Jesus Christ Superstar Returns to Its Rock Opera Roots in West End Revival
LONDON. More than five decades after it first arrived as a rock opera album, Jesus Christ Superstar is back in London’s West End with a revival that leans into the sound and spirit of its origins.
The Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical has returned in a new production at the London Palladium, starring Eurovision singer Sam Ryder as Jesus in his West End debut. The show features a cast of around 30 performers and a live 19-piece orchestra, with the band placed in full view of the audience.
Speaking at the production’s official opening night on Tuesday, Lloyd Webber said the revival captures what has always made the work most powerful.
The composer said Jesus Christ Superstar was first known as a hugely successful album, rather than a stage musical built through a traditional theatre development process. Because of that, he said, the piece has often been strongest when presented with the energy of a concert.
“What’s great about this production is you’ve a band in vision,” Lloyd Webber said, describing the staging as closer to “a very highly staged rock concert” than a conventional theatre show.
First released as a rock opera album in 1970, Jesus Christ Superstar was created by Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice. It opened on Broadway in 1971 before transferring to the West End in 1972, where it ran for eight years.
Told through the perspective of Judas, the musical follows the final days of Jesus’ life and includes some of Lloyd Webber and Rice’s most recognisable songs, including “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Superstar” and “Gethsemane.”
Ryder, best known internationally as the United Kingdom’s runner-up at Eurovision 2022, takes on one of musical theatre’s most demanding vocal roles. Lloyd Webber praised the singer’s performance, calling him “very possibly the best-ever vocalist we ever had as Jesus.”
The revival also brings a rotating lineup of performers to the role of King Herod. Boy George, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Matt Bomer and Richard Armitage are among those sharing the part, with actor Omid Djalili scheduled to take over from December 14 to 19.
Djalili said the limited run for each actor adds urgency to the performance. He said short stints allow the performers to attack the role with full force rather than settle into the routine of a long engagement.
The London Palladium run continues until September 5. The production will then transfer to Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where it is scheduled to play from October 16 to January 9.
