We're Not Worthy! Alice Cooper Joins NBC's 'Jesus Christ Superstar Live' as King Herod

In April, you can stay and hang around with y’us — with Alice Cooper. The rock ‘n’ roll legend and “Wayne’s World” alum is joining NBC’s Easter Sunday production of “Jesus Christ Superstar Live!” He’ll play the flamboyant King Herod in the rock opera about the final week of the Son of God’s life.

Also signing on for the live TV musical is director David Leveaux, who is a five-time Tony Award nominee.

“Alice Cooper, whose theatricality is the stuff of legend, is the perfect rock star to play Herod in our live production,” said Robert Greenblatt, chairman, NBC Entertainment. “Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice wrote a showstopping musical number for Herod and we all look forward to the ‘King of Shock Rock’ taking on the King of Judea. As the casting for ‘Superstar’ ramps up, we can feel the excitement building for this brand new concert experience of what has long been considered the original rock musical.”

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Cooper is a Rock & Roll Hall of Famer who has sold more than 50 million records over his five-decade career. He’s released 26 studio albums, with nine reaching platinum or gold status. And the “School’s Out” singer has ties to this particular play: Cooper actually recorded “King Herod’s Song” for the 2000 release of a cast album from the 1996 production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” in the U.K.

The original “Jesus Christ Superstar” album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts in 1971.

“Jesus Christ Superstar Live!” will be executive produced by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tim Rice, Marc Platt, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron. The actual companies earning those corresponding credits are Universal Television, The Really Useful Group, Marc Platt Productions and Zadan/Meron Productions.

Also Read: Netflix Picks Up Holiday Musical 'Jingle Jangle' From David E. Talbert

The live TV musical will air April 1 on NBC.

Annie's Got Company: Live TV Musicals Ranked by Ratings, From 'Little Mermaid' to 'Rent' (Photos)

NBC's "Annie Live!" debuts Thursday, marking the first new live musical production to air on broadcast TV since ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!" premiered in November 2019. It also marks NBC's return to the genre, which it hasn't ventured into since "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" on Easter Sunday of 2018, and the first of the Big 4 networks' live-TV musicals to be made during the COVID-19 era. So naturally, all eyes are on how the Taraji P. Henson- and Harry Connick Jr.-led "Annie Live!" will perform in TV ratings and viewership, as that's going to be a good indicator of what "Tomorrow" looks like for the genre. Scroll through our gallery to see how each of broadcast TV's modern-day, live musical productions rank by Nielsen numbers. Lowest-rated is first, highest-rated is last.
ABC
Rank: 10 Musical: "Rent" Date: January 27, 2019 Network: Fox 18-49 rating: 1.4 Total viewers: 3.415 million
Also Read: Ratings: Fox’s Semi-Live ‘Rent’ Is TV’s Least-Watched Live Musical
Fox
Rank: 9 Musical: "A Christmas Story: Live" Date: Dec. 17, 2017 Network: Fox 18-49 rating: 1.5 Total viewers: 4.481 million
Also Read: Ratings: ‘The Good Place’ Season 3 Finale Adds a Few Viewers From Last Week
Fox
Rank: 8 Musical: "The Passion" Date: March 20, 2016 Network: Fox 18-49 rating: 1.6 Total viewers: 6.648 million
Also Read: Ratings: ‘The Masked Singer’ Grows Against an Original ‘SEAL Team’ on CBS
Fox
Rank: 7 Musical: "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" Date: April 1, 2018 Network: NBC 18-49 rating: 1.7 Total viewers: 9.607 million
Also Read: Chrissy Teigen Smites Bill O’Reilly With Fiery Comeback After ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live’ Diss
NBC
Rank: 6 Musical: "Hairspray Live!" Date: Dec. 7, 2016 Network: NBC 18-49 rating: 2.3 Total viewers: 9.045 million
Also Read: Midseason TV 2019: Complete List of Premiere Dates for New and Returning Shows (Updating)
NBC
Rank: 5 Musical: "Peter Pan Live!" Date: Dec. 4, 2014 Network: NBC 18-49 rating: 2.4 Total viewers: 9.211 million
Also Read: 7 New Midseason TV Shows Ranked by Premiere Viewers: From ‘Masked Singer’ to ‘Schooled’ (Photos)
NBC
Rank: 4 Musical: "The Little Mermaid Live!" Date: Nov. 5, 2019 Network: ABC 18-49 rating: 2.6 Total viewers: 8.978 million
Also Read: ‘The Little Mermaid Live’ Ratings Blows Fox’s ‘Rent’ Numbers Out of the Sea
ABC
Rank: 3 Musical: "The Wiz Live!" Date: Dec. 3, 2015 Network: NBC 18-49 rating: 3.4 Total viewers: 11.498 million
Also Read: Ratings: ‘The Conners’ Season Finale Grows 15 Percent, But ‘This Is Us’ Tops Tuesday
NBC
Rank: 2 Musical: "Grease: Live" Date: Jan. 1, 2016 Network: Fox 18-49 rating: 4.3 Total viewers: 12.206 million
Also Read: Ratings: ‘Celebrity Big Brother’ Season Premiere Ranks Behind ‘AGT: Champions,’ ‘The Bachelor’
Fox
Rank: 1 Musical: "Sound of Music Live!" Date: Dec. 5, 2013 Network: NBC 18-49 rating: 4.6 Total viewers: 18.624 million
Also Read: Ratings: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’ Slips 25 Percent From NBC Debut
NBC
TheWrap will be adding the results for Thursday's production of "Annie Live!" on Friday, so stay tuned to see if the sun comes out for NBC in Nielsen returns then.
NBC

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Thursday show marks the long-awaited return of broadcast TV’s modern-day, live musical productions

NBC's "Annie Live!" debuts Thursday, marking the first new live musical production to air on broadcast TV since ABC's "The Little Mermaid Live!" premiered in November 2019. It also marks NBC's return to the genre, which it hasn't ventured into since "Jesus Christ Superstar Live!" on Easter Sunday of 2018, and the first of the Big 4 networks' live-TV musicals to be made during the COVID-19 era. So naturally, all eyes are on how the Taraji P. Henson- and Harry Connick Jr.-led "Annie Live!" will perform in TV ratings and viewership, as that's going to be a good indicator of what "Tomorrow" looks like for the genre. Scroll through our gallery to see how each of broadcast TV's modern-day, live musical productions rank by Nielsen numbers. Lowest-rated is first, highest-rated is last.

View In Gallery

Golden Globes' 10 Most Ludicrous Comedy or Musical Picks, From 'Get Out' to 'Green Book' (Photos)

Throughout its history, the Golden Globes have consistently made oddball choices when it comes to determining what films qualify under its Comedy or Musical categories. Here are 10 other instances that raise an eyebrow:
Justin Lubin/Universal
"The Three Musketeers" (1974)

There are a lot of examples of sumptuous, overly colorful period pieces and adventures that flirt with the musical tag, but the funniest thing about the 1973 "Three Musketeers," which was nominated for Best Musical or Comedy, is that Charlton Heston would play a villainous Cardinal.
Twentieth Century Fox
"Ghost" (1990)

We've gotten a lot of mileage out of parodies of that pottery scene, but just because Whoopi Goldberg is in "Ghost" doesn't make it a comedy. It was nominated in the Best Musical or Comedy category and lost to Peter Weir's "Green Card."
Paramount Pictures
"Fargo" (1996)

It isn't easy to pin down one genre for any Coen Brothers movie, especially "Fargo." But the real joke is that "Fargo" ended up losing to "Evita."
Gramercy Pictures
"Vicky Christina Barcelona" (2008)

The Globes would eventually figure out with "Blue Valentine" that there are some times when Woody Allen just prefers to not be funny, so why not this time? It did manage to win in the Musical or Comedy category however.
MGM
"The Tourist" (2010)

How can we invite Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp to the awards ceremony? Let's nominate this romantic action caper with a 20 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes and stick it in the Musical or Comedy category!
Columbia Pictures
"RED" (2010)

Yeah, it's an action movie, but we'd find some way to invite Helen Mirren to the awards ceremony if we could too.
Summit Entertainment
"My Week With Marilyn" (2011)

Maybe someone will make a movie worthy of a Golden Globe that celebrates Marilyn Monroe's musical and comedic achievements. But this drama about Monroe's romantic fling in London wasn't it. The Michelle Williams film lost to "The Artist" that year.
The Weinstein Company
"The Martian" (2015)

"In your face, Neil Armstrong!" That line of dialogue is just about all it takes to be considered a comedy it seems. And it won!
Twentieth Century Fox
"Get Out" (2017)

Jordan Peele's "Get Out" is funny in that queasy, racially tense and awkward way -- but make no mistake, it's a horror movie. But it was nominated in the Best Musical or Comedy category and lost to "Lady Bird."
Universal Pictures
"Green Book" (2018)

While some jokes are cracked about how much the lead character eats, the story of a white bouncer hired to drive a closeted Black pianist through the racist South is more of a light-hearted drama than anything else.
Courtesy of TIFF

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The categories for ”My Week With Marilyn“ and ”The Tourist“ also had moviegoers scratching their heads

Throughout its history, the Golden Globes have consistently made oddball choices when it comes to determining what films qualify under its Comedy or Musical categories. Here are 10 other instances that raise an eyebrow:

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We’re Not Worthy! Alice Cooper Joins NBC’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live’ as King Herod

Annie's Got Company: Live TV Musicals Ranked by Ratings, From 'Little Mermaid' to 'Rent' (Photos)

Golden Globes' 10 Most Ludicrous Comedy or Musical Picks, From 'Get Out' to 'Green Book' (Photos)

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Annie's Got Company: Live TV Musicals Ranked by Ratings, From 'Little Mermaid' to 'Rent' (Photos)

Golden Globes' 10 Most Ludicrous Comedy or Musical Picks, From 'Get Out' to 'Green Book' (Photos)

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