'Like Magic': Fans Rave About Alice Cooper's Mic-Dropping 'Jesus Christ Superstar' Performance

Alice Cooper was among the highlights from Sunday’s Jesus Christ Superstar musical.

The heavy metal entertainer, 70, portrayed King Herod during NBC’s live televised adaptation that also featured headliners John Legend and Sara Bareilles. But viewers and fans could not stop talking about not only Cooper’s performance, but also his over-the-top orange ensemble. At one point during the over two-hour show, Cooper was trending on Twitter.

Cooper made his big entrance during “King Herod’s Song” when he strutted down the steps in a flashy suit while twirling a skull-headed cane and later accompanied by a group of showgirl-esque backup dancers. The self-obsessed King belted out the popular Andrew Lloyd Webber-created lyrics as he mockingly asks Jesus to prove his divinity by performing miracles.

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The positive reviews of Cooper’s cameo may not come as a shock for some, as the devout Christian has previously recorded a 1996 version of “King Herod’s Song” for a London cast recording of the production.

“In the back of my brain, there are times when I get really mad when I read the Passion Play on how Jesus was treated, and it really angers you. Then at the same time, you go, ‘Oh, wait a minute, I’m playing the part of one of the guys that does this,’ ” Cooper told Rolling Stone in March. “I look at it purely as a piece of art, and it’s directly out of the Bible. I might have a harder time playing Judas than I would playing Herod. It would be hard to play the guy that stabs him in the back.”