Unexpected Religious Themes in Your Favorite Broadway Plays

Why do you think people squirm or become uneasy when the topic of religion is brought up? Have you ever engaged in a discussion where you were disturbed by someone else’s religious comments, or maybe you voiced your opinion and created a rise?

What’s incredibly interesting is the large audience that religion brings forward. Think about it – some of the most popular movies and television shows are cultivated around the concept or theory of religion. The History Channel’s popular show, Vikings averages a little over 2 million viewers. The show is about men and women serving their God. The Pagans fight with others, who believe in Christianity – all in all, the disagreements all stem back to a God. Another popular show, inspired by religion and therefore revealing religious themes, is Game of Thrones – a.k.a. GOT. In several interviews, GOT creator George R.R. Martin has revealed the Faith Militant religion inspired the series.

Martin told Entertainment Weekly in 2015, “If you look at the history of the church in the Middle Ages, you had periods where you had very worldly and corrupt popes and bishops. People who were not spiritual, but were politicians. They were playing their own version of the game of thrones, and they were in beg with the kings and the lords. But you also had periods of religious revival or reform – the greatest of them being the Protestant Reformation, which led to the splitting of the church – where there were two or three rival popes each denouncing the other as legitimate.”

With all this in mind, it’s not uncommon to also see these unexpected religious themes in Broadway plays. Not only are these playwrights extremely popular, they’ve also inspired films and other spin-offs. Let’s take a closer look at your favorite Broadway plays.

Jesus Christ Superstar

Jesus Christ Superstar was introduced in 1970 by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Since the play has evolved into a pop culture topic, many fans do not know that the musical started as a rock opera concept album way before it’s Broadway debut.

The storyline is very loosely based on the Gospels’ accounts of the last week Jesus was alive. Not only does the play offer a very free interpretation of the psychology of Jesus and the other characters, but the plot focuses on the character of Judas. The original play ran from 1971 to 1973 after 711 performances. As you can imagine, Jesus Christ Superstar, received a number of mixed reviews and created a lot of controversy. Some Christians considered the message, behind the playwright, a blasphemy and some Jews claimed that the play bolstered an anti-Semitic belief that the Jews were essentially responsible for Jesus’ death.

Jesus Christ Superstar has been performed a number of times and has even inspired various film adaptations. Even as recently as 2018, the play has again made the pop culture news. NBC has signed on A-list stars such as John Legend and Sara Bareilles to perform a live-in-concert version to air on the network.

Sister Act

I think it’s safe to assume that everyone has seen the classic film Sister Act. In 1992, Whoopi Goldberg won us all over and gave us a newfound perception of nun life. The musical premiered at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California in 2006. The sales surprised everyone – grossing $1,085,929. At the time, the play became the highest grossing show ever at the venue. After a successful run in the United States, the production group opened the play in London. Fans were ecstatic when Whoopi Goldberg joined the cast as the Mother Superior for a limited engagement in 2010.

The successful sales and reception brought more productions of Sister Act in several countries. The truth and presentation of the nuns was one of the biggest controversies tied to the play. Real nuns, everywhere, commented on the religious relevance, since a nun generally lives a religious vocation to serve God. While the actual life of a nun is very different from what is depicted in the Broadway play, it’s safe to say that the world was extremely interested and intrigued – so much so that the play has lived on for over two decades.

The Book of Mormon

Whelp, it’s no surprise that the musical comedy The Book of Mormon is associated with a religious theme. Have you ever personally encountered a door-to-door missionary? The awkward or uninvited speech is just one of the Mormon themed instances that is mocked in the play. The script, lyrics, and music were written by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone. Parker and stone are best known for creating the animated comedy South Park.

The Book of Mormon follows two Mormon missionaries as they try to share their scriptures with the inhabitants of a remote Ugandan village. Not only are the two main characters challenged by the lack of interest of the locals, but they are also preoccupied by pressing troubles such as AIDS, famine, and the oppression from the local warlord.

The Broadway play opened in 2011, but took nearly seven years to be developed. The show was awarded nine Tony Awards, one for Best Musical, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The central theme, in the play, clearly reveals that religious stories and background doesn’t need to be rigid – overall, elements can be perceived metaphorically rather than literal.

Lion King

At first, you may shake your head and think, “The Lion King is not at all religiously themed.” However, if you really look at the subtly religious references, you’ll realize Disney embedded so much more.

Even if you haven’t seen The Lion King on Broadway, you will still identify the Christian undertones. For instance, take the beginning – Simba is introduced to the audience during a ritual baptism. Similar to the birth of Jesus, the animals worship Simba and bow to him when he’s presented to everyone. Later, we’re introduced to Scar and he’s even standing in a shadowy place – like the Garden of Eden. Scar is upset about the hierarchy, and where he stands, therefore he reacts to temptation.

Now fast forward to the act where Rafiki shows Simba his father. Looking down at his reflection, Simba sees his face and then it turns into his father presenting himself. This simple reflection reveals the Christian ideal that Christ lives within us – our Lord and Savior is always helping his followers along their path, even though we cannot see him.

The Lion King on Broadway debuted in 1997 and the production has grossed more than $1 billion. Disney even sponsors theater programs across the United States – further spreading the underlying messages and popularity of the successful play.