A heated debate erupted on GB News over the casting of Cynthia Erivo as Jesus in the Hollywood Bowl’s upcoming production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
The comments come as Cynthia Erivo is set to make history as the first woman to lead a major production of Jesus Christ Superstar at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Emmy, Grammy, and Tony winner, who is currently nominated for an Oscar for her role as Elphaba in Wicked, will take on the role of Jesus this summer.
Speaking on GB News, Bev Turner said: “A black actress playing Jesus Christ Superstar on Broadway.”
Stephen Dixon said: “I’ve come to the conclusion I don’t care. Oh, I think she’s a great singer. Great actress. I think it would be good. “
Bev asked: “Should she play Jesus, though? Jesus isn’t black and he wasn’t female either.”
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Andrew Pierce said: “This is the oldest story in the world and we are going woke with it.”
Stephen questioned: “But is it woke or is it just she’s a good actress? Does it have to be historically correct?
Andrew fumed: “It’s being controversial for the sake of it.”
Stephen said: “Is it? I just sort of don’t care. When I first heard it my initial reaction was, oh, what on earth are they doing? The more I think about it, I just think, well, if it’s a good performance, does it matter?
Bev said: “Because you’ve been utterly woke-ified?
Stephen said: “No, I’m not woke-ified. I’m not woke.”
Speaking about her recent Oscar nomination for Wicked, Erivo said: “I hope it’s a bit of a love letter to everyone who feels different, who feels out of place, to all of the Black women who have walked into rooms and felt like they haven’t been welcomed.”
Erivo’s casting comes at a pivotal moment in her career, as she awaits next month’s Academy Awards ceremony.
Should she win the Best Actress Oscar for her performance in Wicked, she would become the youngest person ever to achieve EGOT status.
The British star has already secured Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards for her work in The Color Purple.
Beyond Jesus Christ Superstar, Erivo’s upcoming projects include reprising her role as Elphaba in the sequel “Wicked For Good,” set for release in November.
