Pictured: Heath Saunders

Lyric Opera of Chicago has announced the design team and partial cast for their upcoming production of Andrew Llyod Webber’s JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

Directed by Timothy Sheader, the production features Broadway artist Heath Saunders (Jesus); three-time Grammy Award-nominated soul singer Ryan Shaw (Judas); tUnE-yArDs tour vocalist Jo Lampert (Mary Magdalene); Broadway and Postmodern Jukebox crooners Michael Cunio (Pilate) and Mykal Kilgore (Simon Zealotes); Diane Coffee frontman Shaun Fleming (Herod); Chicago-based Broadway artist Joseph Anthony Byrd (Annas); West End artist Cavin Cornwall (Caiaphas), and Chicago-based artist Andrew Mueller (Peter). The ensemble will be made up of Lyric Opera Chorus members yet to be announced.

The design team includes Music Director Tom Deering,  Choreographer Drew McOnie, Set & Costume designer Tom Scutt, and Lighting Designer Lee Curran.

From the press release: “Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this global blockbuster tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. As Christ’s followers grow more fervent, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal. Filled with an exciting mix of musical styles that draw upon 1970s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, this contemporary imagining of the biblical tale features high-energy dance and powerful storytelling.”

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR runs April 27th – May 20th. For more information visit jcsuperstar.org.