Ted Neeley, the original lead in "Jesus Christ Superstar" is back four decades on as the son of God in the hit musical in Rome, and hopes Pope Francis will be in the audience.

The pontiff will be "just down the street and we're hoping he's going to come visit us and see the show. I think he's a wonderful, wonderful man," an enthusiastic 70-year-old Neely told AFP between rehearsals of the world-famous rock opera.

The Texan musician and actor has appeared in other works, including Quentin Tarantino's 2013 film "Django Unchained", but his heart still lies in the role of 33-year-old Christ, which "gets better and better each time", he said. Continue reading

The original "Jesus" - now 70 - is back on stage]]> 57036