FLASH GIVEAWAY: WIN a Pair (2) of Tickets to Lyric Opera of Chicago's Acclaimed Jesus Christ Super Star!

Enter through midnight TONIGHT! One of ChiIL Mama's lucky winners is going to see this stunningly epic production for FREE. 

Tickets range from $35-$219. Fill out the entry form at the bottom of this post and check back tomorrow to see if you've won!

Photo by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

Grand-scale North American premiere of the

Olivier Award-winning London production of

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

Now playing at Lyric through May 20 

 All production photos by Todd Rosenberg

REVIEW:

Lyric's decadently dark Jesus Christ Superstar is nothing short of epic, with over 80 artists on stage and 90 pound of gold confetti at every show. 

This production is a spectacle you have to see and hear to believe, and pure Broadway gold. It was my great pleasure to catch opening night and the audience was enthralled, singing along and on their feet even before the rousing standing ovation. This is a superb choice for a family theatre outing, with multigenerational appeal.

Photos by D'Arcy Mies

I particularly liked the incorporation of live instruments on stage. Jesus, Peter and Pilate all play guitar, in addition to the 37 musicians! 

The scope and magnitude of this production boggles the mind. There are 150 costumes, 112 pairs of sneakers, King Herod's 28 foot long gold cape, 

56 mics, 101 lights illuminating the 37 foot cross and 7 full sized trees. The visual is stunning of Judas' silver stained hands, when he sold out his master and friend for money and betrayed him with a kiss. 

The women are wonderful.

Jesus' lashes with a whip, complete with sound effects and explosions of gold, was a hauntingly dramatic point as well.

The choreography is a joy to see and the entire cast is a visual and auditory feast. 

Lyric Opera Chicago has a world class reputation and here at ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows we've particularly enjoyed their annual Broadway at Lyric crossover productions for years. The popularity of these adaptations of musicals extends well beyond the usual opera buffs, and with Jesus Christ Super Star, they have outdone themselves. Highly recommended. 

The North American premiere of Timothy Sheader’s explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar opens at Lyric tonight, April 27, with performances through May 20 (press opening April 28). Lyric is the only place to experience the grand scale of this acclaimed production in its first staging outside London.

The Lyric production features Heath Saunders (Jesus), Ryan Shaw (Judas), Jo Lampert (Mary Magdalene), Michael Cunio (Pilate), Mykal Kilgore (Simon Zealotes), Shaun Fleming (Herod), Joseph Anthony Byrd (Annas), Cavin Cornwall (Caiaphas) and Andrew Mueller (Peter), with a total of 48 cast members and 37 musicians, including members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The London performances comprised 11 musicians and 27 cast members.

Single tickets for Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, start at $35 and are on sale now at jcsuperstar.org, in person at the Lyric box office, or by calling 312-827-5600. To guarantee a front-row rock-concert experience, Lyric is also offering exclusive, $99 stage-front seating over the orchestra pit – the closest possible position to the stage – for the first time in the company's history of presenting Broadway musicals.

Three-time Olivier Award winner Timothy Sheader directs the North American premiere of his acclaimed 2016 production from Regent’s Park Open-Air Theatre. Sheader is joined in Chicago by the original creative team, including conductor Tom Deering, Olivier Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie, Tony Award-nominated set & costume designer Tom Scutt, and Olivier Award-nominated lighting designer Lee Curran.

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this global blockbuster tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. As Christ’s followers grow more fervent, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal. Filled with an exciting mix of musical styles that draw upon 1970s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, this contemporary imagining of the biblical tale features high-energy dance and powerful visual storytelling.

Lyric’s premiere of Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar generously made possible by Lead Sponsor The Negaunee Foundation and cosponsors an Anonymous Donor and Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Reyes. Major in-kind audio support provided by Shure Incorporated. Production by The Regent’s Park Theatre London.

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Tim Rice. In Association with The Really Useful Group Limited. Production by The Regent's Park Theatre London. 

Photo by Bonnie Kenaz-Mara

About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Sir Andrew Davis, and Creative Consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become the great North American opera company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.

 All production photos by Todd Rosenberg

Short and sweet. ENTER HERE for your chance to WIN. Tickets range from $35-$219.

ENTER HERE 

Enter through midnight 5/16/18. Tickets are good for winner's choice of this weekend's matinee performances of Jesus Christ Super Star at Chicago's Lyric Opera. Winner will be e-mailed by Thursday noon and posted here on our site and via ChiIL Mama and ChiIL Live Shows' social media outlets. Good luck!

MAY 19, 2018 1:30 PM

MAY 20, 2018 1:30 PM

For more information check out: http://jcsuperstar.org You can also join the conversation with @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #LyricJCS  #Lyric1718 #LongLivePassion

http://jcsuperstar.org  #LyricJCS  #Lyric1718 #LongLivePassion

FIRST LOOK: Lyric Opera's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Opens April 27th

Chi IL Live Shows On Our Radar:

FIRST LOOK: Ryan Shaw as Judas, Heath Saunders as Jesus

and Jo Lampert as Mary Magdalene in the

North American premiere of the Olivier Award-winning

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

April 27 – May 20, 2018 at Lyric

**The Chicago production will feature members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus and include a total of 37 musicians and 48 cast members; the London performances comprised 11 musicians and 27 cast members.**

Here at ChiIL Live Shows and ChiIL Mama, we're excited to catch Lyric Opera's latest Broadway at Lyric production, Jesus Christ Superstar. There's been a huge resurgence in interest in this rock opera after the Easter airing of Jesus Christ Superstar on NBC. We're eager to see Lyric's take live, and will be out for the press opening to review on April 28th.



The North American premiere of Timothy Sheader’s explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar opens this month at Lyric and includes artists Heath Saunders as Jesus, Ryan Shaw as Judas, and Jo Lampert as Mary Magdalene. Lyric is the only place to experience the grand scale of this acclaimed production in its first staging outside London.

Jesus Christ Superstar runs April 27 to May 20, 2018 at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago (press opening April 28). Single tickets start at $35 and are on sale now at jcsuperstar.org, in person at the Lyric Opera House box office, or by calling 312-827-5600. To guarantee a front-row rock concert experience, Lyric is also offering exclusive, $99 stage-front seating over the orchestra pit—the closest possible position to the stage—for the first time in the company's history of presenting Broadway musicals.



Three-time Olivier Award winner Timothy Sheader directs the North American premiere of his acclaimed 2016 production from Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. Sheader will be joined in Chicago by the original creative team, including conductor Tom Deering, Olivier Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie, Tony Award-nominated set & costume designer Tom Scutt, and Olivier Award-nominated lighting designer Lee Curran. 

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this global blockbuster tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. As Christ’s followers grow more fervent, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal. Filled with an exciting mix of musical styles that draw upon 1970s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, this contemporary imagining of the biblical tale features high-energy dance and powerful storytelling.



ARTIST BIOS


HEATH SAUNDERS (Jesus) debuted on Broadway in 2016 in the much-acclaimed musical Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. Previously he was seen in the show in its American Repertory Theatre production. He has appeared Off-Broadway in Newton's Cradle (New York Musical Theatre Festival), for which he also wrote the music and lyrics. Other New York appearances include Lennon (Union Square Theatre), I Am Harvey Milk (Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center), and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (New York City Center Encores). Regionally Saunders has been seen in Twelfth Night (Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington, D.C.). The 12 (Denver Center), Rent (Seattle's 5th Avenue Theatre), and James and the Giant Peach (Seattle Children's Theatre).


RYAN SHAW (Judas) is an Atlanta native who made his New York debut in Tyler Perry’s play I Know I’ve Been Changed. Shaw subsequently established himself doing Motown covers, joining the group Fabulous Soul Shakers and later opening for Van Halen’s 2007/08 North American tour.  His first album, This is Ryan Shaw, earned him a 2008 Grammy nomination for “I Am Your Man.” Shaw again received Grammy nominations in 2011 (for “In Between”) and 2014 (for “Yesterday” on his latest CD, Real Love).  He had the honor of playing Stevie Wonder in the original Broadway cast of Motown the Musical. During 2016, he lived in London performing in one of the city’s longest-running shows, Thriller Live, which honored one of Shaw’s all-time favorite artists, Michael Jackson.


JO LAMPERT (Mary Magdalene) has been seen Off-Broadway in Hundred Days (New York Theatre Workshop), Joan of Arc: Into the Fire (Public Theater -- Lucille Lortel Award nomination), you’ll still call me by name (New York Live Arts), Rimbaud in NY (Brooklyn Academy of Music), New York Animals (New Ohio), Iphigenia in Aulis (Classic Stage Company), Dance, Dance Revolution (Ohio Theater). Selected regional: Marie Antoinette (American Repertory Theatre/Yale REP), Prometheus Bound (A.R.T.), and The Last Goodbye (Williamstown Theater Festival). Lampert’s film and television credits include The Path and Orange is the New Black. She was seen in Japan in Elizabeth Swados’s The La Mama Cantata and on a world tour of Nikki Nack with tUnE-yArDs.

Lyric’s premiere of Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar generously made possible by Lead Sponsor The Negaunee Foundation and cosponsors an Anonymous Donor and Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Reyes. Major in-kind audio support provided by Shure Incorporated. Production by The Regent’s Park Theatre London.

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Lyrics by Tim Rice. In Association with The Really Useful Group Limited. Production by The Regent's Park Theatre London. 


About Lyric
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Sir Andrew Davis, and Creative Consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become the great North American opera company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.

To learn more about Jesus Christ Superstar, go to jcsuperstar.org or visit lyricopera.org. You can also join the conversation with @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. #LyricJCS  #Lyric1718 #LongLivePassion

OPENING: Lyric Opera of Chicago Presents 300 Costume Extravaganza of My Fair Lady 4/28-5/21

Chi, IL LIVE Shows On Our Radar:

Lyric Opera’s grand-scale company premiere of

Lerner and Lowe’s My Fair Lady

starring Richard E. Grant and Lisa O’Hare

opens tonight, April 28

with performances through May 21

Photo Credit: Todd Rosenberg

Saturday, ChiIL Mama will be ChiILin' in Chi, IL, at Lyric Opera of Chicago, for the press opening of the American premiere of a new production of Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, starring Richard E. Grant and Lisa O’Hare as Henry Higgins and Eliza Doolittle. We can't wait! Lyric Opera is renowned for world class productions and their annual crowd pleasing Broadway at Lyric series is always a hit.

The production runs April 28 through May 21 (press opening April 29) at Lyric’s Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets start at $22 and are available now at www.lyricopera.org/myfairlady or at 312-827-5600.

Principal casting for My Fair Lady also includes Bryce Pinkham (Freddy Eynsford-Hill), Nicholas Le Prevost (Colonel Pickering) and Donald Maxwell (Alfred Doolittle). All make their Lyric debuts with My Fair Lady.

My Fair Lady is the fifth title in the Broadway at Lyric series. The larger-than-life production is presented on a grand scale fit for the Civic Opera House, with 56 cast members, 37 orchestra musicians and nearly 300 costumes!

David Chase  conducts and Olivier Fredj directs the American premiere of Robert Carsen’s critically acclaimed production from Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris with an all-new cast. The creative team also includes choreographer Lynne Page, scenic designer Tim Hatley and costume designer Anthony Powell.  

About Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lyric Opera of Chicago’s mission is to express and promote the life-changing, transformational, revelatory power of great opera. Lyric exists to provide a broad, deep, and relevant cultural service to Chicago and the nation, and to advance the development of the art form.

Founded in 1954, Lyric is dedicated to producing and performing consistently thrilling, entertaining, and thought-provoking opera with a balanced repertoire of core classics, lesser-known masterpieces, and new works; to creating an innovative and wide-ranging program of community engagement and educational activities; and to developing exceptional emerging operatic talent.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Sir Andrew Davis, and Creative Consultant Renée Fleming, Lyric strives to become The Great North American Opera Company for the 21st century: a globally significant arts organization embodying the core values of excellence, relevance, and fiscal responsibility.

To learn more about Lyric, go to lyricopera.org. You can also join the conversation with @LyricOpera on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Lyric Opera premiere of Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady generously made possible by The Negaunee Foundation, an Anonymous Donor, Mrs. Herbert A. Vance and Mr. and Mrs. William C. Vance, The Jacob and Rosaline Cohn Foundation, Robert S. and Susan E. Morrison, Mr. and Mrs. J. Christopher Reyes, Liz Stiffel, and Northern Trust. Production created by the Théâtre du Châtelet Paris, on December 9, 2010, in coproduction with the State Academic Mariinsky Theater.