Filipino theater actress Gab Pangilinan will play Mary Magdalene in the award-winning production of the global phenomenon "Jesus Christ Superstar," which will run at the Solaire from May 2 to 31, as part the production's international tour.
The principal casting is announced Tuesday for the Olivier Award-winning production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s celebrated musical.
Pangilinan is joining the 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.
Pangilinan is a multi-awarded stage and screen actor known for her performances in "The Last Five Years," "Side Show," "Ang Huling El Bimbo The Musical," and "Mula Sa Buwan." She is a three-time Philstage Gawad Buhay nominee for "Pingkian: Isang Musikal" (2024), "The Last Five Years" (2023), and "Mula Sa Buwan" (2022), and won Best Leading Female Performance (Digital) at the 27th Asian Television Awards for "Still: A Musical Narrative Series."
She has worked with leading theater companies including PETA, Tanghalang Pilipino, Atlantis Theatrical, and Full House Theater Company, and recently appeared in "We Aren’t Kids Anymore" and "Othello."
“We are incredibly happy to have Gab Pangilinan in the international company of Jesus Christ Superstar. Pangilinan is a respected and accomplished artist, and her casting as Mary Magdalene highlights the strength of Filipino theatre talent. Carlos Candal, CEO of GMG Productions, said.
Originally scheduled to run from May 2 to 24, 2026, the Manila season of :Jesus Christ Superstar" has been extended and will now play from May 2 to 31, allowing more Filipino audiences to experience this globally celebrated production.
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 is design by Tom Scutt, lighting design by Lee Curran, sound design by Nick Lidster, and music supervision by Tom Deering.
A global phenomenon that has wowed audiences for decades, "Jesus Christ Superstar" is a timeless work that 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. The story, told entirely through song, explores the personal relationships and struggles among Jesus, Judas, Mary Magdalene, Jesus’ disciples, his followers, and the Roman Empire. Originally released as a concept album, the iconic 1970s rock score contains such well-known numbers as ‘Superstar’, ‘I Don’t Know How to Love Him’, and ‘Gethsemane’.