Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert Headliner John Legend Reveals His Broadway Aspirations & More

As 10-time Grammy winner John Legend preps to spend Easter Sunday as the title character in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, we asked the R&B chart-topper if the project has him craving the Broadway spotlight.

Why are you excited for this concert?
I mean, I'm playing Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar! What could be more exciting? It's such a great show and such an iconic character to play, and I'm excited to be part of it. I’m glad they asked me to do it.

How is this stretching you as a performer?
It is a stretch, I think. I'm used to performing my own songs in my own style, so doing something like this is definitely a challenge for me vocally and musically. But it's a challenge that I was excited to take on, and I feel like we're going to be able to nail it.

Tell me about working with your co-stars Brandon Victor Dixon and Sara Bareilles.
Oh, it's so incredible! I work with Brandon a lot because he's Judas and a lot of the show is about the tension between the two of us. He's such an incredible vocalist and actor and performer. Sara Bareilles is such a gifted performer and singer. She's been on Broadway doing Waitress for quite a while now, and she's just got a magical voice. I'm excited to be singing with her, too.

Would you like to come to Broadway as a performer?
I would. I think if the right situation came along, I’d do it. I'd want to write it myself, actually—like Sara did. We'll see.

Is there a specific song you're especially looking forward to performing in Jesus Christ Superstar?
“Gethsemane” is the pièce de résistance. It's the most powerful song that Jesus sings in the show, and it’s also challenging because it's such a dynamic vocal range and such an emotionally taxing song. So, I'm really excited to do it, but I also see it as my formidable Mount Everest. [laughs.] I'm excited to tackle it.

How will this Easter compare to what you normally do on the holiday?
We're normally just cooking and eating, so, this will be very different than that.