Cynthia Erivois still riding a huge wave of success following December’s record-breaking release ofWicked, but her next role was never going to pass without a lot of controversy. While the phenomenal singer and actress will be reprising her role as Elphaba in thesecond part of Jon M. Chu’s musical adaptation, this summer will see her returning to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musicalJesus Christ Superstarfor a series of special performances at the Hollywood Bowl. Having previously performed as Mary Magdalene, this time Erivo will be playing the titular role of Jesus Christ.
Let’s cut to the chase and get straight into the reactions that the news has brought forth on social media. The reaction could be described as mixed, but in these situations there is always one group that shouts louder than the other. Unsurprisingly, those incredibly offended by the announcement are the ones who have been dominating the comments sections of X/Twitter.
The news was announced by theHollywood Bowl via Instagram, with Erivo reposting the announcement on her own social media account. The original post read:
“Just announced! @cynthiaerivo joins the Hollywood Bowl’s production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” this summer. The Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner, and three-time Oscar nominee is cast as Jesus in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical.”
Eviro in her own comment, added that she would be “very busy” this summer. The production will hit the iconic venue between August 1 and August 3, so tickets will be limited, but the attention on the production is likely to be incredibly intense even before a single note is sung on stage.
What Social Media Has Said About Cynthia Erivo’s Jesus Casting
While Erivo and her fans are celebrating the news that the singer/actress will be belting out some classic show tunes at the Hollywood Bowl, others have been less welcoming to the announcement. From being slammed as “blasphemous” and “a direct attack on Christianity,” it seems that casting a queer, black woman asthe Son of Godin a rock opera is just too much for some to take.
One particularly scathing reaction came fromAustralia’s Senator Babet, who blasted the casting – by sharing the headline from the U.K.’s Daily Mail no less – and declaring:
“Self-proclaimed queer Cynthia Erivo is set to play Jesus Christ. BLASPHEMY. This isn’t about creativity, it’s a direct attack on Christianity, a deliberate insult to our faith and traditions. They mock what is sacred, believing there will be no consequences. These relentless attacks on our beliefs will not stop unless we stop them. Christianity is under siege, and we cannot negotiate with evil - we must eradicate it. Repent or perish.”
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“Easy to be behind the computer typing words about a person you don’t know anything about.”
Others kept things a little simpler, such as@DeschWinswho said, “How the ever loving f*ck is Cynthia Erivo cast as the Christ?!” And there are many such comments that piled in on the back of media outlet posts, including one that proclaimed that Erivo should also be considered for the role of Voldemort in theHarry PotterTV show, “if no one cares about accuracy.”
Naturally, there are many back and forth arguments to be found on the back of these comments, many unprintable anywhere other than on X, as well as a lot of support for Erivo taking on the role in what, essentially, is a show that was itself called blasphemous on its original release. In the end, all of this is going to simply bring a lot more attention on the very short run of the musical.
