Jesus Christ Superstar – UK Arena Tour

A round-up of reviews of Jesus Christ Superstar - UK Arena Tour. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Chris Moyles as Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar[/caption] A major new arena production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock musical Jesus Christ Superstar has hit the UK, and reviews are now in. The show divides critical opinion quite starkly, with a number of critics loving the spectacle and show's modern-day setting against the backdrop of the Occupy London protesters, but others finding the volume and the scale of the show working against the material. Most critics praise the performances. Celebrating 40 years since the show first opened in London’s West End, the show's lead role of Jesus has been cast from recent ITV talent show Superstar - with Ben Forster crowned the winner. He is joined by comedian and writer Tim Minchin as Judas, former Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and former Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles as King Herod. The show is touring the UK including the O2 Arena in London, Glasgow SECC, Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Manchester Arena, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Birmingham National Indoor Arena, Liverpool Echo Arena, Nottingham Capital FM Arena and the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena. See reviews below including from The Guardian, Telegraph and Independent. Viewing this on a tablet or phone? Click here. LINKS Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar UK Arena Tour ITV Superstar microsite

Rehearsal photos of Andrew Lloyd Webber's new UK arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar First Look! Melanie C as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Melanie C as Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar[/caption] This month sees the start of a major UK tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar. Kicking off on 21 September 2012 at The O2 in London, the show will then tour the UK including Glasgow, Newcastle, Cardiff, Birmingham, Manchester, Belfast, Dublin, Liverpool, Wembley Arena, Nottingham and Sheffield. The show stars the winner of ITV's search for a Jesus, Ben Forster, alongside Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene, comedian and writer Tim Minchin as Judas and Radio One star Chris Moyles as Herod. Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar - UK Arena Tour

It's finally over! The search to find a Jesus to star in Andrew Lloyd Webber's new arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar has concluded. In a tense final on Wednesday 25 June 2012, the three finalists - Rory Taylor, Roger Wright and Ben Forster - battled it out to win a public vote to secure their dream role. And Ben Forster, 31, was crowned the winner, securing the major role of Jesus in the new production. On winning the role Ben said: "I can not believe it - I did not expect this to happen, If you come and see us I will do you so proud. I can't wait to start working with Mel and Andrew." National Youth Theatre and Italia Conti stage school alumni, Ben has played Doody in Grease and appeared on The X Factor in 2009. But winning TV talent show Superstar will project his career into the league of international performers. Andrew Lloyd Webber has followed his BBC searches to cast the stars of Joseph, The Sound of Music, Oliver! and The Wizard of Oz with his most ambitious TV talent search yet. In Superstar, the Lord moved over to ITV1 in his new search to find a Jesus to star in a major new Arena tour production of his and Tim Rice's classic musical Jesus Christ Superstar - finally crowning Ben Forster in the role. The nationwide search for a rock arena superstar will now see Ben Forster star alongside comedian and Matilda co-writer Tim Minchin as Judas, Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles as Herod. "Presenting a new, 2012 version of Jesus Christ Superstar for arenas is truly exciting," said Lord Lloyd Webber when launching the search. "Some of the best performances of this show have been in rock venues and I'm thrilled to see the show return to its roots. ITV is providing the perfect platform for us to find a new, British Superstar." Auditions took place in early 2012 in London, Dublin, Belfast, Manchester, Glasgow and Cardiff, with casting judges Melanie C, Jason Donovan and David Grindrod helping Andrew audition thousands of hopefuls to get down to a selection of Finalists. Eleven finalists made it through to the live studio shows hosted by Amanda Holden, and judged by a panel of Lloyd Webber, Dawn French, Melanie C and Jason Donovan. LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

Exclusive photos of the first episode of SUPERSTAR. Andrew Lloyd Webber's latest TV talent search - to cast the lead in a major new Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar - kicks off on ITV1 this Saturday (7th July, 725pm). Hosted by Amanda Holden, with the auditions judging panel comprising of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Melanie C, Jason Donovan and casting supremo David Grindrod, the first episode kicks off with auditions in Brixton. We can't wait! Superstar: Saturday 7 July 7.25pm, ITV1 [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Superstar on ITV - episode 1 starts this Saturday 7th July[/caption] LINKS Visit our SUPERSTAR website Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar  

The Superstar talent search will be led by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who composed the musical Jesus Christ Superstar and will produce the brand new Arena show that will star the winner of Superstar. An interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber What made you decide on a new talent search? Quite simply, ITV asked me to do one! We’ve found such amazing talent on the previous casting programmes – artists I would have never been aware of otherwise – and I find the process of discovering new stars fascinating. It’s not just finding new talent that I am passionate about, but helping people further their careers too. Look at our track record: six of our contestants from my previous shows are currently starring in shows in the West End, and Sam Barks, who came third in ‘I’d Do Anything’ is starring in a feature film alongside Hugh Jackman, Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe! I had been thinking about the possibility of doing a casting series to find someone to play the role of Jesus for a while, so when Peter Fincham, who I had worked with at the BBC, approached me it seemed the obvious thing to do. I also wanted to get ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ back to its rock roots and the TV show provides the perfect platform to cast the role of Jesus for an arena tour. For Superstar, what kind of person are you looking for? I am looking for a really charismatic individual, someone who has huge physical presence as well as a great rock tenor voice. Whoever wins will be playing in the UK’s largest arenas with a cast headlined by Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles, all extremely experienced performers. How has the standard been for talent so far? I am really excited at the standard of our final ten contestants. The thing I find intriguing about this particular programme is that the final ten are all so different. It’s going to be very interesting to see which way the public votes. What has been your highlight from filming so far? The contestants’ performances at my home in Mallorca, just the singer and a pianist - no tricks, no studio - just strong vocal performances in the open air and wonderful sunshine! You have David Grindrod, Jason Donovan and Melanie C helping you in the early stages of the competition – how has that been? It’s been wonderful to have David Grindrod, who has worked with me on many of my shows, by my side once again. Jason and Melanie C have been a great addition to the team. I think Jason and Melanie have really enjoyed working together and their experience as both music and theatre performers who’ve both played arenas themselves make them uniquely placed to assess the contestants and to offer help and advice. You have a great line up for the Tour – are you confident the winner of Superstar can hold their own on stage with the confirmed cast? I am absolutely thrilled that we have Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles starring in the arena tour and it’s crucial that the public pick a winner who has the charisma to play opposite this team. Are you excited for the live shows? Absolutely! I am really excited by the fact that the finalists are all so different. It’s going to be intriguing to see which way the public vote. Of course everything changes when you get to the live shows. This is when the pressure is really on for the contestants and some will rise up to the challenge and some will crack. Have you worked with Dawn French before? No, I haven’t but I am really looking forward to working with her! It was actually Ben Elton, who knows us both, who suggested her for the series. Tell us a secret from filming so far? It won’t be a secret if I tell you! LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

The judging panel of Superstar includes pop and musicals star Jason Donovan. Jason Donovan - Biography Jason Sean Donovan was born into a show business family in Melbourne Australia on 1 June 1968 and his good looks and talent made him a natural on Australian TV. His first appearances on television there included shows such as ‘I Can Jump Puddles’, ‘Skyways’ and ‘Gold Pennies’. His big break came together with co-star Kylie Minogue in the role of Scott Robinson in the primetime soap ‘Neighbours’ that turned him into an international star. After four years, he had won almost every major Australian award, including Most Popular Actor. The series went onto to become one of the highest rating shows in the UK. Once established in the UK, Jason went on to have huge chart success as part of the PWL pop era. His debut album ‘Ten Good Reasons’ was the highest selling album of 1989 with sales of 1.5 million and was supported by sell-out shows in the UK, Europe and South-East Asia. The album featured the timeless chart-topping duet Especially For You with Kylie Minogue and a number one with ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’. Jason has proven his enduring appeal as a pop singer and 80s heartthrob as one of the most successful singers in British chart history with world sales of 13 million albums and four UK No. 1s. Following the release of his second album ‘Between The Lines’, he became 1989’s biggest selling artist throughout the UK and Europe. In addition to his musical success, Jason’s TV, film and musical theatre work showed his versatility. Away from the spotlight he worked in his native Australia on film projects including his first role as Private Talbot in ‘Blood Oath starring Bryan Brown and Russell Crowe and this was followed by the miniseries ‘Shadows of the Heart’ and ‘Heroes’. His first lead role in a movie came in the 1994 production, ‘Rough Diamonds’. Robert Osborne of America’s Hollywood wrote….”This gent’s got major potential. He could easily be the Down-Under cousin of Robert Redford or Brad Pitt.” Music was always a constant in Jason’s career and in particular he shone in his portrayal of Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ at London’s Palladium in 1991. The show was a box office smash and had an 18-month sell-out run. It also spawned a number one single and a best-selling soundtrack album. In 1998, he landed another theatrical role as Frank ‘N’ Furter in a touring version of ‘The Rocky Horror Show’: Jason says“It was a hard grind and I was on the road for 18 months but that’s where I met Angela, his wife.” Autumn 2011 saw Jason’s welcome return to prime time television when he took part in BBC’s ‘Strictly Come Dancing’. He came a respectable third behind Harry Judd and Chelsey Healey. Jason is looking forward to a very busy 2012. After completing the ‘Strictly Live UK and Ireland Tour’, he released an album, was interviewed by Piers Morgan for his ITV1 ‘Life Stories’ series, and has been a mentor with former Spice Girl, Melanie Chisholm, during auditions for the ITV1 musical talent show ‘Superstar’, which airs live in July. He continues to entertain the UK on his Heart radio show every Sunday afternoon, and is delighted this year to become part of the brand new Smooth Radio team in Sydney. In November, Jason once more returns to Jeff Wayne’s War Of The Worlds – The New Generation, this time taking on the role of Parson Nathaniel. LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

The UK auditions of Superstar have been judged by a team that included former Spice Girl Melanie C, who will also be starring as Mary Magdalene in the new Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar this Autumn, alongside the winner of ITV's Superstar talent search. Melanie C - Biography Melanie Chisholm was born on 12 January 1974 in Whiston, Lancashire. Following school, Melanie studied for a diploma course in dance, singing, drama and musical theatre at the Doreen Bird College of Performing Arts. During college, she replied to an advert in The Stage by Chris and Bob Herbert, who were looking to form a new girl group, later to become the Spice Girls. In 1994, she joined the Spice Girls (then called Touch) in 1996, Melanie, with Melanie Brown, Geri Halliwell, Emma Bunton and Victoria Adams, released "Wannabe". After the debut album Spice, the group made their second, Spiceworld as successful as its predecessor. During the promotion of the album, Geri Halliwell left the group and the four remaining members began work on their third studio album. Melanie’s first solo venture was featuring on the hit single ‘When You’re Gone’ with Bryan Adams. Incredibly successful across Europe, it entered the UK charts at Number 3 and gave Melanie aspirations for more solo projects. As a solo artist, Melanie has released four solo albums. Northern Star (1999) and Reason (2003) were released on the Virgin Records label. After setting up her own label, Red Girl Records, in 2004, she released Beautiful Intentions (2005) and This Time (2007) as an independent. She has achieved over 3 million album sales, 2 Number 1 singles, 6 Top 10 singles and over 200 combined weeks on the UK chart. Melanie’s solo success however reached far beyond the shores of her home country. In 2005 a track entitled ‘First Day of My Life’ was to become one of her biggest hits to date, selling over 400,000 copies in Germany alone. It also went on to chart at Number 1 in Spain, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and Portugal where it helped to propel the album ‘Beautiful Intentions’ to double platinum status and kept it at Number 1 for 9 weeks. In June 2007 came the announcement of the Return of the Spice Girls tour. Any initial reluctance to a reunion was diminished by spending time with four friends she had travelled the world with. Melanie relished the opportunity to perform in venues such as the 02 in London and New York’s Madison Square Garden, leaving audiences impressed by her energy, presence and live vocals. Melanie spent most of early to mid 2008 promoting and performing around Europe and headlining a tour of Canada. Melanie gave birth to her first child, Scarlet in February 2009 and she embraced motherhood with the same dedication as her career. As Melanie contemplated her return to writing and recording album number five, the opportunity to audition for Blood Brothers presented itself. The popular West End show had always been a favourite of Melanie’s so to play the role of Mrs Johnstone was a challenge that she was delighted to accept. Her theatrical debut was phenomenally well received by audiences and critics; earning 5 star reviews from all the major newspapers, her performance was described as ‘absolutely sensational’ and the plaudits didn’t stop there. Melanie went on to gain a nomination for Best Actress in a Musical at the prestigious Laurence Olivier Awards, and also made the Evening Standard Theatre Awards short-list for the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer. In 2011, Melanie returned from her hugely successful journey in musical theatre as she heading back into the studio to record her fifth album, The Sea. Four years since ‘This Time’, the new material is more adventurous with Melanie’s confidence showing in the new boundaries she is reaching as a songwriter. Co-writers on the upcoming album include previous collaborators Adam Argyle, Peter Vettese and Richard ‘Biff’ Stannard, while it also introduces new writing relationships with Cutfather, Ina Wroldsen and Dee Adam to name a few. It was a song written by Melanie, Dave Roth and David Jost that was used by the German TV channel ZDF for their coverage of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011. ‘Rock Me’ captured all the excitement and emotion of the beautiful game and was released in Austria, Switzerland and Germany – where the tournament took place. LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

Superstar is hosted by Amanda Holden. BIOGRAPHY On graduating from Mountview Theatre School in July 1992, Amanda immediately landed her first role in Granada's In Suspicious Circumstances with Edward Woodward. She has worked consistently ever since and is one of Britain's best-loved personalities. Early film appearances include Intimate Relations and in her early theatre career she played Liesl Von Trapp in The Sound of Music and Cecily Cardew in The Importance of Being Earnest. In 1997 Amanda appeared in the comedy series We Know Where You Live with Simon Pegg for Channel 5. Early in 1998 she was a regular guest on Goodness Gracious Me, the BBC2 TV sketch show series. Also in early in 1998 she also presented reports for Wish You Were Here. Amanda became a household name when she played the part of Mel in three series of the hit comedy Kiss Me Kate (1998 - 2000)- a co-production by BBC TV and Carlton TV - starring Caroline Quentin and in 1999 she then went on to start as ‘Miss Titley’ in all three series of ITV’s popular comedy series The Grimleys which cemented her reputation as one of the nation’s favourite actresses. In 2003 she starred in Mad About Alice, a BBC sitcom before taking the title role in the West End musical Thoroughly Modern Millie for which she received outstanding reviews and was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical. From 2002 until 2005 Amanda starred in three series of the prime-time BAFTA winning and hugely popular show Cutting It, also for the BBC. In 2004 she co-starred alongside Tom Courtney in Ready When You Are Mr McGill, Jack Rosenthal’s classic comedy drama and as Lucy Eyesbarrow in ITV’s big Boxing Day special Marple alongside Geraldine McEwan and John Hannah. From 2006 until 2008 Amanda played the leading role of Sarah Trevanion in three hugely successful series of ITV1’s Wild At Heart with Hayley Mills and Stephen Tomkinson. Amongst her presenting credits include When Britain First Had Talent, Really Wild At Heart, Greasemania and the National Music Awards (ITV1). In 2009 she presented ITV1’s Celebrating the Carpenters (alongside Ronan Keating) and for two years running has presented ITV’s prestigious awards ceremony A Night Of Heroes (alongside Phillip Schofield). In 2010 she presented The Children’s Champions Awards for Sky One (alongside Chris Evans). She currently co-anchors The Early Show for the American network CBS having been their UK Correspondent since June 2009. In television, 2010 saw Amanda return to the fourth series of ITV1’s smash hit show Britain’s Got Talent alongside fellow judges Simon Cowell and Piers Morgan. The show has pulled in audiences in excess of 20 million views and series four resulted in the finding of the worldwide phenomenon Susan Boyle. In addition to this, in 2010 Amanda starred in a three part series for ITV1 called Amanda’s Fantasy Lives, she presented ITV1’s The Door alongside Chris Tarrant and she fronted the Christmas Tesco Campaign as character Penelope Belcher with Fay Ripley and Mark Addy. 2011 was a busy year for Amanda with the return on Britain’s Got Talent in the fifth series where Amanda starred alongside new judges Michael McIntyre and David Hasslehoff. She continued to report for CBS news as their UK’s correspondent and starred as Princess Fiona in Shrek the Musical at London’s West End Drury Lane theatre, which premiered 14th June 2011. In 2012 she judged the sixth series of Britain’s Got Talent alongside Simon Cowell, Alesha Dixon and David Walliams. For her role as Princess Fiona in the West End show Shrek the Musical Amanda enjoyed star reviews and huge success. After creating the role of Princess Fiona in its Opening Premier, Amanda picked up Best Actress in a Musical for the What’s On Stage Awards, Best Theatre Actress at the Glamour 2012 Women of the Year Awards and Best Actress in a Musical for the Cosmopolitan Awards.et LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

The UK auditions of Superstar have been judged by a team that included former Spice Girl Melanie C, who will also be starring as Mary Magdalene in the new Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar this Autumn, alongside the winner of ITV's Superstar talent search. An Interview with Melanie C Are you excited about Superstar? I am so excited about the show and I feel very lucky to be a part of it. The standard of talent is incredibly high and the arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, I believe, is the most awesome prize any show like this has had to offer. How has the standard been for talent? The standard is very high. From great, raw talent with very little or no experience to West End leading men - an extraordinary amount of people are drawn to this role, which has made the competition so high. What are you looking for? The show is incredibly powerful and requires a strong vocal and acting ability. Although the show has more of a rock sound, I feel soul is very important for the role of Jesus also. I feel he has to have charisma and vulnerability. What has been your highlight from filming so far? Being on Superstar Island with the last 40 was fantastic, we spent 5 days with the whole team really putting the guys through their paces and setting all kinds of challenges. Working with Andrew has been a personal highlight as I've always been a huge admirer of his work. How’s it been working so closely with Jason Donovan during the early stages? I adore Jason. I'd never met him until working on this show together. He is so talented, hard working and generous, he is a perfect mentor for anyone aspiring to work in theatre or any aspect of the entertainment industry. Although I do enjoy making fun of him, and he takes it very well! You’re going to be Mary Magdalene in the Tour – how excited are you? Beyond excited. It is a huge challenge for me, I can't wait to find out who our Jesus will be and working with an incredibly strong cast including Tim Minchin and Chris Moyles is an honour and the tour is going to be out of this world. Andrew has got together an absolute dream team including Laurence Connor directing, who is highly respected for his direction on the 25th Anniversary performances of Les Miserables (O2 in London) and The Phantom of the Opera (Royal Albert Hall) amongst other things and Patrick Woodroffe as lighting designer, who has worked on many big shows for bands such as Depeche Mode and the Rolling Stones. This will be ground breaking, taking a show, which is traditionally seen as musical theatre, and combining it with the production of a rock show the biggest bands in the world would be proud of! What kind of person would you like to see win Superstar? Obviously someone who is a great singer but also somebody who works hard and respects their talent and other cast members. This is a chance of a lifetime and I am so pleased that the British public will have the opportunity to choose their Jesus. Have you given the finalists tips on performing on stage? Both Jason and myself have tried to give all of them tips and advice from singing technique to working as a team. I can't wait for the live shows and spending time with the finalists to see them grow and reach their full potential. Can you tell us a secret from filming so far? There are some real hotties in the running and all the girls in the production team (including myself!) had a lovely time working with them! Make sure you don't miss a minute! LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

The judging panel of Superstar includes pop and musicals star Jason Donovan. An interview with Jason Donovan Are you excited about your role on Superstar? I am really excited about my role on Superstar, it’s a fantastic new experience for me to be on the other side of a production and also because I’ve experienced what the contestants are going through. I know how they’re feeling and how to offer advice; it’s a great opportunity to share my experiences with them. How has the standard been for talent? We have seen a very high level of talent throughout the audition process from all different walks of life, all of which have different interpretations of the part of Jesus. The bar is very high and I feel honoured to be in the room with these individuals who are willing to put their souls out there and take risks. What are you looking for? The role of Jesus is a huge responsibility and a very demanding part. Jesus is on stage from the beginning to the end of the show so the part requires stamina as well as conviction and emotion - to embody this role they really need to give 100% and be prepared to take some creative risks and surrender their souls in a way. It’s a huge challenge and if that person gets it right, it could be a life changing moment. How was it working so closely with Melanie C during the early stages? Melanie is great. I’ve really enjoyed working with her and we’ve had a real laugh together throughout the audition stages. I’m delighted she has the part of Mary Magdalene; she is very talented and will bring something completely unique to the role. You’re a judge with Andrew and Dawn for the live shows – how do you feel about that? I’ve worked with and known Andrew for a very long time and feel thrilled and privileged to have been asked to join him and Dawn on the judging panel. I think it’s a really special team and I really can’t wait for the live shows to begin! What kind of person would you like to see win Superstar? Obviously I think the winner will need to have a great voice, huge charisma and versatility but we are not necessarily looking for your classic musical star. We are looking for someone unique and someone who has that certain magic. When they walk on a stage you cannot take your eyes off them, magnetic is the word. This individual needs to have an edge, Rock n Roll rather than West End. The winners’ first on stage performance will be to an arena of 10,000 people. That is a big space to fill, just think of that! Have you given the finalists tips on working with Andrew? Like all hugely talented people, Andrew is looking for someone who has the ability to make his creation come to life, someone who is willing to work hard, take risks and embody the role from beginning to end. A Superstar!! Tell us a secret from filming so far? Just lots of laughs with Melanie really, watching the process unfold and observing the process from a different angle. It’s a great honour to be part of such a talented team. The trip to Mallorca was a lot of fun... staying at Andrews house was quite incredible. Amanda Holden is the host – have you worked with her before? I haven’t worked directly with Amanda before but our paths have crossed many times and I’m really looking forward to seeing more of her over the next few months. LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

Superstar is hosted by Amanda Holden. Amanda An Interview with Amanda Holden Are you excited about your role as host on Superstar? I’m so excited as I never get to be on that side of the camera – I think I’ll be more relaxed in this role, my motto will be ‘no judging, I’m a hugger’. It’s nice to be on the side of the viewer and the contestants. Will it be weird not sitting behind a judging desk? Not at all but I guess I could feel naked without a buzzer though! How has the standard been so far? The standard has been unbelievably so high, right from the beginning. Every single person has something to offer. On Superstar it’s pure talent. What do you think the public will be looking for? The public never get it wrong on talent shows, whoever they choose will be the right person for the role. The public always get it right. What has been your highlight so far? Being stuck on an island for nearly a week with 40 boys, I was their Girl Friday… and Saturday… and Sunday. Any tears during filming? No tears, just laughter. I’m totally myself as presenter, I even laugh at my own jokes. The boys are great and we all get on really well, they’re all very well mannered and have a great sense of humour. How you feeling about the live shows? I’m really excited about the live shows, it’s like when I’m doing theatre – I get my kicks from doing it live. When it’s live there is no room for mistakes and the public are seeing it as it happens. During the BGT live shows this year I was watching Ant & Dec for tips. I can’t wait to get started. What kind of person would you like to see win Superstar? I’d like to see someone different win, someone you wouldn’t expect. Within our finalists you could say we have some people that would be the obvious choice but I really hope the public choose the right person on ability, not their look. Have you given the finalists any tips? I’ve told them to be themselves and also have fun. Andrew has a great sense of humour and they shouldn’t be earnest.   LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

Free tickets have been released to be in the studio audience for the live finals of SUPERSTAR, Andrew Lloyd Webber's new search to cast a Jesus for his forthcoming Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Superstar judges, Jason Donovan, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Dawn French[/caption] Following his TV searches to cast the stars of Joseph, The Sound of Music, Oliver! and The Wizard of Oz, Andrew Lloyd Webber has launched his most ambitious TV talent search yet. In Superstar, the Lord has moved over to ITV1 to launch his new search to find a Jesus to star in a major new Arena tour production of his and Tim Rice's classic musical Jesus Christ Superstar. And free tickets are now available to be in the TV studio audience to watch the live finals of the TV show. Now available for Monday 16th, Tuesday 17th, Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th and Friday 20th July, starting at 8pm, the shows are recorded live. More dates for tickets are to be released soon. The nationwide search for a rock arena superstar will result in one man cast in the show, alongside comedian and Matilda co-writer Tim Minchin as Judas, Spice Girl Melanie C as Mary Magdalene and Radio 1 Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles as Herod. The TV show starts this Saturday 7th July 2012 on ITV1 at 7.25pm, featuring the auditions that have taken place Nationwide over the last few months. Visit our brand new microsite at www.westendtheatre.com/superstar to follow the action over the coming weeks. LINKS Free tickets to the LIVE TV finals of Superstar - website Superstar - microsite Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

The winner of ITV's Superstar talent search will win the chance to star as Jesus in a brand new Arena production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock classic Jesus Christ Superstar. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="590"] Stars of the new Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Chris Moyles with composer Andrew Lloyd Webber[/caption]   The lucky new star will feature alongside an impressive cast that includes Olivier award-winning comedian and co-writer of Matilda the Musical Tim Minchin as Judas, former Spice Girl Melanie C who will play Mary Magdalene, 
and Radio 1’s Breakfast Show host Chris Moyles as Herod. It has been 40 years since Jesus Christ Superstar opened in the West End, and the show has gone on to tour the world, including a brand new production now running on Broadway. The UK Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar will visit the O2 Arena in London, Glasgow SECC, Newcastle Metro Radio Arena, Manchester Arena, Cardiff Motorpoint Arena, Birmingham National Indoor Arena, Liverpool Echo Arena, Nottingham Capital FM Arena and the Sheffield Motorpoint Arena. This brand new Arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar promises to be a truly spectacular theatrical event, and is based on the acclaimed Broadway revival now playing in New York. Note: Tickets will be posted out one week before the event  

EPISODE 1 Exclusive photos of the first episode of SUPERSTAR. [nggallery id='112']   VIDEO ITV trailer for Superstar httpv://youtu.be/FhFX-5yCbXQ   LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

 UK AUDITIONS The judging panel for the recorded UK auditions of Superstar are: Andrew Lloyd Webber: Interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber David Grindrod Melanie C: Interview with Melanie C    Melanie C - biography Jason Donovan: Interview with Jason Donovan    Jason Donovan - biography LIVE SHOWS The judging panel for the live shows are: Dawn French: Interview with Dawn French    Dawn French - biography Andrew Lloyd Webber: Interview with Andrew Lloyd Webber Jason Donovan: Interview with Jason Donovan    Jason Donovan - biography HOST The show is hosted by Amanda Holden: Interview with Amanda Holden    Amanda Holden - biography     LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour

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SHOW 1 ITV1: Saturday 7 July 2012, 7.25pm The first show in the series features the Auditions with Andrew Lloyd Webber and West End Casting Director David Grindrod, including callbacks at the Brixton Academy auditions. Also features Melanie C and Jason Donovan as the finalists are whittled down from 100 to 40. SHOW 2 ITV1: Sunday 8 July 2012, 8pm • Superstar Island – A pop up performance school with an intensive week of vocal, acting and dance training. (final 40 - 30) SHOW 3 ITV1: Saturday 14 July, 8pm • Majorca – A taste of the rock and roll lifestyle with performances at Andrew’s house (final 30 – 20) • Europe – Contenders travel back via Superstar coach • Final Challenge – Contenders perform for one final time at London docks overlooking the O2 (the first venue of arena Tour) • Andrew chooses his final 10 for the live shows SHOW 4 ITV1: Sun 15 July - 20:00 GMT SHOW 5 ITV1: Mon 16 July - Live at 21:00 GMT Out of the show: Afnan Iftikhar SHOW 6 ITV1: Tue 17 July - Live at 21:00 GMT Out of the show: Dirk Johnston SHOW 7 ITV1: Wed 18 July - Live at 21:00 GMT SHOW 8 ITV1: Thu 19 July - Live at 21:00 GMT SHOW 9 ITV1: Fri 20 July - Live at 21:00 GMT SHOW 10 ITV1: Mon 23 July - Live at 21:00 GMT SHOW 11 ITV1: Tue 24 July - Live Semi-final at 21:00 GMT SHOW 12 ITV1: Wed 25 July - Live Final at 21:00 GMT LINKS Book tickets to the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena tour  

SOCIAL MEDIA ROUND-UP Andrew Lloyd Webber has defected from the BBC to ITV for his next TV talent search, this time casting a Jesus and Judas for his new, arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Also see: ITV's Search for a Superstar

It's no secret that Andrew Lloyd Webber was pretty excited about the new production of Jesus Christ Superstar mounted by the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada last year. The show then transferred to the La Jolla Playhouse in California and is now slated for Broadway, opening at the Neil Simon Theatre on 22 March starring Paul Nolan as Jesus and Josh Young as Judas. [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] Jesus Christ Superstar - coming to Broadway and now London?[/caption] But the Great Lord has other plans for the show. Rumours of a London revival of this Des McAuff production have been circulating for a while, but The Sun has now broken the story that Lloyd Webber is defecting from the BBC to ITV to run another TV talent search, this time to find a Jesus and Judas for his new London production of Superstar. Lloyd Webber's TV talent searches have all been for the Beeb, most recently Over The Rainbow which resulted in Danielle Hope being cast in his multi-million pound production of The Wizard of Oz, still playing at the London Palladium. But ITV is keen to poach Lloyd Webber for its own channel. ITV ran Grease talent search Grease Is The Word in 2007 to cast Danny in Sandy in David Ian's Grease revival but it was a ratings flop. ITV's head of programmes Peter Fincham is believed to consider a Lloyd Webber-fronted show would fare much better. Rumours are also circulating that a UK tour of Lloyd Webb'er s1984 musical Starlight Express, which kicks off at the New Wimbledon Theatre on 10 May 2012 produced by Bill Kenwright, may also come into town at some point. In other ALW news, excitement is mounting on Broadway for the Michael Grandage helmed production of Evita at the Marquis Theatre starring Ricky Martin and Elena Roger, which starts previews on 12 March 2012. LINKS Book tickets to Jesus Christ Superstar at the Neil Simon Theatre in New York Book tickets to EVITA at the Marquis Theatre in New York Book tickets to The Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium in London

Andrew Lloyd-Webber told the New York Times's Patrick Healy last week that the failure of Love Never Dies in the UK - and more notably the success of a new production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Ontario, has led him to consider that, "what I might do is to have nothing to do with my shows for the foreseeable future." He admits in the interview that “anything I get involved with seems to go wrong... I’ve come to this new conclusion. I’ll just smile and turn up at opening nights.” Read the interview with Lord Lloyd Webber in the New York Times