Get Your First Look at Alice Cooper in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’
On Easter Sunday, April 1, NBC will present a live production of the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical Jesus Christ Superstar. The network has released a trailer for the show, which offers a first look at Alice Cooper as King Herod, and you can watch it below.
Cooper has only one number in Jesus Christ Superstar Live, "King Herod's Song (Try it and See)," a vaudeville-style ditty midway through the second act where Herod mocks the idea that Jesus is the son of God. "You are the Christ / The great Jesus Christ," he snarls, "Prove to me that you're divine / Turn my water into wine." Cooper's no stranger to the role, having sung it on a 2000 recording where he joined the 1996 London revival cast.
The show also stars John Legend in the title role and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene. Broadway veteran Brandon Victor Dixon, who recently starred as Aaron Burr in Hamilton, plays Pontius Pilate. David Leveaux, a five-time Tony Award nominee, is directing.
Jesus Christ Superstar was one of the first musicals to incorporate rock music into its score. Its tradition of having rockers in its cast dates back to its origin in 1970 as a concept album, where Deep Purple's Ian Gillan played the title role and Manfred Mann's Mike d'Abo was Herod. Over the years, singers such as Roger Daltrey, Dennis DeYoung, Gary Cherone, former Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach have appeared in high-profile productions in various roles.
Earlier this week, Cooper announced a continuation of his North American tour in support of last year's Paranormal. He'll begin at the Wisconsin State Fair in West Allis, Wis., on Aug. 3 and conclude on Sept. 7 at the York Fair in York, Pa. You can see all the dates here.