Sara Bareilles Joins NBC's 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live'
The 'Waitress' star will play Mary Magdalene opposite John Legend and Alice Cooper.
Sara Bareilles is heading to NBC.
The Waitress star and composer has joined the cast of the network's forthcoming presentation of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert!
Bareilles will take on the role of Mary Magdalene and star opposite John Legend in the production, which is set to air live from Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, on Easter Sunday, April 1.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live will be executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan, Neil Meron, Legend, Mike Jackson, Ty Stiklorius and Alex Rudzinski. In addition to exec producing, Legend will star as Jesus Christ, while rock icon Alice Cooper will take on the part of King Herod. David Leveaux will direct.
“We’re overjoyed to have Sara Bareilles play Mary Magdalene, and I can guarantee that her interpretation of the standard ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’ will become an instant classic,” NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said Saturday ina statement. “I was lucky enough to see Sara in Waitress and she gave as moving and as beautifully sung a performance as I’ve seen on a Broadway stage in a long time.”
Bareilles, a six-time Grammy nominee, wrote the music and lyrics for Waitress. She earned a Tony for best original score and Grammy nom for best musical theater album for her effort.
“To say I’m excited about this performance is the understatement of the century," said Bareilles. "This score and this musical have been a part of my life from a very young age and it will be one of the great thrills of my life to sing these iconic songs. It’s incredible to see the beloved medium of musical theatre being embraced by television audiences, and this cast and creative team is extraordinary. I feel extremely lucky to be a part of the project!”
