John Legend, Alice Cooper and the rest of the cast of NBCs upcoming live production of Jesus Christ Superstar offer a behind-the-scenes look at rehearsals and discuss reviving the classic musical for 2018.
Legend and Cooper lead the all-star cast, playing Jesus and King Herod respectively, while Sara Bareilles will portray Mary Magdalene and Brandon Victor Dixon will play Judas. Original composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice are also returning as executive producers, and in the clip Dixon says of Webbers contributions, He tries to work for whats new and what will resonate with the people who are gonna see it now.
Amidst an array of remarkable behind-the-scenes footage culled from rehearsals, Legend discusses his long relationship with Jesus Christ Superstar. Ive been familiar with Jesus Christ Superstar the show since I was a teenager in high school, we sang some of the songs in show choir, he says. The power of this production is that it talks about the human emotions Jesus quite likely felt as he was about to be killed.
The production also shared a short promo spot for Jesus Christ Superstar, which features Bareilles singing Mary Magdalenes famous song, Everythings Alright.
Jesus Christ Superstar will air live on NBC April 1st. The cast also boasts Tony nominee Ben Daniels and Norm Lewis, and Broadway actors Jason Tam and Jin Ha.