A new edition of the famous seventies rock opera ‘==Jesus Christ Superstar==’ is going on tour in North America.
Its star-studded cast includes Ben Forster, the winner of the British prime-time show ‘Superstar’. He plays the son of God.
Also in the cast is Michelle Williams of Destiny’s Child as Mary Magdalene, and punk legend John Lydon, also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, as King Herod.
Andrew Lloyd Webber co-wrote the musical with Tim Rice when he was just 21. It started as a concept album and then became a US arena tour before conquering Broadway in 1971.
“I think what we did – what Andrew did particularly – was to mix rock and theatre for the first time with a huge orchestra and the forces of rock. And tell a story,” said veteran lyricist Tim Rice.
With more than 50 dates, the tour kicks off in New Orleans in June, with stops in Toronto, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City, before ending in Philadelphia in August.
Radcliffe back on Broadway as the ‘Cripple’
Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe is back on Broadway as the ‘Cripple’ Billy Claven in the dark comedy ‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’.
When a film crew turns up to shoot a documentary in his village in Ireland, young Billy vies for a part and gets it, to everyone’s surprise.
The play is coming to Broadway following its sold out run last summer in London’s West End.
Radcliffe’s last stint on Broadway was in ‘How to Succeed (in Business Without Really Trying)’.
“I still would say that ‘How to Succeed (in Business Without Really Trying)’ beats this, certainly on the exertion front and the stamina you need to do that show. I still maintain that musical theatre is still the hardest job any actor can do if they really want to work hard,” said Radcliffe.
‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’ opens on Broadway on April 20.
ABBA celebrates 40 years since Waterloo
Swedish band ABBA have marked 40 years since their international breakthrough hit ‘Waterloo’ with a massive party at London’s Tate Modern gallery.
It coincided with the launch of a new book of previously unpublished photos of the iconic band.
“They have actually been researching and found photos we had no clue existed. So then they put this beautiful book together and I really like it a lot. And it comes from us, we’ve been quite involved in the whole process,” said band member Frida Lyngstad.
One of the most commercially successful acts in the history of pop music, Abba topped global charts from 1975 to 1982 selling more than 380 million albums.