Plot Synopsis

Executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice and based on their 1970 rock opera and 1971 Tony Award-winning Broadway musical, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT tells the story of the last seven days of Jesus Christ's life, leading up to his crucifixion, a loose interpretation of the Gospels of the New Testament. This version of the musical is staged as a rock concert at Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn in front of a crowd of 1,500 with a live band onstage. The album hit #1 on the Billboard charts and made its way to the stage in 1971. 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 20 countries and translated into 18 different languages. There have been many revivals of "Jesus Christ Superstar" over the 46 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. NBC premieres JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR LIVE IN CONCERT on Easter Sunday 2018 (April 1) from 8-10:15pm ET (live)/PT (tape).