Leon Craig stepped up to the plate to fill TV host Andrew O’Keefe’s position as King Herod when he unfortunately suffered a ruptured disc and was unable to perform under doctor’s orders.

O’Keefe had also received numerous rave reviews for his cameo appearance in the production as King Herod, a TV show host who interrogates Jesus’ legitimacy and asks the audience to decide whether he is a “Lord or Fraud”. They were big shoes to fill but Craig has had a positive reaction across the board! Entertainer Chris Moyles will return as King Herod for the second UK arena tour this October.

Check out what the press have been saying…

Here’s a great review about the roaring performance in Adelaide:

“The soundtrack is a potent reminder that Andrew Lloyd Webber once rocked – quite heavily, as the thundering guitars here testify – and knew how to write enduringly catchy tunes.” Click Here to read more!

- Adelaide Now

The next stop will be Sydney, where Jesus and his followers will carry out five performances over three days. They will then be heading to Brisbane and Melbourne, later this month to complete the tour!

If you’d like more information about the tour and to get tickets, Click Here!

“In his [Ben Forster] big solo Gethsemane… Forster proves why he was chosen for the lead role over thousands of hopefuls. His outstanding voice brought the house down.”   Click Here to read more!

- Perth Now

 
“To top things off, even this concentration of celebrity wattage can’t dim the true star of the evening, which is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s 1972 rock oratorio. Given an astute, persuasive setting that evokes Occupy London specifically and contemporary protest movements more generally, Jesus Chris Superstar is as exciting now as it was when breaking ground for musical theatre 40 years ago.”  Click Here to read more!

- The Australian

 
“It is Minchin, though, who dominates — as he must. Two of his set pieces are bookends of the show. He reveals a fine higher vocal register as he bursts out of the blocks with Heaven on Their Minds and then leads the full ensemble cast of 50 in the rousing finale of the title song, Jesus Christ Superstar, which had the audience on their feet.”   Click Here to read more!

- Yahoo

 
“Mel C’s voice, so familiar to any 90s teen, was beautifully showcased throughout, especially in I Don’t Know How to Love Him.”  Click Here to read more!

- The Age

Take a look at some great pictures of the Perth shows from the JCS Arena Tour 2013!

(Courtesy of Perth Arena)

Chris Moyles, the self-appointed ‘Saviour of Radio 1’, is a presenting phenomenon.

Since joining Radio1 in 1997, after serving his radio apprenticeship across a number of leading regional radio stations, Chris has built audience and won critical acclaim in an unrivalled way including 6 Sonys and 2 GQ ‘Radio Personality of the Year’Awards.

Now officially the longest serving Breakfast Show host on the station, Chris entertains and enthrals over 8million listeners a week – a figure he has grown significantly since taking over the reins of the show in 2004.

In 2011, Chris (alongside co-presenter Comedy Dave) broke the world record for the longest radio show ever, broadcasting non stop for 52 hours and raising over £2.8million for Comic Relief.

This huge effort (which was watched by 3.8 million people on the Radio 1 website and broke viewing figure record on the Red Button service) followed the Comic Relief climb of Kilimanjaro in 2009 on which Chris, alongside a team including Gary Barlow and Cheryl Cole, raised in excess of £3.5million for the charity.

Outside of the radio studio, Chris has built a hugely successful multi platform career encompassing books, albums and television.

His first book “The Gospel According to Chris Moyles” stormed straight in to the The Sunday Times bestseller in both hardback and paperback where it remained for a number of months. His follow up, “The Difficult Second Book” repeated the feat.

His much loved parody songs from the breakfast show have garnered legions of fans both from his listeners and the artists he is parodying. In 2004 he knocked U2’s ‘Vertigo’ off the top of the Official Download Chart with ‘Dogz Don’t Kill People (Wabbits Do)’ which became, at the time, the fastest selling download single of all time in the UK.
Further parodies followed and, in 2009, ‘The Parody Album’ was released by Sony Music/Radio 1. The follow up will be released in the autumn of 2012.

As a television performer and presenter, Chris has very few rivals in UK television. After turning down dozens of offers for his own show, Chris co-devised ‘Chris Moyles Quiz Night’ for Channel 4 which has just completed its 5th series.
In 2011 he presented the huge Sky Living hit ‘Love Machine’ which returns for its second series in late 2012.
Known for being a warm, humorous guest he is also much in demand across all the channels

In 2006 he starred in The X Factor: Battle of the Stars and wowed the British public with his singing voice. Despite being cruelly knocked out at the semi final stage of the show, his voice was good enough for Lord Lloyd Webber to take note and, when ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ was being cast he knew exactly what he wanted for King Herod. He wanted Chris Moyles.

The addition of a third Perth show on Sunday 2 June and a third Brisbane show on Tuesday 18 June brings the Australian run to a whopping 18 performances across May and June this year.

Lucky ticketholders will have the pleasure of witnessing not only a phenomenal production but an incredible cast including Australia’s own Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, former Spice Girl Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and the critically acclaimed newcomer Ben Forster in the role of ‘Jesus’.

Adding a further Australian flavour to the cast will be Jon Stevens as ‘Pontius Pilate’ and Andrew O’Keefe in the role of King Herod.

Jesus Christ Superstar’s UK run of shows has received critical acclaim, including both Tim Minchin and Melanie C receiving Whatsonstage.com Awards for Best Supporting Actor and Actress in a Musical respectively, testament to their stellar performances.

As the tour draws closer, anticipation for Jesus Christ Superstar is reaching its highest levels yet. Be quick to snap up tickets to these freshly announced shows when they go on sale on Tuesday 7 May.

Frontier Members pre-sale via www.frontiertouring.com/jesuschristsuperstar
» 12noon AEST Tue 30 Apr to 12noon AEST, Wednesday 1 May
» General public on sale from 9am local time, Tuesday 7 May

Find out more on the Really Useful Group’s official website »

Easter has come around once again and as always there is some spectacular TV lined up for you!

Our pick of the bunch has to be ITV’s Easter Special “Andrew Lloyd Webber: 40 Musical Years”, which celebrates an unbroken run of 40 years of shows in the West End.

Stars including Nicole Scherzinger, Kimberley Walsh, Melanie C, Myleene Klass, Il Divo, Tim Minchin and Samantha Barks, will perform special versions of some of Andrew’s greatest hits, including songs from Cats, The Phantom of the Opera, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar and Tell Me On A Sunday.

Andrew says: “I was flattered when ITV approached me about a 90-minute special, but I said I would only do it if it wasn’t some po-faced tribute to a bloke who’s about to collect his bus pass. I also said it must include the wet sari number from Bombay Dreams! I still don’t know what I’m letting myself in for, especially as Simon Cowell has filmed an interview for the show.”

The special will also feature an eagerly-anticipated world first performance of a track from Andrew’s forthcoming musical, Stephen Ward, by classical guitarist Miloš. This will be an exclusive opportunity for fans to hear new music from Andrew and learn more about his next West End production.

Throughout the show, Andrew will share anecdotes and discuss the evolution and influences behind his biggest music masterpieces – just how did he turn biblical figures, domestic pets and roller-skating trains into global entertainment spectacles? And where did Andrew develop his instinct for spotting star talent?

Cameras will go behind the scenes to provide a glimpse into Andrew’s working life, while speaking to some of his closest friends and colleagues, including Michael Caine and Alex Ferguson.

For the show’s finale Love Changes Everything will be sung by Michael Ball accompanied by a chorus of pupils from London’s Highbury Grove School.

Andrew visited Highbury Grove School last year to commend the once-failing school for putting music at the core of its curriculum and inspiring a new generation to fulfil their potential and enjoy the arts.

John Kaye Cooper, Controller of Entertainment for ITV, said: “Andrew’s contribution to musical theatre is unrivalled and we are delighted to be celebrating his four decades in the West End with an evening that promises some spectacular performances and a deeper insight into the man himself.”

Born in New Zealand, Jon found success at an early age. At 13 he was entered into a local talent contest by his sisters and won first prize, leading to his first record label signing with CBS and the subsequent production of his first hit singles. His debut single Jezebel shot to No.1 in New Zealand’s charts, knocking Michael Jackson’s worldwide hit Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough from the top spot. This was quickly followed up by the release of a second No.1 single Montego Bay, and the debut chart-topping Jezebel album.

After winning New Zealand’s prestigious most up-and coming talent award, Jon expanded to international waters, recording his second solo album, Jon Stevens, with Big Time Records in Los Angeles. During this period he performed with Elton John and crossed paths with Michael Browning, his soon to be manager, who would relocate Jon to Australia. A fortuitous introduction to a promising guitarist named Stuart Fraser would sow the seeds for Jon’s next major project.

Noiseworks became a mainstream success in Australia in October 1986 following the release of their debut single No Lies. Their self-titled debut album (reached No.1 on the ARIA chart, where it stayed for a massive 63 weeks. During this period, Noiseworks were became notorious for their live concerts, eager to play in every town and venue that they could. Touch, their follow-up album (produced by Chris Kimsey of Rolling Stones production fame), produced further success for the band also reaching No.1 status. The third album, aptly titled Love Versus Money, jointly produced by Noiseworks and Randy Jackson (American Idol), was also well received, enjoying instant No.1 status. During their reign of the Australian charts, their thrilling live concerts, chart success and unified creative power, led to their reputation as one of the greatest rock outfits to emerge from Australia. Regrettably the band parted ways.

Following this decision in 1992, Jon embarked on two new major projects. The first was his debut musical theatre role as Judas in the Australian production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Working alongside Australian music icons Angry Anderson, John Farnham and Kate Ceberano, the show ran for a mammoth 84 nights to an audience of over one million people, breaking all previous Australian box office records. Jon’s stellar performance earned him high praise and respect from an enthusiastic audience and his industry peers. Following the success generated by the Superstar phenomenon, Jon decided to launch the second phase of his solo career with his third album, Are U Satisfied, with Sony Music. The record had a distinct hard-edged sound that fans were accustomed to and was well received. In 1994, Jon reprised his role in a scaled down Jesus Christ Superstar touring Australia and New Zealand.

After the final curtain call for ‘Superstar’, Jon recorded the theme song for the now defunct Super League rugby competition, and trekked to the US to work with such industry legends as Slash and Mars Lasar (composer/producer). In 1996 Jon released his fourth solo album titled Circle, an adult contemporary record receiving a new range of airplay.

1998 saw Jon return to the theatrical stage to play Frank in Happy Days: The Arena Mega Musical. That same year, he appeared at the launch of Foxtel and reunited with Noiseworks friends Stuart Fraser and Kevin Nicol who hit the road for a nationwide tour. In 2000 Jon played a significant role in the Sydney Olympics when his song Carry The Flame was selected from Circle and re-worked to become the anthem for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Torch Relay. He also had the honour of running with the Olympic torch as it made its way across Sydney to the opening ceremony. Re-recording the song for the games gave Jon the chance to work alongside INXS’s Jon Farriss, and he performed with the band to a worldwide audience of 2.4 billion people. Collaborating with INXS led to Jon joining the band as guest vocalist, and together they embarked on a global tour, including a 55-day engagement with the legendary Night of the Proms throughout Europe. Jon was officially announced as INXS’s “seventh member” in 2002, but soon after the announcement Jon and the band parted ways.

Jon returned to his solo work in 2004, with the release of the R&B-inspired album Ain’t No Life For The Faint Hearted (recorded in the US). 2004 also saw Jon travelling to East Timor to visit and perform for the Australian troops. In 2005, Jon released an acoustic album entitled The Works as part of the Liberation Blue acoustic series. Recorded with his band in Melbourne, The Works featured raw, stripped-back recordings of his hits, both solo and Noiseworks. 2006 brought a unique touring opportunity – the “Six Strings & The Works” tour, which saw him sharing the stage with celebrated singer/songwriter Ian Moss (Cold Chisel).

In 2007, Jon joined John Waters and Jack Jones (Southern Sons) for the hugely successful White Album concerts at the Sydney Opera House. Noiseworks reunited to play at A Day For Newcastle (supporting children’s health) and enjoyed the experience so much that they continued to tour throughout the year. They began to write together again and debuted a new track, Let It Go on this tour. The year culminated in a headlining appearance on the nationally televised Reach Out For Asia Appeal, performing the tsunami appeal’s selected theme song Touch.

After a short break, Jon hit the road again in 2008 to join Ian Moss (Cold Chisel), Jack Jones and Tania Doko (Bachelor Girl) for a national tour. After performing a number of shows in the UK, including an Australia Day event in London, Jon joined his Noiseworks band mates once again for a national tour. They released their first official live album, Live ‘N’ Loud, recorded at The Palms (Melbourne, Australia) in October the year before.

2009 began steadily, with Jon hitting the road yet again to perform his more intimate shows and the commencement of work on new material at Rockinghorse Studios (Byron Bay). He and friend Stuart Fraser appeared as surprise guests on an episode of ‘Domestic Blitz’, singing an acoustic version of Touch for a deserving family. But a heart condition that he had been alerted to in December 2008 gave him a scare. A routine check-up discovered that two of his arteries had a critical blockage, requiring immediate hospitalisation. He underwent open-heart surgery with a double bypass on September 16 and spent three months recovering. This harrowing experience led to a significant lifestyle change and a new appreciation for life. Reflecting on his own ordeal, he leapt at the opportunity to become an ambassador for the Hugs For Hearts campaign and several other initiatives relating to his experience, and from there he eased himself back into touring.

2011 was a big year for Jon releasing his solo album ‘Changing Times’. Jon followed up ‘Changing Times’ no more than 2 months later with a Soul Covers album entitled ‘Testify’ which was recorded in L.A in a mere 12 days, the intense energy of the session evident right from the outset. Touring the country performing no less than three shows a week in support of the albums.

Showing another creative side in 2012 Jon co-wrote the title track for the upcoming 2013 release of Disney Toon Studios animated Movie entitled ‘Planes’.

2013 sees Jon out front of a new project called “The Dead Daisies” with the band being Special Guests for ZZ Top & Aerosmith on their Australian Tours. The Dead Daisies will debut with fellow band members Charlie Drayton, Jim Hilbun, Richard Fortus from Guns N Roses and David Lowy.

Through his passion and tenacity, Jon has established himself as one of Australia’s finest performers, and one only needs to listen to a record or see him in his element – his live shows – to realize what has made Jon a spirited and gifted musical talent.

He is a host, actor, radio talent, and classically trained singer (A MusA).

He also studied Law, following in the footsteps of his father, the former Supreme Court Judge Barry O’Keefe, and worked in commercial litigation for 5 years with top-tier Australian firm Allens Arthur Robinson. But like his uncle, Australian rock and roll legend Johnny O’Keefe, Andrew’s passion for entertainment overcame any thoughts of a straight and narrow career path.

His television career kicked off performing in the AFI-nominated sketch comedy Big Bite on Channel Seven, before he took the roles of host on Deal or No Deal in 2004, and Weekend Sunrise in 2006. In addition to his current duties with the network, Andrew as has also hosted live prime-time specials including the historic tri-network Tsunami Appeal – Reach Out to Asia, and the 2005 Logie Awards (as co-host with Rove McManus and Eddie McGuire), as well as numerous Telethons and Appeals.

For its first two seasons, he hosted the popular prime-time national game show, The Rich List, and in 2009 put on a producing hat to launch his own format This is Your Laugh (a chat show with comedy impro) for the Seven Network’s HD Channel. Andrew was nominated “Best New Male Talent” in the 2004 Logie Awards, was nominated for the Silver Logie for “Most Popular TV Presenter” in 2005 and 2006, and has been nominated five times for “Most Popular Light Entertainment Programme” with Deal or No Deal.

Outside of his career in entertainment, Andrew is a passionate advocate of social-justice causes, most notably in his role as an ambassador for the White Ribbon Foundation (Australia), a nationwide not-for-profit organisation dedicated to eliminating all forms of violence against women (www.whiteribbonday.org.au). He loves performing music and traveling the world, and will happily take part in any sport with a generous “après” quotient.

Training:

Ben was recently crowned the winner of ITV’s ‘Superstar’, winning the role of Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Ben is based in London and performs across a national and international spectrum. Originally from Sunderland, Ben works in TV, Theatre, Radio and the Music industry.

Credits: Jesus, Jesus Christ Superstar, AEG, director Laurence Connor, Winner of the Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ITV show “Superstar”, Brad, The Rocky Horror Show, ATG, Director Chris Luscombe, Lead vocalist in Thriller Live, Flying Music, Director Gary Lloyd for the West End and World Tour, El Haj, La Cava West End, Eon Productions, Director Steven Dexter. Doody, Grease West End, Director David Gilmore, Lead , All You Need Is Love. West End, Wizard, Director John Miller

TV: BBC’s “The Dream Academy” & ITV’s “Superstar”

In 2009 the RSC commissioned Tim and playwright Dennis Kelly, along with director Matthew Warchus, to adapt a Roald Dahl story into a stage show. The result – Matilda the Musical – is one of the most critically acclaimed theatre pieces in West End history, and opened on Broadway in April this year (2013).

In 2012 Tim acted in the 6th season of the Showtime hit, Californication. His character, Atticus Fetch, is a long-haired rockstar trying to write a Broadway musical.

Projects in the past year included reprising the role of Judas for the Australian tour and playing a title role in the new Sydney Theatre Company production of Tom Stoppard’s Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead, writing songs for a DreamWorks Animation feature, working on a new stage musical and attempting to spend less time away from his wife and kids.

Melanie’s solo success however reached far beyond home shores. 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 it was announced to the world that the Spice Girls were reuniting. Any initial reluctance to take part in The Return of the Spice Girls tour soon diminished by spending time with four friends she had so many life-changing and memorable experiences with.

Melanie relished the opportunity to perform in some of the biggest venues in the world, such as the O2 in London and New York’s Madison Square Garden. She left audiences impressed by her energy, presence and live vocals.

Promotion for This Time continued after the tour had finished, where Melanie spent the summer of 2008 performing around Europe and headlining a tour of Canada. She became a mother in February of 2009 to Scarlet and took the time to bond with her daughter, stepping out of the spotlight to do so.

After she had settled into motherhood, the self-styled workaholic started looking at a number of projects and mentioned to friends her desire to ‘tread the boards’ of the West End. Fate would come in the form of a phone call asking Melanie if she would like to audition for the iconic role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers. The much-loved musical play set in her beloved Liverpool was the dream part as she opened at the Phoenix Theatre in October 2009 for a 6 month run.

Much was made of the choice – being the first Liverpulian and one of the youngest actresses to play the role, but Melanie shone. Her performance earned 5 star reviews from respected theatre critics from The London Evening Standard, The Mail On Sunday and The New York Post, with Charles Spencer of The Daily Telegraph calling her ‘an absolute sensation’.

And the plaudits didn’t stop there. Melanie went on to receive nominations for a prestigious Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical or Entertainment and an Evening Standard Theatre Award nomination for Outstanding Newcomer.
After a break to begin work on her fifth solo album, Melanie reprised her role in the touring production of Blood Brothers for the two weeks it played in its home city of Liverpool, where she enjoyed yet more standing ovations.

Four years since her last music release, Melanie announced details of album number five - The Sea. Working with writers and producers from past album as well as new collaborations; the collective of sweeping orchestral arrangements, layered harmonies and unambiguous high quality pop enhanced the style Melanie had developed over the previous four albums.

Following a UK, Ireland and German tour of The Sea in early 2012, Melanie collaborated on a side project with DJ Jodie Harsh. The Night EP showcased Melanie on three tracks incorporating dance, dubstep and trip-hop production by Jodie in this joint venture aimed at the club scene.

In typical Melanie style her next move was an effortless transition, signing up initially as a mentor on the ITV1 show Superstar. In the search for a leading man in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ambitious new national arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, Melanie worked alongside Jason Donovan and Andrew to choose 10 of the best singers, actors and dancers to go forward to the live TV finals.
Such was Melanie’s popularity with the TV audience, not only did Andrew ask her to become a judge in the week long series of finals, but also chose her as his Mary Magdalene in the production which went on to play to some of the biggest audiences to a show of this kind – including four nights at London’s O2 Arena.

The successful tour followed an incredible summer, which saw the Melanie reunite with the Spice Girls for the self-confessed highlight of their career as a group – performing at the Olympic Closing Ceremony in London. Seen as one of the most anticipated appearances and in front of a global TV audience of billions, the world could never look at black cabs in the same way again!

In light of her recent return to stage, Melanie spent time with long time collaborator and producer Peter-John Vettese and recorded some of her favourite songs from musical theatre – resulting in the album Stages, released last year. A highlight for those involved and all Spice fans was I Don’t Know How To Love Him, the duet from Chess which saw Melanie and bandmate Emma Bunton together again in the recording studio.

Melanie started 2013 in adventurous style as part of the team taking part in the BT Red Nose Day Challenge – Hell and High Water. Over five days the crew dodged hippos, crocodiles, rapids and white water to paddle 111km down the Zambezi River in Africa. Despite the drama of capsizing, injuries and lack of sleep, seeing where the funds would be spent encouraged the team to complete the course, raising (to date) £600,000 for Comic Relief.

In February of this year, Melanie swapped lifejackets and paddles for the glamour of the WhatsOnStage.com Awards. Performing at the evening ceremony with co-star from Jesus Christ Superstar, Tim Minchin, Melanie picked up the award for ‘Best Supporting Actress In A Musical’ as Mary Magdalene and thanked the theatre community for “watching my performances without prejudice” in her speech.

Rejoining the cast of Jesus Christ Superstar, Melanie will tour Australia with the production in May and June of this year before it returns to appear at UK arenas once again in the autumn.

The busy year will end with another UK tour as Melanie takes to the stage as special guest with the ever popular Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra. Playing 29 dates over November and December, it promises to be a spectacular end to an exciting 2013 for Melanie C.

Award-winning Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Spice Girl Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’. Winner of ITV’s Superstar, Ben Forster, also returns in the title role of ‘Jesus’.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “Last year’s tour was the first-ever UK arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and it surpassed our expectations. The response from audiences across the UK and Ireland was overwhelming and the show was everything I had hoped for. It’s great news that fans will have a final chance to see the show with the original arena tour cast of Tim Minchin, Mel C, Chris Moyles, Ben Forster and Alex Hanson.”

	Ben Forster – Jesus Ben was recently crowned the winner of ITV’s ‘Superstar’, winning the role of Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Ben is based in London and performs across a national and international spectrum. Originally from Sunderland, Ben works in TV, Theatre, Radio and the Music industry… Read More »
	Melanie C – Mary Magdalene 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. Melanie has released six solo albums, achieved over 3 million album sales, two Number 1 singles and six Top 10 singles… Read More »
	Tim Minchin – Judas Iscariot Tim Minchin is a musician, comedian, actor and writer. He has toured his solo work throughout the UK, Australia and the US, garnering rave reviews and an ever-growing army of disturbingly passionate fans. His 2010 show “Tim Minchin Versus The Heritage Orchestra” sold out at the O2 arena and the Royal Albert Hall, and his Australian concert with the Sydney Symphony was broadcast live nationwide… Read More »
	Chris Moyles – King Herod Since joining Radio1 in 1997, after serving his radio apprenticeship across a number of leading regional radio stations, Chris has built audience and won critical acclaim in an unrivalled way including 6 Sonys and 2 GQ ‘Radio Personality of the Year’Awards. Outside of the radio studio, Chris has built a hugely successful multi platform career encompassing books, albums and television. Read More »

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I’m thrilled that Australia is to be the first leg for our international tour of the new Jesus Christ Superstar. We had an overwhelming reception when the show toured the country for an astounding 84 dates in 1992. I hope this new production, which has been totally re-conceived for the 21st century, will entertain a new generation of Australians as well as those who already love the show.”

The inaugural UK run in September 2012 was seen by over 150,000 people, breaking previous audience records, with 74,000 fans seeing the show on its opening weekend.

	Ben Forster – Jesus Ben was recently crowned the winner of ITV’s ‘Superstar’, winning the role of Jesus in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Ben is based in London and performs across a national and international spectrum. Originally from Sunderland, Ben works in TV, Theatre, Radio and the Music industry… Read More »
	Melanie C – Mary Magdalene 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. Melanie has released six solo albums, achieved over 3 million album sales, two Number 1 singles and six Top 10 singles… Read More »
	Tim Minchin – Judas Iscariot Tim Minchin is a musician, comedian, actor and writer. He has toured his solo work throughout the UK, Australia and the US, garnering rave reviews and an ever-growing army of disturbingly passionate fans. His 2010 show “Tim Minchin Versus The Heritage Orchestra” sold out at the O2 arena and the Royal Albert Hall, and his Australian concert with the Sydney Symphony was broadcast live nationwide… Read More »
	Andrew O’Keefe – King Herod Host of the Seven Network’s hugely successful Deal or No Deal, and co-anchor of the top-rating Weekend Sunrise, Andrew O’Keefe is one of Australia’s most well-known and versatile performers. Recognised for his sharp wit, improvisational expertise, kinetic energy and genuine warmth, Andrew is always in demand… Read More »
	Jon Stevens – Pontius Pilate Jon Stevens has led a varied and remarkable career, standing strong through the successes and trials that have earned him a place as a respected veteran performer. Through his solid studio recordings and incredible live performances, Jon has proven himself to be an adaptable, hard-working and inspiring artist. He has walked the boards of the world’s most prestigious stages and enjoyed the opportunity to work alongside the world’s best… Read More »

Soul Girls

Ensemble

Tickets for both UK and Australia tours available HERE »

The Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour is a co-production between AEG Live, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group. ‘Superstar’ was an ITV Studios Production for ITV1.

The Australian tour will feature Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Ben Forster in the role of ‘Jesus’. Also starring in the Australian production will be Jon Stevens returning to Jesus Christ Superstar in the role of ‘Pontius Pilate’ and Andrew O’Keefe in the role of ‘King Herod’. Stevens played Judas in the 1992 Australian arena tour and the 1994 theatre production, as well as having been the frontman for INXS from 2000 – 2004 and the lead singer of Noiseworks. O’Keefe is a popular TV presenter in Australia, on screens across the country seven days a week hosting the popular shows Deal or No Deal and Weekend Sunrise.

It has been over 20 years since Jesus Christ Superstar last toured Australia: In 1992 a production which starring Jon Stevens as Judas and John Farnham as Jesus, toured Australian arenas to phenomenal success, running for 84 nights and attended by a still record 987,000 people, grossing over $40 million at the box office. The soundtrack went on to sell 4 x Platinum.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says: “I’m thrilled that Australia is to be the first leg for our international tour of the new Jesus Christ Superstar. We had an overwhelming reception when the show toured the country for an astounding 84 dates in 1992. I hope this new production, which has been totally re-conceived for the 21st century, will entertain a new generation of Australians as well as those who already love the show.”

The production will then return for an encore season across UK arenas starting 1 October in Glasgow’s new Hydro Arena. The original UK cast will return for the 2013 run, including Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster, in the title role of ‘Jesus’.

The inaugural run in September 2012 was seen by over 150,000 people, breaking previous audience records, with 74,000 fans seeing the show on its opening weekend.

Click here for ticket information »

The Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour is a co-production between AEG Live, and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Really Useful Group. ‘Superstar’ was an ITV Studios Production for ITV1.

Jesus Christ Superstar had an excellent night, with Melanie C (Mary Magdalene) and Tim Minchin (Judas Iscariot) both picking up awards for Best Supporting Actress and Actor in a Musical. As neither had earned their fame through musical theatre, both felt the need to express their appreciation and gratitude towards the theatre community for watching their performances without prejudice.

They also treated the audience to a performance of Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice classics, “Heaven on Their Minds” and “I Don’t Know How to Love Him”.

It means so much for Jesus Christ Superstar to be nominated for FIVE WOS Awards (let alone win two of them!) as they are entirely voted for by the theatregoing public, so we’d like to extend a huge thank you to everybody who voted for us.

The show’s regeneration takes us back to its origins in the US as an arena tour, but it had never before been seen this way in the UK until September.

We are very excited today to announce that tickets are officially on sale and can be purchased right now from the Tickets page!

More good news!

Irish fans will be delighted to hear will be adding two new dates to the tour:

19 March 2013 – Odyssey Arena, Belfast
21 March 2013 – The O2, Dublin

Tickets for these dates will be on sale from Thursday 13th December… All the information you need is on our Tickets page so what are you still doing here?!

The show returns to the UK by popular demand, after receiving overwhelming praise during its inaguaral UK run from both audiences and critics alike.  The run was seen by over 150,000 thousand people, breaking previous audience records with 74,000 fans seeing the show its opening weekend.

Award-winning Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Spice Girl Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’.   Winner of ITV’s Superstar, Ben Forster, also returns in the title role of ‘Jesus’.

Andrew Lloyd Webber says:  “Last year’s tour was the first-ever UK arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar and it surpassed our expectations.  The response from audiences across the UK and Ireland was overwhelming and the show was everything I had hoped for.  It’s great news that fans will have a final chance to see the show with the original arena tour cast of Tim Minchin, Mel C, Chris Moyles, Ben Forster and Alex Hanson.”

Celebrating over 40 years since it first opened in London’s West End, these final dates of Jesus Christ Superstar arena tour kick off in Nottingham on 10^th March before visiting London, Liverpool, Cardiff, Manchester and Newcastle. The tour culminates in Birmingham on 28^th March:

10^th March - Nottingham Capital FM arena

13^th March - London O2 Arena

15^th March - Liverpool Echo Arena

17^th March - Cardiff Motorpoint Arena

24^th March - Manchester Arena

26^th March - Newcastle Metro Arena

28^th March - Birmingham NIA

Tickets for the UK tour priced £30-65 will be on sale from 9.00am on Friday 7^th December.

Andrew Lloyd Webber
Composer

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber talks us through Jesus Christ Superstar’s journey from the moment the idea was born.

Jesus Christ Superstar LIVE Arena Tour is now available on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download

We are delighted to announce that Andrew Lloyd Webber’s spectacular new arena production of Jesus Christ Superstar is now available to own forever on DVD and Blu-Ray.

Witnessing this stunning show was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many people, but now you can relive the whole experience with Tim Minchin, Melanie C, Chris Moyles and Ben Forster in beautiful HD and crisp 5.1 surround sound in the conform of your own living room.

IN SELECTED CINEMAS WORLDWIDE FROM OCTOBER 29

AFTER CRITICS HAIL THE OPENING OF ITS RUN AN OVERWHELMING SUCCESS

“Lloyd Webber’s new generation of superstars hits all the right notes.”

The Times

“A work of conceptual genius”

Daily Telegraph

“Restored to its heavy metal rock origins.”

The Independent

“An almighty success!” Daily Star Sunday

“Blows away tradition.” Daily Mail

Following a triumphant opening weekend at London’s 02 Arena, Universal Pictures is delighted to announce that the 21^st century re-invention of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” will be filmed on 4th and 5th October and shown in selected cinemas worldwide prior to a UK DVD and Blu-Ray release on November 19th.

It will be broadcast to select U.S. cinemas nationwide on Monday, Oct. 29 and again on Thursday, Nov. 1 at 7:30 p.m. local time and to 60 Australian screens from November 8th for one week only.

In the US, “Jesus Christ Superstar UK Rock Spectacular” tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com. For a complete list of theater locations and prices, visit the NCM Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change). The event will be broadcast to more than 575 select movie theaters across the country through NCM’s exclusive Digital Broadcast Network.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “I have waited 42 years for Jesus Christ Superstar to play arenas in the UK, and it is great to finally see the show as it was originally intended, as an arena rock opera. I’m thrilled that Universal will be filming the new arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar for cinema release, which allows us to capture this amazing production and share it with the world!”

The 21-date arena tour, the first ever in the UK, features a star-studded line-up which includes award-winning musical comedian, Australia’s own Tim Minchin – also the co-writer of West End smash musical Matilda – in the role of ‘Judas Iscariot’; pop icon and former Spice Girl Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’; radio DJ Chris Moyles in his stage debut as ‘King Herod’; and the winner of the UK’s primetime ITV show ‘Superstar’, Ben Forster, who was chosen by the British public to take on the title role of ‘Jesus’.

An award-winning creative team has been assembled to transform this legendary rock musical into a unique, contemporary, state-of-the-art spectacular. Director Laurence Connor, known for his work on the 25^th anniversary performances and concerts for Les Miserables and The Phantom of the Opera, works alongside Mark Fisher, the acclaimed world-leading set designer responsible for the staging of the Diamond Jubilee music concert in front of Buckingham Palace, and Patrick Woodroffe who worked on the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games, to create a conceptual masterpiece.

“Jesus Christ Superstar” is a worldwide phenomenon, portraying the story of the last seven days of Christ leading up to his crucifixion as seen through the eyes of ‘Judas Iscariot’, and featuring hit songs such as ‘Superstar’, ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’, ‘Heaven On Their Minds’ and ‘Hosanna’.  Over 40 different cast recordings have been released in 19 different languages.

The first production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” was a US arena tour in 1971. It then debuted on Broadway, and, in 1972, UK fans finally got their chance to see this landmark show when it arrived at London’s Palace Theatre – its run of eight years and over 3,000 performances smashed all box office records. Since then, Jesus Christ Superstar has rarely left the stage, with professional productions in 42 countries around the world and with around 300 amateur productions officially licensed each year.

Universal Pictures filmed two nights of the 21-date arena tour, the first ever in the UK, for worldwide broadcasts to cinemas as well as DVD and Blu-ray™ release in early 2013 internationally, with the exception of the UK which will release in time for Christmas on November 19, 2012.  To pre-order your copy click here.

We have had fantastic audiences throughout the tour and last night was no exception, we even had a Mexican wave!

Click on the thumbnail images above to view larger pics.

They clearly enjoyed it!  Following the show Kylie tweeted – “@OfficialALW @OfficialRUG CONGRATS!!! We just saw and loved #JesusChristSuperstar

Click on the thumbnail images above to view larger pics.

Check out the fabulous first images released from the show which opened Friday night at the O2 Arena.  Click on the thumbnails above to view larger images.

The production is at London’s O2 Arena until tomorrow evening, when it moves to Glasgow.

For the full list of venues, and how to buy tickets click here.

Photograph by Dave Hogan.

Click here for the full list of venues and ticket information

As I hope you will learn over these forthcoming words, last week was one hell of a week!  It was Tech week!

Im sure many of you fantastically informed fans will know what teching is, but for those not so in the know,here goes…

Technical Rehearsal, or Tech is the process during which each and every department must come together and find a way to merge in perfect harmony to deliver the final show you will see on stage.

We have Sound, Lighting, Set, Props, Cameras, Performers Cues, Entrances/Exits, Spacing, Choreography and Costume. Each and every one must be coordinated, directed, manipulated and shoehorned into the perfect balance to create the exact scene, images, atmosphere and feeling needed to tell our fantastic tale. And its a long and tedious process!

Our current rehearsal schedule will be between 8 and 12 hours a day. Most of this time can be spent in an enormous studio in which our phenomenal set is built. The studio is often dark, lit only by our stage lighting, but everywhere is a hive of activity.  People chattering over coms and mics while the director liases between the many departments and the stage managers try oversee the chaos and the thankless task of keeping a mass of fidgeting, hyperactive performers in place and in check.

There are also assistant directors and choreographers running on and off stage adding the finishing touches to the scene with every department jostling for their required time to adjust and perfect cues. Somewhere in the middle of this up to 50 performers will be on and off the stage. Bouncing between a stop, go, wait, go again, wait, go back to the beginning and start again regime.

We go from long waits while lights are angled and technical staging is set. Then we are suddenly go, running the number with performance lighting and a band playing ear splittingly loud all around me. My muscles ache from the rapid change of pace as I dance, jump and tumble full out whilst making sure my pathways are clear, that I am not being blinded by the lights while I am upside down and that my costume doesn’t get in the way.  Most importantly, is the awareness that I have to do this in front of 20,000 people in a weeks time!

Every time we run a number now I look out from our set and I see in my mind the thousands of faces who will watch us over the coming months.

This stage of the process brings the cast even closer together and secures the company into the tight group it is. The gruellingly hard work during the week of tech pulls us together as we carry each other through it. It’s the final preparation for the pressures of being on stage, of touring together, being around each other almost 24/7. Through city after city, coach trips, tiredness, highs and lows. I think in many ways its as necessary to experience this experience as it is to complete the technical building of the show.

So I hope this has given you a little insight into what life’s like just now. When you watch our show give a thought to the huge amount of people that have contributed to it and the sheer volume of thought, organisation, logistics and repetition its taken for it to unfold in front of you.

This last week before we open will be the hardest yet, but then comes the joy of taking this show out to an audience.  I’m so excited!

I look forward to sharing it with you.
Ali

Things have been moving so fast in the Jesus camp this past week as we have moved rehearsal venues and have begun teching the show. For those of you who aren’t familiar with what that is, it means we are going through the show step by step, stopping and starting where necessary to make sure every line, every light, every piece of music comes together just right to give you the finished product that you will see when you come to see the show.

It is quite a tedious process but essential and worth every headache when you see the show. We have also been fitted for all our costumes and they are nothing short of spectacular – some more than others but i can’t give too much away

Today we will continue the teching process, with one minor difference; Andrew Lloyd Webber will be present to over look all aspects of the show. Its quite a surreal experience to perform his own compositions in front of him and I am delighted to be able to say that I have done that!

Anyway folks, I must get back to rehearsals but as i have said before, if you need any questions answered, don’t hesitate to ask.

I hope to fill you in even more next week on the lead up to opening night in the O2 in London… not long to go now.

Follow me on twitter for even more updates - www.twitter.com/ryangibbuk

Over to our Soul Girl Keisher who takes us backstage at the ITV1 studios prior to the performance which was shown on Saturday evening.  If you missed it the show will be broadcast again this evening at 10.35pm

Hello again!

Another amazing few days in rehearsals and then last week the Soul Girls were asked to do backing vocals for Mel, Tim & Ben on the Jonathan Ross Show. I’m sure you can imagine, without hesitation and a quick mental check of ” WHAT WILL I WEAR!” We all said … YES!!

What a memorable and fun day! We were picked up and taken to the studios where the show is filmed. For me the first highlight was getting to sit in the Loose Women greenroom. Next step will be to actually have a chat on the show… I would LOVE that! I think I’d have so much to say!!

Then we were taken off to the dressing room and were treated like true divas with our hair and make up done to perfection, and wonderful extras like a platter of fruit along with drinks of our choice served by the gorgeous runner Hassan!

So. What did we wear?  Now for me, my outfit wasn’t 100% there. I wore a white tailored Gucci waistost along with my black studded New Rock Metal boots but I thought I was lacking slightly in the accessories department. Then, to my delight, the lovely Melanie C offered to lend me this divine necklace… (You dont get to say that everyday eh?) What a classy lady and I must say, it suited me to a T!! hahah!! (Cheers Mel!!)

Before they performed Everything’s Alright, Ben, Tim & Mel were joined by Andrew Lloyd Webber then later on the couch was the stunning Cheryl Cole and Kayvvan Novak (Fonejackerr) who is hilarious!

We all had such a lovely day and felt honored to be part of the promotion for such a great show.

Back in the rehearsal room, we’ve been doing a lot of choreography. I just found myself walking past one of the rehearsal rooms where they were working on King Herod”s Song and, I’ll be honest, I found myself doing a version of the Charleston in the corridor (very badly I might add!)

The next challenge is to remember my choreographed dance moves instead of wanting to just dance around the stage. I dont know how the audience is gonna be able to listen to this and sit down. It’ll be worse than our cast Doughnut Challenge (you have to eat a whole doughnut without licking the sugar off of your lips.. silly I know but you get to eat loads of doughnuts!)

I can honestly say that everyone – cast, crew, musicians and technical team are truly up for making this a show to remember. It is such an exciting show to be involved in.

You can find Keisher on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Keisher

Hi again guys it’s me, WUSSEY!

Well, we are really at the exciting stages of the rehearsals at the moment.  We have moved venues to a purpose built studio for arena shows where we can have all the lights & special effects for the show in full working order.  We are currently spending each day working though the show slowly and adding in all those magical touches to really make this show spectacular and I am so excited for you all to see it!

I can tell you now that I have just been crying after watching Ben sing Gethsemane….he is amazing and I got goosebumps everywhere!

And I have to give a big heads up to the catering team here who will also come on tour with us….they have worked with all the stars who go on big tours like this and they are treating us amazingly well and the food is ridiculously good!

I have been working hard on my show bible and keeping account of any little tweaks we are making to the show throughout the tech period.

I can’t believe that we will be opening at London’s O2 Arena in only 10 days time ! How exciting!

We had a sitzprobe last week for the Lord and seemed to thoroughly enjoy it.  For those of you who don’t know what a sitzprobe is: this is where we run the show musically in its entirety.  So we all gather together with the band and sing the entire show without the set and costumes etc.  It was another incredible experience and marks another important milestone in the lead up to opening night.

You can follow me on twitter @russellsmithuk or get in touch through the official twitter account @JCSthemusical

AND the first public performance of a number from the new production from the show’s stars

Tomorrow night, Saturday 8th September, Andrew Lloyd Webber has a very candid chat with Jonathan Ross on Jonathan’s ITV1 show.

In addition, Tim Minchin, Melanie C and Ben Forster give the PREMIERE performance from the new arena production of JCS. The trio, along with backing singing from the show’s Soul Girls, perform an edited version of Everything’s Alright.

The show airs on ITV1 from 9.55pm

Click here for the full list of venues and ticket information

IF YOU MISSED THE BROADCAST YOU CAN WATCH AGAIN ON ITV PLAYER

The star-studded line-up includes award-winning musical comedian Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’,Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and winner of the ITV primetime show ‘Superstar’ Ben Forster as ‘Jesus’

Melanie C said: “Rehearsals have been going brilliantly, I feel so lucky to be a part of this incredible production. Mary Magdalene is such a wonderful role”.

Click here for the full list of venues and ticket information

Today we were all called to rehearsal as usual to work through the show – or so we thought!

The morning saw the whole cast work ‘The temple’ scene which is crazy. We then broke for lunch. Whilst on our lunch break we all noticed a heightened atmosphere in the camp. Different cars kept dropping different people off, culminating in the Lord himself, Andrew Lloyd Webber, who pulled up in a car right outside the rehearsal studio!

It was then made known to us that we would be doing a full run through of the show from start to finish without stopping. We had never done this before, and to realise that we had to do it for the first time in front of the composer, was somewhat nerve-wracking to say the least.

We got focused and ran through the whole show. To say we were all dripping with sweat at the end of it all is an understatement. It was such a good feeling running the whole thing without stopping so and it was brilliant to get a real feel of how each scene flows into another. The cast are all so amazing and everyone did such a good job. It was a credit to the creative team who have been working so patiently with us on this wonderful masterpiece.

Don’t forget, I will be happy to answer any questions about the cast or rehearsals, don’t hesitate to ask.

I will be back soon with another update from the JCS rehearsals.

Thanks,

Ryan xx

P.S Mr Minchin and I have a bit of a scuffle during quite a few of our scenes together but as you can see, we are all friends once the music stops

So its week 3 already, pretty scary how quickly that’s gone. Having said that we have done a ton of work already and we are plotting scenes like there’s no tomorrow. We can also officially say we are at full strength now too, having been joined by Chris Moyles who will play King Herod. We also spent a bit of time of Peter’s Denial this week too, among others. Though a shorter scene it’s definitely one of my favourites, however I can’t tell you why. You’ll just have to wait to until you see it live!

So now we are very much in the depths of rehearsal I have a very real sense of the company and the people I’m working with. After the 10 year journey I’ve had in this industry I am still very much excited about going on stage and performing to audiences. However, now more than ever for me it’s about the people. The quality and richness of characters that I have met over the years has been amazing. It’s the people I get to work and share these processes with that inspire me to keep pushing myself physically and creatively.  The physical, vocal, creative and technical talent in this company is immense. To work with people that represent the very pinnacle of the industry is the thing that makes me strive to be at the very top of my game. I never want to lose that sense of needing to be better than I am. I never want to stop moving forward. So no matter who it is, whether it’s 19 year old Alex, who is probably one of the most talented (and bravest) acrobats I’ve ever worked with that inspires me to train harder ever day, or our director Laurence Connor, who I can say with confidence is the most insightful intelligent director I’ve worked with. His understanding of audience perception and his ability to so clearly communicate his intentions to the cast are excellent.

Every person can teach me something and I love that about being in a company like this. I very much hope to be able to introduce you to more of them over the next while.

Well that’s it for now… Please keep up to date with us. Don’t be afraid to let us know what you think of our blogs or ask any questions on twitter: @JCSTheMusical & @TheAliMovement

Until the next time!

Ali

Hey guys!

My name’s Keisher and I’m a member of the JCS Arena Tour cast. I’m going to be playing one of the Soul Girls as well as being part of the ensemble cast. This is going to be my first professional musical so as well as being excited I’m also really nervous to be working with such a high profile cast!

Just like the first day of work, you never know what the people are going to be like, who will be your lunch buddy and who’s gonna drive you mad! Well I have to say, the cast and staff are lovely. Everyone seems to be committed to making this show something special. Really cool, talented individuals varying in ages and experience which is so refreshing.

Before this, I have been working as a singer, backing vocalist, recording artist & travelling the world with various bands. As I studied musical theatre many moons ago, I thought it would be a great new venture to get back into and the rest is history…here I am in Jesus Christ Superstar the UK Arena Tour!

This past week, i’ve been rehearsing with my ‘Soul Sisters’ (Karleen Wray & Krysten Cummings). Dance routines, harmonies and most importantly …. Outfits!! Now, I wont give away too much but we will be diva-licious!! (I am rapidly falling in love with the wardrobe department.) As you know, you cant have style without substance and I must say, these divas have got soul! Hearing them individually, you feel like you are listening to a classy motown reunion. Very inspiring as these ladies have a vast wealth of experience to bring to the table and I’m trying my best to lap up the knowledge like a cat with milk!

Anyway, I’m off to carry on learning my lines and get my pirouettes right!

Bye for now and don’t forget to get your tickets before its too late!  You really don’t want to miss this one!

The show is a huge undertaking and will be the first of its kind in the sense of its enormity and size of venues etc…

Full cast vocal call

As you can imagine the rehearsal process is hard work due to the sheer size of the production but above all the most enjoyable experience due to the wonderful cast and creatives. There is an incredible amount of talent in one room.

I will be filling you in on the day to day progress with the show and will be posting pictures and videos of the cast and various scenes from the show that we are rehearsing so if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!

So today, the whole cast have been called to do a big vocal tidy-up so essentially we are doing a big sing-through of the whole show. There are nearly 50 people in the cast so when we are all singing together, the sound is huge. Everyone is sounding unbelievable and you are all in for a real treat!!

As we are all busy doing this, a few people are rehearsing Pilate’s Dream Scene in the other studio with Laurence the director. I nipped over on the break to catch a bit of it and its going really well also. This afternoon sees the cast continuing with Herod’s Song with the wonderful Chris Moyles which i can assure you is phenomenal!

As i said, i will be keeping you posted and up to date with all the going on an if you have any questions, please don’t be afraid to ask.

I look forward to hearing from you and I cannot stress enough how amazing the show is going to be so get your tickets ASAP to avoid disappointment!

Cheers,

Ryan

Follow on twitter: @ryangibbuk / @JCSTheMusical

Over to you Cpt. Wussey!

And… can you spot a certain cast member in the background eating their lunch?

Hello!

So some of you may have seen my first video introducing myself – but for those of you who haven’t I shall tell you a bit about myself here!

I go by the nickname Wussey and I am busy rehearsing away for Jesus Christ Superstar as Dance Captain. As well as having my own ensemble track in the show, it is my job to learn all of the parts whether they be leads, supporting roles or ensemble. I keep a record of every detail in my “bible” – which has a copy of all of the choreography, staging, props, entrances and exits, and maps of everyones blocking.

It may sound full on but I LOVE MY JOB! I have been Dance Captain for Dirty Dancing, as well as working on shows such as Mamma Mia, Fame, and Grease The Musical.

Today was a great day for me as we spent our time working on the number “Superstar” and I am really excited about it! Everyone is working so hard and the atmosphere in the studio is great! I just can’t wait for you guys to see all of our hard work come together!

I will be making lots more videos with all the gossip so please send in your questions and if you have any fun ideas of what you want us to get up then let me know!

In the meantime I’m just going to back to dancing with Mel C! (“Colours of the world….SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!)

You can follow me on twitter @russellsmithuk or get in touch through the official twitter account @JCSthemusical

BYE!

From my perspective I feel like I have started to find my stride and am able to embrace and fully enjoy the hard work. Starting a new project like this is hard for so many different reasons. For example you might not know most or even all of your now fellow cast members. After a very short amount of time together you are expected to be able to gel as one unit, socially and professionally. To move exactly in time, sing as one voice, and to give yourself over whole heartedly to creativity.  The foundation of this is trust and mutual respect. All these requirements are of course at the very core of our profession and the key to this being so successful is the belief and understanding in the end result – The SHOW! Which I can happily say is very much the case here. Its an amazing and dedicated group of people.

So what else has been happening? Well we had a surprise visit from Donny Osmond, who observed some of a rehearsal. More recently we had the composer himself, Andrew Lloyd Webber in to check out the work we have done so far…no pressure then!  We also have the excellent and lovely Melanie C with us now which means we are (almost) at full strength as a cast, which really makes all the difference. Lastly, as always we are plotting and rehearsing the scenes from the show.

In this video clip we say hello to our Dance Captain, Russell Smith (or Wussey as he prefers to be known). Russell will be providing us with regular updates from the rehearsal rooms but in the first instalment of his video blog he tells us what being a Dance Captain entails and why it involves a lot of bible reading. He also re-introduces us to a few familiar faces.

Hi, and welcome to my Jesus Christ Superstar blog. I’m Ali Temple and for the next 9 weeks I’ll be keeping you posted with all that’s happening here, as well as giving you a little peek into what life’s like in the creation, rehearsal and touring of one of the biggest and most anticipated shows this year.

So before we go any further I should let you know who I am and what I do. Well as I said I’m Ali, I’m 30 years old with coming on 10 years professional experience. During that time I have performed all over the world in literally every genre of the performance industry as a dancer, acrobat and circus artist. Now I find myself among this hugely talented cast here in the world of musical theatre.

As we enter week 2 of rehearsals it has already been a whirlwind of activity. Starting with being introduced to our fellow cast members as well as our production team of technicians, administrators, producers, band members, choreographers and directors. Without all of whom I wouldn’t have anything to do! We’ve also sung… a lot, learned a huge amount of choreography, plotted scenes, then run and run, and run them some more. If I was to break down all of the last week I’d be here forever!

Whether you are a loyal fan of JCS or planning on catching it for the first time I’m convinced there will be moments to quench everyones theatrical desires. A visual and audio feast I’m hugely excited to be a part of. I look forward to sharing this with you and hope to give you a genuine, honest and insightful peek into what goes on behind the scenes on tour, both off and on stage. I hope you enjoy it.
Check back for regular blogs where I’ll go much more into depth. Until then…

Ali

The full cast, which can be found here, also includes Superstar finalists Jeff Anderson and Tim Prottey-Jones who will appear in the ensemble.

Judas

Melanie Chisholm

Mary Magdalene

Chris Moyles

King Herod

Ben Forster

Jesus

Alex Hanson

Pilate

Pete Gallagher

Caiaphas

Gerard Bentall

Annas

Michael Pickering

Peter

Giovanni Spano

Simon Zealotes

Jeff Anderson

Ensemble/First cover Jesus

Michelle Antrobus

Ensemble

Jack Booth

Ensemble

Alice Capitani

Ensemble

Ian Carlyle

Ensemble/Second cover Jesus

Leon Craig

Ensemble/First cover Herod

Krysten Cummings

Ensemble/Soul Girl/First cover Mary

Christos Dante

Ensemble/First cover Simon

Stephen John Davis

Ensemble/First cover Pilate

Keisher Downie

Ensemble/Soul Girl

Ffion Emyr

Ensemble

Lily Frazer

Ensemble

Ryan Gibb

Ensemble/First cover Caiaphas

Zoe Green

Ensemble

Bob Harms

Ensemble/Second cover Caiaphas

Clare Ivory

Ensemble/Soul Girl cover

Sam Jackson

Ensemble

Jack Jefferson

Ensemble

Sia Kiwa

Ensemble/Soul Girl cover

Antony Lawrence

Ensemble/Second cover Pilate

Leon Maurice-Jones

Ensemble

Brian McCann

Ensemble/First cover Annas

Alana Murrin

Ensemble

Tim Newman

Ensemble/Second cover Simon

Tom Parsons

Ensemble/First cover Peter

Rhiannon Porter

Ensemble/Soul Girl Cover/Second cover Mary

Tim Prottey-Jones

Ensemble/First cover Judas

Adam Pritchard

Ensemble

Gala Robles

Ensemble

Lucas Rush

Ensemble/Second cover Judas

Benedict Smith

Ensemble

Russell Smith

Dance Captain/Ensemble

Phil Snowden

Ensemble/Second cover Herod

Adam Strong

Ensemble/Second cover Annas

Ali Temple

Ensemble

Jon Tsouras

Ensemble

Alex Tucker

Ensemble

Marie Walker

Ensemble

Russell Walker

Ensemble

Karlene Wray

Ensemble/Soul Girl

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production of Jesus Christ Superstar, directed by Laurence Connor, promises to be the rock event of the year as Tim Minchin (Judas Iscariot) and Ben Forster (Jesus) began rehearsals at a secret location in London this week. The first image of the highly contemporary production has today been revealed – complete with riot police who feature heavily in the opening sequence of the new rock musical production.

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: “Even the hardened rockers in our cast were taken aback by how cutting edge Laurence’s vision for the show is.  This is the first ever arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar in the UK and he is creating something quite extraordinary. Like the Olympics we’re not giving anything away but I promise that you won’t have seen a production of any of my shows quite like this!”

Demand has been so great for the arena tour that six new dates have been added since tickets went on sale.  Jesus Christ Superstar will now play 21 dates in 12 different locations across the UK and Ireland – including a fifth London date at Wembley Arena on 17 October.

The tour opens at London’s O2 on 21 September and culminates at Sheffield’s Motorpoint on 21 October.

Advance ticket sales have already topped £6 million and a record-breaking 74,000 people will see the show in its opening week alone.

An award-winning creative team have been assembled to transform this legendary rock musical into a unique state-of-the-art spectacular. Director Laurence Connor, known for his work on the 25^th anniversary performances and concerts for Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera, will work alongside Mark Fisher, the acclaimed world-leading set designer responsible for the staging for the Diamond Jubilee music concert in front of Buckingham Palace. They will be joined by internationally acclaimed lighting designer Patrick Woodroffe, who worked on the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games.  Both Mark and Patrick have worked on global arena and stadium tours for some of the world’s biggest music acts including the Rolling Stones and U2.

For a full list of venues to how to book click here

NEW DATE ADDED AT WEMBLEY ARENA ON 17 OCTOBER

Starring: Tim Minchin, Melanie C, Chris Moyles, and Ben Forster as “Jesus”

Continuing what has been a summer of celebrations, London has even more reason to cheer as AEG Live and The Really Useful Group proudly announce that a FIFTH London date has been added to one of the biggest UK tours of 2012 – the brand new arena production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s phenomenal, Jesus Christ Superstar. Following four shows at The O2, Londoners will now get another chance to witness the legendary rock musical LIVE as it heads to Wembley Arena. Tim Minchin, Melanie C, Chris Moyles and Ben Forster will take to the Wembley Arena stage on Wednesday 17 October performing a spectacular production of the show which includes the hit songs, “I Don’t Know How To Love Him”, “Hosanna” and “Superstar”. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 17 August HERE

The addition of Wembley Arena means over 60,000 people in the capital will now see Jesus Christ Superstar which has taken over £6 million in advance booking sales to date. A total of 74,000 people will see the show in its opening week, a world record for musical theatre. The tour opens at The O2 in London on Friday 21 September before embarking on a 21 date nation tour culminating at Sheffield Motorpoint Arena on Sunday 21 October.

It’s when months and months of preparation come together and everyone can see for the first time the scale of the production. Most of the cast get to meet each other (more coming about them very soon!), and introductions are made by the key production creatives and members of the crew.

It’s a very busy day and one which brings us significantly closer to the opening night at the O2 on 21st September.

Exciting times!  Oh, and did we mention we managed to corner your Jesus, Ben Forster, for a very quick catch up just before the rehearsal began?

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In this third and final trip down memory lane, the original studio cast from Jesus Christ Superstar talk about their favourite moments from the recording. Let us know your favourite moments in the comments below…

NEW GLASGOW DATE ADDED

Starring: Tim Minchin, Melanie C, Chris Moyles, and Ben Forster as “Jesus”

Jesus Christ Superstar continues to triumph as a second date is added to Glasgow in the forthcoming arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s legendary rock musical.

Scotland will now have another chance to see Jesus Christ Superstar on Wednesday 26 September, with tickets ON SALE NOW from www.jesuschristsuperstar.com.

The addition of a second Glasgow show will allow fans from all across Scotland to experience seeing one of the greatest rock musicals of all time.  Thousands of people will attend the SECC over the two nights to see Jesus Christ Superstar live for the first time on an arena stage – the biggest audience yet for a musical theatre show in Scotland.

The new Glasgow date brings the total number of shows for the tour to 20, with additional dates recently added to Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester, Nottingham, London and Dublin.

Tim Minchin will star as ‘Judas Iscariot’, with Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’, Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster in the leading role as ‘Jesus.

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In the second installment of this series, we hear from the original Jesus Christ Superstar studio cast about Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s involvement in the original recording and some insider gossip from the studio!

This new London date of Sunday 23 September takes the total run of shows up to 19, after second dates were recently added for Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Nottingham. A second Dublin date – Saturday 13 October – will go on sale this Friday.

Tickets for the fourth London show go on sale Friday 3 August at 9am from jesuschristsuperstar.com/tickets

Continuing to break audience attendances for musical theatre in the UK, over 60,000 people will see Jesus Christ Superstar in its opening week. Over 100,000 tickets have been sold and £5million taken in advance box office sales for the tour, which opens at The O2 in London on Friday 21 September. Jesus Christ Superstar will visit 10 other arenas across the UK and Ireland, before ending at Sheffield’s Motorpoint on Sunday 21 October. For the first time in the musical’s history, UK arena audiences will get the chance to see a fully staged production of the musical, live on an arena stage, in their own hometown.

Tim Minchin will star as ‘Judas Iscariot’, alongside Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’, Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’ and Ben Forster in the leading role as ‘Jesus’.

The spectacular production will come alive with a set and lighting design by Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe, both fresh from working on the stunning London 2012 Opening Ceremony, having previously created designs for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2. The show will be directed by Laurence Connor, the acclaimed director best known for the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at London’s O2 arena, and the new UK tour of The Phantom of the Opera.

In this first installment we speak to Murray Head, Victor Brox, Mike D’Abo, Alan O’Duffy and Neil Hubbard.

Three new dates for the first ever UK arena tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar have been added today due to overwhelming demand. These new dates are: Friday 5 October at Birmingham NIA, Sunday 7 October at Manchester Arena and Saturday 20 October at Nottingham Capital FM Arena.

Ben Forster will play the leading role of ‘Jesus’, opposite Tim Minchin as ‘Judas Iscariot’, Melanie C as ‘Mary Magdalene’ and Chris Moyles as ‘King Herod’. The tour will visit arenas in 11 cities around the UK and Ireland, starting at London’s O2 Arena on 21 September and ending at Sheffield’s Motorpoint on 21 October.

Ben, who came first in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s television casting show ‘Superstar’ said on winning last night, “This is a dream come true. I’m a massive fan of Andrew’s work. To have the chance to perform in front of hundreds of thousands of people in an arena with such an amazing cast is a real honour. Rehearsals start in two weeks and I just can’t wait to get stuck in to the role.”

Jesus Christ Superstar has broken global musical theatre records with over 60,000 people already booked to see the show in its opening week. The arena tour has sold in excess of 100,000 tickets and generated advance box office sales of over £5 million. Jesus Christ Superstar will give arena audiences the opportunity to witness a full production of the musical including a full staging and live band. Fans from Cardiff to Newcastle to Glasgow will be able to experience this legendary rock classic on an arena stage for the very first time.

Commenting on last night’s Superstar on ITV Andrew Lloyd Webber commented: “Once again, the British public have got it right. Ben is a true rock star and he just oozes arenability. The UK has a lot to look forward to when he takes on this iconic role.”

Melanie C added: “My leading man has been found! It’s been great to watch Ben get to the final, he’s worked so hard and has consistently got it right. I’m really looking forward to working with him on the tour.”

The spectacular production will come alive with a set and lighting design by Mark Fisher and Patrick Woodroffe, who have previously created designs for the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and U2. Theshow will be directed by Laurence Connor, the acclaimed director best known for the 25th Anniversary performance of The Phantom of the Opera at the Royal Albert Hall, the 25th Anniversary Concert of Les Misérables at London’s O2 arena, and the new UK tour of The Phantom of the Opera.

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His first task on Thursday was to speak to the press and visit TV shows, and we managed to snap a few pictures of him at ITV’s This Morning with Jodie Prenger, Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford!

The biggest night of Ben, Roger and Rory’s lives got underway with a spectacular group performance of Hosanna from Jesus Christ Superstar.

» Download ‘Hosanna’ on iTunes

After the individual performances, the Jesus Christ Superstar theme continued with the three finalists joining together for an absolutely showstopping rendition of the “most difficult” song Andrew has ever written; Gethsemane.

» Watch ‘Gethsemane’

Then lines were closed and while votes were counted the Arena Tour’s Mary Magdelene and Superstar panel member, Melanie C performed her pivotal number from the show I Don’t Know How to Love Him.

It wasn’t long to wait until the winner, and our Jesus Christ Superstar, was revealed as Ben, with Rory the runner up and Roger in third place. Andrew said “Once again, the British public have got it right. Ben is a true rock star and he just oozes arenability. The UK has a lot to look forward to when he takes on this iconic role.”

Here’s our final round up to remind you what happened, the panel’s verdicts, AND links to download the songs from the iTunes store.

BEN – Sunderland ♫ Who Wants to Live Forever – Ben Forster Last night “the most amazing thing happened” to Ben when he found himself in tonight’s final. For Ben tonight was not just a culmination of months of hard work, but his “entire life”. Tonight he was determined to forget his tiredness and nerves and go out there and give his all.  What were the panel’s final words to Ben?Jason – every night you go up a notch.  You are the benchmark of this competition.  You are a Superstar dot com.  Melanie – I know you are brilliant.  Your performances have been totally and utterly astounding.  Dawn – that was electric.  You always tell the story. You have completely crept up on me.  You demand my attention and earn buckets of my respect. Andrew – you were mesmeric.  I think you are a remarkable performer.  You have set the benchmark completely. » Download Ben’s performance of “Who Wants to Live Forever” on iTunes

ROGER – London ♫ Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Roger Wright After two consecutive nights in the bottom two Roger couldn’t believe his ears when he heard he was safe last night. This experience, culminating in the live shows, has been a dream come true and provided so many amazing moments for Roger. He went out tonight with the aim of putting everything he has learnt into practice to show the public he has what it takes to play the role. What were the final words from the panel?  Melanie – I remember how wonderful you were the first time I heard you sing. So pleased you are here tonight. I would like to bathe in that sound.  Dawn – a golden talent. I see you playing so many leading roles in your future.  Tonight I think you could be a King. Jason – you have that presence, that warmth, that charisma. You have certainly earned your place on that stage. Andrew – Roger you were wonderful.  You did brilliantly. » Download Roger’s performance of “Don’t Let The Sun Go Down on Me” on iTunes

RORY – The Wirral ♫ I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing  – Rory Taylor Rory felt last night was a bit “strange”, as he found himself in the bottom two and facing the sing off. Having survived the experience, he considered himself “so lucky” to be given another chance at winning the iconic role of Jesus, which has been the main focus of his life for the past six months. Tonight he resolved that he will deliver the best performance of the night.  Here’s the panel’s parting comments to Rory; Dawn – I think this experience for you has been a proper boy to man voyage.  The part of Jesus would be safe in your keeping. Jason – you take on all these iconic vocals and you match every one.  Tonight’s performance was absolutely outstanding.  Melanie – you can do no wrong in my eyes.  You are up there with some of the most successful singers in the world.  Andrew – Wonderful. Totally in tune.  Fantastic performance.  Bravo. » Download Rory’s performance of “I Don’t Want to Miss A Thing” on iTunes

We caught up with Laurence Connor who, as Director of the Jesus Christ Superstar Arena Tour, has been keeping a close eye on the finalists as they have progressed through the competition.

We asked him if he was happy with the public’s choice and what qualities he thought Ben, Roger and Rory would bring to the starring role.

View the video here…

Dawn composed herself enough to spend some time backstage giving our semi-finalists some coaching today.  She was able to draw on her experience in the limelight to answer their individual concerns and assist them to get the best from their performance this evening.  She also had a special gift for each of her favourites.

The show kicked off with the group number, which tonight was What’s the Buzz from Jesus Christ Superstar which enabled the four remaining contestants to give Andrew a brief but enlightening glimpse of how each of them will make the role their own if they win the prize in tomorrow’s final.

» Download the group performance of “What’s The Buzz?” on iTunes

After Katherine Jenkin’s beautiful rendition of Habanera from Carmen, the lines were closed, the votes were counted and David and Rory found themselves in the sing off.  Andrew chose to save Rory.

Make sure you tune in tomorrow night at 9pm to watch Ben, Roger and Rory compete for the role of Jesus in the final.  Lines are now open for you to cast your vote for your favourite. And here’s a reminder of this evening’s semi-final, and the panel’s comments AND you can download their songs on iTunes..….

BEN – Sunderland ♫ Run – Ben Forster Ben had another unbelievable performance last night, he loved the song and was ecstatic at the comments he received.  Although he still can’t believe he has made it to the semi final he would be distraught not to make tomorrow’s final, so is going out tonight determined to give it everything he has.  Do the panellists think Ben has his opponents on the run?  Dawn – that was a show stopper.  That was heartbreaking, sublime.  You have just played your trump card at the most perfect moment. Jason – that vocal stamina you have is insane.  You are the real triple threat.  You are a unique talent.  Watching you every night is becoming an event. Melanie – another extraordinary vocal, ethereal, powerful, emotional. Andrew – you made it your own.  A wonderful performance.  The Lord is awed. » Download Ben’s performance of “Run” on iTunes

DAVID – Warrington ♫ I Try – David Hunter Although last night’s performance went really well, David is well aware at this stage of the competition that everyone is “brilliant”.  He knows that the nearer they get to the final, the more important it is to go out and give the performance of his life.  He doesn’t want it to end and will be gutted to go out now.  Did he try hard enough to please the panel tonight?  Dawn – you always sound like you. You personalise every song.  On one hand you are the boy next door, on the other someone with rare, extraordinary gifts. Melanie – loved your interpretation of that song, beautifully acted.  Jason – another great master class in singing and acting.  You did brilliantly.  I really believe you deserve a place in the final. Andrew – I now know we have four people who can absolutely play the role of Jesus.  You are the great actor singer that the West End needs. » Download David’s performance of “I Try” on iTunes

ROGER – London ♫ Hard to Handle – Roger Wright Having found himself in the sing off for two shows running, Roger is keen not to put himself through that again tonight.  He appreciates that all the remaining finalists are fighting hard for survival.  Although being the in the semi-final is “amazing, Roger has one task remaining; to go out there and win! How did the panel think Roger handled his performance tonight?  Melanie – you have the moves.  Brilliant, I loved it, lovely to see this side of you. Dawn – exhilarating, impressive.  You are the ballast of this show.  I order you to stay in the competition.  Jason – totes amazeballs, you put a big smile on my face.  You come back stronger very time.  You are a fighter.  You are the spirit of this competition.  Andrew – a wonderful showcase for what you do best.  You are a song and dance man.  A fantastic performer. » Download Roger’s performance of “Hard to Handle” on iTunes

RORY – The Wirral ♫ In the Air Tonight – Rory Taylor After performing his favourite song of the competition so far, and receiving his “Land of Hope and Rory” comments from the panel last night, Rory felt “brilliant”.  He appreciates that tonight’s performance is huge, will be devastated if he leaves now and “really, really” wants to be in the final tomorrow evening.  Did the panel think Rory deserves a place in the final?  Jason – what an incredible opening song.  Your voice has a great tone.  You delivered a brilliant performance tonight.  You are the rock star in this competition.  Melanie – I knew that was going to be special.  You are fast becoming one of my favourite all time singers.  Dawn – assured, in control, evocative, effective.  That performance was a mighty bid for the part. Andrew – the Fire and the Rory.  You are extraordinary.  You would be fantastic in the role. » Download Rory’s performance of “In the Air Tonight” on iTunes

All our finalists have spent today rehearsing with Gary Barlow, prior to their group performance with him during the show this evening.  He had high praise for all our potential Jesuses and in his view, the biggest problem is the quality of the finalists;  they are all good. They are all sensational singers, he told them, “to get this far, in the final five, it’s just incredible”.

After the performances the finalists were joined on stage by Gary who accompanied them for an amazing rendition of Greatest Day whilst the votes were being counted.

The bottom two, with the fewest votes, were Roger and Nathan who performed Andrew’s own composition Love Changes Everything.  Andrew chose to save Roger.

So we have our semi-finalists Ben, David, Roger and Rory and the lines are now open so you can vote to get your favourite through to the finals NOW.  To help you decide, here’s  our regular round up of who sang what, and what the judges had to say following their performance this evening…

BEN – Sunderland ♫ It Must Have Been Love – Roxette Ben thought that Friday’s performance was one of his most terrifying when he nearly fell off the chairs.  He is surprised by the level of support and by the fact that he even gets fan mail and presents!  He takes to the stage tonight hoping that his performance is strong enough to get him through to tomorrow’s semi final.   Were the judges in love with Ben’s performance tonight? Dawn – what an intelligent and sensitive performance.  That was the confident performance of a champ. Jason -  you constantly add layers, each performance is a one of a kind.  I would pay damn good money to see you pay Jesus. Melanie -  I love your voice.  I love your sincerity.  For me, right now, you are my Jesus.  Andrew – I have one word to say about your performance.  It was awesome.

DAVID – Warrington ♫ Too Close – Alex Clare In David’s view Friday’s show was the most outrageous yet, as everyone was so good.  He can’t believe he has made it to the second week but knows this is “crunch time” and that he is now stepping out of his comfort zone which is really nerve wracking but wants to give it everything he has.  According to the judges, how close is David to making the semi-final?  Melanie – one of my favourite things about you is how you completely inhabit your performance.  Very powerful.  Dawn – you are so composed.  I watch only you.  You craft the song incredibly well.  I find you physically very interesting.  You are very fit.  Andrew – there were some out of tune moments.  You have a fantastic charisma and you hold the stage.

NATHAN – Reading ♫ Born This Way – Lady Gaga Nathan was really happy with the show on Friday and with the positive comments from the judges for “being myself” and had the most “incredible time”.  He has been blown away by the support and feedback he is receiving from the public and is hoping that tonight’s song is enough to get him through to the semi-final.  Were the judges Gaga about Nathan’s performance tonight?  Dawn – I really do believe you were born that way.  You are riding high, that was entirely thrilling.  For me personally you would make a truly great Judas. Melanie – We know we can count on you to start the show with a big bang.  Fantastic performance.  Andrew – Your voice is amazing. No question.  BUT you need to love the song more than you love yourself.  I want to know what you will be like sharing the stage with other stars.

ROGER – London ♫ Handbags and Gladrags – Rod Stewart Roger found Friday a “really enjoyable performance” despite finding himself in the triple sing off where he was the first to sing and although his voice cracked he recovered well and was saved by Andrew.  He says it is an absolute honour to still be in the show and realises that from here on “every performance will count”.  What did the judges think of Dawn’s Prince Roger tonight? Jason – I have to say that was very smooth. The number really suited you. Charm, charisma, warmth.  Your acting is getting better.  When you let go that’s when we see you come alive. Dawn – you completely please my heart when you sing. You are so sincere and I completely believe you. Andrew –You are a real performer. You have an extraordinary quality and that inner glow.

RORY – The Wirral ♫ Under Pressure – David Bowie and Queen Rory thinks that Friday’s show was “massive”, and is thrilled he has made it to week two.  He is relishing the experience of working with professionals such as Andrew, Melanie and Jason and says he “never thought he would learn so much” from this experience.  He is going out on stage tonight determined to give it his all.   Did he succeed in winning over the judges?  Jason – In terms of all round performance and the massive vocal range you attach, that whas the performance of the evening so far.  You can deliver the part of Jesus. Melanie – it was your most challenging song to date, but I could just listen to you all day. Andrew -  Land of Hope and Rory, you are fantastic Rory.  I agree with Jason, so far that’s the performance of the night.

As we reach the end of a very busy week for the boys they are getting a taste of the demands which will be made of them on the road.  They all admit to feeling exhausted  but have discovered coping mechanisms to help them through the gruelling schedule.

It was a double elimination this evening.  After a guest appearance from Paloma Faith singing her new single 30 Minute Love Affair, it was revealed that Roger, Jon and Jeff had received the fewest votes and faced the sing off for salvation.   Andrew chose to save Roger.

Lines for the remaining five finalists – Rory, David, Ben, Nathan and Roger are now open and will close at the end of the next show on Monday evening.  So remember to tune in at 9pm on Monday to find out who makes it through to the semi finals.

BEN – Sunderland ♫ Cold As Ice – Foreigner It doesn’t get much better for Ben, after another “unbelievable” reaction from the judges last night left him “blubbing”.  Ben admits that he is finding it difficult to deal with the pressure and stress but seeks salvation by slipping on his headphones and losing himself in music.  He also finds great strength in the knowledge that people out there are voting for him.  He admits that tonight’s classic rock number is the most vocally challenging yet, so did it get a warm reception from the panel? Jason – The standard is off the scale tonight.  That was intelligent, articulate, centred, you continue to grow every night.  You could win this competition. Dawn – Very courageous. Amazing. Melanie C – Can you get any better?  It’s ridiculous.  You have it all. Andrew –You have grown the most of all of the finalists.  You have a remarkable talent.  I can say no more.  A fantastic performance.

DAVID – Warrington ♫ Apologize – One Republic In David’s view last night went really well.  He is finding the endless 16 hour days exhausting but finding the experience “so cool”!  David is more than aware that this kind of gruelling schedule is a small taste of what it would be like playing Jesus on tour, and something the winner would need to get used to.  He hopes that tonight’s performance is strong enough to get him through to next week.  What did the judges think? Jason –  Incredible dramatic tension, you played to your strengths and sold it so well.  I hope you go all the way. Melanie C –  You are one of our strongest vocalists.  The strongest actor.  Every time you perform it moves me. Dawn  – you are always utterly in control  You would make a unique and modern Jesus.  Andrew – you are an extraordinary actor with fantastic vocal ability.  A remarkable performance.

JEFF – County Down, N Ireland ♫ Whole Lotta Love – Led Zeppelin Like the other finalists, Jeff is finding the going exhausting, not just having to cope with long rehearsals but also endless sessions in hair and make up which is a new experience for him! He realises it’s a long haul and it will be tough but he is focussed on making the most of this once in a life time experience. As Jason advised, the finalists need to view this as a long distance run rather than a sprint. So was there a whole lot of love for Jeff’s performance tonight from the panel?  Jason – Finally we are seeing you come out of your shell.  You were in the zone!  Wonderful performance. Dawn – Wow.  You is one sexy Jesus!  That was fantastic.  You have come on so much, you are a mammoth talent. Andrew – You released your inner rock god!

JON – Newcastle ♫ Still Haven’t Found – U2 Last night an “awful” experience for Jon, who felt he did not deliver a good performance.  He realises that at this stage of the show when everyone is getting tired it is important to look after your voice, which means lots of water, sleep, and quiet, which Jon admits to finding very difficult, as he does like to talk!  Tonight, with two people going, he is going out there to fight harder than he has ever had to before.  Did the judges find what they were looking for from Jon tonight?  Jason – that was a beautiful, tender interpretation.  Well done.  You could open up and become more edgy and dangerous. Melanie C – In great voice tonight, but I don’t think it was a difficult song for you to sing.  Andrew – a bit sharp in places.  I hate to say this but I didn’t get Jesus of Nazareth, I got Jesus of Las Vegas.

NATHAN – Reading ♫ Sweet Child O’Mine – Guns’n’Roses Despite being really happy with his performance last night, Nathan is finding it frustrating that he is not getting the response from the judges he is aiming for.  He is finding that the back to back shows this week are really taking their toll and, not being a natural morning person, he finds it difficult to keep his voice warm from early morning until night, but appreciates that this pace is nothing compared to the rigours of being on tour.  Did Nathan get his sought after sweet response from the judges tonight? Dawn – That was phenomenal.  You conquered it.  When you perform I cannot take my eyes off you.  Jason – just when you thought it couldn’t get any better.  It was pitch perfect, you have such a gift.  I wish I could sing like you.

ROGER – London ♫ Feeling Good – Michael Bublé Last night Roger focussed on his acting and felt he delivered what was asked of him.  Along with the other finalists Roger admits to feeling tired but he has no doubt that he is fit enough to undertake the role and understands the importance of pacing yourself at this stage of the competition.  Now the judges are becoming more tough with the finalists, Roger is keen to give 100% in every area, and to help him achieve this has perfected the art of the power nap! So did the judges feel good about Roger’s number tonight? Melanie C – Absolutely great song for you.  I love seeing so much expression in your face. Dawn – You are shining so brightly I think you are a prince. Andrew – incredible vocal performance. The great thing is tonight I believed I can understand why people would follow you.  You radiate an inner glow.

RORY – The Wirral ♫ Silenced by the Night – Keane Rory’s experience of being in the bottom two last night was doubly “horrific”,  both because he feels he is giving the competition everything he has got every night and also he is finding it tough to see his mates leave the programme.  Rory has found this a very long week with endless rehearsing and he is aware that tonight, with two people being eliminated, he faces the toughest fight he has ever had on his hands.  So were the judges “Keane” on Rory’s performance this evening? Dawn – that is you rising again to the top.  So focussed and so simple. Melanie C – that was a beautiful performance from you.  Very expressive.  Your vocals are always sublime. Jason – you were right in the zone. That song defines you.  I really hope people keep you in the competition. Andrew – Fabulous vocal.  The transition you did from the big note to the small was truly beautiful.

It’s been a long and emotional journey for our finalists, who have been relying on the support of their family and friends during the past few weeks and before each of them performed, their family offered words of encouragement.

Andrew is looking for the boys to prove that they have the stamina required to play a demanding role on stages “ten times” bigger than the one in the studio tonight.

Whilst the votes were being counted, we were treated to The Scissor Sisters with their new single Baby Come Home.  (What time is half past quarter to three?)

And it was Rory and Niall in the sing off.

Andrew chose Rory to stay but told Niall he was certain he had a glittering West End theatre career ahead of him.

We are going to lose TWO of our finalists tomorrow night, with a double elimination.  You don’t want your favourite to go, so make sure you cast your vote before the end of the show once lines open at 9pm…

Meanwhile, here’s our round up from the studio tonight…

BEN – Sunderland ♫ Fast Car – Tracy Chapman “Amazing!  Terrifying, yet amazing!” was how Sunderland’s Ben summed up last night’s performance and the reaction to it. It certainly delighted his Mum and Dad, who are his biggest fans.  Their encouragement is much appreciated by Ben who realises he is “so lucky to know people out there are supporting me”. Tonight he wants to just carry on doing it and do whatever he needs to do to make them proud.Dawn – You come out fighting every night. Great story telling you can definitely act.  I really want you to stay in.  Melanie – you have a wonderful singing style. I would relish the opportunity to play opposite you.  Jason – that gave me shivers.  You are exciting to watch.  Andrew – most musical theatre performers act their part.  But you have been yourself and that is the performance of the evening.

DAVID – Warrington ♫ Nothing Compares 2 U – Sinead O’Connor Being in the bottom two last night was “one of the worst nights of my life”, according to David.  But the support of his Dad spurs him on and David wants to make him proud.  His father admits that if his son was to secure the role of Jesus, he would be overwhelmed.  For tonight David is concentrating on making his family proud and repaying Andrew for keeping him in the competition.  How did David’s performances compare to the other finalists, according to the judges? Jason –sometimes I know you are acting.  I want to see a little bit more of the real you. Dawn – In my opinion you are the actor in this competition.  You touched me with that performance.  Andrew – I know that you are going to go a long way.  Wonderful performance. So vulnerable.

JEFF – County Down, N Ireland ♫ (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction – The Rolling Stones Ex rugby professional Jeff felt that last night’s performance went really well.He has found the support of his family “crazy”, even if they disclosed to the nation that Jeff used to be in the school choir.  His father’s advice is to “go for it son”.Jeff’s aim for tonight is to concentrate on his acting and performance and to blow the judges away with his energy. But were they satisfied with his cover of the Rolling Stones classic? Dawn – That was huge.  You have shown us many sides but not quite as exciting as it could have been. Melanie – Brilliant.  I really enjoyed it . I am seeing a new inner confidence from you and I like it. Andrew – I feel the physicality too much from dancers and not from you.  It was a great vocal but lacked a bit of energy.

JON – Newcastle ♫ Feel – Robbie Williams Jon really enjoyed last night’s performance.   He has clearly demonstrated that he is not afraid to work hard.  To his family is the natural fit for the role, is always the showman, but just needs to be given the chance.  His hope for tonight is to go out there and make everyone proud.  So did the judges “Feel” if for Jon tonight? Dawn – you are one of the most delightful men I have ever met.  So eager to learn.  I think the nerves got to you a little bit tonight.  Melanie – you are a lovely guy, the majority of that song was great but there were some tricky notes.  We need to see something more up tempo from you.  Andrew – resorted a bit to cabaret.  There is a slightly uncomfortable break in your voice.  I am worried that the role is not right for you.

NATHAN – Reading ♫ Ain’t No Sunshine – Bill Withers Nathan found last night’s performance difficult as it was completely out of his comfort zone.  He confides that he wouldn’t be able to cope without the support of his family, who are justifiably very proud of him and delighted that all his hard work is finally paying off.  Nathan’s goal for tonight is to make sure he doesn’t let his family down.  So did the sunshine on Nathan’s performance, according to the judges?Jason – When you engage in the words and you keep it simple absolute magic happens.  Sounds fantastic. Wow. Dawn –You are a force of nature.  I don’t want your ego to win the battle with your confidence. Andrew – When you believe in words you are truly extraordinary.  And that is the difference between you being a true superstar and a good rock singer.

NIALL – Bray, Ireland ♫ Wherever You Will Go – The Calling Domesticated, ironing loving Niall felt last night was “a funny one”, smarting slightly from the judge’s criticisms.  However he is delighted with all the support he is getting from back home and is going out tonight determined to show the judges that he does have the stamina to play this role.  Did the judges go along with Niall tonight?  Melanie – Your performances have been improving night after night, but not sure about your vocal tonight.  Jason – You have that Irish charm but you have to be more consistent.  There are some great moments but you need to be outstanding.  Andrew – acting wise you have improved but when you go for the notes you push yourself and go a little out of tune.  Dawn – fantastic story telling.

ROGER – London ♫ Rolling In The Deep – Adele After having a “blast” with his rocky performance last night, and feeling the resulting love from one of the judges in particular, Roger is valuing the support of his family members.  His mother and brother believe the role suits his caring and loving personality perfectly. Tonight Roger wants to focus, listen to the words as I am singing them and just deliver.  What did the judges think?  Jason – I think there were a few tuning issues.  We are seeing a new confidence, and a bit more of the actor within.  Dawn –Phew thank goodness you can act.  I absolutely think you could play this part.  Andrew – you do need to ensure you are fit enough to play this physical role but a great performance, congratulations.

RORY – The Wirral ♫ Fix You – Coldplay Rory admitted that he was a little disappointed that he hadn’t stepped up the acting in last night’s show.  The support of his band mates (and family members) means the world to Rory, and in return they know him and how much performing means to him. His aim for tonight is to “prove that I can act”.    Did he fix his issues enough to please the judges? Jason – That was a great moment for you.  Tough song to sing.  I can’t fault that performance at all.  Melanie – You know how much I love you.  This is the first ballad we have heard from you and while we know you are great at the big impressive stuff you still need to work on your acting . Andrew – I got more thrilled as I listened to you.  Rorarenability.  You are testament to it.

Firstly, Andrew dropped a bombshell when it came to choosing between Tim and David in the sing off at the start of the show.  He was unwilling to make a choice until they had performed their numbers as rehearsed.  After two incredibly strong and emotional performances from the two facing elimination,  he selected David to stay in the competition.

» Watch the sing off

And as if this wasn’t exciting enough, this nailbiter was followed by a live studio appearance by The Kaiser Chiefs.

For tonight’s performances the Jesuses have been receiving some singing advice from judge Melanie C.

Here’s a quick run down of the show tonight.  Lines are now open for voting and you have until 7pm tomorrow evening (Thursday 19^th July) to vote for your favourite and keep them in the competition.

BEN – Sunderland ♫ This Love – Maroon 5 Another night of pre-show nerves from Ben produced another exceptionally well received performance yesterday.  Ben admits to being Melanie C’s “number one fan” and recognised the importance of impressing Melanie as she will be the leading lady in the arena tour.  He took on board her concerns about him singing sitting down and the need to ensure he takes enough breath.  Did the judges find his cover of This Love breathtaking tonight?  Melanie C – you are incredible singer and a great performer and you are fast becoming one of my favourites.  Dawn – what energy.  You have remarkable music theatre chops.  Andrew – the performance of the night.  You have opened the competition up. Truly wonderful.

DAVID – Warrington ♫ One Day Like This – Elbow A difficult performance for David knowing he was singing for salvation.  David has appreciated that every night needs to be just as fresh as the night before and although nervous last night he believed his performance last night went “surprisingly well”.  Melanie C felt that what comes over most about David is the quality of his voice and she loves his vulnerability.  It was an emotional performance which brought the audience to their feet and had David in tears. Dawn – that was so rousing.  For me, you are the triple threat in this competition.    Jason – listen to the audience, that was a performance for survival.  You have to stay.  Andrew – you showed what a real actor is about.  It was your Hosanna moment.

JEFF – County Down, N Ireland ♫ Kiss From A Rose – Seal 6 necklace man, Baby Jesus cast off his name tag last night with an incredibly mature performance which left his former “puppyness” behind.  Melanie C told him to build on this and not to be afraid, and to rock out.  She told him he is a “very sexy man, don’t let it get too sweet and twee”.  Jeff took this on board and recognised he needs to take it a step further and tear it to pieces.  The judges comments: Melanie C – we need to work on your break and improve the transition.  Jason – a few tuning issues, but a lot of passion in there and heartfelt.  I think you should feel good about that performance.  Andrew – a very awkward sing, but you are emerging as a real performer with light and shade.

JON – Newcastle ♫ I Won’t Let You Go – James Morrison He may have a biblical name, but Jon describes himself as more like Bruce Forsyth!  He felt he could have done better last night.  He makes Melanie C feel “on top of the world” and she is delighted that his personality is beginning to come through.   She warned him to be strict with his vocalisation. Did the judges think it was “nice to see him”? Melanie C – big improvement on last night, need to work on your headvoice.  Jason – you looked like you really enjoyed yourself tonight.  You need to have more control of your falsetto. I enjoyed it.  Great.  Dawn – you have a surprising voice but I want to witness everything you have got.  Andrew – one bit of advice, you have to adapt to fit the song and not the other way round.

NATHAN – Reading ♫ How to Save a Life – The Fray Although happy, Nathan’s emotions were running high after his performance last night drew out his softer side.  Melanie advised him to be really still for the final lines, no need to be a real powerhouse. He hoped that his rendition of How to Save a Life tonight finally showed the judges his vulnerability.  Did they agree?  Dawn – that was effortless.  Now is the start of a dignified humility.  Yes you could be Jesus.  JD – wow beautifully sung.  Less is more.  I believed every word of that.  Melanie C – you’ve taken all the advice on board and now we are seeing a new side to your personality.  ALW – You believed in the words.  Keep doing that, and you will turn into an outstanding performer.

NIALL – Bray, Ireland ♫ One – U2 This evening’s show opener, Amanda’s “little Irish charmer” was happier with his performance last night – “I wanted to show Andrew what I could do”.  Niall is determined to show he is a man, and not a boy.  Melanie’s session with Niall tried to draw out this confident side of Niall, and she told him she wanted to see the “twinkle”.  So did his performance sparkle?  Jason – you’ve got your rhythm back. Performance good but not outstanding.  Dawn – you are going to need to find more gravitas, you need to be more robust.  Andrew – we are getting there and you are looking more like a star.  I worry about your vocal stamina.  Let’s hope you go further.

ROGER – London ♫ Here I Go Again – Whitesnake After some great comments from the judges last night.  Dawn’s favourite toast topper, “runny honey” Roger, had an excellent master class with Melanie C.  She wants him to “smash it” tonight and he is aware that he needs to prove that singing rock is as easy to him as singing soul.  He made quite a few more moves tonight during his performance than we are used to seeing from him, but was his performance sweet enough for the judges?  Jason – that was so much fun.  I think one of the best performances of the evening.  Fantastic.  Dawn – oh wow Roger you can really rock out.  Thank you for exposing yourself to me.  Take me now! Andrew – it’s great to see you move.  You are such a front runner.

RORY – The Wirral ♫ Roxanne – Police Following his performance last night, Rory was over the moon, thought that he gave his best and felt so good that he wanted to do it all again.  During his “brilliant” session with Melanie, she expressed her concern about the huge workload the finalists face and stressed the importance that Rory protect his voice.  Rory said it was great to have the opportunity to learn from someone who has done it all before.  The judges comments: Melanie C – you keep getting better and better and better.  You did not disappoint.  Dawn – it goes bang, bang, bang, with you.  You are utterly bankable.  Andrew – your voice is rock solid.  I would have liked a little bit more tenderness.  Think about the lyrics and you have this in the bag.

TIM – Birmingham ♫ Dream On – Aerosmith Despite having to endure a sing off with Dirk, Tim survived last night and went on to “love” his performance.  He certainly hit the high note in his session with Melanie, who thought his voice was “so impressive” and that he has nothing to be nervous about.  For his part, Tim enjoyed the unique experience of “flooring a Spice Girl” with his vocal range and is glad she has faith in his ability.  Did he manage to have the same effect on the panel?  Melanie C – your best performance.  Jason – well done.  You need to keep believing in yourself and you deserve to be in this competition.  Dawn – that was a gift for you and you completely took it.  Andrew – you are first rate.  You did it brilliantly.

Click on the thumbnails below to view the full size image.

So, we’re down to 9 men chasing one dream.  It’s getting tense and Dawn predicts  “some biting” this evening but we are glad to report we didn’t see any of that on stage at least! The boys have been concentrating on their acting abilities for tonight’s performances with Superstar Acting Coach Donna Sotto Morettini.

Lines are now open for voting and you have until 7pm tomorrow evening (Wednesday 18^th July) to vote for your favourite and keep them in the competition.  To remind you of this evening’s show, here’s a quick run down….

BEN – Sunderland ♫ Everybody Hurts – REM Despite admitting that he was “so nervous” before last night’s show, Ben got one of  the best studio reactions of the night and some strong comments from the judges.  Tonight Donna’s advice to him was to “discover himself again”.   He recognised the need to “connect with the people at home”.  He certainly connected with the studio audience who gave him an incredible reception. Did he connect with the judges?  Melanie C – boy did you pull it off, I feel a bit teary.  Dawn, proper grown up emoting.  Jason – very brave, you keep coming up with the goods.  Andrew you inhabited the song completely yourself.  Bravo.

DAVID – Warrington ♫ You’ve Got The Love – Florence and the Machine Indie rocker, turned actor, as the final performer last night, David received amazing comments from the judges.  Donna told David he has an amazing gift and he is very transparent – “you just need to live it moment to moment.”  Again, he received high praise from the judges; Melanie C – that was extraordinary, I have never seen anything like that.  I am a bit speechless.  Dawn – be careful not to get complacent.  Or I will hurt you.  Jason – you are one of those performers who really rises to the occasion.  I was inspired.  It was a unique performance.  Andrew –  you are very good actor, but you mustn’t turn into the thinking mans rock star.

JEFF – County Down, N Ireland ♫ How You Remind Me – Nickelback Jeff loved his performance last night, and as Dawn commented last night, the cameras really love him.  Donna is concerned that we need to know what he is singing about.  “He is young and needs to learn what seasoned performers know”.  Did the judges agree? Melanie C – My favourite performance of yours. I love that natural rock tone you have. Dawn – I find you irresistible.  A much more mature performance, Jason – a great vocal but I feel there is a little bit more fire, passion and charisma that you can give.  Andrew – I felt you were talking to me.  Your best performance so far.

JON – Newcastle ♫ I Want to Know What Love Is – Foreigner Former holiday camp singer Jon won high praise for his “incredibly endearing” and “intimate” rendition of I Can’t Make You Love Me last night.  He gave Melanie C “goosebumps”.  Although he admitted that he found Donna “terrifying” he took her advice on board to produce an emotional cover of I Want to Know What Love Is”. Dawn – you are demanding that we take notice of you and I knew you were feeling it.  Melanie C told him that “you are no longer the underdog”.  But Andrew’s comment was slightly more subdued, and he asked Jon “please try and think of the words”.

NATHAN – Reading ♫ To Be With You – Mr Big Reading rocker Nathan discarded his animal print (and curlers) tonight for some VERY tight trousers for his cover of To Be With You.  Nathan was “disheartened” by last night’s comments that he can come across as over “cocky”.  Donna advised him try not to go in with all guns blazing and Nathan wants people to see that he has a heart.   Divided comments from the judges, with Dawn, Jason and Melanie C all enthusing about his “perfect, tender performance” and agreeing he was “back on course”.  But Andrew thinks he needs to see another side of Nathan before he feels he is the correct person to play Jesus.

NIALL – Bray, Ireland ♫ Dirty Diana – Michael Jackson The man Dawn said was  “human sunshine” was not feeling very bright after he felt his performance last night “didn’t go well at all”.  Donna told him to see his performance from a different side and “have fun with it”.  Niall took to the stage tonight determined to “maintain the focus – there is no room for mistakes”.   What did the judges think?  Dirty Dawn – so much better Niall.  You need to relax and allow us to know who you really are.  Melanie C – that was the hardest but you did it the best.  Confidence!  Jason –I know you can do it.  Own the stage.  Andrew – that’s the first time I have seen you fight on stage.  Your best performance.

ROGER – London ♫ More Than Words – Extreme As the most experienced Jesus, ex Lion King Roger was warned by Andrew last night that he needs to “unlearn” some of his established habits.  For today’s performance Donna urged him to stop thinking with his ear, but think with his heart. He obviously took his on board, with Melanie C telling him he “back to his best, tender and heartfelt”.  Jason said “ you have the opportunity to go all the way”.  Dawn admitted she is immersed in a warm bath of Roger and called him “runny honey”.  Andrew thought it was “truly beautiful, maybe even better than the original”.

RORY – The Wirral ♫ Dakota – The Stereophonics Rockin’ Rory from the Wirral received some amazing comments from the judges last night, with Andrew calling him a “Superstar”, and Jason wanted to be in his club!! Donna said she wanted him to be stronger and to see a more “stripped back” Rory.  After two energetic and spectacularly staged numbers, how would he perform on an empty stage?  Jason agreed with Andrew’s appraisal that he is a Superstar but would like to see more acting from him.  He made Dawn’s heart soar and reminded her of a Junior Bono.  Andrew said he had true “arenability” and he is very, very special.

TIM – Birmingham ♫ Time is Running Out – Muse Having to compose himself after an incredibly emotional sing off with Dirk, Tim admitted that the experience of singing a song last night that he was not happy with was a nerve wracking experience which has made him determined to just keep progressing in the competition and “do my very best”.  Donna wants to see “Tim the actor”.  Was tonight’s performance dramatic enough for the judges?  Dawn – I have big huge love for you.  You’ve got the most expressive open face and eyes – let us in and trust us.  Melanie C – absolutely did it justice.  Well done.  Andrew – we know your voice is good, now we need to get some light and shade.

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