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John Legend is on the brink of tackle the function of a lifetime. This Easter Sunday, the singer is set to play Jesus in NBC’s manufacturing of Jesus Christ Superstar Live alongside Sara Bareilles (Mary Magdalene), Alice Cooper (King Herod), and Hamilton star Brandon Victor Dixon (Judas). While he actually has the pipes (and “superstar” high quality) for the function, he is not taking over the duty calmly. Even although he is presently busy touring and on the brink of welcome a second child with wife Chrissy Teigen, he is been placing his coronary heart and soul into the undertaking.
“I’ve had to make everything else my side project, honestly, because I’ve been here every day for six to eight hours, and we’ve been focused on it,” Legend instructed Primetweets. “It’s been an immersion into the material, just learning all the lyrics and musical cues. And then just starting to inhabit the character and let it become a part of me. It’s been fun, but it’s taken over my brain. So, even when I’m at home, I’m humming the songs and rehearsing my lines in my head.”
Of course, a part of the rationale he is been diving so deep into the fabric is as a result of he needs to stay as much as followers’ expectations. “It’s an iconic show,” he stated concerning the 1970 rock musical. “It’s meant a lot to a lot of people for a long time, and you want people that are fans of it to be excited by our rendition. Then, we want to attract new people to the show, too, that may have never seen it.”
“There’s pressure, but it’s a good pressure.”
Not to say, taking over the function of Jesus Christ is a large duty in and of itself. “I grew up learning about him,” Legend added. “I grew up in a Christian home with ministers all through my family, so I’ve been hearing about Jesus my whole life, and the chance to portray him, I couldn’t turn it down. It’s huge, it’s iconic, it’s special, and I felt like it was a challenge that I was ready to take on. There’s pressure, but it’s a good pressure.”
As if starring in the undertaking wasn’t sufficient, Legend can also be a producer. However, this is not his first time working behind the scenes of a huge musical manufacturing. Last 12 months, he received a Tony for coproducing the revival of August Wilson’s play Jitney. In truth, NBC’s stay manufacturing of Jesus Christ Superstar may set him up for an Emmy, thus completing his EGOT. While he is actually conscious of the gap in his EGOT, he is not placing an excessive amount of concentrate on it both.
“I have no presumptions about that,” he stated about chance of profitable an Emmy. “I’d be considered an award-winning actor in my second role as an actor.” He beforehand performed Ryan Gosling’s onscreen bandmate Keith in the Oscar-winning movie La La Land. “My only job as a performer in this show is to do the best work I can possibly do.” We have full religion that he’ll.
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