When I first saw that Cynthia Erivo was cast as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl, my heart sank. The production ran just three nights (August 1–3, 2025), but the impact of something like this goes far beyond a weekend performance.
I’ve wrestled with this blog because I know it will ruffle feathers—but as a follower of Christ, I cannot stay silent when God’s truth is mocked under the guise of “art.”
Cynthia Erivo’s Own Words
Cynthia Erivo has been open about her sexuality, calling herself queer, and unapologetic about living that out. She also claims to be a person of faith, but her statements show a worldview at odds with Scripture.
When asked about the backlash to her playing Jesus, she told Entertainment Weekly:
“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.’”
She also said in another interview that the “rules” people put on others “have nothing to do with me and my faith,” claiming that faith is “bigger than set rules.”
I read those words and felt a deep sadness. I know that struggle—I once lived in the same tension of calling myself a Christian while doing what I wanted, rather than what God commands. But here’s the difference: I eventually had to admit that I was in sin and repent. Pretending that God’s Word has no rules is self-deception.
Why This Is Blasphemous
- Jesus’s Gender and Incarnation
Scripture reveals Jesus as a man—born of a virgin, fully human, fully God (Luke 1:31; Philippians 2:7–8). Portraying Him as a woman changes the nature of the incarnation itself. There is no “artistic exemption” that makes distorting Christ okay. - Public Sin and Public Representation
Scripture warns:
“Not many of you should become teachers … because you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (James 3:1). When someone publicly represents Christ—especially in a role watched by thousands—yet openly lives in rebellion to His Word, that’s serious. - Artistic Relativism vs. Biblical Truth
Erivo said this was all just about singing and spectacle. But the Bible says:
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain” (Exodus 20:7). God’s name and His Son’s image are holy, not props for a stage show. “Art for art’s sake” ends where blasphemy begins.
The Problem With Jesus Christ Superstar
Even before this casting, the musical itself has long been problematic. It downplays Jesus’s divinity, emphasizes His doubts, and doesn’t end with the resurrection. Without the victory of the cross and empty tomb, it’s not the gospel—it’s just a tragedy set to music.
Now, in 2025, it has been layered with gender politics and sexual ideology. What used to be a secular interpretation has crossed into open mockery of God’s design and Christ’s identity.
My Reflection as a Christian
I share this not from a place of judgment but from a place of experience. I know the temptation to bend Scripture to fit my feelings. I know what it’s like to want to hold on to sin and call it faith. But the Holy Spirit never leaves you in that deception.
As I wrote in The Greatest Commandment Isn’t a Free Pass to Sin, loving God means loving His Word and obeying it. There’s no shortcut around that.
When I look at this production, I don’t see art—I see the world applauding itself while ignoring God’s clear Word. And I see a reminder for Christians to be alert.
A Call to Discernment
If you love Jesus, be careful what you applaud. Test everything by Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:21). Don’t let cultural “art” reshape your view of Christ. His image is not ours to rewrite.
I pray for Cynthia Erivo and for every person who watched that show to encounter the real Jesus—the One who saves, forgives, and transforms lives.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
Maverick City and the Cost of Evangelism Compromise
It would be really heroic of Cynthia Erivo and Adam Lambert if they were to perform in a play about the spiritual leader of Islam. I’m sure those performances would go over with a BANG!
God is the judge and He will not be mocked. We are commanded to forgive, but we must do all that we can to search the scriptures, to ponder, to pray and to keep God’s laws. We are taught to love one another, but remembering that we must teach by example, by word, by music and by dead. The God of us all will make the final judgement in the end. Heavenly Father, please help thine wavering children. Thank you Lord.