Gab Pangilinan will Play Mary Magdalene in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

Gab Pangilinan will Play Mary Magdalene in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’

Gab Pangilinan will be playing Mary Magdalene in the Philippine leg of the international tour of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Jesus Christ Superstar, which comes to The Theatre at Solaire from May 2 to 31, 2026.

She joins principal cast members from previous UK, North America, and Australian tours of the production, including Luke Street (Jesus), Javon King (Judas), Ethan Hardy Benson (Pilate), Grant Hodges (Caiaphas), and Kodiak Thompson (Annas). Further casting will be announced soon.

The tour follows several sold-out runs in London, as well as an extensive tour across North America, the UK, and Australia.

Originally scheduled to run from May 2 to 24, 2026, the Manila season has been extended and will now play from May 2 to 31, 2026.

“We are incredibly happy to have Gab Pangilinan in the international company of Jesus Christ Superstar,” said Carlos Candal, CEO of GMG Productions. “Gab is a respected and accomplished artist, and her casting as Mary Magdalene highlights the strength of Filipino theater talent. The excitement from audiences has been truly remarkable, and this extension allows even more theater fans to experience this production.”

Featuring lyrics and music by Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony winners Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber, this 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. Completing the creative team are design by Tom Scutt, lighting design by Lee Curran, sound design by Nick Lidster, and music supervision by Tom Deering.

Jesus Christ Superstar explores the biblical portrayal of the extraordinary events that led to the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, as seen through the eyes of his betrayer, Judas Iscariot. Told entirely through song, the story explores the personal relationships and struggles among Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, the disciples, followers, and the Roman Empire.

Originally released as a concept album, the 1970s rock score contains well-known numbers such as “Superstar,” “I Don’t Know How to Love Him,” and “Gethsemane.”

Jesus Christ Superstar opened on Broadway in 1971 at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. The original London production opened at the Palace Theatre on August 9, 1972, and 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.

The musical has been reproduced regularly around the world since its first appearance, with productions including a Broadway revival in 2012, an ITV competition TV show called Superstar that led to the casting of Ben Forster as Jesus in an arena tour of the show, and a production at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre celebrating 45 years since the musical’s Broadway debut. Jesus Christ Superstar will also have a limited run at the London Palladium in the summer of 2026. This production was originally created and produced at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

This production of Jesus Christ Superstar won the 2017 Olivier Award for Best Musical Revival and the 2016 Evening Standard Award for Best Musical, selling out two consecutive engagements in 2016 and 2017. The production played a West End engagement at the Barbican in 2019 before returning to Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre in concert version during the summer of 2020, followed by a UK tour in 2023–24.

New and final show dates have been released and are now available exclusively through TicketWorld.

The 2026 tour of Jesus Christ Superstar is produced by GMG Productions and David Ian for Crossroads Live and Work Light Productions. The original production was produced by London’s Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre. The Manila season is presented by GMG Productions, with UnionBank of the Philippines as GMG Productions’ official bank sponsor.