Jesus Christ Superstar returns to Broadway

The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Stratford, Ontario, is transferring to Broadway and begin preview performances in March of 2012.  The New York Times reports:

Heroism is not a career to be undertaken lightly, as the two musical revivals at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival here this season make clear. King Arthur, the legendary English leader of knights and founder of the Round Table, finds the task of shaping a chivalric code to be easier than living up to its ideals in the 1960 musical “Camelot.” And his burden is a mere feather compared to that of Jesus himself, the martyred founder of a worldwide faith in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” first staged on Broadway in 1971.

Arts Beat adds:

No casting was announced for the musical, about the last week of Jesus’ life, but the positive response to the production (including from Mr. Lloyd Webber) has focused on the acting, particularly the leads playing Jesus, Judas, and Mary Magdalene.

Dodger Properties and Mr. Lloyd Webber’s Really Useful Group are producing the “Superstar” revival, which is being directed by Des McAnuff (“Jersey Boys”) and is scheduled to open on March 22. The production will come in the same season as the first Broadway revival of “Godspell,” another show inspired by the life of Jesus, and at a time when two other musicals touching on religion (if lightheartedly) – “The Book of Mormon” and “Sister Act” – are also running.

Broadway.com has more information about the production.

Dakota O'Leary

Dakota O'Leary is a freethinker, and often sassy, scholar of theology and literature. She got her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Theology from the State University of New York College at Buffalo, and her Master of Arts degree in Theology and Literature from Antioch University-Midwest. She is a contributing writer focusing on eschatology, biblical prophecy, and general religious news. Dakota is a co-host of the God Discussion radio show, offering insight to the news stories of the week. We like to call her "our in-house Biblical prophecy expert" as her articles on eschatology have received over 200,000 views on God Discussion.

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  • http://travelwisconsin.us TracyAnn0312

    Good for him. At least now, he can act again in the Broadway.Maybe acting is his passion that is why he returns. Or is there any thing happens to him that is why he was out in Broadway before?

  • Mark

    Great musical! The last good thing Tim Rice or Andrew Lloyd Weber did!

  • http://smootherface.net/ Katherine

    Another hilarious movie and manipulation… We have to boycott this movie or else they keep on creating another movie like this… ^_^

  • http://www.houseofbetazed.com Mriana

    I love JC Superstar and one song from I esp love is Heaven on their Minds, which I think of the Religious Reich every time I hear it.