Film & TV NewsJesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, Starring John Legend, Airs on NBC April 1Sara Bareilles, Alice Cooper, Brandon Victor Dixon, Norm Lewis, and Jason Tam co-star in the TV presentation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical.
By
Andrew Gans
April 01, 2018
John Legend as Jesus
Paul Lee/NBC
NBC presents Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert from Brooklyn April 1 (Easter Sunday), beginning at 8 PM ET.
Oscar and Grammy winner (and Tony-winning producer) John Legend stars as Jesus with Waitress’ Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene, Hamilton alum Brandon Victor Dixon as Judas, Alice Cooper as King Herod, Ben Daniels as Pontius Pilate, Tony nominee Norm Lewis as Caiaphas, Jason Tam as Peter, Jin Ha as Annas, and Erik Gronwall as Simon Zealotes.
The ensemble features Joel Perez (Fun Home), Lauren Zakrin (Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812), Felicia Boswell (Motown), Melody Betts (Invisible Thread), Abby Corrigan (Fun Home), Micaela Diamond, Rory Donovan (Finding Neverland), Christine Dwyer (Wicked), Mike Evariste (Amazing Grace), F. Michael Haynie (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Wicked), Charissa Hogeland (Kinky Boots), Bre Jackson (The Color Purple), Mykal Kilgore (Motown), Billy Lewis Jr. (Toronto's Bat Out of Hell), Justin Gregory Lopez (Bare), Angel Lozada, Vince Oddo (Amazing Grace), Kyle Taylor Parker (Kinky Boots), Jonah Platt (Wicked), Conor Ryan (Cinderella), Christina Sajous (Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark), Justin Matthew Sargent (Spider-Man), Heath Saunders (The Great Comet), Joey Taranto (Kinky Boots), and Syndee Winters (Hamilton).
Completing the cast are dancers Chloe Davis, Timothy Edwards, Shelby Finnie, Bahiyah Hibah, Juel D. Lane, Terk Lewis, Mayte Natalio, Sarah Parker, Tre Smith, and Maleek Washington.
The David Leveaux-helmed concert is staged in front of an audience at Williamsburg's Marcy Armory. Alex Rudzinski, who earned an Emmy for his work on Fox's Grease and an additional nod for NBC's Hairspray, returns to the live musical format as television director.
Lloyd Webber and Rice executive produce the live event along with Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius, and television director Alex Rudzinski.
Jesus Christ Superstar premiered on Broadway in 1971 and was nominated for five Tony Awards, including Best Original Score for Lloyd Webber and Rice. The show was subsequently revived in 1977, 2000, and 2012.
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Go Inside Rehearsals With John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, and More For Jesus Christ Superstar Live
Go Inside Rehearsals With John Legend, Sara Bareilles, Brandon Victor Dixon, and More For Jesus Christ Superstar Live
The upcoming TV presentation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical airs April 1.
A new scholarship will send three young writers to the 2026 International Thespian Festival to work directly with Playbill on coverage of the week-long event.
