Heath Saunders, Ryan Shaw, Jo Lampert among ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Lyric cast

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is poised to rock the Lyric Opera stage in April with an eclectic cast of artists announced Thursday.

Starring in the Lyric Opera’s “Broadway at the Lyric” production of the 1971 iconic musical, which depicts the final weeks in Jesus’ life set to a rock and roll score by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, will be Broadway veteran/Chicagoan Heath Saunders as Jesus; Grammy Award nominee and former “America’s Got Talent” contestant Ryan Shaw as Judas; tUnE-yArDs vocalist Jo Lampert as Mary Magdalene; and Shaun Fleming (Diane Coffee) as Herod.

Rounding out the cast will be Michael Cunio as Pilate, Mykal Kilgore as Simon Zealotes, Cavin Cornwall as Caiaphas, Andrew Mueller as Peter and Joseph Anthony Byrd (currently starring at the Emcee in “Cabaret” at the Paramount Theatre in Aurora) as Annas.

The production, also featuring the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus, will be directed by Timothy Sheader, with music direction by Tom Deering, choreography by Drew McOnie, sets and costumes by Tom Scutt and lighting by Lee Curran.

Single tickets for the show, which runs April 27-May 20, are currently on sale at jcsuperstar.org and the Lyric box office (20 N. Wacker). Also announced is orchestra pit seating, currently available for students only through Lyric’s NEXT discount ticket program (to be made available to the general public at a later date).