Award-winning actress and singer Cynthia Erivo has responded to criticism of her upcoming role as Jesus in the Hollywood Bowl’s summer production of Jesus Christ Superstar, calling the backlash unwarranted.
Erivo told Billboard: “Why not? You can’t please everyone. It is legitimately a three-day performance at the Hollywood Bowl where I get to sing my face off.
"So hopefully they will come and realise, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth.’”
The production will run for three nights in August and is directed by Sergio Trujillo with musical direction by Stephen Oremus.
Though her casting has been met with some opposition, particularly from those Christians who have called it “blasphemous”, many fans have praised the decision, highlighting the show’s long-standing tradition of diverse casting.
In 2020, Erivo played Mary Magdalene in an all-female version of the show.
This time, she is set to take on iconic numbers like “Gethsemane” and “Hosanna” in a new retelling of the 1971 rock opera, which explores Jesus’ final days through the eyes of Judas Iscariot.
Show co-creator Tim Rice voiced support for the new interpretation, telling LBC: “I think a piece that is established, there’s no reason it can’t be done in lots of forms. I think Cynthia, who is one of the best singers on the planet, will do a great version.”