*Cynthia Erivo will take on the role of Jesus Christ in a summer production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl.
Erivo previously played Mary Magdalene in an all-female version of the musical in 2020. Directed and choreographed by Tony winner Sergio Trujillo, with Stephen Oremus as musical director, the new production will run from August 1 to August 3, Variety reports. Additional casting will be announced later.
Erivo shared the exciting news via Instagram and wrote: “Just a little busy this Summer, can’t wait.”
The rock opera, created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, debuted on Broadway in 1971 and was later adapted into a 1973 film and a 2018 NBC live special featuring John Legend.
Social media reactions to Erivo’s casting as Jesus Christ have been mixed, with some praising the bold choice while others side-eye what they see as Hollywood’s latest “woke” casting decision.
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One X user wrote, “We have now arrived at the 7th circle of Hell.” Another added, “I swear they do this, just to mess with our heads.”
A third commented, “The idiots who are acting shocked in the comments, clearly don’t know anything about Jesus Christ Superstar!”
Another X user wrote, “I’m all for untraditional casting, but this is a religious figure. No other religion would be okay with a gender swapped version of their god. Why must Christians be okay with it?”
Meanwhile, Erivo is currently nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress for her role as Elphaba in “Wicked.” She reprises the character in “Wicked: For Good,” which hits theaters in November.
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