Jesus Christ Superstar Eyes Broadway Closing Date

The Tony-nominated Broadway revival of Jesus Christ Superstar may play its final performance on July 1 should business not improve in the coming week. As of that date, the show will have played 24 preview and 116 regular performances at the Neil Simon Theatre. 

Jesus Christ Superstar is based very loosely on the Gospel's account of the last week of Jesus' life. The show began life as a record-breaking album before it landed on Broadway in 1971. This production first played the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, before transferring to San Diego's La Jolla Playhouse ahead of its arrival on Broadway. The show’s famous songs include “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” “Heaven on Their Minds,” “What’s the Buzz” and "Everything's Alright."

The Broadway cast features Paul Nolan, Josh Young and Chilina Kennedy reprising their roles as Jesus Christ, Judas Iscariot and Mary Magdalene, respectively. Tom Hewitt takes on the role of Pontius Pilate, with Bruce Dow as King Herod, Marcus Nance as Caiaphas and Aaron Walpole as Annas. In addition to receiving a Tony nomination for Best Revival of a Musical, Young also earned a nod for Best Featured Actor.