Trisha Yearwood to Play Jesus’s Mother in ‘Passion’ TV Musical
Fox announced Friday morning that Trisha Yearwood has been cast in the role of Mary, mother of Jesus, in The Passion, a live two-hour musical event set to air on the network on Palm Sunday, March 20th.
Filmmaker Tyler Perry, famed for his “Madea” character, will host and narrate the special, airing from various iconic locales around New Orleans. The Passion recounts the last hours of Jesus Christ’s life via popular music sung by the cast, including Yearwood and singer-songwriter Prince Royce as the apostle Peter.
In a release accompanying the announcement, Yearwood’s role is described thusly: “As Mary follows her son into Jerusalem, she already has witnessed Jesus struggle with opposition from other religious leaders, but bolsters him with the boundless depth of a mother’s love.” The Passion is written by High School Musical scribe Peter Barsocchini, with the songs arranged by Adam Anders (Glee).
Yearwood, who has previously acted on television in the series JAG and Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, is currently on tour with husband Garth Brooks with upcoming shows in Sunrise, Florida, Baltimore and Worcester, Massachusetts. Her last album was PrizeFighter: Hit After Hit, a collection of re-recorded hits and a handful of new songs, released in 2014. Yearwood most recently appeared on Don Henley’s Cass County album, duetting on the song “Words Can Break Your Heart.”