Rock and roll legend Alice Cooper has been cast in Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, NBC’s forthcoming adaptation of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice rock opera set to air on Easter Sunday, April 1.
The Hall of Fame singer-songwriter, known for such hits as School’s Out and Billion Dollar Babies, will take on the role of the flamboyant King Herod, the Peacock network announced on Friday. Also joining the production is five-time Tony Award nominated director David Leveaux.
“Alice Cooper, whose theatricality is the stuff of legend, is the perfect rock star to play Herod in our live production,” Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment, said in a statement. “Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a showstopping musical number for Herod and we all look forward to the ‘King of Shock Rock’ taking on the King of Judea. As the casting for Superstar ramps up, we can feel the excitement building for this brand new concert experience of what has long been considered the original rock musical.”
Marc Platt, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron will executive-produce the NBC adaptation alongside Webber and Rice. The Tony-nominated Broadway musical follows the final days of Jesus Christ and features songs including Everything’s All Right and What’s the Buzz. In 1973, it was made into a feature-length film starring Ted Neeley as Jesus and Josh Mostel as King Herod.
