Ever since John Legend played the title role in NBC’s Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, on April 1, his wife, Chrissy Teigen, has had a new household nickname for the singer. “She’ll tweet that ‘Jesus’ is cooking for her,” Legend said with a laugh recently. “It’s not the worst thing to be associated with.”
Though Legend is a seasoned performer (and almost an EGOT, with 10 Grammys, a Tony, and an Oscar to his name), playing Jesus Christ marked his first time starring in a live-TV musical. Until that point, the singer was perhaps best known for releasing sumptuous R&B records, collaborating with friends like Kanye West, and crooning the instant wedding classic “All of Me.” His interpretation of the rock ‘n’ roll messiah was refined and quietly confident. He conveyed his almighty swagger via rich, powerful vocals and an aggressively low V-neck shirt. In some ways, Legend said, the experience was easier than his concerts, where he’s onstage singing for nearly two hours straight.
“I don’t ever lip-synch. I don’t ever use a lot of extra backing tracks that aren’t live or backing vocalists. So I really expend a lot of energy and put a lot of wear and tear on my vocal cords,” he said. “Doing only five or six solos is actually a light night for me.”
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