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Cynthia Erivo has responded to backlash over her casting as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar, saying she can’t please everyone. The show, mainly a rock opera, tells the story of Jesus through music and explores his relationships and different sides of his character.
In the latest production, set to take place from August 1 to 3 at the Hollywood Bowl, Cynthia Erivo will take on the lead role. The announcement drew criticism from some conservatives who objected to a queer black woman portraying Jesus. In an interview with Billboard, published on June 2, the actor and singer addressed the backlash.
“Why not?" she said. "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 realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth.’”
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Jesus Christ Superstar will be directed by Sergio Trujillo, with the music directed and conducted by Grammy winner Stephen Oremus. The show, being produced in association with Neil Meron and Robert Greenblatt, will also star Adam Lambert as Judas.
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Jesus Christ Superstar originated as a concept album before making its Broadway debut in 1971. In 1973, Norman Jewison directed a film adaptation. The musical was later reimagined in NBC's Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert, which starred John Legend as Jesus Christ and Sara Bareilles as Mary Magdalene.
Cynthia Erivo opens up on how her role in The Color Purple helped her
Cynthia Erivo played the lead role of Celie in the Broadway show, The Color Purple, which ran from 2015 to 2017. Her performance earned immense praise from fans and critics alike.
In her interview with Billboard, the actor revealed that she connected with the characters on a deeper level due to their similar struggles. Cynthia had previously come out as queer to her loved ones, but she explained that playing Celie opened her to the idea of coming out publicly. She said:
“I hadn’t really ever explored [my queerness], I hadn’t really ever discovered or understood or really learned about it. I was like, ‘Oh, I get to play this woman who is exploring and learning about her own queerness at the same time as trying to discover what love is.’ This sort of wonderful thing happened at the same time — I got to do the same for myself.”
Erivo added:
“It’s like your feet finally hit the ground. Even the work that I started doing, whether I’m on a set or in a studio, I just felt a lot more relaxed.”
Notably, Cynthia Erivo won the Tony, Grammy, and Emmy awards for her work in The Color Purple. However, she wasn't cast as Celie in the film adaptation. Fantasia Barrino played the lead role in the film, which was released on Christmas 2023.
