Corbin Bleu to play Jesus from 17 Apr 2012

Corbin Bleu will star as Jesus from 17 Apr 2012 in the Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell, assuming the role from original cast member Hunter Parrish. Parrish will play his final performance on 15 Apr 2012.

Composer Stephen Schwartz said, "I know Corbin Bleu has a special affinity for Godspell, and with his great talent, charisma, and radiant energy, I know he will be terrific in the show. I am very much looking forward to working with him and seeing him as our new Jesus."

Bleu made his Broadway debut when he starred as 'Usnav' in the musical 'In the Heights.' Bleu became a household name as "Chad Danforth" in the Emmy-award winning Disney Channel Original Movie "High School Musical," its sequel "High School Musical 2" (the highest rated Disney Channel Original Movie in history and overall highest rated program in cable history), and the 2008 feature film "High School Musical 3: Senior Year." He recently starred in the movie "Free Style."

Godspell currently stars Hunter Parrish (Jesus), Telly Leung, Uzo Aduba, Nick Blaemire, Morgan James, Wallace Smith (Judas), Lindsay Mendez, Celisse Henderson, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle and George Salazar.

The musical opened at the Circle in the Square on 7 Nov 2011, following previews from 13 Oct 2011, where it is currently booking through to 6 Jan 2013.

The show opened to mixed reviews: It's entertainment, not great theatre (newyorktheatreguide); Brightly colorful & sticky-sweet (NYP); The show's warm heart manages to glow through the glitz (Back Stage); A show for the ADD generation (Record); Surprisingly irresistible (NY1).

The Broadway revival reunites director Daniel Goldstein (Boradway debut) and choreographer Christopher Gattelli (Tony Award-winner: South Pacific), the creative team of the critically-acclaimed 2006 Paper Mill Playhouse production of Godspell.

The musical features scenic design by David Korins (Passing Strange, Bridge and Tunnel), costume design by Miranda Hoffman (Well), lighting design by Ben Stanton (Angels in America) and orchestrations by Michael Holland (Hurricane).

Godspell is a modern-day version of the gospel of Matthew. John the Baptist calls a group of young disciples to leave their daily lives and follow Jesus the Christ. Jesus explains the gospel to his followers, leading them in acting out the parables using song, mime and comedy.

Godspell features music and new lyricss by Academy and Grammy Award winner and six time Tony Award nominee Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), which includes recognizable songs, such as "Day by Day", that have become staples of both the American musical theatre and popular culture alike.

The original production of Godspell opened off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre on 13 May 1971 and in August of 1971 moved to the larger Promenade Theatre where it ran for 2,124 performances making it one of the longest running Off-Broadway musicals in history.

After five years of sold-out audiences Off-Broadway, Godspell made its Broadway debut on 22 Jun 1976 at the Broadhurst Theatre. The show moved to the Plymouth and the Ambassador before closing on 4 Sep 1977 after 527 performances. In all, the musical achieved more than 2,600 performances both on Broadway and off.