More popular than Jesus was "bigger than God", but reaction was minimal. In a 2008 article marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' double album "The Beatles" (also known as the "White Album"), the Vatican newspaper, "L'Osservatore Romano", issued the statement: In response to the statement, Starr said "Didn't the Vatican say we were possibly Satanic, and they've still forgiven us? I think the Vatican's got more to talk about than the Beatles." In its 14 April 2010 edition, "L'Osservatore Romano" responded to Starr's comments, stating that "John Lennon had no need of forgiveness from the Vatican, "L'Osservatore Romano" reprinted its 1966 article on
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert aside, the production was genuinely thrilling, taking chances with the staging of a classic but controversial Broadway show, much more daring than previous live musical broadcasts like "The Sound of Music" or "Peter Pan"." Offering similar acclaim, "The Hollywood Reporter"s David Rooney said, "But here's the thing: This was a phenomenally balanced production of "Jesus Christ Superstar", in which star power was equaled by depth of feeling and characterization in all the principals. And the immediacy of television, with close-ups capable of bringing us in tight on the performers' faces, gave Jesus and Mary Magdalene a complexity that often is