NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, which aired live from Brooklyn April 1, 2018, is rebroadcast on the network Easter Sunday, April 12, at 7 PM ET.
Oscar, Emmy, and Grammy winner (and Tony-winning producer) John Legend starred 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.
Flip Through Our Exclusive Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Playbill
The broadcast earned five Emmy Awards in 2018, including Oustanding Variety Special (Live), making Legend, composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, and lyricist Tim Rice—each producers on the project—EGOT recipients.
The ensemble featured 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 were 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 was 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, returned to the live musical format as television director.
Lloyd Webber, Rice, Legend, and Rudzinski executive-produced the live event along with Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Mike Jackson, and Ty Stiklorius.
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.
(Updated April 12, 2020)
