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Russell Crowe - Source: Reuters
Oscar winner Russell Crowe will join the cast of Ben Hur, a
stadium performance of the story of the galley slave who dared to
defy the Roman Empire.
Crowe, who won an Oscar for the lead role in Ridley Scott's epic
sword and sandal film Gladiator, will be the narrator of two live
performances to be held at Sydney's ANZ Stadium on October 22 and
23.
The actor today said his involvement was going to be a hoot.
"We all know the Australian saying 'bigger than Ben Hur' ... and
there is no doubt this show will be massive," he said.
"All I can see in this is a great deal of fun," he told
journalists.
"It's a gigantic production. It's so ambitious and I just had to be
involved."
It was not immediately clear whether Crowe would narrate the
performances live or not.
Ben Hur - the stadium spectacular is based on the famous 1959 Oscar
winning film, starring Charlton Heston.
The $18 million live adaptation features a cast of 200, a
full-scale chariot race and will transform ANZ Stadium into a Roman
amphitheatre.
The show was first staged in Paris in 2006 where it drew in
audiences of 300,000 over a five-night run.
