Gil Ofarim
Photo: Getty Images, Tristar Media. All rights reserved.
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“Peace, charity and cohesion” – these values unite the passion story, according to RTL on its website. On Wednesday, April 13, at 8:15 p.m., the television station will show a version of the Passion of Christ adapted for the present time. In musical terms, too, the live event is at home in the modern age: the last days of the Messiah are to be accompanied by “real pop hits”. A certain cast has caused plenty of explosives in the past few days. This is how Gil Ofarim is supposed to be seen as a disciple of Jesus.
Ofarim has to answer in court
In October last year, the singer accused a receptionist at the Leipzig “Westin” hotel of insulting him anti-Semitically. Half a year after the allegations, the public prosecutor’s office not only dropped the investigation against the hotel employee, but also filed charges against Ofarim himself. She accuses him of defamation and false suspicion. RTL still sticks to the singer – at least for the time being: “Gil Ofarim is presumed innocent until a conviction. That’s why the 39-year-old remains part of ‘The Passion’,” says one Sender’s statement.
The usual guard of private television can be found in the roles
Actually, “The Passion” should have been broadcast in the past two years. Due to the corona pandemic, however, the implementation was not feasible. The piece will be performed live on the Burgplatz in Essen. The usual guard of private television will be seen in the roles: “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” winner Alexander Klaws will embody Jesus. Already in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” he became a savior. His mother Maria is portrayed by the “Kiss me, hold me, love me” interpreter Ella Endlich, Judas by the actor Mark Keller.
The actors Henning Baum (as Pontius Pilate) and Martin Semmelrogge (as the criminal Barabbas) can also be seen in other roles. In addition to Gil Ofarim, the twelve apostles will include Samuel Koch, Schlager musician Stefan Mross and the king of the jungle Prince Damien on Burgplatz. Thomas Gottschalk leads through the passion story as narrator; the slender football official Reiner Calmund will also make a small guest appearance.
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