John Paul II Superstar

June 4, 2010 2:21 AM

Pope John Paul II, the musical: Two priests, two dancers and a team of young actors are bringing John Paul II to the stage this month, with a musical version of the pope's life and work.

The musical - called Non Abbiate Paure (Don't be Afraid) - maps out the key developments in the life of Karol Wojtyla, who led the Catholic Church from 1978 until his death in 2005, through acting, dance, music and singing. The earliest scenes look at his life as a youth in Poland, when he enjoyed a passion for football, languages and acting, followed by the years under Nazi occupation, when he held down a variety of tough labouring jobs. Wojtyla entered a seminary not long after the death of his father, the last surviving member of his immediate family, where be began secretly studying to be a priest.

posted by aqsakal (14 comments total)

I'll be curious how they handle this part of his life in song.
posted by andoatnp at 2:27 AM on June 4, 2010 [4 favorites]

I remember going with my parents to see JPII when he came to Philadelphia in 1979. One million people turned out to see him and being in that crowd I distinctly recall the electrifying effect he had over the people.

If anyone could have dealt with the sex-abuse scandal, it was John Paul II, but the rat bastard used his incredible power over the Church to protect the church instead of protecting the children.

Sorry Karol, all of your good deeds are undone by that. I hope Hell is everything you thought it would be.
posted by three blind mice at 2:46 AM on June 4, 2010

I don't really like musicals, All That Jazz was good, but that's about it for me - not even sure if you can class that as a musical. I hope it includes the part where the Pope fell asleep while Dylan performed for him, at least then there'll be Knocking on Heaven's Door, or A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall or Forever Young in it. I've nothing else to add, I'm just waiting for Pope Guilty to turn up and see what he has to say.
posted by Elmore at 5:20 AM on June 4, 2010

Yeah, I think that as the years go on, he'll become known more as the Teflon Pope.
posted by Halloween Jack at 5:20 AM on June 4, 2010

If Pope Guilty does show up, I'd advise him to plead the Fifth.
posted by Kirth Gerson at 6:16 AM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

"Sorry Karol, all of your good deeds are undone by that. I hope Hell is everything you thought it would be."

Very funny.

Wojtyla was on exactly the same page as Ratzinger on virtually every issue, in fact in the final decade or more of the former's reign, the latter was his instrument in all things.

Wojtyla presented a kindly face, but in reality he was a staunch conservative, pushing back many of the liberal gains in the Church made over the previous decades.

Wojtyla hid pedos, too.
posted by Henry C. Mabuse at 6:55 AM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

We've surely got trouble
We surely got trouble
Right here in Vatican City
Right here in Vatican City
With a capital T and that rhymes with P
And that stands for pedophilia people using condoms
posted by interrobang at 7:53 AM on June 4, 2010 [3 favorites]

Henry C Mabuse, so you're saying while Ratzinger is Chucky, Wojtyla is Tiffany?
posted by Elmore at 8:07 AM on June 4, 2010

Hey! Luciani, anyone? In 1986, Mark E. Smith gave the music theatre treatment to the glimmer of hope that was the brief tenure of John Paul I. MES discusses the play with Jools Holland. The song, Hey! Luciani.
posted by grounded at 8:07 AM on June 4, 2010 [1 favorite]

Awesome Grounded. Thanks.
posted by Elmore at 8:16 AM on June 4, 2010

Now we've got the second miracle necessary to declare him a saint.
posted by Joe Beese at 8:41 AM on June 4, 2010

I probably shouldn't hold my breath for a song on the writing of Laborem Exercens, should I?
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 10:38 AM on June 4, 2010

The Wikipedia article is a particularly vague stub. Is there something about Laborem exercens that lifts it above the pope's other encyclicals to merit attention?
posted by blucevalo at 2:23 PM on June 4, 2010

blucevalo: "Is there something about Laborem exercens that lifts it above the pope's other encyclicals to merit attention?"

My personal obsession isn't good enough? Alright...

Laborem exercens is JPII's encyclical on human work and is the most theological of his Catholic social teaching encyclicals. It develops an ideology of work as the unique vocation of human beings and thus giving human beings certain rights as they relate to their employer. It was a big part of my undergrad thesis, which dealt with seed patents and, in part, the rights of farmers to free use of that which they grow. Also, I like it a lot.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 4:11 PM on June 4, 2010