Film & TV NewsNBC Will Broadcast Jesus Christ Superstar Live!The Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical will air on Easter Sunday in 2018.
By
Andrew Gans
May 10, 2017
The company of Jesus Christ Superstar 2012 Revival
Joan Marcus
NBC will broadcast Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, a live staging of the 1971 Broadway rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, on Easter Sunday (April 1, 2018).
The event will be executive-produced by Lloyd Webber, Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, and Neil Meron.
“As we continue to expand the profile of our live musicals, we are thrilled to be partnering with Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice to bring a new live staging of the iconic Jesus Christ Superstar to NBC,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, NBC Entertainment, in a statement. “Casting has just begun, but we want to fill out this classic show with as many recording artists as possible to give proper voice to what is the original rock opera score.”
Jesus Christ Superstar was conceived as a concept album that hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts, and eventually made its way to the stage in 1971. It is based on the final week of Jesus’ life.
The 1971 musical opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway and starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus and Ben Vereen as Judas. It was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Vereen. Lloyd Webber won a Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer.
There have been many revivals of Jesus Christ Superstar over the 46 years since its debut, including 2000 and 2012 Broadway versions that each earned a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical. The 1973 film was directed by Oscar winner Norman Jewison and starred Ted Neeley.
The broadcast will follow NBC's previous live productions of The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, The Wiz, and, most recently, Hairspray.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live! will be produced by Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions, and Storyline Entertainment.
Check out photos from NBC's Hairspray Live! below:
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Ephraim Sykes, Shahadi Wright Joseph, and Maddie Baillio
Ephraim Sykes, Ariana Grande, Shahadi Wright Joseph, Garrett Clayton, and Jennifer Hudson
Dove Cameron, Maddie Baillio, Ariana Grande, and cast
Chris Haston/NBC
Jennifer Hudson and Ariana Grande
Garrett Clayton, Dove Cameron, Derek Hough, and cast
Derek Hough, Maddie Baillio, Dove Cameron, and cast
Ariana Grande, Harvey Fierstein, and Martin Short
Dove Cameron and cast
Kristin Chenoweth
Garrett Clayton, Ariana Grande, and Ephraim Sykes
Hrvey Fierstein and Martin Short
Shahadi Wrigt Joseph, Ephraim Sykes, and Ariana Grande
Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron
Ariana Grande and Andrea Martin
Sean Hayes and Harvey Fierstein
Shayna Steele, Judine Somerville, and Kamilah Marshall
Garrett Clayton and Maddie Baillio
Dove Cameron, Rosie O'Donnell, and Maddie Baillio
Derek Hough
Derek Hough and Maddie Baillio
Maddie Baillio and Harvey Fierstein
Justin Lubin/NBC
Kristin Chenoweth
Derek Hough and Dove Cameron
Derek Hough, Maddie Baillio, and Garrett Clayton
Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron
Jennifer Hudson
Neil Meron and Derek Hough
Dove Cameron, Neil Meron, Ariana Grande, Garrett Clayton, and Ephraim Sykes
Garrett Clayton, Jerry Mitchell, and Derek Hough
Kristin Chenoweth and Dove Cameron
Darren Criss and Neil Meron
Jennifer Hudson and Chairman NBC Entertainment Robert Greenblatt
Shahadi Wright Joseph and Ephraim Sykes
Maddie Baillio and Garrett Clayton
Choreographer / Associate Producer Jerry Mitchell and Maddie Baillio
Executive Producer Neil Meron, Kristin Chenoweth, Chairman, NBC Entertainment Robert Greenblatt, Co-Executive Producer / Live Television Director Alex Rudzinski, and Maddie Baillio
