This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
You might know John Legend as a famous, multi-awarded singer who won 10 Grammy awards, an Oscar, Tony, and other prestigious awards, but this time, John Legend is about to take on the role of Jesus Christ in NBC’s special; Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.
The show will air on eastern Sunday (April 1, 2018) at the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, N.Y. Now, people are wondering how he will portray the iconic Jesus, although, his singing part will not be questioned because it’s always on point.
The production team and even NBC’s entertainment chairman; Robert Greenblatt, we’re all excited having John Legend to play for the role because of his versatility as an artist and of course, his range as a singer as it will have a great impact on how he will portray the role. John Legend also appeared in many different programs including one of the hit movies in 2016; La la land.
Being one of the most popular male singers in the mainstream industry, John Legend is surely a talent which brings more than just great songs to the audience, but also an artist who serves as an inspiration to many who can connect with his music. Now, being able to play the role of Jesus, Legend stated that he is thrilled to play that role, he said that he is about to take on such a powerful, and meaningful musical and he is honored to be part of it.
Legend has also been able to win a Tony award for producing August Wilson’s “jitney” which won Best Revival of a Play. His theatre career combined with his studio record labels makes John Legend the best candidate to play the role of Jesus.
The Jesus Christ Superstar album has reached number one on the Billboard chart, making its way to the spotlight back in the year 1971. The story of this musical features the final week of Jesus’ life. The show was first started at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway which starred Jeff Fenholt who played the role of Jesus and Ben Vereen who played Judas. This musical has also earned 5 Tony nominations which included Best Performance for Featured Artist and Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer which was won by Lloyd Webber.
The musical became very successful after its first opening night; now it has come a very long way until it has recognized worldwide. Currently, nearly 20 countries are staging this musical, and it has been translated into 18 different languages. Since then, many revivals took place because of the overwhelming success it has accomplished since it debuted 46 years ago. This includes both the 2000 and 2012 Broadway versions that were nominated Best Revival of a Musical. The famous Broadway musical was also transformed into a film which was directed by Oscar winner; Norman Jewison.
It is really exciting to see how this musical will turn out. Many fans are expecting to see John Legends performance and how he will give life to the character, especially to an iconic religious figure, Jesus Christ.
