By KATIE JACOB

Contributing Reporter 

An evening at the theater might be a stretch for cash-strapped college students, but three Broadway musical hits are coming to Detroit and you might want to check them out. 

Jesus Christ Superstar

This groundbreaking theatrical masterpiece by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice will be opening at the Fox Theater at 7:30 p.m. on March 14. 

Jesus Christ Superstar is the rock opera vision of “the greatest show on earth” — the final seven days of the life of Jesus of Christ. 

Golden Globe-nominated actor, Ted Neely stars as Jesus, while Grammy-winning artist Corey Glover portrays Judas. 

Neely was nominated for his role of Jesus in the Norman Jewison film adaptation of the musical, while Glover is the lead singer for multi-platinum selling rock band, Living Color.

Additional performances will be at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Mar. 15, and 1 p.m. and 7 p.m., Sunday, Mar. 16.

Tickets may be purchased online at www.olympiaentertainment.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet or in person at the Fox Theater or Joe Louis Arena box office.

The ticket prices are $27-$69 for evening performances and $22-$62 for matinees.

Urinetown – The Musical

Following its debut at the New York International Fringe Festival, the Tony Award-winning musical opened on Broadway shortly after the attacks of September 11, 2001. Despite the difficult circumstances, this “darkly hilarious musical satire” enjoyed a terrific run through January 2004, closing after 25 previews and 965 performances.

Described as “fresh, unique, original, impudent, colorful, irreverent, surprising and wonderful” by Rex Reed of the New York Observer, the show is the slightly absurd story of a hero and heroine who lead a revolution against the corrupt Urine Good Company, Inc. which, after a devastating drought, controls all of the town’s toilets. Lawbreakers who refuse to “pay to pee” are sent to the penal colony, “Urinetown.” 

The Stagecrafters production will be playing at the Baldwin Theater in Royal Oak from March 28-30, April 3-6 and April 10-13. Evening performances will begin at 8 p.m. on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, and matinees will start at 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Tickets are $16-$18 and can be purchased at the Baldwin Theater ticket office on 415 S. Lafayette Ave. in Royal Oak. 

The Color Purple

Presented by Oprah Winfrey, The Color Purple is the musical adaptation of the highly acclaimed novel by Alice Walker. The musical tells the story of four black women in rural Georgia in the early 1900s whose lives intertwine over four decades as they struggle to find self-esteem against the odds of dealing with poverty, racial inequality and sexual abuse along the way.

The Color Purple, whose characters will be recognizable to moviegoers familiar with the 1985 film version by Steven Spielberg, stars Jeanette Bayardelle as Celie, Felicia Fields as Sofia and Michele Williams as Shug Avery.

The show will be playing at the Fox Theater from May 20 to June 1. Ticket prices range from $39.75 to $79. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at www.olympiaentertainment.com or at any Ticketmaster outlet.