The U.S. premiere of the Olivier Award-winning 2016 London revival of Jesus Christ Superstar officially opened April 28 at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Directed by Timothy Sheader, this new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s landmark biblical rock musical premiered at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in a sold-out 2016 run.
The cast is led by Heath Saunders (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812) as Jesus, alongside Ryan Shaw (Motown) as Judas, and Jo Lampert (Joan of Arc: Into the Fire) as Mary Magdalene.
The production will launch a U.S. national tour next year.
READ: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR WILL EMBARK ON A U.S. NATIONAL TOUR IN 2019
Read reviews below. Playbill will continue to update.
The Chicago Sun Times (Catey Sullivan)
The Chicago Tribune (Chris Jones)
Combining elements of a large-scale rock concert and the glitz of modern celebrity culture, the revival went on to win the 2017 Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Musical Revival, prompting the Open Air Theatre to remount the production last summer.
Jesus Christ Superstar features design by Tom Scutt, choreography by Drew McOnie, musical supervision by Tom Deering, and lighting design by Lee Curran.
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