Ahead of this weekend’s star-studded Jesus Christ Superstar concert at Hollywood Bowl, Adam Lambert defended casting Cynthia Erivo in the title role, which has faced backlash from some circles over the Tony-winning actress being a Black LGBTQ woman.
In a recent chat with Billboard, Lambert—who’s bringing Judas to life in this exciting production—couldn’t contain his enthusiasm about working alongside a groundbreaking “female, Black” Jesus. “Cynthia’s brilliant,” he gushed. “Her voice, presence, and simultaneous power and vulnerability absolutely blow my mind, and working with her has been a dream.”
While some have raised eyebrows at casting a queer, Black woman as Jesus, Lambert sees it as a thrilling opportunity to shake things up. “I’m excited by the challenge of presenting the audience with a production led by a female, Black Jesus and encourage the audience to expand their minds a bit,” he shared with Billboard. “Originally utilizing rock and roll, Jesus Christ Superstar is supposed to provoke and challenge—that’s the point. And shouldn’t the teachings of Jesus transcend gender?”
Erivo tackled the criticism head-on in her own Billboard interview this June, responding with delightful wit: “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 realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest place on Earth.’”
The star-studded cast features Milo Manheim, Raúl Esparza, and Phillipa Soo. John Stamos joined the incredible lineup last minute, stepping in for Josh Gad, who had to bow out due to a COVID-related issue. The spectacular show is directed and choreographed by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo, with Tony and Grammy winner Stephen Oremus conducting and music directing.
The event, running August 1–3, showcases theater’s amazing evolution toward more inclusive casting and storytelling.
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