New musical tells the story of Jesus through the music of Britney

TORONTO — Could the next big Broadway musical be the story of Jesus Christ told through the songs of superstar Britney Spears?

Patrick Blute hopes so.

The 23-year-old creator of SPEARS: The Gospel According to Britney is staging two readings of his pop opera Thursday in New York for an audience of potential investors.

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The musical — which uses Spears hits like “Stronger,” “One More Time,” and “Crazy” to describe the birth, life, death and ressurection of Jesus Christ — debuted in April 2012 at Columbia University.

Blute says what the public knows about both icons is based on accounts “through the media, through the words of followers, of friends, of foes, of villains, of heroes, of liars, of biases.”

He says the show “reconciles a lot of the anxiety 20-somethings feel about living in a society that has thousands of statements and not much substance. It appeals to those from a religious background because it tells an essential story using fragments of pop culture in a non-offensive way.”