruitment effort - "The First Supper" - (with tables of 12, of course, at then-new Jonathan's Mediterranean Restaurant), and met with city officials and supporters.
Neeley even designed sound for the company's first musical in its new home at Laurel and Main, a production of Lies and Legends: The Musical Stories of Harry Chapin. Says O'Neil, "We had recently moved into our current venue, which was a church built in the 1920s. We didn't have the resources for the kind of acoustical work or sound equipment that we really needed. Ted created headsets for the actors out of hangers, small microphones and gaff tape. He asked members of our volunteer auxiliary to bring in empty egg cartons, which he pasted to the walls and spray-painted black to help control the sound bounce. Ted even ran the sound himself. It was amazing to have someone with his ear on the board."
In the company's first full season, Neeley made his first return to the Rubicon stage in a non-musical role that was a complete departure from Superstar: that of convict Willie Moore in the World Premiere stage adaptation of Murder in the First by Dan Gordon. Rubicon's production was directed by Linda Gray and starred Neeley, Gary Best, Joseph Fuqua and Larry Hagman. The play was loosely based on a true story about a landmark legal case that drew attention to the need for prison reform in the 1940s. The Backstage West reviewer wrote, "Neeley becomes Willie Moore with that intensity of commitment achieved only by artists at the top of their form…Neeley holds the courtroom and we, the jury, are spellbound."

In the fall of 2004, Neeley appeared at Rubicon in another challenging drama. Neeley played Lucky in Waiting for Godot, directed by Beckett expert German director Walter Asmus, and starring Cliff DeYoung, Joe Spano and Robin Gammell. The production was the centerpiece of Rubicon's West Coast Beckettfest – a celebration of the Centennial of Samuel Beckett's birth. The Los Angeles Times described the performance as follows: "As the master-slave duo Pozzo and Lucky, Cliff De Young and Ted Neeley not only symbolize exploitation and greed in the social hierarchy but reveal themselves trapped by it …In Neeley’s eerie soliloquy, what begins as a sigh builds to a guttural howl of rage."

Band and Designers
For "Ted Neeley and The Little Big Band," Neeley returns melds his theatrical and musical roots. Band members are Kim Norton, guitar; Craig Stull, guitar: Candy Chase, bass; Gavin Salmon, drums; and Ed Martel, keyboards. Sound design is by Bruce Yauger and Lighting Design is by David King. Tobias Peltier is Stage Manager. The concert is expected to tour nationally next season.

Sponsors, Season Information and Tickets
The premiere of "Ted Neeley and The Little Big Band" at Rubicon Theatre Company is generously sponsored by patron Micheline Sakharoff.

"Ted Neeley and the Little Big Band" previews Friday, January 20, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. and premieres Saturday, January 21 at 7:00 p.m. Additional performances are Sunday, January 22 at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. (talkback following evening performance), Thursday, January 26 at 7:00 p.m., Friday, January 27 at 7:00 p.m., Saturday, January 28 at 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., and Sunday, January 29 at 2:00 p.m.

Thinking of subscribing?
Premium tickets for new subscribers have been set aside and may be purchased as part of Rubicon's 2011-2012 Season of "Magic, Mystery and Music," which also includes upcoming productions Nazi Hunter: Simon Wiesenthal (recently nominated for three Ovation Awards including Best Play); the World Premiere musical romance Hello! My Baby conceived and written by Cheri Steinkellner with arrangements by Georgia Stitt (featuring songs by Berlin, Gershwin, Kern and others); August Wilson's mystical drama Gem of the Ocean; and the frothy and sophisticated comedy Private Lives by Noel Coward. Four and five-show packages are still available starting as low as $96.40 (for previews).
Single tickets are also now available and may be purchased online at www.rubicontheatre.org 24-hours-a-day, or by calling the Rubicon Box Office Noon to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and Noon to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday at (805) 667-2900. Tickets may also be purchased in person at the box office at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura (Laurel street entrance).

© 2009 Rubicon Theatre Company

Ted Neeley and The Little Big Band
Meet the Artists

Ted Neeley

is best known for his performance in the title role of Norman Jewison's film "Jesus Christ Superstar,"
for which he received two Golden Globe Award nominations for both Best Actor and Best Newcomer.
Ted appeared in the Los Angeles and New York theatrical conceptions of Hair, Jesus Christ Superstar
and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road, each directed by Ted’s theatrical mentor
Tom O'Horgan; and The Who's Tommy, under the choreographic direction of Claude Thompson.
While experiencing these remarkable opportunities, the singin', rock'n'roll drummer from Texas
was drawn into the songwriting process through collaboration with friends such as Alan Nicholls
and Tony Berg, with whom Ted composed the score and appeared in Robert Altman's film "A
Perfect Couple." Opportunities continued for Ted to write music and lyrics as well as sing the song
scores, for the Tri-Star film "Blame It on the Night," NBC's "Highway to Heaven" starring Michael
Landon, and "The Big Blue Marble" for Children's Television Network. In addition to writing and
singing the song score, Ted also performed in Joan Tewkesbury's Cowboy Jack Street for The Mark
Taper Forum Lab in Los Angeles. As an actor only, Ted performed in the NBC movies’ "Of Mice and
Men" and "McClaren's Riders." And as a singer only, he shared the stage with Ray Charles in "A Touch
of Gold." Ted performed in the Rolling Stones’ Anniversary Television Special produced, directed and
written by Steve Binder. At Rubicon Theatre Company, Ted starred in the World Premiere theatrical
production of Murder in the First, alongside Joseph Fuqua, Larry Hagman and Gary Best; and in the
West Coast Premier Beckett Festival production of Samuel Beckett's, Waiting for Godot, sharing the stage
with Joe Spano, Robin Gammell and Cliff DeYoung.

Kim Norton / Guitar, Piano, Banjo, Mandolin and Vocals

returns to the Rubicon Theatre stage following his work on Man of La Mancha. Kim has toured with
productions of Jesus Christ Superstar, Hair, Tommy, Fame (also playing the guitar on the album),
Smokey Joe's Cafe', and others. He was the guitarist on Roger Daltrey's North American Tour in 1998,
which laid the groundwork for The Who reunion in 1999. Kim was the pianist for The Judds in the
HBO Movie "Love Can Build a Bridge."

Ed Martel / Piano and Synthesizer

has served as music director, conductor, arranger, orchestrator and pianist for shows, concerts, television
shows, films, and recording projects throughout the U.S., Europe and Asia. Theatrical productions include
A New Brain for Reprise; Acc-En-Tu-Ate the Positive at the Mark Taper Forum for Center Theatre Group
(CTG); All About Gordon at the Ahmanson Theatre (CTG); Isn’t it Rich? and A Fantastic Evening for the
Pasadena Playhouse; Boulevard of Broken Dreams at the Coconut Grove Playhouse; and Finian’s Rainbow,
Out of this World, Redhead, My Favorite Year, Parade, Lucky Stiff, Floyd Collins, Extraordinary! A Tribute
to Stephen Schwartz, The Robber Bridegroom
,and Where’s Charley? for Musical Theatre Guild. Film credits
include “Chaplin,” “Marrying Man” and “Tales From The Hood.”  As a pianist, Ed has backed up concert
artists including Englebert Humperdinck, Jason Alexander, Davis Gaines, Andrea MacArdle, Diane Reeves,
Fred Travalena, Sally Kellerman, Roslyn Kind, Maureen McGovern, Rickie Lee Jones, The Irish Tenors,
Robert Davi, Dennis McNeil and Three Dog Night.

Candy Chase / Bass and Vocals

is a native of Fort Worth, Texas, and was a founding member of the CCMA-nominated and ECMA-award-
winning country group Fort Worth West. Her credits as a studio vocalist and composer for television include
“True Blood,” “Bones,” “King of the Hill,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Restoration,” “Weeds,” “Big Love,”
“Dog the Bounty Hunter,” “Odyssey 5” and “Strong Medicine.” She toured with Righteous Brother Bill Medley,
from 2005 through 2010. Candy just released “Texas Moon,” her first CD as a solo artist.

Gavin Salmon / Drums

is a jazz and rock drummer based in Los Angeles. He began his professional performing career at the age of
15 as the national winner of the drum chair for the prestigious Monterey Jazz Festival Next Generation Band
(twice). He attended the USC Thornton School of music studying with Peter Erskine and Terri Lynn Carrington
where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Studies. He was the recipient of the Outstanding Musician Award
for the Thornton Concert Jazz Orchestra and was selected for USC’s Protégé Program. Gavin has worked with
Bobby McFerrin, Adam Levy, Al Jarreau, Gary Burton, The Clayton Brothers, Johny Lang, The Heath Brothers,
Bob James, Stanley Jordan, James Morrison, Renee Olstead, Peter Salett, Nikki Flores, Otmaro Ruiz, Marvin
Etzione, Brendan James, and many more. Television appearances include “The Tonight show,” “Ellen DeGeneres,”
“Carson Daly,” “Rachel Ray,” CBS Morning,” Italy’s “Top of The Pops” and MTV. Gavin has also performed
as a drummer and percussionist for the Red Quartet, the Vardan Ovsepian Chamber Ensemble, and for the
Anchorage Chamber Intensive. Gavin co-produced his first CD “Ellision” in 2009. He has spent 2010 and 2011
on tour in the U.S. and Europe with Universal recording artist Brendan James and Sony recording artist Brooke
Fraser. Most recently he has been the on stage drummer for several episodes of “The X Factor” on Fox.

Craig Stull / Guitar and Vocals

is originally from Lexington, Kentucky, and has been a studio musician, vocalist and composer in Los Angeles
for many years. His feature film work includes “Rango,” “You Again,” “Home of the Brave,” “She’s the Man,”
“Stuart Little 2,” “Armageddon,” “My Best Friend’s Wedding,” “Any Day Now,” “Hot Shots,” “Boat Trip,”
“The Dukes,” “Witless Protection” and “Tin Cup.” Recent television credits include “Hellcats,” “King of the
Hill,” “Cold Case,” “Pawn Stars,” “American Restoration,” “Firefly,” “True Blood,” “Weeds,” “Big Love,”
“Grey’s Anatomy,” “Private Practice” and The Academy Awards. Commercial spots include Toyota, Madden
NFL, Anheiser Busch, Coors, Arby’s, American Express, Delsym, Chevrolet, Mitsubishi, Sharp and Sapporo.
Craig has recorded for a diverse group of recording artists including Celine Dion, Sheryl Crow, Oasis, Shawn
Kolvin, Carole King, Vince Gill, Randy Travis, Rick James, Ashanti, Usher, Marie Osmond, Katrina, Robert
Davi, Max Morgan and The Calling. He has appeared onscreen in episodes of “Bones,” “Roswell,” “X Files,”
“Murder She Wrote” and “L.A. Law.”

Bruce Landon Yauger / Sound Designer

is the principal of Falcon Musik, a multimedia production company, and is thrilled to be back in the saddle
again with Mr. Neeley after years together on the Superstar AD tour in the ‘90s. Broadway tour sound design
credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, A Chorus Line, West Side Story, Fiddler on the Roof, and dozens of others
as well as Spiderman Live!, a precursor to the current Broadway show for which he also served as principal composer.
Bruce has several albums out under the name Bruce Landon and performs regionally as a solo artist or with the
band Sama Papa.

David King / Lighting

has worked with Rubicon on numerous productions over the past five years and designed lights for concerts
ranging from Amanda McBroom and George Ball, to David Burnham. He built sets for the Colony Theatre
(where he doubled as an electrician) and the Santa Fe Opera. David has also constructed scenic elements for
theatre, film and television with G & G Design Associates. His work for television includes “Monk,” “Flavor
of Love” and “America’s Greatest Dog.” He received his certificate from the LACC Theatre Academy.

From Allyson we have the set list from the 1/28/12 show!!!

1. The Age of Aquarius (Hair)

2. Pinball Wizard (Tommy)

3. See Me, Feel Me (Tommy)

4. (First long story)

5. One Night Stand (Blame It On The Night)

6. Stone Me (Blame It On The Night)

7. One By One (Blame It On The Night)

8. (Second long story)

9. Blame It On The Night (Blame It On The Night)

10. Take These Broken Wings

11. Crazy Heart

12. (Third long story)

13. Gethsemane (JCS)

14. Paralyzer
(for those who are curious about this song, here's a link to a video
of the original version by Finger 11:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJk6gZuPKRE&ob=av2e)

15. Introduction To The Band

16. Here We Are (Pandemonium)

17. Let The Sun Shine In (Hair)

18. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band (Sgt. Pepper)

19. The Long And Winding Road

20. Golden Slumbers Medley (and in the end, the love you take...)

AND

We also have a review/experience from one of our list members for the Wednesday night, 1/25/12 show (thank you!)

This may be far more than you want to know about my trip this week to Ventura to
see Ted. Be warned! Maybe you should go get some Gatorade and snacks before you
start reading this. And go to the bathroom. But then, I drove 750 miles for
this, and all you have to do is sit there.

The Rubicon auditorium is pretty small. You all probably know that it used to be
a church. I was in the middle of the front row, which is practically part of the
stage,so I was extremely there! Ted knelt and talked to us front-rowers a couple
of times. At one point, after he had taken a swig of water, he offered the
bottle to us as if to share, and I said, 'Maybe if you turn it into wine!', and
he laughed like he hadn't heard that about a million times.

He was really funny. At one point, he referred to the songbook on stage and said
something about needing help to remember the words of the songs, which he
thought was understandable considering that he is '2000 years old.' He said that
we were all his children. Then he looked over the audience and said, 'And some
of you may be my grandchildren.' Later in the show, he asked if we were tired
and if we needed to go to the bathroom yet.

He told stories of his amazing career, telling about the songs he chose to
perform, both his own and hits from Hair, Tommy, Sgt. Pepper, and, of course,
JCS. He hit all the high notes effortlessly. I wept during 'Gesthemane',
overwhelmed not only by that heart-wrenching, magnificent song, but also by the
fact that HE was singing it, less than 10 feet away from me.

After the show I got to talk to Ted for about 10 or 15 minutes and shared 2
hugs. He is truly as gracious and as present as everybody says, and also as
funny. I asked him if he would write a book about his life and what he has
learned from playing Jesus for so long, and he said, 'First I have to learn how
to spell 'book''.

I told him my dialog suggestion for a scene he did in the Starsky and Hutch
episode (when his character Lionel Rigger gets shot and falls out a window,
dead, and Starsky and Hutch kneel over him, obviously extremely upset) I asked
Ted first if he ever watched South Park, and he knew immediately where I was
going with it, and we yelled together, 'Oh, my God, they killed Jesus! Again!
You bastards!' *laff laff laff*

We swapped some stories about Tulsa and Leon Russell, and I told him about my
kitten named for him (Teddie Joe). Because the cat has an underdeveloped
cerebellum, he rocks and then he rolls, and he can shriek high notes.

I told him about having my son, a die-hard Axl Rose/Guns n Roses fan, listen to
Polyphemus and the high note in it, which my son said was quite impressive (high
praise, indeed!), and then Ted told about some fans having a competition over
him and Axl and those high screams. Then I committed a serious Ted Sin. I told
him about a couple of youtube lists of singers hitting that high G#, and when I
said that, he put his hands over his ears and said, 'Don't tell me!' and Jan S.,
sitting nearby, cried out, 'Don't say it!' Ted said he doesn't want to know what
it is because he's afraid he won't hit it. After I took my hands down from where
I had clapped them over my mouth in horror, I apologized profusely and told him
I had said it wrong. It's Q#, Q#! I hope he will forgive me.

When I told him I have a friend who said she thinks he channels Jesus, he said
that he believes that was the case when they filmed JCS in Isreal because he
wasn't himself. He said that nothing will ever shake his faith after that. I
read that the cast and crew began having trouble distinguishing the real Ted and
everybody got very emotional.

Later, as we were leaving, he helped me get down some stairs. This beloved man,
who has been borne so many times on the shoulders of others, helped me. The
woman who does Ted's hair had been talking to Leeyan as I waited to speak to
her, and she said how much she hated having to cut off his hair recently.

I had dropped my camera on the beach earlier and have no pictures of him and me,
which is more awful than I can say.

A little earlier, I had also gotten to talk to Leeyan and complimented her on
her fabulous cookies. Their son Zack was in the audience, but I did not see him.
I don't think I would recognize him since I have only seen a couple of pictures
of him from several years ago.

The stage was set like a western bar with a smoke machine providing some extra
atmosphere. There was a rug and a rocking chair where Ted sat to tell stories.
Among the items onstage was a Jiminy Cricket stuffed toy.

He opened the show with Age of Aquarius. Earlier, I had stopped to look at the
beautiful sight of the moon and bright Jupiter so close together in the clear
night sky as I went into the theater, and then a few moments later, I heard his
voice singing, 'When the moon is in the seventh house, and Jupiter aligns with
Mars...' Cold chills! Do you suppose his connections on high arranged that
display for him?

Then he sang See Me Feel Me (during which he stole some of Pete Townshend's
windmills), followed by some of the songs he wrote for the movie Blame It on the
Night: Another One Night Stand, Stone Me, One by One, and Blame It on the Night.
Then came Take These Broken Wings (he didn't say why he sang this one), Crazy
Heart (which he wrote recently), Pinball Wizard (preceded by the story of how he
got hurt during a performance of it and missed the performance that Norman
Jewison came to see). He stopped to tell the story of his persistence and how
finally he was cast as Jesus. He also told about the first moment he met Leeyan.
And then he sang the mighty Gethsemane. He acknowledged the cheering, standing
audience and then went right into Paralyzer (I think this one is his--it was a
real rocker. Next was On My Way (he wrote for Pandemonium), Here We Are (also
written for Pandemonium), Long and Winding Road, Let the Sun Shine In (which we
all sang with him and which was absolutely glorious), and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band. He ended the show so perfectly with the Beatles Golden
Slumbers medley.

'The love you take is equal to the love you make'--sing it forever, Ted, and
Amen.

--Susan B.

AND

We also have a review/experience from Crispy-Gypsy's blog:

http://crispy-gypsy.deviantart.com/journal/Meeting-Jesus-or-Hello-Ted-Neeley-281914758

Jesus is shorter than me. He is 68 years old, with slightly lazy blue eyes, short brown hair, and his voice is so quiet sometimes you have to strain to hear. When he speaks, tinges of a Southern drawl--Texan, he reminds people often--mix with the influences of California and a life that has seen the rest of not only America, but the world. He wears glasses and a denim jacket. He had worn a leather jacket earlier, coming out on stage singing "The Age of Aquarius," but had shed it soon enough, hanging it on the back corner of a rocking chair while complaining that it had become too hot too quickly.

I don't know how many of you know who Ted Neeley is, but if you've seen the 70's film version of "Jesus Christ Superstar," you've seen him. He played the Jesus Christ with the rockstar voice 40 years ago for the movies, but he basically lived through the beginning of the Rock Opera, when theater finally accepted rock and roll into its repertoire. He was in Hair, in Jesus Christ Superstar, played Tommy in the Who's Tommy, Billy Shears in Sergeant Pepper's.  A drummer from a little podunk Texas town, who moved out to California to pursue a career as a musician, ended up auditioning (and getting a role) in Hair because of a bet with an artist over whether it was harder to get a job as an actor or a musician, and then became the Jesus despite wanting originally to be Judas.  

AND he is probably one of the nicest people I've ever met. If ever there was a Jesus, I would like to believe he woulda been something like Ted Neeley.

Anyway, enough of that, today, I went to a concert he was holding in Ventura's Rubicon theater--I found out recently that he actually lives really close by; I guess that's one of the advantages of living in Southern California.  I wasn't really sure what to expect when going to the concert--all I knew is that the first time I had heard the song Gethsemane, I'd decided that I wanted to meet this guy, wanted to see if he could still sing those high notes. What I got was great, man. The dude can still sing, and he spoke a lot to the audience, a lot about his experiences, how charmed his life was. He sang quite a few songs from Hair, a LOT of his original stuff (some of which was in a pretty forgotten movie called "Blame the Night,"  which I think critics hated and Mick Jagger wrote XDDDD but his songs were really good, actually).

But I think the highlight of the night was when he decided to sing "Gethsemane" from Jesus Christ Superstar. This is what we had been waiting for, and holy fuck, the 68 year old man can STILL hit those notes, and I'd say he sings it better now than he ever sang it in the movie. I honestly started crying.

After that, he was weeping, and it was a little painful, and more than a little touching to see. He explained that it was because he remembered JCS so well--how much of an effect it's had on him. He met his wife on the set of the movie (she was one of the dancers), and travelled the world because of it, heard so many stories of people who had been affected by the music (one of the stories was actually something my friend Aletheia told me, about how in Soviet Russia there were no religious materials allowed at all, so just the album of Jesus Christ Superstar was contraband, was illegal but being passed around), and of course his deep friendship with the spectacular Carl Andersen, who played Judas in the original film.

He recounted how they had planned a reunion, how they were planning a world tour...and then Carl found out he had leukemia. And soon after, Carl died of Leukemia, and Ted spoke about how it suddenly felt like he was doing it all alone. He was crying because he was remembering Carl--and explained that he sang Gethsemane at Carl's memorial, how he felt his presence, and every time he sings that song, he sings it in memory of him.

And then to counteract that, he sang Paralyzed. For an encore? The Beatles Medley at the end of Abbey Road.

We met him after the show, and he seemed genuinely interested. Spoke about our experiences in the theater.  He had asked me if I was in the theater group too, and when I told him I was an artist, he sort of smiled at me, and told me how important artists were in telling stories.

He then told me to follow my dream. Go for it.

"I am. I'm chasing it like a beast, I promise."

"Well, you're a gentle beast. I can tell."  

It was strange. it felt like a religious experience. Not just because he played Jesus before, but just someone who I've seen so many times before just being so humble and attentive and real, and really caring about what I had to say and who I was, who I wanted to be. There are so many fake people here in California, I hate to say it, but it's true. I wanted to cry. It might as well have been Jesus who told me to follow my dreams. And so I'm going to say he did. Jesus told me to follow my dreams.

And then he gave me a hug.

Jesus gives the best hugs.

Best day ever.
  • Listening to: You and I -- Lady Gaga
  • Reading: The Exorcist
  • Watching: The Regular Show
  • Playing: Professor Layton
  • Eating: Nothing
  • Drinking: One Piece
Add a Comment:
love 0 joy 0 wow 1 1 mad 1 1 sad 0 fear 0 neutral 0
I went to see Amy Lee yesterday and she was so sweet to the crowd that was up front, I didnt even speak to her and I cried, I can only imagine what its like to speak with a person that influenced you both musically and personally.
I'm happy for you!
Good vibes your way love!

--
Imagination is my life
:groups: Co-Founder of the The-Goblin-Gateway, I-love-sexy-villains, and TheCuteGroup. Owner of TheJokerBlogsFanClub :groups:
❑ Single
❑ Taken
✔ Mentally dating a character that doesn't exist
SO JEALOUS!

--
I am willing to do commisons, Details are in my journal here: [link]

~The Opera Ghost is my Angel of Music, and I am his Phantom.~
It's stories like this one that make the journal favorites worthwhile. Really loved this.

--
I offer three jobs: Good, Quick, and Cheap. You may have any two. A good job, quick, won't be cheap. A good job, cheap, won't be quick. A cheap job, quick, won't be good.

Proud founder of #HandsAcrossDevArt! We help artists in need. Visit today!
wow, that's wonderful! I am super envious.

Relegion comes down to being nice.
Being truly caring to every-one, even strangers, & helping any-where you could will make all of the difference, even if it just makes one person smile. :aww:

--
And all I love, I love alone. - Edgar Allen Poe

I like biting! It's like kissing.....except there's a winner!!! - Idris, Doctor who. :XD:
Next stop: Ontaria, Canada to meet Robo-Christ.

I envy you. JCS is one of my favorite musicals of all time and he is THE Jesus to me. I would have loved to have met him.
Stop being amazing ! You're a great artist, you are very creative, you have an amazing imagination and you met one of my heroes!

--
OMFG!!!!!!!!! [link]
Oh, wow. That sounds like an amazing experience. I've always been a huge fan of Ted Neeley and always wanted to meet him, so I'm both really jealous of you and really glad you could have the experience. He's definitely a fantastic person.

--
It starts with not questioning the answers
And giving up before you've begun...
The locks on the doors increases the pressure
And in a flash, your time is up before it's done
And you won't know how it can feel...
To feel at all...

The original RTC Flyer





FOR THOSE WHO MAY FIND THIS HARD TO READ, HERE YOU GO!:

CHRISTMAS IS OVER (Special Event!)
Prices range from $25 to $54 (excluding opening)
TED NEELEY AND HIS LITTLE BIG BAND
January 20 - January 29, 2012

Before his epoch-making performance in the film of Jesus Christ Superstar, Ted Neeley was a singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and record-producer from Ranger, Texas. He lent his abilities to albums and appearances by artists such as Nigel Olsson, Tina Turner, Disco Tex and the Sex O-Lettes, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Meat Loaf. Following years of sold-out stage tours, and film and television work, this Renaissance man now melds his musical passions for many kinds of music to create a theatrical concert event which kicks off here at Rubicon prior to a national tour! Backed by a little (five-piece) band of big talents, Ted takes us back to his Texas roots with a winsome bit of backwoods blues and country, performs highlights from rock-and-roll musicals such as Tommy, Hair, Sgt. Pepper's... and Superstar, sings excerpts from his film scores for Robert Altman and others, and premieres new, never-before-heard pop compositions. Expect a mix of electric and acoustic music, a little "yammering" and some special surprises.

CALL RUBICON THEATRE COMPANY AT 805-667-2900

ADDRESS:

Rubicon Theatre Company

1006 East Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001

Playbill Article - 11/28/11:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/156997-Rubicon-Theatre-Season-Will-Feature-Ted-Neeley-in-Concert-Private-Lives-Hello-My-Baby

Rubicon Theatre Season Will Feature Ted Neeley in Concert, Private Lives, Hello! My Baby

By Michael Gioia
28 Nov 2011

Rubicon Theatre Company has announced the full lineup for its 14th season, which began in October with the Charles Ludlam satire The Mystery of Irma Vep, at California's Rubicon Theatre.

Following Irma Vep, Ted Neeley, best known for his performance in the title role in the 1973 film adaptation of Jesus Christ Superstar, will bring his concert to Rubicon beginning Jan. 20, 2012. Ted Neeley and His Little Big Band, which continues through Jan. 29, will feature the singer-songwriter performing blues and country, as well as numbers from rock musicals such as Tommy, Hair and Jesus Christ Superstar.

Nazi Hunter - Simon Wiesenthal, written and performed by Tom Dugan, will play Feb. 18-March 11. The one-man show, directed by Jenny Sullivan, was nominated for three Ovation Awards and follows the story of Wiesenthal. After escaping death at the hands of Hitler's S.S., Wiesenthal devoted his life to bringing war criminals to justice.

Brian McDonald will direct Hello! My Baby, which features a book  and new lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner and new music and arrangements by Georgia Stitt. The musical, running March 24-April 15, is a romantic farce that reboots the music of Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Jerome Kern. Here's how the show is billed: "Set on the sidewalks of New York in the early nineteen-teens, the charming tale weaves an updated Tin Pan Alley score into the story of streetwise song-sellers, sweatshop-workers, debutantes, gangsters, and Whiffenpoofs as they sing and dance through young love, gender-bending and many ukuleles." Following the run at RTC, Hello! My Baby will play a limited engagement at Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre April 25-29.

August Wilson's Gem Of the Ocean, directed by James O'Neil, will run May 19-June 10. In Gem Of the Ocean, according to press notes, "young Citizen Barlow arrives at the home of Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old healer who is the keeper of tradition and history for her people. Barlow is in search of redemption, and finds Aunt Ester is not too old to practice healing; she guides him on a soaring, lyrical journey of spiritual awakening aboard the slave ship Gem of the Ocean to the City of Bones, where he must learn about his ancestors and face the truth about himself."

Concluding the season will be Noël Coward's Private Lives, which will run Sept. 8-30 and feature direction by Andrew Barnicle. Winslow Corbett, Joseph Fuqua, Julie Granata and Matthew Floyd Miller will star in the 1930 comedy by Coward, which currently plays a limited engagement on Broadway through Feb. 5, 2012, at the Music Box Theatre.

Also included in RTC's 2011-12 season are the Broadway Cabaret Series, which continues Dec. 10 with the arrival of David Burnham's one-night-only A Broadway Holiday; developmental presentations of "Plays In Progress"; the acclaimed Young Playwright's Festival; and talkback sessions.

The Rubicon Theatre is located at 1006 E. Main Street in Ventura, CA. For more information and tickets, call (805) 667-2900 or visit www.rubicontheatre.org.

BroadwayWorld LA Article on Tweet Seat Night- 11/8/11:

http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/Rubicon-Theatre-Company-Announces-First-Ever-Tweet-Seat-Night-122-20111208

Rubicon Theatre Company Announces First-Ever Tweet Seat Night, 1/22

Thursday, December 8, 2011; Posted: 08:12 PM - by BWW News Desk

In today’s technological age, it can be difficult to disconnect from our computers and smartphones for even just a couple of hours during a night at the theatre. Have you found yourself itching to update your Twitter followers about an amazing experience at a live performance, but been restricted by the stern no-phones policies that are standard in live theatres?

Now, Rubicon Theatre Company is giving you the chance to turn your tweeting addiction into a money saver with $15 tickets for tweeters during the designated Tweet Seat Night of each show of the current Rubicon season, Magic Mystery & Music! This special event series premieres on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2012 during the 7 PM performance of the world premiere concert, Ted Neeley & The Little Big Band. During the performance, tweeters in a separate block of seats in the balcony will be able to use their phones to share their experience with the Twitter world – in real time!

Bringing Social Media into the Live Experience:

The concept of “tweet seats” was first brought to the attention of the Rubicon marketing department through an article on the subject in USA Today, which featured a Tweet Seat event at Goodspeed Musical’s developmental production of Hello! My Baby, the new-fashioned musical comedy from Cheri Steinkellner (Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winner for Cheers and Tony-nominated for Sister Act) and Georgia Stitt (Big Red Sun; Sing Me a Happy Song; The Water) that will have its World Premiere at Rubicon in March 2012. (The USA Today article can be found here: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-01/theater-tweet-seats/51552010/1) “After seeing the success of the Tweet Seat event at Goodspeed, we decided to adapt the concept for the rest of Rubicon’s season,” says BrIan McDonald, Rubicon’s Associate Producer. “It’s a great way to get our youth community excited about live theatre and offer them a price they can afford.” Tweet Seat Nights benefit both the tweeters and the theatre – young tweeters are able to experience the professional theatre of their community at an accessible cost, and the theatre is able to offer potential patrons pure reactions from the audience, shared the moment they have them.

The main opposition to the Tweet Seats popping up in theatres across the country is the disruption they might cause to non-tweeting audience members. Most theatres accommodate the patrons by reserving the Tweet Seats for the back row, but Rubicon Theatre has a built-in section where tweeters will be completely removed from other patrons – the balcony. “The use of our balcony for the Tweet Seats will allow us to integrate social media into the performance while still maintaining the integrity of the show and the traditional theatre experience,” assures McDonald.

ABOUT Ted Neeley & THE LITTLE BIG BAND

Before his epoch-making performance in the film of Jesus Christ Superstar, Ted Neeley was a singer, songwriter, vocal arranger, and record producer from Ranger, Texas. He lent his abilities to albums and appearances by artists such as Nigel Olsson, Tina Turner, Disco Tax and the Sex-O-Lettes, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley and Meat Loaf. Following years of sold-out stage tours, and film and television work, this Renaissance man now melds his musical passions for many kinds of music to create a theatrical concert event which kicks off here at Rubicon prior to a national tour! Backed by a little (five-piece) band of big talents, Ted takes us back to his Texas roots with a winsome bit of backwoods blues and country, performs highlights from rock-and-roll musicals such as Tommy, Hair, Sgt. Pepper’s… and Superstar, sings excerpts from his film scores for Robert Altman and others, and premieres new, never-before-heard pop compositions. Expect a mix of electric and acoustic music, a little “yammering” and some special surprises.
Ted Neeley & The Little Big Band will run from January 20 – 29, 2012.

DETAILS FOR TWEET SEAT NIGHTS:

The first Tweet Seat Night will take place on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2012 at the 7 PM performance of Ted Neeley & The Little Big Band. Seats for tweeters are reserved in the balcony and are priced at $15. Patrons who buy tickets at this price must agree to Rubicon’s Tweet Seat Guidelines. All tweets regarding the performance must incorporate the show’s specific Twitter hashtag, #TedNeeley.

Dates for the Tweet Seat Nights for the rest of Rubicon’s season are included below:
Nazi Hunter – Simon Wiesenthal: February 15th, 2012 at 7 PM
Hello! My Baby: March 21st, 2012 at 7 PM
Gem of the Ocean: May 16th, 2012 at 7 PM
Private Lives: September 5th, 2012 at 7 PM
More information on these dates will be announced later.
TICKETS
Special Tweet Seat Night tickets can be purchased through the Rubicon box office in person at 1006 E. Main St., Ventura or by phone at (805) 667-2900.

Ted Neeley & THE LITTLE BIG BAND is the second show of Rubicon Theatre Company’s 2011-2012 Season, entitled “Magic, Mystery and Music.” The season is sponsored by Barbara Meister ~ Barber Ford • Volkswagen • Subaru • RV, Janet and Mark L. Goldenson, Sandra and Jordan Laby ~ San Buenaventura Foundation for the Arts, Loretta and Mike Merewether and Micheline Sakharoff.

BoradwayWorld LA Article on RTC's 2011-2012 Seasont- 11/28/11:

http://losangeles.broadwayworld.com/article/Rubicon-Theatre-Companys-2011-2012-Slate-20111128

Rubicon Theatre Company's 2011-2012 Slate

Monday, November 28, 2011; Posted: 03:11 PM - by BWW News Desk

The Ovation nominations are in, and once again RTC is once again among the most celebrated theatres in the region – even as the new season progresses, with neither the time nor inclination to rest upon laurels. Rubicon’s fourteenth season is here, replete with a little something for everyone and a lot of fun; truly a season of Magic, Mystery & Music!

With turns of comedy, drama and music all in just the right proportions, RTC’s season for 2011-12 promises to be another to please both crowds and critics, in the style for which they’ve become so well known. As always, great theatre comprises the centerpiece of a broad offering that includes an ongoing Broadway Cabaret Series (which recently brought Tony Award-winner Levi Kreis to the RTC stage, and continues next month with the arrival of David Burnham’s one-night only A Broadway Holiday), the developmental presentations of Plays In Progress, the acclaimed Young Playwright’s Festival, a “wanderlust” ethic that takes RTC patrons to experience great theatre well beyond Ventura’s borders, a summer program of youth theatre that is second to none, gala opening night events, and compelling “talkback” sessions with the artists themselves.

Rubicon’s Season of Magic, Mystery & Music has already become a year to remember, as audiences howled for the quick-change farce The Mystery Of Irma Vep, (recently honored as “Ovation Recommended”) even as past season favorites like Daddy Long Legs, The Best Is Yet To Come; The Music of Cy Coleman, and Lonesome Traveler continue to bring Rubicon’s - and Ventura’s – reputation and penchant for great theatre to audiences across the nation.

Next up is the return of one of RTC’s favorites,

Ted Neely and His Little Big Band – January 20 – 29, 2012

Before his epoch-making performance in the motion-picture production of Jesus Christ, Superstar, Ted Neeley was a singer, songwriter, vocal arranger and record producer from Ranger, Texas. He applied those talents on the work of such artists as Nigel Olssen, Tina Turner, Ray Charles, Bo Diddley, Meat Loaf and others.

Following years of sold-out stage tours and TV and film work, Ted now melds his cross-genre musical passion to create a theatrical concert event that kicks off a national tour at Rubicon. Backed by a (little) five-piece band of great big talent, Ted takes us back to his Texas roots, with a winsome bit of backwoods blues and country, along with show-stoppers from such rock musicals as Tommy, Hair, Sgt. Pepper & Superstar, to name only a few. He’ll also sing excerpts from his film scores for filmmakers like Robert Altman, and premieres never-before-heard pop compositions.

Audiences can expect a mix of electric and acoustic music, some lively chat, and a few special surprises in an evening few will soon forget.

Rounding out the season’s schedule of main stage productions will be:

Nazi Hunter - Simon Wiesenthal - February 18 - March 11, 2012

Written and performed by Tom Dugan
Directed by Jenny Sullivan
A powerful one-man show which has just been nominated for three Ovation Awards, including Best Director, Best Play and Best Leading Actor! The story follows Wiesenthal, sometimes called “The Jewish James Bond,” and recounts—like a gripping spy thriller—how this heroic man, after escaping death at the hands of Hitler's S.S., devoted his life to bringing war criminals to justice. Told with warmth, insight and surprising humor, this critically acclaimed production stars Tom Dugan, who himself has a personal connection to the story. “Astonishing… there are righteous stories here that you will not forget.” – Los Angeles Times.
Hello! My Baby - March 24 - April 15, 2012
Book and New Lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner
New Music and Arrangements by Georgia Stitt
Directed by Brian McDonald

From Golden Globe and Emmy-Award winning writer Cheri Steinkellner, award-winning composer Georgia Stitt, and a dream-team of great American songwriters comes Hello! My Baby, a riotous new-fashioned musical comedy that reboots Berlin, Gershwin, Kern and a score of others; smartly weaving their updated hits into a timely romantic farce for all ages.
Set on the sidewalks of New York in the early nineteen-teens, the charming tale weaves an updated Tin Pan Alley score into the story of streetwise song-sellers, sweatshop-workers, debutantes, gangsters, and Whiffenpoofs as they sing and dance through young love, gender-bending and many ukuleles.
Young Mickey McKee, King of the Song-Pluggers, dreams of writing the next million-selling song. The only problem is, Mickey can't write a note - a problem that finds a possible solution in Nelly Gold, a young factory girl with a talent for tunes and moxie to spare. Mickey and Nelly make beautiful music together until she puts on the trousers she once sewed, calls herself Ned, and becomes the new King of the Pluggers, and Mickey's arch-rival. These mismatched young lovers and their unlikely friends sing, dance, bicker, and coo from Debutante Balls to Delancey Street, confronting class struggles, social reform, gender-swapping, and street-thugs, as they sell the songs we're all still humming a hundred years later.
The RTC production will also bow in Santa Barbara next spring:
Rubicon Theatre March 24 - April 15, 2012
Santa Barbara's Lobero Theatre April 25 - 29, 2012

Gem Of the Ocean - May 19 - June 10, 2012

By August Wilson
Directed by James O’Neil

Rubicon’s first play by August Wilson is also the first installment in the playwright’s powerful decade-by-decade, ten-play chronicle dramatizing the African American experience in the twentieth century. Wilson’s play bowed at the Walter Kerr Theatre on Broadway in 2004, where it garnered five Tony Award nominations. The New York Times called Gem “a touchstone for everything else he has written.”
Gem of the Ocean is a mystical experience set the Hill District of Pittsburgh in 1904, set amid the turmoil of racial unrest after a mill worker is falsely accused and subsequently martyred.
Against this turbulent backdrop, young Citizen Barlow arrives at the home of Aunt Ester, a 285-year-old healer who is the keeper of tradition and history for her people. Barlow is in search of redemption, and finds Aunt Ester is not too old to practice healing; she guides him on a soaring, lyrical journey of spiritual awakening aboard the slave ship Gem of the Ocean to the City of Bones, where he must learn about his ancestors and face the truth about himself.

Private Lives - September 8 - September 30, 2012

By Noël Coward
Directed by Andrew Barnicle
Starring Winslow Corbett, Joseph Fuqua, Julie Granata and Matthew Floyd Miller

A chance meeting wreaks havoc in the headlong pursuit of heart’s desire in Noël Coward’s Private Lives. The 1930 comedy of manners offers a textbook case of ‘be careful what you wish for,’ when a divorced couple discover that they are honeymooning with their new spouses in the same hotel, discovering in the same course that the flame that first brought them together still burns – in this case, merrily burning their hopes and new lives to the ground.
While the work is a study in the English etiquette and social reserve of an age long gone, Private Lives offers themes that have resonated with audiences ever since its jazz-age debut; the play has been raised in countless revivals, no less than six turns on Broadway, and in a 1931 film adaptation, demonstrating that we remain well acquainted with the transformative power of love, for better or – all too often – for worse.
Private Lives could easily read like a tragedy, but Coward’s deft pacing and rapier comic timing never let us descend from mirth, even as the lovers’ passions careen like a wrecking ball, skipping tragedy altogether in favor of full-blown farce before the third act has had its way.

SEASON SPONSORS

RTC’s Season of Magic, Mystery & Music is made possible through the generous sponsorship of the following patrons:
Barbara Meister ~ Barber Ford • Volkswagen • Subaru • RV
Janet and Mark L. Goldenson
Sandra and Jordan Laby ~ San Buenaventura Foundation for the Arts
Loretta and Mike Merewether
Micheline Sakharoff

Subscriptions are on sale now:

Become a subscriber and be sure to miss not a single gem among the season’s treasures. Subscribers benefits are numerous, including a discounted ticket price, as well as discounts on extra tickets to bring along extra friends and family; lost tickets are replaced on the spot, at no charge and enjoy other exclusive benefits on a per-event basis – all while supporting the art that they love! For more information or to enroll, log on to www.RubiconTheatre.org, or call the box office at 805.667.2900 – or stop by the box office at 1006 East Main Street in Ventura.

Theatremania Article - 11/28/11 (again with typo on his last name - OUCH!:

http://www.theatermania.com/los-angeles/news/11-2011/tom-dugan-ted-neely-et-al-set-for-rubicons-2012-se_45590.html

Tom Dugan, Ted Neely, et al. Set for Rubicon's 2012 Season

By Dan Bacalzo • Nov 28, 2011 • Los Angeles

Rubicon Theatre Company has announced its slate of performances to be presented in 2012.

Ted Neely, best known for starring in the title role of Jesus Christ Superstar on both stage and screen, will perform with his Little Big Band, January 20-29.

On the Mainstage, writer/performer Tom Dugan will present his solo, Nazi Hunter - Simon Wiesenthal (February 18-March 11), directed by Jenny Sullivan. Next up will be the musical Hello! My Baby (March 24-April 15), featuring book and new lyrics by Cheri Steinkellner, new music and arrangements by Georgia Stitt, and direction by Brian McDonald.

James O'Neil will direct August Wilson's drama, Gem of the Ocean (May 19-June 10). The season will also include the Noël Coward classic, Private Lives (September 8-30), directed by Andrew Barnicle, and starring Winslow Corbett, Joseph Fuqua, Julie Granata and Matthew Floyd Miller.

For tickets and more information, click here.
 


 

Ted Neeley

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2013 TOUR PUBLICITY


Lynchburg

http://www.wset.com/video?clipId=8598642&topVideoCatNo=189689&autoStart=true

'JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR' ACTOR TEACHES LYNCHBURG CLASS


White Buffalo Rehearsal

Pinball Wizard Video

Beatle Medley (Sgt. Pepper/Long & Winding Road/Golden Slumbers-You Never Give Me Your Money/The End)

Crazy Heart (3/15/13)

Wilmington

http://www.delawareonline.com/article/20130316/ENTERTAINMENT02/303160004/-Superstar-Ted-Neeley-s-band-hits-Delaware-Sunday

'Superstar' Ted Neeley's band hits Delaware Sunday

Mar 16, 2013

Written by Betsy Price The News Journal
Ted Neeley, who played Jesus in the film version of 'Jesus Christ Superstar,' intertwined his musical and theater lives. He had a record deal at age 22 with Capital Records in 1965. In 1968, he took some stage roles in Los Angeles and would go on to play Claude in 'Hair' and Tommy in 'Tommy.' He and the five-piece Little Big Band will stop by the Delaware Theatre Co. stage 7:30 p.m. Sunday. / submitted

If you go

WHAT: Ted Neeley and the Little Big Band
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Sun., includes reception after the show
WHERE: Delaware Theatre Co., 200 Water St., Wilmington
TICKETS: $60 ($50 for subscribers); tickets.delawaretheatre.org
FOR MORE INFO: 594-1100

You might know him as Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” but at heart Ted Neeley is just a sweet-voiced Southern guy who wants to play drums in a rock ’n’ roll band.

And he will Sunday in Delaware when he and the five-piece Little Big Band hit the stage at the Delaware Theatre Co. for a concert that will combine original rock, blues, country and Neeley singing some music from the stage shows he’s starred in. In between tunes, he’ll talk about his career, including his recent role as a tracker in “Django Unchained.”

“If you put Mumford and Sons on the far right and you put Led Zeppelin on the far left, we’re in the middle,” Neeley says from rehearsals in Lynchburg, Va.

The tour’s opening gig will be there Saturday, in the school auditorium named for his friend, Carl Anderson, who played Judas to his Jesus in hundreds of productions. Anderson died in 2004. The show is a fundraiser for the theater arts department at Paul Dunbar Middle School – which was a high school when Anderson attended.

“We’re not a bar band,” Neeley says. “This is a serious concert.”

Other members of the band include Kim Norton, a guitarist who worked with Neeley on more than 1,000 performances of “Superstar,” and bassist James Webb, son of songwriter Jimmy Webb and co-founder of the popular Webb Brothers Band. You can hear some of the music on the band’s website, www.neeleytour .com.

“The whole thing came up because I really wanted to play in a band again,” Neeley says. “That’s what I started out doing and I never had any idea of getting into theater or anything like that. I just wanted to play drums and rock ’n’ roll.”

Neeley had a record deal at age 22 with Capital Records in 1965, with an album named “Teddy Neeley.” He and his band, the Teddy Neeley Five, played the club circuit. In 1968, he took some stage roles in Los Angeles and would go on to play Claude in “Hair,” Tommy in “Tommy” and then was invited to audition for “Jesus Christ Superstar.” He didn’t get the lead role at first, but he did pursue the film role, even dressing as Jesus to go see director Norman Jewison.

His musical and theater lives remained entwined. In the 1973 movie, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” that’s his band’s tour bus that the cast gets out of in the beginning and back into at the end.

And now that’s he’s played a deity, Neeley says in a soft-spoken Texas Good Old Boy accent, he’s going back to being a dufus.

“I haven’t been able to do this in a long time, and I’d like to give it a try and see if anybody’s interested,” Neeley says. He says he’s having a great time with the music and the band is having the time of our lives – and there’s the bonus that nobody dies at the end of the show, as he did at the end of thousands of “Superstar” productions.

“We just hope it brings joy to people who are brave enough to let us come into town and scare away their subscription people,” Neeley jokes. A portion of Sunday’s concert, though, will go to the Delaware Theatre Co.’s artistic, educational and outreach programming.

During the show, he will talk about being in “Django Unchained,” director Quentin Tarantino’s blood-drenched tale of a slave trying to get his wife back. Neeley said he spent a month in and around New Orleans filming, and he really enjoyed the job. He loved the collaboration on the set, and says it only took 12 years to shoot the part of the film he’s in.

“Quentin is very, very thorough,” Neeley says. Tarantino shoots with one camera and shoots the same scene over and over from all kinds of angles, he says. But while Tarantino is clearly in charge, he’s also open to ideas from others about characters and scenes, which makes the work especially engaging.

http://www.delawaretheatre.org/blog/news-release-very-special-evening-ted-neeley-31713

Submitted by acurry on Mon, 01/28/2013 - 2:20pm

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR’S

TED NEELEY COMES TO THE DELAWARE THEATRE COMPANY

40 Years after his Iconic Film Role, Neeley is Still a Superstar to Fans

Wilmington, DE  2/30/13 - Ted Neeley, star of both the 1973 classic film and various Broadway touring versions of Jesus Christ Superstar returns to the road, this time without the robe. Fronting his five piece Little Big Band, Ted returns to his Texas roots and his first love as a “singer in a rock and roll band”.  Ted will debut new music with the group, which includes Kim Norton, a stellar guitarist who has provided Ted with an underscore of searing riffs on more than 1000 performances of Superstar, and bassist James Webb, son of famed songwriter Jimmy Webb, and co-founder of the popular Webb Brothers Band.

Faithful followers, affectionately known as Tedheads, will get to hear Ted sing the iconic "Gethsemane", take a look back at his long career on stage and screen, and hear music from his new album and stories from the recently released film, "Django Unchained".

The new show also features stories and musical

material from his career as a rock opera pioneer, including selections from Tommy, Hair, Sgt. Pepper’s, and of course, Jesus Christ Superstar. Ted also opens the vault of images and unseen footage from his personal archives, including  interviews with Directors Norman Jewison and Tom O’Horgan, Tommy Smothers, Dennis DeYoung, and many others.

A Very Special Evening with Ted Neeley will be presented at the Delaware Theatre Company on Sunday, March 17, 2013 at 7:30pm with a reception immediately following the concert.  A portion of the proceeds will benefit the artistic, educational and outreach programming of the Delaware Theatre Company.

For information call the Box Office at 302-594-1100 or order online at https://tickets.delawaretheatre.org/TheatreManager/1/login&event=0




http://wgls.rowan.edu/player.php?podcast=http://www.rowan.edu/today/data/cast/CA\20130311.mp3&name=A%20Community%20Affair

Ted on A Community Affair - 3/11/13

Gethsemane - DTC

Syracuse

http://www.9wsyr.com/content/Bridge_Street/story/Ted-Neeley/klS3vT6zMUGPm_W6I4pnTg.cspx


 Actor and singer Ted Neeley came by the studio and talked about his career and upcoming performances. Neeley is well-known for his role as Jesus from the Norman Jewison film, Jesus Christ Superstar. At his new show, you'll hear stories of his early days as a rock opera pioneer, of the making of the Superstar film in the Judaen desert, of the close bond he shared with the late Carl Anderson. You'll see video clips and images pulled from his private archives. And you'll hear music from his new CD in addition to covers of some of his favorite tunes.

  • Ted Neeley with the Little Big Band
  • Tonight at 8pm at the Carrier Theater at the Oncenter
  • Tickets are $35

To purchase tickets, go to Ticket Master

For more information on Ted Neeley, visit Neeley Tour

Ted on Pacifica Performance Showcase for JCS 40th Anniversary Los Angeles Screenings

http://archive.kpfk.org/mp3/kpfk_130321_143010pperf.MP3

Cleveland

http://www.playhousesquare.org/default.asp?playhousesquare=58&objId=3688


http://www.wmji.com/player/?station=WMJIFM&program_name=podcast&program_id=ondemand.xml&mid=23012054

Ted Neeley phone interview on WMJI - 3/21/13 - 9:10AM.



TED AND LBB ONSTAGE 3/23/13 IN CLEVELAND
...And the M & G After the show


View from the front row - nice set!

Right after the entrance - this pic was a total accident - Ted stepped into the frame just as I was snapping a shot of the sign!

Ted and the Band!

The Band's first instrumental! Left to right: Stephan Hovsepian, Kris Karlsson, Gavin Salmon & Jon Sosinright!

Jon Sosinright!

Gavin Salmon!

Stephan Hovsepian & Kris Karlsson!

Gethsemane!


Gethsemane!


Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Gethsemane!

Curtain Call

...and at the M&G, Ted and Me

Ted LOVED the FTNL Calendar!

Group Shot 1

Group Shot 2

And a close-up - left to right: Me, Ted, Heidi, Rick, Josh & Aimee - at about 2:30AM!


Knoxville

http://www.knoxbijou.com/shows/607416