New York, NY (Top40 Charts / Sony Masterworks Broadway) Today, Sony Masterworks Broadway is excited to release the 2-CD set of Jesus Christ
Superstar Live in Concert - Original
Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event, featuring lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew
Lloyd Webber. In addition, the Live Concert DVD is set for release on June 15 and is available now for preorder. Drawing over 10 million viewers, NBC's highly anticipated special event "Jesus Christ
Superstar Live in Concert" received rave reviews for its production, calling it "genuinely thrilling" (The New York Times), "truly transcendent" (Hollywood Reporter) and "the best live TV musical yet" (The Daily Beast).
The all-star cast features Oscar, Golden Globe, Tony and 10-time Grammy winner
John Legend (), 2018 Tony Awards co-host, Broadway star and acclaimed recording artist
Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene), rock icon
Alice Cooper (King Herod) and Tony Award-winning producer and "
Hamilton" alum
Brandon Victor Dixon (Judas). The stellar cast also includes Tony nominee Ben Daniels (Pontius Pilate), Tony nominee Norm Lewis (Caiaphas), Broadway veteran Jason Tam (Peter), "M. Butterfly" star Jin Ha (Annas) and Swedish rock star
Erik Gronwall (Simon Zealotes).
The production will be helmed by esteemed British theatre director
David Leveaux. Rounding out the full, award-winning creative team is Emmy Award-winning live television director and executive producer Alex Rudzinski ("Hairspray Live!," "Dancing With the Stars"), Emmy- and Tony Award-winning costumer designer Paul Tazewell ("The Wiz Live!," "
Hamilton"), Grammy Award-winning music producer
Harvey Mason Jr. ("The Wiz Live!"), musical director Nigel Wright ("Jesus Christ Superstar" world arena tour), production designer Jason Ardizzone-West ("Adele Live in NYC") and choreographer
Camille A. Brown ("Once on This Island").
"Jesus Christ
Superstar Live in Concert," a staged version of the original rock musical, will be executive produced by Andrew
Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt,
Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, John Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and Alex Rudzinski.
Tim Rice and Andrew
Lloyd Webber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" album hit #1 on the Billboard charts and 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 Tonys, including Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Vereen.
Lloyd Webber won a
Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer.
Since then, the musical has been considered a classic and has become a staple of theatre and music organizations throughout the world. It has been performed in nearly 20 countries and translated into 18 different languages. 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.
"Jesus Christ
Superstar Live in Concert" will be produced by Universal Television, Tim Rice, Andrew
Lloyd Webber, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions and Zadan/Meron Productions.
SONY MUSIC MASTERWORKS comprises the imprints Masterworks, Sony Classical, OKeh, Portrait and Masterworks Broadway. Our artists range from icons to newly developing talents in classical, crossover and adult alternative music, plus new and legendary jazz artists. Our vast catalog of musical theater recordings features classic shows and original cast albums of today's Broadway hits including SpongeBob SquarePants The Broadway Musical, Hello, Dolly! starring Bette Midler, Groundhog Day, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, On Your Feet!, Kinky Boots, Once, If/Then and An American in Paris. Visit www.sonymusicmasterworks.com for more info.
