Jerry Springer: The Opera had its New York debut last night, as part of a two-night only stint at Carnegie Hall.
The scaled-down production, billed as a concert, was a test to see if American audiences would embrace the controversial show. Although it had a successful run in London’s West End, when the BBC decided to air a TV version of the musical, Christian groups protested loudly. (Story continues below interactive map.)
Hundreds of demonstrators assembled outside BBC headquarters the day Jerry Springer: The Opera aired on television. After threats were made to BBC executives, requests for police protection were made. The High Court ended up denying the request of Christian Voice, a Christian evangelical group, to prosecute the director general of the BBC for blasphemy.
The New York version had a smaller ensemble than the original production and lacked a full set. However, it’s likely that the response from these two shows will dictate whether or not Jerry Springer: The Opera will make the transition to Broadway.
The Carnegie Hall production was directed by Jason Moore, famous for his work the on Tony-award-winning musical Wicked. Musical direction was done by Stephen Oremus, who has also done Avenue Q. Harvey Keitel stars in the title role, and is joined by Broadway greats Linda Balgord, Lawrence Clayton, Katrina Rose Dideriksen, Max Von Essen, Patricia Phillips, and Emily Skinner. David Bedella is the only original member of the London cast to join the New York ensemble.
The first act is a colorful, musical portrayal of the Jerry Springer show. Guests include a transvestite, a pole dancer, and two diaper fetishists. The first half of the show ends with a tap-dance number performed by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
However, the most controversial aspects come in Act II. Jerry is shot, and arrives in the after-life to present a new version of his show, Jerry Springer: In Hell, where he has to try to mediate the long-standing conflict between Satan, Jesus, Mary, Adam, Eve and God. Jesus is wearing a diaper, and says he’s “a bit gay.” Mary is introduced as “the teenage mother of Jesus” and the chorus chants that she was “raped by God.”
Considering the lyrics, it’s not surprising that Catholic League president Bill Donohue has spoken out about the show, saying: “Never before in its illustrious history has Carnegie Hall been home to Christian bashing, but that is all about to change on January 29 and 30. Incredibly, it is allowing a patently obscene and viciously anti-Christian musical to be performed on its stage. Thus has it got into bed with the bigots, making a mockery of art in the process.”
An hour and a half before the show’s start time last night, picketers had already arrived with signs that read: “Stop blaspheming our God.”
The crowd outside didn’t hinder the star-studded audience, which included Keitel’s Taxi Driver co-star Robert DeNiro. Other audience members included Joy Behar, Mario Cantone, Norah Jones, John Leguizamo, and Carson Kressley.
For unexplained reasons, the finale was dropped from last night’s performance. Nevertheless, the show closed with a standing ovation. Even DeNiro got to his feet.
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