Josh Gad, who portrays King Herod, calls the cast \u201cthe musical theater version of the Avengers.\u201d He\u2019s referring to Erivo and Lambert, in addition to Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene, Milo Manheim as Peter, Ra\u00fal Esparza as Pontius Pilate, Tyrone Huntley as Simon and Brian Justin Crum as Annas. The sold-out show runs from Friday to Sunday. <\/p>\n
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Tyrone Huntley performs as Simon during a rehearsal of \u201cJesus Christ Superstar\u201d at the Hollywood United Methodist Church in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
(Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n
Judging from the ongoing commentary<\/a> and controversy<\/a> over the casting on social media, a queer, Black, female actor playing Jesus and a gay actor portraying Judas feel like a revelation to fans grappling with mounting concerns about civil rights in America. Over the last six months, the Trump administration has curtailed diversity, equity and inclusion programs and attempted to roll back key legal protections for certain members of the LGBTQ+ community<\/a>. <\/p>\n \u201cThe challenge for the audience of seeing a female Black Jesus is so exciting. And we all feel the excitement,\u201d says Lambert, adding that the show doesn\u2019t change lyrics or pronouns. \u201cMaybe it doesn\u2019t have to do with male or female. I don\u2019t really know if it matters what gender Jesus was, because it was about the teachings and the love and the connection to faith. So shouldn\u2019t it transcend gender?\u201d<\/p>\n Power \u2014 who has it and who doesn\u2019t \u2014 has emerged as a defining narrative in 2025. That was also the case 2,000 years ago when Pontius Pilate ordered the crucifixion of Jesus, who posed a serious threat to the religious and political primacy of the Pharisees, the Herodians and the Romans. The 1971 musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice imagines the final days of Jesus\u2019 life, including his agony, before he ultimately accepts his fate.<\/p>\n Gad is keenly aware of the notion of power as historic through-line as he approaches his titular number, \u201cHerod\u2019s Song,\u201d in which the King of Judea coyly mocks Jesus before taking a frightening turn into true menace. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is a man who\u2019s so insecure he can\u2019t afford to let Jesus out of his chains in order to actually face him without the help of soldiers around him,\u201d Gad says. \u201cMy hope is that I\u2019m getting to bring one of the greatest hypocrites to life in a way that will both make people laugh and also make them recognize that archetype.\u201d<\/p>\n Brian Grohl, left, Josh Gad, Adam Lambert and Sergio Trujillo are bringing \u201cJesus Christ Superstar\u201d to the Hollywood Bowl.<\/p>\n (Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n The musical was first released as a concept album in 1970 and played at the Hollywood Bowl in 1971, before debuting on Broadway later that year. During its run, protests outside the stage door were commonplace, and although the musical has reached the pinnacle of success over the years, it has remained controversial.<\/p>\n Big summer musicals have been a staple of the Hollywood Bowl since 2000, but the shows went dark due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. With the exception of \u201cKinky Boots\u201d in 2022, \u201cJesus Christ Superstar\u201d is the first of what Bowl leaders hope will be an annual resumption of the beloved programming. <\/p>\n \u201cWe wanted to make sure that when we came back, it was the most spectacular thing we could do,\u201d says Meghan Umber, president of the Hollywood Bowl and chief programming officer at the Los Angeles Philharmonic.<\/p>\n \u201cJesus Christ Superstar,\u201d was always at the top of the Bowl\u2019s musical wishlist but wasn\u2019t available until now, adds Brian Grohl, associate director of programming for the L.A. Phil.<\/p>\n \u201cThe number of titles that can sustain three nights at the Hollywood Bowl is a narrowed-down list already,\u201d Grohl said, so securing the title resulted in a lot of jumping and shouting around the office. And when it came to who would play Jesus, Umber and Grohl both say Erivo topped the list. Her \u201cyes\u201d made all the others follow.<\/p>\n Adam Lambert performs Saturday during a rehearsal of \u201cJesus Christ Superstar.\u201d <\/p>\n (Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n Gad calls Erivo \u2014 who was not present at a recent rehearsal because of a previous engagement \u2014 a \u201cgenerational talent.\u201d And he\u2019s far from alone. Talk to anyone on the cast or crew and they will immediately hold forth on her extraordinary gifts.<\/p>\n \u201cI see the hand of God in her,\u201d Trujillo says reverently. \u201cEven now, me being in the room with her, I hear it and I see it, and it is transcendent.\u201d<\/p>\n Trujillo decided to go back to the musical\u2019s roots as a concept album and is staging the show as a bare-bones rock concert. Instead of elaborate scenic design, there are black road boxes, microphones and cords. Even the costumes are contemporary with nods to their lineage. A rhythm band will play onstage and a 37-piece orchestra will perform behind a giant LED screen that will create the illusion that the musicians are hovering in the sky above the action.<\/p>\n Keeping the show in the present and infusing it with the raw energy of youth culture was crucial to Trujillo\u2019s vision, he says, adding that in the spirit of rock \u2018n\u2019 roll, the musical \u201creflects the turbulent political times that we\u2019re living in.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAs I set up each one of the characters, they\u2019re at a microphone singing and then they take the microphone and they step into the scene. I always want to remind the audience that we are in a concert, but we\u2019re also telling the story,\u201d says Trujillo. \u201cEvery single person understands the opportunity that we all have to take this monumental story, this monumental score, and to do it justice. So everyone is coming at it with such goodwill and so much joy.\u201d<\/p>\n At a Saturday rehearsal in the church gym, Trujillo\u2019s words ring true. The ensemble cast of more than 20 talented dancers and singers, in sweats and hoodies, run through \u201cWhat\u2019s the Buzz.\u201d Gad watches and cheers from a table on the sidelines next to conductor and musical director Stephen Oremus, who smiles and nods his head with the beat.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you need me to stand in for Jesus, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d Gad jokes.<\/p>\n Phillipa Soo, who plays Mary Magdalene, sings a heartfelt rendition of \u201cI Don\u2019t Know How to Love Him.\u201d<\/p>\n (Etienne Laurent \/ For The Times)<\/p>\n Lambert mesmerizes the assembled crew and onlookers with a potent rendition of \u201cHeaven on Their Minds\u201d and Soo brings tears with a heartfelt performance of \u201cI Don\u2019t Know How to Love Him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe more time I spend with this musical, the more brilliant I understand it to be,\u201d says Manheim during a brief break. The 24-year-old, who\u2018s gained a tween following after playing Zed in Disney Channel\u2019s \u201cZombies\u201d franchise, is part of the youth cohort Trujillo wanted to cast. He wasn\u2019t as familiar with the score as the older cast members \u2014 which is part of the point.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s cross-generational,\u201d says Trujillo of the show. \u201cThis is the gift that you give to your children and then it just gets passed on.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
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