Almost 40 years after playing Judas in the first Broadway production of Jesus Christ Superstar, actor Ben Vereen will play Pontius Pilate in The Musical Theatre of Houston’s production of the classic rock opera. “I get a chance to play the judge who makes the decision to crucify Jesus. It’s going to be fun,” Vereen tells us. When asked the difference between the two parts, he jokes: “Pontius wore good clothes; he got to wear the Armanis. And Judas wore, you know, Salvation Army clothes off the rack.”

Nominated for a Tony in 1972 for his turn as Judas (he won a Tony the next year for his role in Pippin), Vereen is well known for his movie and TV work (he played Chicken George in Roots). Jesus Christ Superstar, a musical adaptation of the final days of Jesus Christ by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice, was originally attacked as being sacrilegious by some Christians. Asked about that, Vereen says he thinks there are other things that are more worrisome today. “What do you think is going on with the economy? Don’t you think that’s kind of sacrilegious?”

Vereen says he’s a spiritual person, but doesn’t adhere to any one religion. “I combine them all. There’s no one particular path to the top of the mountain,” he says. He adds that everyone should have a chance to practice their own religion, but not at the expense of others. “That’s the one thing about Jesus Christ Superstar. [Jesus] never put down the Romans. He never put down the Jews. I think we can learn something from that now.” 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Wortham Center, 500 Texas. For information, call 713-237-1439 or visit www.wortham.center-tickets.com. $74 to $98.

Aug. 19-20, 2011

This article appears in Aug 18-24, 2011.

Margaret Downing is the editor-in-chief who oversees the Houston Press newsroom and its online publication. She frequently writes on a wide range of subjects.