Count Fr. Paul Massel among the Canadian theatre lovers hyped for the return of Jesus Christ Superstar, now on stage in Toronto.

When Jesus Christ Superstar launched in 1970 — first with the concept album followed by the Broadway rock opera that opened in 1971, a production in London’s west end that would play for more than eight years and finally the 1973 movie — who knew it was the start of a phenomenon that still resonates almost half a century later.

Christ films are a staple in many households during Easter weekend.