“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo has been cast in the lead role of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl, a cast announcement revealed on Tuesday. Erivo, a Black woman who identifies as queer and bisexual, will take the stage as the Son of God as part of the 2025 summer season lineup released by the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
First reported by Official Broadway World, the casting was soon confirmed by Hollywood Bowl, the LA Philharmonic, and Erivo herself, who shared an Instagram story saying ““Just a little busy this Summer, can’t wait.”
Known for her Oscar-nominated performance in “Wicked” last year, Erivo will reprise her involvement in the musical following her previous portrayal of Mary Magdalene in the all-female version of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, “She Is Risen.”
The production, running from August 1 to 3, will be directed by Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo, with Stephen Oremus as musical director. This production marks the return of summer musicals to the Hollywood Bowl after a hiatus due to the pandemic, with Gustavo Dudamel also featured in the lineup for his penultimate season before moving to the New York Philharmonic.
The announcement has sparked mixed reactions, with some fans excited about the non-traditional casting and others criticizing it as blasphemous given the religious nature of the play and Erivo’s open promotion of alternative sexual orientations—though given the response to the casting, this provocation was likely the entire point.
Connor Walcott is the lead writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
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