John Legend speaks about the importance of education at the Urban League of Greater Madison in December of 2012.

John Legend has been cast as Jesus Christ in NBC’s live staging of “Jesus Christ Superstar,” set for Easter Sunday. NBC made the announcement Tuesday morning via its Twitter account.

“We’re all overjoyed to have world-class musical artist and producer John Legend starring as Jesus,” NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt said in a statement. “This score demands a singer with an amazing range and an actor with great depth, and there isn’t anyone better to bring this story to a new audience. His casting is also groundbreaking as the traditional image of Christ will be seen in a new way.”

Legend is a 10-time Grammy winner and an Oscar winner for his work on the song “Glory” from the 2014 drama “Selma.” He won a Tony Award earlier this year as a producer of “Jitney,” the August Wilson revival.

“I’m thrilled to join the cast of this production of Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert! It’s such a powerful, meaningful musical and I’m humbled to be part of this performance,” Legend says. “We’ve already formed an incredible team, and, as we finish casting, I’m certain we will put together some of the greatest talents around to do this work justice.”