ALICE COOPER CAST AS KING HEROD IN 'JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE!'
9th December 2017



alice cooper

Alice Cooper has been cast as the flamboyant King Herod in NBC's staged rock concert of 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live!', to be aired on Easter Sunday, April 1st 2018.

Also joining the production is esteemed British theatre director David Leveaux, a five-time Tony Award nominee who has directed some of the most noteworthy productions in the UK and on Broadway.

'Jesus Christ Superstar Live!' will be executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc latt, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron.

Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment said:

"Alice Cooper, whose theatricality is the stuff of legend, is the perfect rock star to play Herod in our live production. 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."



Alice recorded 'King Herod's Song' at the request of Lloyd Webber and Rice for the 2000 release of a cast album from the 1996 production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' in the UK.

As an actor, he has appeared in more than two dozen productions, including films such as Tim Burton's remake of 'Dark Shadows' and his iconic "we're not worthy" performance in 'Wayne's World'. His songs have been featured in countless soundtracks for film and TV as both a songwriter and singer, including most recently Netflix's 'Glow' and HBO's 'Vinyl'.

The 'Jesus Christ Superstar' album, with Ian Gillan in the role of Jesus, hit number one on the Billboard charts and made its way to the stage in 1971. It is based on the final week of Jesus' life. The 1971 musical opened at the Mark Hellinger Theatre on Broadway and starred Jeff Fenholt as Jesus and Ben Vereen as Judas. It was nominated for five Tonys, including Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical for Vereen. Lloyd Webber won a Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Composer.

Since then, the musical has been considered a classic and has become a staple of theatre and music organizations throughout the world. It has been performed in nearly twenty countries and translated into eighteen different languages. There have been many revivals of 'Jesus Christ Superstar' over the forty-six years since its debut, including 2000 and 2012 Broadway versions that each earned a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical.

The 1973 film was directed by Oscar winner Norman Jewison and starred Ted Neeley.

'Jesus Christ Superstar Live!' will be produced by Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions and Zadan/Meron Productions.