Cynthia Erivo’s controversial casting as Jesus Christ in Jesus Christ Superstar has moved from divisive headlines to full-blown backlash, as footage of her performance at the Hollywood Bowl went viral this weekend.
Erivo, who appeared on stage in a torn white dress with claw-like acrylic nails, was seen singing opposite Adam Lambert in what the Bowl’s website describes as a “return to the rock roots” of the iconic musical.
But for many viewers, the production didn’t feel like a revival. It felt like a tired, elitist provocation from Hollywood.
“This is supposed to be Jesus Christ Superstar, not Bride of Frankenstein,” the original poster wrote, with the clip racking up 2 million views over the weekend.
Footage of Cynthia Erivo as the lead in Jesus Christ Superstar was mocked online, with many describing it as “creepy”
Image credits: Getty / Matt Winkelmeyer
“Eerie,” “frightening, and “unholy” where just some of the words viewers used to describe Erivo’s look, which, beyond a tattered white dress, made almost no effort to separate the actress from the musical’s titular character.
Image credits: Getty / Arturo Holmes
Erivo stepped on stage displaying what has become her trademark look, sporting a shaved head, jewelry and a gaunt appearance that, coupled with her long nails and her mannerisms, made audiences recoil.
“That is a f*cking demon,” one user bluntly declared.
Image credits: Hollywood Bowl / Farah Sosa
The production, directed by Sergio Trujillo with music direction by Stephen Oremus, ran from August 1–3, with tickets priced between $400 and $1,270.
Image credits: Hollywood Bowl / Farah Sosa
Ever since it was first announced in February of this year, critics argued that casting what they saw as an elite actress to play the son of God was less a bold artistic decision and more a reflection of the entertainment industry’s increasingly alienating brand of pseudo-revolutionary messaging.
“Who does this appeal to? What person really wants to go and see this?” a confused viewer asked.
“Post a jeans commercial and all hell breaks loose. Blatantly mock an entire religion and it’s completely fine,” another pointed out, referencing the recent backlash against Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad.
Detractors condemned the casting choice, believing it to be motivated primarily by political reasons
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Erivo’s participation in Disney’s Wicked last year was full of ups and downs. While her talent as a performer was widely acknowledged by both critics and audiences, it was her behavior off screen that brought her trouble.
From disparaging fellow auditioners to angrily reacting to fan edits, her media appearances have painted her as an elitist figure with a victim complex.
“Doesn’t she realize how utterly absurd this perpetual-victim schtick sounds coming from people that have reached the pinnacle of their craft and are making heaps of money?” a reader wrote at the time.
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So when she took to the stage at the Hollywood Bowl to play the ultimate symbol of humility, many found the act not just ill-fitting, but deliberately aimed at generating outrage.
Image credits: X / KarluskaP
“In reverse it would be cultural and gender appropriation! Hollywood should be ashamed,” a user argued.
Others fixated on her physical appearance, which they felt aligned with a disturbing trend in modern Hollywood and the fashion industry: a push toward androgyny and an almost aggressive rejection of classical femininity.
Erivo’s detractors expressed exhaustion over what they saw as the actress using intellectual properties to further her agenda
Despite the controversial casting, this isn’t the first time Erivo participated in a Jesus Christ Superstar production. She previously played the role of Mary Magdalene in an all-female version of the musical in 2020, with singer Morgan James taking on the role of Jesus at the time.
“I am so honored that all of these superstar women said 'yes' and came to the studio with such graciousness and sense of collaboration,” James said.
Image credits: Hollywood Bowl / Farah Sosa
The religious figure was also played by a black actor in a 2018’s version of the musical, with John Legend taking on the role for the NBC live-action remake.
For Erivo, both her role as Wicked’s Elphaba and as Jesus are part of what she sees as “portraying the struggles of being a black woman when nobody wants you there.”
Specifically, the actress said that the witch’s green skin symbolically made her the “ultimate other,” being queer not just in terms of her orientation, but in a broader sense of not being able to fit with societal expectations.
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"It’s a conversation about racism, but it's also a conversation about anyone who's been othered. It's a conversation about queerness,” she said in an interview.
Image credits: Instagram / cynthiaerivo
Both then and now, her detractors lamented what they saw as the actress using the intellectual properties to further an agenda of her own.
“My all-time favorite musical, ruined. Disgusting choice,” a reader said. “These people can’t help but inject their politics into everything they touch.”
"On purpose." Some netizens believe the casting choice aligns with a specific agenda
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