John Legend has officially joined the cast of NBC’s next live musical event, Jesus Christ Superstar.
John Legend Will Play Jesus In Jesus Christ Superstar Live!
The 10-time Grammy winner will star in the production as Jesus, joining the previously announced Alice Cooper as King Herod. The rest of the cast has yet to be announced.
Addressing Legend’s casting, chairman of NBC Entertainment Robert Greenblatt said, “We’re overjoyed to have world-class musical artist and producer John Legend starring as Jesus.” Greenblatt added that the singer was perfect for the role, vocally. “This score demands a singer with an amazing range and an actor with great depth, and there isn’t anyone better to bring this story to new audiences.”
In a statement, Legend expressed enthusiasm and excitement about joining the project, saying, “It’s such a powerful, meaningful musical, and I’m humbled to be part of this performance. We’ve already formed an incredible team, and, as we finish casting, I’m certain we will put together some of the greatest talents around to do this work justice.”
If you have any doubts about this casting announcement, rest assured: it’s Andrew Lloyd Webber-approved. On the composer’s official Twitter page, Lloyd Webber’s team tweeted that they are “thrilled” to have Legend join the cast.
Though she shared the news on Twitter, no word yet on what wife Chrissy Teigen thinks of Legend’s casting, but we can only hope that she’ll live tweet the entire performance when it airs April 1, 2018, Easter Sunday.
