Jesus Christ Superstar to tour Australia

The Really Useful Group and Frontier Touring proudly announce that the new arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar will tour Australia in 2013. The production will begin its tour of the continent in Perth on 31 May.

The Australian tour will feature Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Ben Forster in the role of ‘Jesus’. Also starring in the Australian production will be Jon Stevens returning to Jesus Christ Superstar in the role of ‘Pontius Pilate’ and Andrew O’Keefe in the role of ‘King Herod’. Stevens played Judas in the 1992 Australian arena tour and the 1994 theatre production, as well as having been the frontman for INXS from 2000 – 2004 and the lead singer of Noiseworks. O’Keefe is a popular TV presenter in Australia, on screens across the country seven days a week hosting the popular shows Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise.

It has been over 20 years since Jesus Christ Superstar last toured Australia: In 1992 a production which starring Jon Stevens as Judas and John Farnham as Jesus, toured Australian arenas to phenomenal success, running for 84 nights and attended by a still record 987,000 people, grossing over $40 million at the box office. The soundtrack went on to sell 4 x Platinum.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I’m thrilled that Australia is to be the first leg for our international tour of the new Jesus Christ Superstar. We had an overwhelming reception when the show toured the country for an astounding 84 dates in 1992. I hope this new production, which has been totally re-conceived for the 21st century, will entertain a new generation of Australians as well as those who already love the show.”

The production will then return for an encore season across UK arenas starting 1 October in Glasgow’s new Hydro Arena. The original UK cast will return for the 2013 run, including Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster, in the title role of ‘Jesus’.

The inaugural run in September 2012 was seen by over 150,000 people, breaking previous audience records, with 74,000 fans seeing the show on its opening weekend.

Tickets for the UK tour priced £30-65 available HERE »

The Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour is a co-production between AEG Live, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group. ‘Superstar’ was an ITV Studios Production for ITV1.