Since the focal point of Jesus Christ Superstar is the relationship between Jesus and Judas, some degree of this was inevitable. Naturally, this varies between productions, and some lean into the brotherly angle of their bond instead. But there are stand-out moments in the lyrics and structure of the story that encourage this interpretation:
In General
- Judas is extremely bothered by Jesus's tolerance for letting Mary Magdalene "kiss you and stroke your hair" and consistently picks fights with her when they're both onstage. Thematically, his problem with Mary is that she represents the degradation he perceives Christ as having fallen into, but it's easy to read jealousy into the dynamic.
- In most productions, Judas's ultimate decision to betray Jesus is immediately preceded by him seeing Jesus and Mary go off together.
- Sure, it's biblical, but Judas betraying Christ by kissing him.
- Arguably the strongest moment: when he is at absolute rock bottom, right before his suicide, Judas breaks into a reprise of Mary's "I Don't Know How to Love Him." When Mary sings it, it's implicitly about romantic love. And while Judas's version stops before "And I've had so many men before," it concludes with the anguished cry, "Does he love me, too? Does he care for me?"
- Some productions include the song "Could We Start Again, Please?", a duet between Mary and Peter... about Jesus. While there aren't any explicitly romantic lines, since it has been previously established that Mary's feelings for Jesus are romantic, the implication that some of Peter and Mary's feelings are the same does have some gay undertones.
Specific productions
- The 1973 film has an emotionally charged moment during Everything's Alright
, with Jesus gently lifting Judas' chin, the two gripping each other's shoulders, and their arms slowly slipping away from each other, until they clasp hands and have several seconds of intense eye contact. - The 2000 film takes everything up to eleven:
- To begin with, all the apostles are dressed in tight ripped shirts, leather pants, and very frequently caress and hug each other. Meanwhile the women all wear pretty modest ankle-length dresses and their hair held in a ratty bun.
- To compare: in the 1973 version Judas's kiss of betrayal is Judas sneaking up from behind, giving Jesus a very quick light peck on the cheek. In the 2000 version, the two are looking each other directly in the eyes while crying. Then Judas gives him a deep, long, smooch and Jesus responds by briefly wrapping his arms around him before Judas pushes him off.
- In the 2000 version of "Heaven on Their Minds", Judas pleads to Jesus while they are alone together, with lots of Judas getting into Jesus's personal space, and hesitant, delicate touches to Jesus's bare skin. Compare the 1973 version of "Heaven on Their Minds" which has Judas overlooking the group from a distance and talking to himself.
- There's also the clinging and crying during "The Last Supper".
- Judas and Mary are explicitly paralleled through their matching costumes — red shirt/dress with black sleeves/jacket.
- Judas is especially Ambiguously Gay in the 2012 arena tour, due in large part to Judas actor Tim Minchin's camp stage persona. And guyliner.
- Some of the looks exchanged between Minchin's Judas and Ben Forster's Jesus (or even just glances in the general direction of the other character) could easily be classed as 'longing'.
- During "The Last Supper," where Jesus and Judas get up in each other's faces and slap each other around, some of the apostles genuinely look as though they're watching a couple have a screaming row.
- Additionally, this production offers some Caiaphas and Annas (son-in-law and father-in-law in the Bible). It's relatively restrained, but there are a few looks shared in quiet moments; most notably, Judas punches Caiaphas in the face, and Annas hands Caiaphas a small towelette to wipe off the blood, giving him a positively throbbing look as he does so. The height disparity (6'6'' Caiaphas v. rather diminutive Annas) and the distinct difference in manner (Caiaphas blue, Annas red) add to the impression.
- The 2014 Swedish Arena Tour dials up the Ho Yay and breaks the knob off.
- It starts with Judas singing "Heaven on their Minds" to a sleeping Jesus with lots of longing looks and lingering touches.
- The kiss with which Judas betrays Jesus is a full-on The Big Damn Kiss: no cheek or forehead kissing here! (The kiss is immediately followed by a hug with the two of them clinging to each other, and Judas looks absolutely devestated to be doing what he's doing as he holds Jesus.)
- Judas walks in on Jesus and Mary holding each other right after "I Don't Know How to Love Him", and, angered by it, flings them from the swing they're sitting on, helps Jesus up, and grabs his face as if he's trying to pull him in for a kiss. Jesus throws him off and a crushed Judas runs offstage leading into "Damned For All Time", leaving one with the implication that Jesus's rejection is a key factor in Judas's decision to betray him.
- In the 2018 live television production, after Judas delivers the kiss of betrayal and starts to walk away, Jesus grabs him and gives him a long hug, which Judas is surprised by but soon reciprocates. They have to be torn apart by the guards arresting Jesus.
- While the Apostles tend to get cuddly in many versions, the 2018 version really dials up the tension between Peter and Jesus. Peter gives Jesus many a longing look while biting his lip, adjusts his coat affectionately after his fight with Jesus, and the two seem very close. Much like other examples with Judas, his expression of hurt when Jesus rebuffs his attempts to rescue him reframes his denial as being the result of some serious rejection-based heartbreak.
- Oper Bonn has Judas touching Jesus' shoulder before tenderly kissing him on the forehead. Jesus turn and sings his line, so that the men's foreheads touch. Later on, two guards have to pull Jesus away from staring at Judas' hanging corpse.
