Australian theatre producer Harry M. Miller and theatre director Jim Sharman had worked on the stage musical "Hair" and kept some of the cast and crew for their next project, the Australian version of "Jesus Christ Superstar" by Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber. Miller and Sharman chose English, from over 2,000 applicants, to take the starring role of Judas Iscariot alongside fellow stars Trevor White (ex-Sounds Unlimited) as Jesus Christ and Michele Fawdon as Mary Magdalene. The initial run was from 4 May 1972, at Sydney's Capitol Theatre, to February 1974 with over 700 shows, it included other Australian music/theatre performers Reg Livermore (from "Hair", later in "The Rocky Horror Show"), John Paul Young (later a solo singer with "Love is in the Air"), Marcia Hines (from "Hair", took over as Mary Magdalene in 1973, later a solo singer with "You"), Doug Parkinson (Doug Parkinson in Focus had a hit with "Dear Prudence", took over from Livermore) and Stevie Wright (ex-the Easybeats, later a solo singer with "Evie").