Washington actor to hit the home city stage in Jesus Christ Superstar at Sunderland Empire

Classic rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar hits the Sunderland Empire stage next week, with a homegrown actor featuring in the cast.

Jordan Michael Todd’s love of musical theatre was sparked as an eight-year-old when he sat in the audience at the Empire for a production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Now, he’s starring in another Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber hit as it brings a musical of biblical proportions to Wearside from June 11-15.

Despite having a long career on the stage, including appearing in Into The Woods, Grease the Musical, Disney’s The Forest of Enchantment, The Choir of Man and reaching the finals of Britain’s Got Talent 2015, this is the first time Jordan will be stepping into the Empire spotlight.

“I can’t wait,” said the 31-year-old from Fatfield. “Of all the stages in the whole world, this is the one I’ve wanted to perform on most. Going to see Joseph with my mam and dad at the Empire was such a moment that stayed with me and I’m just so excited to finally be up there myself.”

Jordan attended Biddick School before studying at Lord Lawson of Beamish Academy, where drama teacher Kim Hetherington helped him to pursue a career in musical theatre.

She helped him with his audition for a scholarship at the prestigious Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts in London where Jordan honed his craft for three years.

“Moving from Sunderland to London at 18 was such an experience, a real Billy Elliot moment,” he said.

2015 saw Jordan reach the live finals of Britain’s Got Talent alongside band The Kingdom Tenors.

“It was phenomenal to be on a show like that that everyone knows,” he said. “It was such an honour to sing in front of Simon Cowell and to see how a machine like that show works behind the scenes.”

For the past year, Jordan, who appears in the ensemble, has been on tour with Jesus Christ Superstar and he says he can’t wait to perform it for friends and family at the Empire.

He said: “Every show you appear in is incredible, but it’s amazing to be able to bring it to Sunderland where it all started for me.”

Jesus Christ Superstar’s iconic 1970s rock score was originally released as a concept album and opened on Broadway in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.

The original London production ran for over eight years. By the time it closed, after 3,358 performances, it had become the longest-running musical in West End history at that time.

Set against the backdrop of an extraordinary series of events during the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of Judas, the score includes tracks I Don’t Know How to Love Him, Gethsemane and Superstar.

The current production was reimagined by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre where it originated and is helmed by director Timothy Sheader and choreographer Drew McOnie.

For those who haven’t seen the show, Jordan says they can expect a spectacular.

“It’s a real spectacle,” he said. “It’s not what people expect as it’s not necessarily religious, it’s a great musical phenomenon and the music is really stunning and rousing.”

:: Jesus Christ Superstar is at Sunderland Empire from June 11-15. Tickets from atgtickets.com

You can also catch Jordan doing an Instagram takeover on the Sunderland Empire account on Wednesday, June 12.