Marcus Nance News

Following celebrated runs at the Toronto Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego, and on Broadway at the Neil Simon Theatre, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR takes its final Broadway bow tonight, July 1. Upon closing, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 preview performances. One of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most famous shows, the Stratford production undeniably had a great run and introduced some exciting new stars to the Great White Way, including Tony nominee Josh Young, Jesus himself Paul Nolan, and Chilina Kennedy. Below, BroadwayWorld revisits the journey of SUPERSTAR!

As BroadwayWorld reported last week the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. Now according to the show's official website, the production will indeed take its final bow on July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

Hottest Articles on BroadwayWorld.com from this weekend Sunday, June 24, 2012 - Sunday, June 24, 2012.

"Marcus Nance and Friends" is an elegant evening of jazz, cabaret, theatre and opera of the finest kind. As a fan of both the classy era of Johnny Hartman and Sarah Vaughan and the impressive showmanship of the opera and theatre worlds, Marcus Nance celebrates these traditions together in this regular series of cabarets featuring New York's finest singers and musicians.

The producers of the Broadway production of JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR have announced that unless business improves, the musical will close at the Neil Simon Theatre on Sunday, July 1. As of that date, the show will have played 116 regular performances and 24 previews.

Fans have rallied in an effort to show their support for a JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR cast recording. An online petition was launched earlier this week with the tagline 'We want a JCS 2012 Broadway Cast Recording!'

The 60th Season of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival opened last night with Much Ado About Nothing, but there was definitely something special happening in this gorgeous town. BWW was on hand for all the festivities, and we are thrilled to bring our readers photos from opening night.

My first dose of musical theater was through my uncle's old screechy phonograph recording of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's hippie, loud, angst-laden rock musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" (JCS). The classic stage hit, which was originally a concept album before evolving into a full-blown Broadway musical that follows the passion and death of Jesus Christ as seen through the eyes of Judas Iscariot, had completed its three-year run on Broadway (1971-1973), and its first commercial movie release (1973) by the time I got to experience JCS's electrifying, personally-impactful songs in the '80s though. So when the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Toronto, Canada announced late last year that its critically-acclaimed, deemed revolutionary production of JCS, directed by Tony winner Des McAnuff, was coming to Broadway, I was delighted to hear the news; and more so when I learned that three Filipino-Canadian musical theater artists - brothers Julius and Jason Sermonia, and Laurin Padolina - are part of the show.

Josh Young and the cast of the Tony nominated Broadway musical JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR performed 'Superstar' on ABC's THE VIEW today. Check out the electric performance below!

The cast of the Tony®-Nominated Broadway revival JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will perform on 'The View' today, May 24th at 11:00 am ET/PT on ABC.

BroadwayWorld has confirmed that on May 25, Leo Ash Evens will replace Jonathan Winsby as Phillip in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, due to an injury. Evens will remain with the production through July 1.

The cast of the Tony®-Nominated Broadway revival JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR will perform on 'The View' on Thursday, May 24th at 11:00 am ET/PT on ABC.

Nance will be debuting at the Metropolitan Room in Marcus Nance and Friends where he will showcase the talents of Canadian Broadway stars Jeremy Kushnier and Bruce Dow, Canadian Idol winner Melissa O'Neil and American cabaret artist Tanya Holt. On piano will be the musical director of Broadway?s Jesus Christ Superstar Rick Fox and distinguished professor of music at NYU Grant Wenaus. The performance will also welcome bassist Jonas Tauber.

Josh Young, who is starring as 'Judas' in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR after originating the role in both the Startford and La Jolla productions of the show, returned to the production on Friday evening, April 13th after successfully battling laryngitis. Audience members there for his return tell us that Young returned to the show feeling healthy and sounding great.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR just opened on March 22, 2012 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street). Earlier today, Paul Nolan performed 'God Bless America' at the Yankees home opener during the seventh-inning stretch. Click here to watch his performance!

Nance will be debuting at the Metropolitan Room in Marcus Nance and Friends where he will showcase the talents of Canadian Broadway stars Jeremy Kushnier and Bruce Dow, Canadian Idol winner Melissa O?Neil and American cabaret artist Tanya Holt. On piano will be the musical director of Broadway?s Jesus Christ Superstar Rick Fox and distinguished professor of music at NYU Grant Wenaus. The performance will also welcome bassist Jonas Tauber.

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, directed by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Artistic Director and 2-time Tony Award winner Des McAnuff, JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR just opened on March 22, 2012 at the Neil Simon Theatre (250 West 52nd Street). In the video below, Chilina Kennedy, who plays Mary in the show, chats with NBC New York about making her Broadway debut in the show. Click below to hear what she had to say!

Josh Young, who is starring as 'Judas' in Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR after originating the role in both the Startford and La Jolla productions of the show, will be sidelined from the production again, this time for an undetermined period of time, as a bacteria infection which has caused him to miss several performances has worsened into laryngitis. Young, who has received rave reviews across the board for his performance, missed his first shows during previews just prior to opening night on March, 22. While he was back for the opening, he has been in and out of the show since March 29. His role has been played by Jeremy Kushnier and Nick Cartell in his absence.

Broadway's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR's composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice will be featured on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" tomorrow, Thursday, April 5.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR just opened on Broadway on Thursday, March 22. Check out a new montage with scenes and music from the show below!