Christian
protests hurt Jerry Springer opera in U.K.

There is such a thing as bad publicity after all. Creators of Jerry Springer--The Opera, the musical that sparked outrage among conservative Christians when shown on British television, say protests and lobbying have dented ticket sales for a tour in what they call a blow to freedom of speech. The outcry, which culminated in more than 60,000 people complaining to the British Broadcasting Corporation when it aired the profanity-laden show last year, has also undermined plans to take the award-winning musical to Broadway.

"Despite having a show which has won all the best musical awards and critical praise, I would say that it looks to me like [members of the lobby group] Christian Voice are winning the audience battle," said Jon Thoday, the show's producer. "I would hope there is the opportunity for it to be shown in other countries, but the truth is, the protests haven't helped," he told Reuters by telephone from the United States. "And people say there's no such thing as bad publicity."

The show, based on television host Jerry Springer's brash talk show, depicts Jesus being referred to as "a little bit gay" and features Eve attempting to fondle his genitals. At least two Christian lobby groups, Christian Voice and the Christian Institute, have led a campaign against the show, calling it gratuitously offensive and blasphemous. They also argue that no one in Britain would dare put on a similar show depicting other religions in such an irreverent light.

Christian Voice's Stephen Green said supporters had been leafleting people outside the Theatre Royal in the southwestern English town of Plymouth, where the tour kicks off on Friday, and plan to hold a peaceful protest vigil on the opening night. "Freedom of speech is a qualified right, and the kind of society where people go out of their way to cause great offence is not a civilized society," he said.

The theater is sufficiently concerned about the demonstrations to boost security for the show's run. "We appreciate that some people may not want to see this production, which we, of course, respect," said a spokeswoman for the Theatre Royal, which has warned audiences that the show contains strong language. "Likewise, we hope that those not wishing to attend will respect the right of people with a different viewpoint and allow them to see the production and to form their own judgment." Just over a year ago, a theater in the English city of Birmingham scrapped a play about a woman and her sick mother visiting a Sikh temple after hundreds of Sikhs gathered outside the playhouse and pelted it with stones.

The Springer tour, which ends on July 8, was temporarily shelved last year after several theaters declined to put it on. It was only rescued when Thoday and his production company, Avalon, decided not to let the protests sink a show that had filled London theaters.

Cocreator Richard Thomas said the protesters had missed the point of the show. "The fundamental error is that they say these are portrayals of Christ and religious figures, but in fact they are portrayals of a man's nightmares before he dies," he told Reuters. "They [the Christian groups] are now saying that the show is rubbish. I think it doesn't help: I would rather be accused of being a blasphemer." (Mike Collett-White, Reuters)