'Wicked' star Cynthia Erivo laughs at critics of her playing Jesus in upcoming musical

"Wicked" prima Cynthia Erivo doesn’t spot an contented with playing the relation of Jesus Christ successful an upcoming show of "Jesus Christ Superstar."

In a caller interview with Billboard, the histrion laughed disconnected outrage that she would beryllium playing Jesus successful an upcoming rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s musical.

"Why not?" she asked Billboard erstwhile asked astir radical saying she shouldn’t execute the role. "You can’t delight everyone."

Actress Cynthia Erivo defended her upcoming relation arsenic Jesus Christ successful "Jesus Christ Superstar" during a caller interrogation with Billboard.  (| Mike Coppola / Staff)

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Erivo is acceptable to execute successful the stone opera astatine the upcoming Hollywood Bowl accumulation of the philharmonic that runs from August 1 to August 3 this year. News that the histrion would beryllium Jesus caused contention for Christians and conservatives connected societal media past February.

At the time, Christian pastor, John K. Amanchukwu Sr., complained astir the casting connected societal media, stating, "With each owed respect, and humbly submitted, Cynthia Erivo is excessively BALD, BROWN, and BI to play Jesus. Casting a pistillate arsenic Jesus Christ is an intentional signifier of blasphemy that Hollywood would beryllium fuming implicit if done to definite different religions."

Conservative Christian influencer Alexandra Lains posted her complaints astir the casting decision, stating, "Christianity seems to beryllium the lone religion that’s ne'er disconnected limits for Hollywood to disrespect. Cynthia Erivo, a achromatic woman, arsenic Jesus Christ? Please halt with the lunacy."

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 16: Cynthia Erivo attends the 77th Annual Tony Awards astatine David H. Koch Theater astatine Lincoln Center connected June 16, 2024 successful New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images) (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

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The Billboard interview, published connected Monday, noted that Erivo "can’t assistance but laugh" astatine the outrage. She justified taking the relation and said radical volition get implicit it erstwhile they spot it. 

"It is legitimately a three-day show astatine the Hollywood Bowl wherever I get to sing my look off. So, hopefully they volition travel and realize, ‘Oh, it’s a musical, the gayest spot connected Earth,'" she said.

Erivo was nominated for Best Actress for her show successful the deed philharmonic "Wicked" arsenic Elphaba.

Elsewhere during the interview, the entertainer weighed successful connected President Donald Trump’s overhaul of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts successful Washington, D.C., successful February.

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Trump fired respective Kennedy Center committee members, including the president and chairman, and replaced them with pro-Trump figures, who past named the president arsenic chairman.

The outlet said that Erivo expressed "dread" implicit the caller Kennedy Center changes. She told Billboard, "I don’t cognize who gains what from that. I anticipation that it comes back," she says. "It’s truly bittersweet to person to ticker this hap to it. The Kennedy Center is expected to beryllium a abstraction of creativity and creation and euphony for everyone."

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