Woke ‘Wicked’ Star to Play Jesus in Blasphemous Musical at Hollywood Bowl
British singer and actress Cynthia erivo will star as Jesus Christ in the upcoming musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl, scheduled for August 1 to August 3.This production will explore artistic interpretations of Passion Week and the dynamics between Jesus and Judas Iscariot. erivo, who recently played Elphaba in “Wicked,” expressed her excitement for the role on Instagram. She previously portrayed Mary Magdalene in a 2020 all-female version of the same musical.
The musical will be directed and choreographed by Sergio Trujillo, with Stephen Oremus as the conductor and musical director. The casting of Erivo,who is a Black,queer woman,has sparked discussions about the portrayal of Jesus in contemporary culture,with some critics highlighting perceived disregard for traditional depictions of Christ.
Moreover, Erivo’s casting is seen as part of a broader trend where contemporary performances frequently enough invoke modern social themes over traditional representations. This has raised eyebrows among some Christian groups, who feel that Christianity is often subject to scrutiny and mocking in modern media. Erivo’s role in this iconic musical is anticipated to draw notable attention and discussion surrounding its artistic and cultural implications.
British singer and actress Cynthia Erivo is slated to play Jesus Christ in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl this summer.
Erivo’s performance in the play, which centers on creative liberties surrounding Passion week and the supposed relationship between Jesus and Judas Iscariot, will occur between Aug. 1 and Aug. 3, according to a Tuesday report from Variety.
The actress, who most recently played Elphaba in the musical “Wicked,” said via Instagram that she is “just a little busy this summer, can’t wait,” the outlet reported.
Erivo previously played Mary Magdalene in an all-female rendition of “Jesus Christ Superstar” back in 2020, according to Variety.
Sergio Trujillo will serve as director and choreographer, while Stephen Oremus will work as conductor and musical director, according to the website for the Hollywood Bowl.
Many Christians have plenty of their own complaints with the way Jesus, his death, and his resurrection are depicted in “Jesus Christ Superstar” — even under normal circumstances.
But the choice of Erivo, a black woman who self-identifies as “queer,” certainly smacks of even more disregard than usual for faithfully depicting the person and work of Jesus.
Erivo, if you could not already tell, is also extremely woke.
She and “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande embarked on an interview tour last year where they hyped up apparent “queer” themes in the musical.
“Oz is a very queer place,” Grande said last year alongside Erivo in an interview with GLAAD.
Erivo, meanwhile, reminded “queer fans around the world” that “you deserve all the good things, that your difference is what makes you special, that your queerness is beautiful, that I love you.”
She reiterated to self-described homosexual and transgender fans that “Elphaba is just like you, and she understands what it feels like to be alone and to feel different, but that doesn’t make you any less special than you were born to be.”
The choice of Erivo to play Jesus Christ is no accident.
It’s as if the organizers of the performance sought out the most transgressive actor they could possibly find to infuse the character with the spirit of the age rather than the Holy Spirit, which actually empowered Jesus’ earthly ministry.
We continue to see that Christianity alone is the one religion that Western cultures are allowed to mock, even though Christianity is the foundation on which Western culture is built.
If Erivo were cast to play the prophet Muhammad, for instance, the world would be in an uproar.
As Jesus said, the world hates His disciples because the world hates Him.
Erivo is about as worldly as one can get at this moment in our culture, so you can imagine how exactly she will honor Jesus in her performance.
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