‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ Tour Axed a Week Before Debut

In somewhat surprising news, the U.S. tour of the hit production Jesus Christ Superstar has been cancelled just 10 days before it was set to begin. The production, which was set to star Sex Pistols front man John Lydon as King Herod and Destiny’s Child singer Michelle Williams as Mary Magdalene was scheduled to begin in New Orleans June 9 and tour 54 cities.

Producers have yet to comment on the reason for the show’s cancellation, though a message on the show’s official website did say that all ticket sales would be refunded.

Other show performers Brandon Boyd of Incubus (Judas) and Ben Forster (Jesus) posted their thoughts on Twitter. Forster said, “My heart is broken. This wonderful show and opportunity is over. I’m so sorry I am devastated.” Boyd commented, “I got fired from #JesusChristSuperstar today….but so did the rest of the cast so we’re all sad together.”

The Associated Press hints at the idea that finances may be to blame for the show’s cancellation. Producer Michael Cohl, who also produced the less than successful Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, shared in April that the total cost for the show was in the “eight figure” range. He added that they would need to bring in “several hundred thousand dollars” each night in order to keep the show running.

Whatever the case may be, hopefully the public is given some insight into the decision in the near future. In the meantime, those who purchased tickets can visit the official show website for more information on refunds.