Passover and Easter are upon us, and while you might not exactly see any bunnies wearing latex jumpers, and surely none of your relatives will be sitting at Seder in a corset, there are still costume considerations to be made for the holidays. This Sunday, Easter Sunday in fact, NBC is airing a one-night Broadway performance of “Jesus Christ Superstar Live!” and the talent as well as the couture of this show is sure to prove startling.
Starring John Legend in the title role, Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene and rock legend Alice Cooper as King Herod, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice 1970 rock opera is being updated particularly by Paul Tazewell’s costume designs. This is the man who won a Tony for Hamilton just recently.
From disco influences to Vietnam War tropes seen in the clothes of the 1973 film version of the show, every production of this musical telling of Jesus’s last days has attempted to marry biblical couture with modern dress. Although Tazewell did attempt a glitzier JCS six years ago, this time he is mining darker threads and even gothic styles. Costumes for Sunday’s show/event are made of worn leather, distressed denim and uneven hems. Japanese fashion influence the hooded cloaks that the priests in the show wear and Japanese Hakama pants are also used.
Unfortunately will be no latex kimonos present in Sunday’s production.
No stranger to alternative performance wardrobe, Alice Cooper, the main rocker in the cast, sports a yellow three-piece suit for his turn as King Herod. This suit might just boast the most modern use of technology as it was digitally-printed, showcasing a host of startling imagery in its textile art. As always, Cooper will shock viewers for sure.
“Jesus Christ Superstar Live!” will be performed and broadcast from the Marcy Armory in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 8pm, April 1st. And no matter what you do (or do not celebrate), all the best for this upcoming weekend from us here at Dawnamatrix.
