3/15/08:
After taking things easy for a few months, Barry is back in the studio recording the vocal tracks for a new video game character. This is a particularly big role because his character is involved in almost all levels of the game, so it's going to take some time to get it all done. The game's producers have sworn him to secrecy so he can't divulge any of the storylines or plot details, but he's checking with them to see if he can at least tell us the name of the game and his character.
He's still giving some thought to a new book idea but there's nothing definite to report yet.
Thank you to all the visitors who contribute to his guest book. He wants you to know that he he does check it periodically and reads every single post!

11/14/07:
Well, the past few months have been a very busy time for Barry. In August/September, he spent time in Europe and the Bahamas visiting family and friends. Now, he's back in LA doing more voice-over work and seriously thinking about a new book.
Diminishing Perspectives continues to be a viable possibility but so much of the project is out of his hands that it's tough to say anything more definite than that.
We've recently received a new batch of his book,"My Life With Barbra; A Love Story" so look for it reappearing in the merchandise section of the website.

3/30/07:
Wow! The new merchandise offerings certainly seem to have hit the spot. Barry signed the prints with a silver pen against the solid backgrounds and they look stunning! We've also had a "run" on the autographed Tim Rice books so supplies are running low.

Barry has turned his attentions back to the long-awaited Diminishing Perspective project and is about to take a personal role in getting it finished. He's also back in the studio doing voice-over work and is even considering returning to screenwriting, which he hasn't done seriously since before the last JCS tour.

Finally, thanks for all the birthday wishes. Barry received each and every one!

2/16/07:
Barry is doing well and back at home in LA.
He's about to begin some more voice-over work and he's very excited that his vocal talent appears to remain very much in-demand for advertisements and video games.
We hope to have more comments for the website in the next few weeks (including his long-awaited notes from the JCS concert in LA). Meanwhile, we've added some new signed prints in the merchandise section of the website, as well as a special "Audio Message" that you really should check out.

12/26/06:
Well, the website is fully functional again (we added an anti-spam device to the guestbook this time).
Barry is taking a little time off for the holidays and was planning to spend some quiet time at home in LA . We're anticipating the launch of Diminishing Perspectives in the spring as promised, and there are still rumours flying around about a JCS reunion, but for now we're treating them as just that . . . rumours!
Look for some website updates and new merchandise items in the coming weeks. We had scheduling issues in 2006 and some fans had to wait a long time for autographed merchandise but we've figured out how to eliminate delays so if you've been thinking about placing orders for items signed by Barry, 2007 will be a good time to do it.
Happy holidays to everyone!

12/14/06:
The site was down for the last 3 days due to some difficulties with our hosting company. I think everything's back in action now except for the guest book which should be back early next week. If you find any other things that are not as they should be, please let us know.

Meanwhile, his long-awaited comments about the reunion concert will be posted as soon as we get them, and the Diminishing Perspective project still looks like a "go" for spring 2007. Fingers crossed!

11/1/06:
After a brief stint back in the USA, Barry is off again, this time on a well-earned cruise in the Bahamas. He re-stated his promise to provide his personal thoughts about the LA concert when he returns.
Meanwhile, there's no news about the possibility ot a JCS tour (pity) but once again the Diminishing Perspective project is on the front burner. A projected spring 2007 release date is being discussed and if it happens, we plan to promote it heavily on this website so please let us know how you feel about a Murray Head/Barry Dennen recording.

9/12/06:
Well, Barry's off to visit friends and family, first in England, then Antigua. He'll be back at the end of the month and promises that he will have his personal reminiscinces of the LA reunion concert ready by then. He'll have limited access to e-mail while he's away but anything noteworthy will be reported here. Meanwhile, please continue to send e-mail messages. He really does receive them all and replies to most!

8/16/06:
Thanks to everyone who submitted photos from Sunday's performance. There were a lot of duplicates but we appreciated them anyway. Thanks in particular to Scott Spalding and Anne DiAlbo for some great behind-the-scenes shots. Barry's personal reminiscences will follow soon.

8/15/06:
Barry sent some great photos - the first couple are here and the rest will be posted tomorrow. He's promised to write his thoughts and feelings about the whole event so we'll include those as soon as they're done. His initial comments were that he loved it, the audience were amazing and he was very happy with his own performance. Would he be prepared to do a tour? Absolutely!

The good news is that a "Last Supper Tour" could happen, particularly if Andrew Lloyd-Webber gets favorable reports about Sunday's performance. The not-so-good news for USA fans is that the tour would probably be limited to Europe.

8/13/06:
As we get closer to curtain time, Barry reports from LA that the cast are ready and that the buzz backstage is about the possibility of this production being turned into a tour. All the principals appear to be in favor but the decision will ultimately rest in the hands of Andrew Lloyd-Webber. His Really Useful Group own the performing rights to JCS and it's unclear how a touring production would conflict with Ted's Farewell tour.

Often, this kind of thing fades away into nothing or takes so long that everyone is otherwise committed (the Last Supper Tour was first talked about more than three years ago), but woudn't it be great to see Barry reprise his role as Pilate in a touring production?

Meanwhile, he has promised a personal report on tonight's event within the next couple of days. It'll be posted here.

On a side note, we e-mailed a number of people yesterday about this news update and posted the text on a couple of JCS webrings & blogs. Overnight, this page received almost 600 unique visits (about six times the normal rate). Barry is aware of this and we both believe it's a reflection of the continued huge popularity of JCS and in particular, Barry's part in it. I do hope that one of the 600 was Lord Lloyd-Webber . . .

And finally, several people have written to remind us that the one sad note about tonight's performane is the tragic absence of what many believe to have been the greatest performer of the role of Judas (sorry Ben) . . the late Carl Anderson.
As well as being Barry Dennen's website administrator, I had the privilege of working with Carl during the last two years of his life; including spending numerous unforgettable days by his side as we planned a new website for him. One that would regrettably never come to fruition.

Of all the times I spent with him, probably the most memorable were early in April 2003, when the JCS tour stopped in Atlanta at the Fox Theater. Sebastia Bach had just left the tour under unfortunate circumstances and a delightful actor named Raymond Patterson had stepped into the role of Jesus. April 2nd was Raymond's first night and after spending the day with Carl, I slipped out front just before curtain time and watched the show.
Afterward, backstage the atmosphere was electric as Carl and Raymond re-lived the highlights and enjoyed what had truly been a remarkable evening. Before heading back to the hotel, I took a photo of Carl and Raymond, then Raymond took the camera and captured Carl and me (the first and only time that I have been photographed by Jesus!). It was one of the happiest moments I spent with Carl, and a fitting way to remember him tonight as a major JCS event gets underway in what was his home town.

In one way or another, many of Carl's friends and fans tonight have Heaven on their Minds."

Happy times with Carl Anderson and Ray Patterson backstage at the Fox Theater in Atlanta - April 2nd 2003

Anyone else had their photo captured by Jesus?

8/12/06:
The excitement is building at the Ricardo Montalban Theater. It's 3:00pm local time in Los Angeles and rehersals are in full swing. What was originally planned as a concert performance (singers standing at individual microphones reading from a music score) is actually being staged on a huge set with "more lights than a rock concert," according to Mr. D.

There's a full orchestra being expertly led by Music Director Craig Barna who also did the music on the most recent JCS tour, as well as Carl Anderson's memorial concert in New York.
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the event is going to be filmed, but Barry is very excited and promises a full report after the lights fade tomorrow night.
We'll provide a pre-show update here in the morning if there's anything to report.

7/30/06:
This was reproduced from the Tix.com website. Tickets went on sale today at 10:00am. . .

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR BENEFIT CONCERT
ONE NIGHT ONLY.
LIVE IN CONCERT.
REUNITING THE ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE STARS TED NEELEY as Jesus of Nazareth, YVONNE ELLIMAN as Mary Magdalene and BARRY DENNEN as Pontius Pilate.
WITH SPECIAL GUEST STARS BEN VEREEN as Judas Iscariot, CLINT HOLMES as Simon Zealotes and JACK BLACK as King Herod.

All proceeds benefit Youtheatre America & The Ricardo Montalban Foundation and are tax deductible. Limited VIP Seating Available. VIP seating includes cocktail reception with cast meet and greet following the show. To purchase VIP seats, please email youtheatream@aol.com with your name, address, phone number and the best time to contact you.
Price range: $110.00 to $520.00 from 1-800-595-4TIX
Sunday, August 13, 2006 at 8:00 PM Ricardo Montalban Theatre 1615 North Vine Street Hollywood, CA 90028

7/27/06:
After months of discussion and speculation about the Last Supper Tour, it has emerged as a one-night-only concert to benefit the Youth Theatre of America that will take place on August 13th (just a couple of weeks away) at the Ricardo Montalban Theatre in Los Angeles.
Ted Neeley will take a brief break from working on his Farewell Tour of JCS to perform as Jesus with Yvonne Elliman as Mary and yes, Barry will reprise his best-known role as Pilate! Jack Black is scheduled to perform the part of Herod.
The role of Judas has yet to be settled but rumour has it the producer, Gary Goddard is trying to get Ben Vereen who played Judas in the original Broadway show or Murray Head from the original concept album.

No word on when tickets will go on sale yet, but they will probably be sold via Nosotros, the charitable organization founded by Ricardo Montalban. As soon as we get more info, it'll be posted here.

A touring production with a different cast may be in the works for the fall.

3/21/06:
With the Silent Partners run in Washington DC over, Barry's getting ready to head back home to LA. His house has been refurbished in his absence so he's keen to get back and see the result.

"This has been a great show and a wonderful cast," he said about Silent Partners, "But it really has been hard work." There's always the possibility that the cast will perform the piece again although there are no immediate plans.

No one seems quite sure what's happening with the planned "Ted Neeley Farewell Tour" of JCS and it now seems doubtful that Barry will be asked to reprise his most famous role in that production. "There's still talk of a Last Supper Tour featuring the cast from the original production, but that's probably in the hands of the Really Useful Group which owns the performing rights to JCS" he said. Meanwhile, he intends to continue the voice-over work and is planning on getting back into writing mode - probably fiction this time. He has some great ideas for novels that would transfer well to the big screen. Naturally, we'll keep you informed of what's going on via the website.

3/15/06:
Back from DC with new photos and report on Barry's plans for the future. I'll post more when I've finished unpacking.

4/26/06:
The opening night of "Silent Partners" went well and Barry has settled into the part. Some of the early reviews were a little harsh (a result perhaps of too much rehersal of scenes and not enough complete run-through), but he's having fun and the perfomances keep getting better.

Meanwhile thanks for the many Easter JCS messages. Barry's responding to them as fast as he can!

Finally, I'm going to DC in a couple of weeks and I promise an honest report of "Silent Partners" with lots of up-to-date Barry pics.

4/8/06:
Okay, so by a show of hands, how many of you are preparing for Easter by watching JCS for the gazillionth time? Thought so . . . me too!
Barry is safely esconced in Washington DC preparing for "Silent Partners" but he's with you all in spirit and passes along his best regards. Happy Easter.

2/21/06:
Exciting times!
Barry'll soon be off to DC to do "Silent Partners". We keep hearing rumors about a JCS reunion tour but unfortunately that's all they are at the moment . . rumors!
Barry and Yvonne would commit but no word on Ted or anyone else.
Although he'll be back on the road, Barry will still do whatever it takes to answer his e-mails so please keep them coming! Personally signed merchandise is taking a little longer at the moment but hopefully we'll get that sorted out soon.
Website activity continues to grow and Barry is very touched by all the interest in him and his career. The vast majority of his e-mail concerns Pilate/JCS and he never tires of hearing about it so please don't be shy. If you have a burning question or comment . . or even if you just want to connect with the man who defined Pilate on stage, send those e-mails!

2/3/06:
The bad news is that Diminishing Perspective is still not available. A new label is being considered for general release.
The good news is that Barry has been invited to reprise the role of Bartold Brecht in a theatrical production of "Silent Partners" in Washington DC. Check this out for more details.
Of course, he'll continue his voice-over work in the meantime but this production represents an ideal opportunity for his fans to see him on stage again (not as Pilate unfortunately).

1/11/06:
Thanks for all the guestbook entries and suggestions for website features. The site is due for an update in late Spring and we'll incorporate as many ideas as possible.
Barry is doing voice-over projects for video games - he has to sign confidentiality agreements so the plotlines don't get out, and that prevents us from reporting details here. Pity!
He's also in rehersals for a gig in Washington DC during April/May. More details to follow.

Someone's sugested a competition where the grand prize would be Barry's voice on your home answering machine (like that NPR radio show, "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me.")
Barry thinks it's a cute idea and he's game . . . what do you think?
Imagine, the voice that was reciting the 23rd Psalm while Leo DiCaprio was hurring him along on Titanic, doing your answering machine message? If you think it'll work, we'll do it!

Another merchandise idea is to offer personalized greeting cards from Barry that can be sent to fans for Birthdays, Anniversaries, etc. The logistics can be challenging when he's on the road, but let us know what you think and perhaps we can make it happen.

Barry is a wonderful individual and open to most suggestions from his fans. He genuinely wants you to enjoy his work and stay in touch. We're here to help!

12/11/05:
Barry's doing more voice-overs for video games. We're looking at starting a video games section on the site. What do you think? Let us know here.
We'd also like to know what you'd like to see in the merchandise section of the site. Barry has some ideas, but he really wants to know what you think.

10/24/05:
Copies of Barry's book have just about sold out! The book is out of print so we're trying various places to get more copies.

BD is very busy at the moment with several projects in the pipeline. However, despite everything else that's going on, he's heavily committed to the website and is working on an expansion of the Merchandise section as well as some more notes about his earlier projects.
The site is now listed on all the major search engines as well as a vast number of JCS, Murray Head and Barbra Streisand sites. Thanks for all the links.

10/11/05:
Oh my goodness! We've experienced more than 300% increase in visitors to the site since August. Not only that, but Barry's been inundated with personal e-mail messages. That's great - keep them coming. He tries to answer each and every one personally so even though it may take a few days, it's usually worth the wait.

FYI, the e-mail address for the site doesn't go directly to Barry (those few people whe send lewd or inappropriate messages can keep them to yourselves, thank you!), but the genuine fan mail is forwarded to him immediately. Yes, he sees each and every one and responds to most.

We'll have more news about Diminishing Perspective soon. Sorry for the delay but the project is in the hands of our good friends at Fluxedo who are doing their best to get the album distributed. Watch (actually, listen) for an MP3 track that Barry found recently in his personal archives. It contains Murray Head humming an increadibly haunting tune and accompanying himself on acoustic guitar. The tune is a genuine "work-in progress" and won't be included in the finished cut of the CD. This website will be probably the only place you can get it.

Barry is very busy - there could be news of several new projects in the very near future so please check back again regularly. . . and keep the messages coming!

5/8/05:
We've had some problems with the shopping cart recently, caused by a conflict between our own server and iKobi, the company we were using for credit card processing. We've now changed to 2CO who provide us (and you) with a highly secure shopping cart and credit card processing capability. If you buy merchandise from this site, your credit card will show a charge from 2COwebsite.
Now we have that sorted out, we can add more merchandise items. Thanks for your patience.

4/6/05:
Lots of projects in the pipeline, but nothing specific yet. The hit rate of this site has been streadily increasing for the more than five years that we've been going. Well it seems that last month we hit the 500,000 mark of unique visitors. That's a half million people interested in Barry's work. Whilever you keep coming and showing an interest, Barry will keep playing his part. Thank you!

3/11/05:
We now have an official released date for the Diminishing Perspective album, as well as copies of the press release and cover artwork. Scott Kuchler, the album's producer at Fluxedo Arts will sit on a panel at the IBS Convention (a college radio convention) in New York City on March 12th 2005. This will constitute the official launch of the project at radio.
We hope to have MP3 samples of at least three tracks, Diminishing Perspective, Celestial City and Nightbird for download here in the next week or so.

1/3/05:
The latest news on Diminishing Perspective is a planned release on CD next month (February 2005) as a "concept album". Producer Scott Kuchler has kindly supplied some MP3 samples and we'll try to get permission for downloads. There's also talk of staging the project in NYC later in the year but we haven't been able to get confirmation yet. Barry's busy back in the studio with voice-over work after a well-earned rest and visit to the east coast over the holidays. There are several other projects in the air but nothing firm just yet.

10/29/04:
After being off the road for a few months, Barry decided not to re-join the JCS tour. However, that doesn't mean he's been idle! He's resumed voice-over work and is putting the finishing touches to one of the main characters in the new X-Box video game, Jade Empire which is due for release next spring.
It seems the long-awaited "Diminishing Perspective" CD with Murray Head is back on the front burner. Barry has heard from the producers and it will soon be released by Fluxedo Arts.

6/29/04:
The JCS tour is taking a break so Barry has returned home to LA to catch up on his other projects. Sorry for the delay in posting photos from the Carl Anderson tribute in NYC but they'll be ready in a few days. Meanwhile, by special arrangement with Sir Tim Rice, we have copies of his autobiography available. The book was only distributed in England, Australia and New Zealand, so fans of JCS around the world will now have the opportunity to own copies. The book details some fascinating facts about the JCS project, with photos of Barry, Yvonne and many other people who brought the characters (back?) to life. Tim very kindly agreed to personally autograph a few copies which are almost certain to become highly prized collector's items.

4/23/04:
Barry will be in NYC on Monday, May 10th to perform in a memorial concert for the late Carl Anderson at the Ford Center on 42nd Street.
Naturally, there'll be songs from Carl's most famous role as Judas and Barry will sing Pilate, along with Natalie Toro (Mary) and Eric Kunze (Jesus) from the current JCS touring production (it won't be the whole show - just musical selections). There will be a guest appearance by Yvonne Elliman and perhaps a few other suprises. Ted Neeley was to be there but it seems he has a scheduling conflict.
We'll have the full story and hopefully some backstage photos later next month.

2/23/04:
Today was a sad day for JCS and music fans all over the world as we said a sad farewell to Carl Anderson. Our thoughts are with his family as we all begin to adjust to the idea that the man who defined the role of Judas will sing no more....

2/9/04:
Well, the tour's going well and Barry's getting some wonderful reviews for his portrayal of Herod... "A Campy Delight" according to Vanity Fair®.
Thank you to everyone who's signed the guestbook, and those who've asked questions or sent e-mail messages to the site, let me again assure you that Barry personally sees each and every message. He can't always reply personally, but he loves hearing from you so keep 'em coming.
We'll have photos and Barrys personal reminiscinces from The Shining coming up next, as well as some candid shots from the JCS tour. Also, news of a European tour featuring some of the original cast which may be happening later this year. Watch this space!

4/9/03:
Wonderful news for Barry Dennen fans!
He's going to join his old friend Carl Anderson on the current USA touring production of JCS. He'll be singing the role of Herod (Pilate is played by Stephen Breithaupt). Carl is receiving rave reviews for his portrayal of Judas and is looking forward to having Barry join the tour, probably within the next couple of weeks.

3/18/03:
The biggest news for JCS fans is that Barry will reprise his role as Pilate in a concert version of Jesus Christ Superstar to be performed live in El Paso, Texas on April 14th 2003.
The event is being hosted by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and will be performed in honor of the 20th anniversary of the UTEP Dinner Theater. Sir Tim Rice is expected to attend and Barry will be accompanied on stage by Yvonne Elliman who will again sing the part of Mary. Unfortunately, neither Ted Neeley nor Carl Anderson will be able to attend (Carl is on the road with the latest JCS touring production; Ted is busy with the "Rasputin" project), but the event promises to be superb, with a full orchestra and chorale arrangements.
Barry has indicated that this may be the last time he'll sing Pilate. Fortunately, we'll be on hand to record details of the event, so you'll have a chance to see him in an outrageous leather outfit singing his heart out! There'll also be as much behind-the-scenes info as we can get, so stay tuned.