I will never forget that Saturday morning. I can still see, in my mind's eye, the spring sunshine rushing through all the windows on the east side of the house. And I can hear, in my mind's ear, the enthusiastic jabbering of that college freshman who had come by the house to get me to listen to a new record album. That was over 35 years ago, but I can still remember it as if it were yesterday morning.

Mike was at East Carolina University. He had been introduced to opera -- rock opera. Now he was introducing it to me. And we sat for over two hours listening to Jesus Christ, Superstar.

Like any other new music, I had to listen to it a number of times before it really began to say something to me. I had to get beyond my feeling that it was a bit sacrilegious and took some liberties with bib…