Sara Bareilles zal de rol van Maria op zich gaan nemen in Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! van NBC. Recent kondigde de zender nog aan dat John Legend de rol van Jezus zal gaan vertolken en eerder was al aangekondigd dat rockzanger en muzikant Alice Cooper te zien zal zijn als King Herod.
"To say I'm excited about this performance is the understatement of the century. This score and this musical have been a part of me 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!" aldus Sara Bareilles over haar rol als Maria Magdalena.
"It's an absolute thrill to have a Tony-nominated composer as our Mary Magdalene. Not only is Sara Bareilles a brilliant songwriter and lyricist, she commanded the Broadway stage in her show 'Waitress.' Being able to write a successful musical isn't easy. Being able to write AND star in the leading role in that musical, on Broadway, twice, is something very few people can say they have on their CV. Couple that with her emotionally charged live Oscar and Grammy performances and America can rest easy knowing that Bareilles is going to nail it when we go live April 1." aldus Tim Rice.
Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert zal op Eerste Paasdag (1 april) live worden opgevoerd in Williamsburg, een wijk in het noorden van Brooklyn.