Johnny Rotten joins Incubus, Destiny's Child and 'NSync members in cast of 'Jesus Christ Superstar'

by Mark Teo

April 4, 2014

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No, that headline isn’t a joke. It also isn’t an April Fool’s joke.

As musicals go, Andrew Lloyd Weber touched on plenty of rock tropes—heck, Phantom of the Opera clearly inspired Tragedy’s Vengeance—but few of his works were as pop-culture obsessed as Jesus Christ Superstar. Billed as a rock opera, the musical brought the Son of God’s story to life using over-the-top theatrics, electric guitars, and keyboards—and this summer, when it tours the U.S., it’ll also receive a high-profile cast.

We use the term “high-profile” loosely, of course—this news would’ve been massive in 1998. According to AP, Destiny’s Child’s Michelle Williams will play Mary Magdalene, the Rachel to Christ’s Ross. ‘NSync’s JC Chasez will play Pilate, the Roman guvna who sentenced our boy to death by crucifixion. And in case you were wondering what Incubus were up to—we know, you weren’t—Brandon Boyd plays Judas, the disciple who ultimately betrays Jesus. Ben Forster, winner of U.K. reality TV show Superstar,  will play the water-walking, wine-making Lamb of God.

Here’s the announcement for the 50-date tour, which begins in June. The first of four Canadian dates hits Toronto on June 26th, if you’re interested.

Sacrilegious? Maybe. Hilarious? Definitely. Our favourite casting decision, however, has goes to legendary Sex Pistols singer John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten. He plays King Herod, a Biblical Christ-opposer who, among his many murders, once ordered a mass murder of all boys of the age of two and under in Jesus’ hometown of Bethlehem.

Fitting, considering that in “Anarchy in the U.K.,” he sings that “I am an anti-Christ.” Did dude call it, or what?

Tags: Music, News, WTF, Destiny's Child, Incubus, johnny rotten, Sex Pistols

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