Andrew Lloyd Webber Seeks to Bring JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Search to ITV

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber is no stranger to reality shows, as he's had four searches for West End leads: How Do You Solve A Problem Like Maria?, I'd Do Anything, Any Dream Will Do and Over The Rainbow.

According to The Sun, Lloyd Webber is once again seeking to bring his search for talent to the airwaves, this time with JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR. The show would not air on the BBC, like the composer's previous talent searches, however; the network is said to be reluctant to continue to air Lloyd Webber specials, and rival network ITV has shown interest.

ITV aired 'Grease is the Word' in 2007, a companion to NBC's 'Grease: You're the One that I Want.' Though both shows crowned winners who went on to success (Susan McFadden would go on to the West End's LEGALLY BLONDE and recently joined singing ensemble Celtic Woman, while Laura Osnes led SOUTH PACIFIC at Lincoln Center and last month headlined BONNIE & CLYDE on Broadway), neither was a ratings smash and both shows were subject to critical ire.

The JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR show isn't yet a done deal. A source tells The Sun that lyricist Tim Rice is not a fan of the genre. "He is not a massive fan of TV musical shows," the source says, "He's old school. It could be a sticking point."

The ground-breaking rock opera, which reinvented musical theatre for the modern age, tells the story of the last week of Christ’s life. The score includes such chart-topping songs as “I Don’t Know How To Love Him,” “Everything’s Alright” and “Superstar.”

Lloyd Webber is additionally the composer of The Likes of Us, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Evita, Song & Dance, Cats, Starlight Express, The Phantom of the Opera, Aspects of Love, Sunset Boulevard, The Woman in White and, most recently, Love Never Dies, which continues the story of the Phantom and Christine. He also composed the film scores of Gumshoe and The Odessa File, and the classical work Requiem.

JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR begins performances on Broadway in March, though the talent search would be for actors to lead a UK arena tour. Read the Sun article here.