VIDEO: First Look At The Lyric Opera's JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR in Chicago

The North American premiere of Timothy Sheader's explosive Olivier Award-winning production of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar opens at Lyric tonight, April 27, with performances through May 20 (press opening April 28). Lyric is the only place to experience the grand scale of this acclaimed production in its first staging outside London.

Check out video of the cast in action below!

The Lyric production features Heath Saunders (Jesus), Ryan Shaw (Judas), Jo Lampert (Mary Magdalene), Michael Cunio (Pilate), Mykal Kilgore (Simon Zealotes), Shaun Fleming (Herod), Joseph Anthony Byrd (Annas), Cavin Cornwall (Caiaphas) and Andrew Mueller (Peter), with a total of 48 cast members and 37 musicians, including members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The London performances comprised 11 musicians and 27 cast members.

Single tickets for Jesus Christ Superstar at the Lyric Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, start at $35 and are on sale now at jcsuperstar.org, in person at the Lyric box office, or by calling 312-827-5600. To guarantee a front-row rock-concert experience, Lyric is also offering exclusive, $99 stage-front seating over the orchestra pit - the closest possible position to the stage - for the first time in the company's history of presenting Broadway musicals.

Three-time Olivier Award winner Timothy Sheader directs the North American premiere of his acclaimed 2016 production from Regent's Park Open-Air Theatre. Sheader is joined in Chicago by the original creative team, including conductor Tom Deering, Olivier Award-winning choreographer Drew McOnie, Tony Award-nominated set & costume designer Tom Scutt, and Olivier Award-nominated lighting designer Lee Curran.

Jesus Christ Superstar is an iconic rock opera that reinvented musical theater for the modern age. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this global blockbuster tells the story of the final weeks in the life of Jesus Christ, from the perspective of Judas Iscariot. As Christ's followers grow more fervent, Judas must make his fateful choice between faith and betrayal. Filled with an exciting mix of musical styles that draw upon 1970s rock, gospel, folk and funk themes, this contemporary imagining of the biblical tale features high-energy dance and powerful visual storytelling.