By Mariel Turner
8:35am PDT, Mar 29, 2018
NBC has released some amazing and some not-so-amazing TV musicals (we're looking at you, "Peter Pan") over the past few years. The network's latest offering, "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert," seems to have all the elements to become a true hit: vibrant sets, great source material and talented performers. In celebration of its Easter Sunday premiere on April 1, 2018, Wonderwall.com is taking a look at the stellar "Superstar" cast. Keep reading to find out who's playing who on "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
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John Legend is a deeply talented musician, singer and actor. In fact, he's so talented that he's only an Emmy win away from reaching EGOT status. The 39 year old found fame after signing to Kanye West's label a few years after he graduated from college. John went on to win multiple Grammys and release chart-topping singles including "Ordinary People," "Save Room," "Green Light" and the No. 1 hit "All of Me." The Ohio native has also shared his musical talents in movies and on the stage. He wrote the song "Glory" for the film "Selma" then won the Academy Award for best original song for it in 2015. In 2017, John received a Tony Award for co-producing "Jitney" for the Broadway stage. With all his career pursuits, it might seem like John would have no time for love, but the opposite is true. The singer, who started dating model Chrissy Teigen in 2007, married her in 2013. They're parents to an adorable daughter, Luna, and are expecting their second child, a son, in 2018.
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Brandon Victor Dixon stars as Judas Iscariot on 2018's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
Brandon Victor Dixon is a Broadway superstar who, based on his flawless resume, will ace the role of Judas. The 36-year-old actor first came to fame starring as Harpo in the Broadway production of "The Color Purple" in 2005. He earned a Tony nomination for his work and solidified his status as an in-demand stage actor. Brandon went on to star as Berry Gordy Jr. in "Motown: The Musical," Hayward Patterson in London's West End production of "The Scottsboro Boys," and as Eubie Blake in Broadway's "Shuffle Along, or, the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed," for which he received another Tony nomination. Brandon also played the role of Aaron Burr in Broadway's "Hamilton" (he's the actor who famously called out Vice President Mike Pence when he attended a show).
Sara Bareilles plays Mary Magdalene on 2018's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
Sara Bareilles received worldwide recognition as her hit single "Love Song" climbed the charts to reach No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2008. The 38-year-old musician has since sold more than a million albums as well as more than 9 million singles/downloads in America alone. She's also racked up six Grammy nominations including one for album of the year in 2010. As if being a Grammy-nominated, chart-topping artist wasn't enough, Sara is also a New York Times bestseller and Tony Award nominee. Her memoir, "Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song," was published in 2015 and became an instant bestseller. "Waitress," a musical Sara wrote and composed, was nominated for a Tony for best original score in 2016. Sara began dating her "Waitress" co-star Joe Tippett in 2017.
Alice Cooper stars as King Herod on "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
"The Godfather of Shock Rock" Alice Cooper has been a success on the music scene since the late 1960s. The 70-year-old rocker named his band after himself then went on to score several huge hits in the 1970s including "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out." Alice went solo in 1975 and has enjoyed a long and prosperous career ever since. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. Alice is well-known for his likeable and witty personality off-stage in contrast to many other heavy-metal rockers. In fact, Rolling Stone once called him the world's most "beloved heavy metal entertainer." Today, Alice is known for his sold-out concerts and popular rock radio show "Nights With Alice Cooper." He is also a happily married man and father of three. Alice married Sheryl Goddard in 1976 and claims that, unlike many celebs, he has never cheated on his wife since they've been together. He's also long been vocal about his Christian faith, revealing he does Bible study daily and goes to church every Sunday.
Jason Tam plays Peter on 2018's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert."
Jason Tam is a talented actor and singer who developed his career on the stage. The 35-year-old Hawaii native starred as Paul in the 2006 revival of the Broadway musical "A Chorus Line" and as Xander in "Lysistrata Jones" on Broadway. He's also had roles in "Les Misérables" on Broadway, in "She Loves Me" at Minneapolis's Guthrie Theatre and in "West Side Story," "Oklahoma!," "Footloose" and "King and I" at other respected theaters. When he wasn't on the stage, Jason could be found on your TV screens. The actor starred as Shoe on the teen drama "Beyond the Break" and as Markko Rivera on the daytime soap opera "One Life to Live."
Norm Lewis plays Caiaphas on "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert." Like many of his "Superstar" co-stars, Norm built his career on Broadway. The 54-year-old actor starred in "Dessa Rose," "Miss Saigon," "The Wild Party," "Les Misérables," "Sweeney Todd" and other major productions during his nearly 30-year career. But Norm might be best known for his work in the popular musical productions of "Porgy and Bess" and "The Phantom of the Opera." He made history when he became the first African-American actor to perform in the title role in Broadway's long-running production of "Phantom" in 2014.
Ben Daniels stars as Pontius Pilate on "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert." The 53-year-old actor is an accomplished stage performer who's appeared in major productions including "Never the Sinner," "900 Oneonta," "Martin Yesterday," "All My Sons" and "Les Liaisons Dangereuses." Ben dabbled in television with small roles on "Cutting It," "The Virgin Queen," "Law & Order: UK," "The Paradise," "House of Cards" and "The Exorcist." The British native has also achieved success in his personal life: Ben has been with his partner, actor Ian Gelder, for 25 years.
Swedish rocker Erik Gronwall stars as Simon Zealotes on 2018's "Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert." The 30-year-old singer has had a lucrative career ever since he won the Swedish version of the "American Idol" franchise in 2009. Erik's first single, "Higher," went gold from digital download sales after only three days and his self-titled first album debuted at No. 1 on the Swedish music charts before later being certified platinum. Today, Erik is the lead singer of the successful rock band H.E.A.T.
