Alice Cooper, a seminal figure in rock ‘n’ roll whose compelling stage presence has made him a must see for five decades, has been cast as the flamboyant King Herod in NBC’s staged rock concert of Jesus Christ Superstar Live!, to be aired Easter Sunday, April 1st.
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 U.K. and on Broadway, including the 2003 revival of “Nine,” starring Antonio Banderas, and 2008’s revival of “Cyrano de Bergerac,” starring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner.
“Alice Cooper, whose theatricality is the stuff of legend, is the perfect rock star to play Herod in our live production,” said Robert Greenblatt, Chairman, NBC Entertainment. “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.”
A Rock & Roll Hall of Famer who has sold more than 50 million records, Cooper has released 26 studio albums over his career, with nine reaching platinum or gold status. Two of his most popular albums, “Billion Dollar Babies” (1973) and “School’s Out” (1972), reached #1 and #2, respectively, on the Billboard Albums chart.
As an actor, Cooper 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.”
Jesus Christ Superstar Live! will be produced by Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions and Zadan/Meron Productions.
