Andrew Lloyd Webber has weighed in on the buzz surrounding the Hollywood Bowl’s star-studded revival of Jesus Christ Superstar.
The revival of the sung-through rock opera written by Webber and Tim Rice played for three evenings in Los Angeles this past weekend. The production featured Tony-winning actor and singer Cynthia Erivo as Jesus — a groundbreaking casting choice that saw a Black queer woman take on the iconic role — alongside pop powerhouse Adam Lambert as Judas Iscariot. Other notable cast members included Phillipa Soo as Mary Magdalene, Milo Manheim as Peter and Raúl Esparza as Pontius Pilate. Josh Gad was originally set to play the role of King Herod, but contracted COVID-19 two days before opening night. John Stamos stepped in for the first two nights, while Gad was able to return to the role for the closing night.
Jesus Christ Superstar reinterprets the last seven days of Jesus’s life, focusing on the perspectives of Judas and the human side of Jesus. The story explores the conflicts between Jesus, his disciples, the Jewish leaders and the Roman Empire, with special attention to the relationships between Jesus and Judas, as well as Jesus and Mary Magdalene.
All three performances that took place from last Friday to Sunday for the 1970s revival completely sold out at the Hollywood Bowl, which holds 17,500 people, and received many positive reviews from audience members and critics.
Critics have especially raved about Erivo’s performance, with the Los Angeles Times calling her performance “divine” and Forbesbelieving that the show “could storm Broadway, crisscross the country or pitch an actual revival-tent tour and still pack the house for years.”
American activist Jane Fonda also praised the 38-year-old actress’s performance, calling her performance “breathtaking” and “her talent is something out of this world. She was Jesus” on her Instagram.
On Wednesday morning, Webber went to Instagram to praise the reviews Erivo and the entire cast got for their outstanding performance. He posted a candid photo of himself and the Wicked actress meeting after the show.
“I’m thrilled to see such brilliant reviews for @cynthiaerivo, @adamlambert and the entire cast of @jesuschristsuperstar at the Hollywood Bowl,” the 77-year-old composer said. “It is particularly exciting to see that our idea of a woman playing Jesus has been so embraced and understood.”
Webber is the legendary composer behind some of musical theatre’s biggest hits, including The Phantom of the Opera, Cats, Sunset Boulevard and Evita — the latter currently playing in London’s West End, starring Rachel Zegler. Known for blending memorable melodies with grand storytelling, his work has won multiple Tonys, Grammys and an Academy Award, shaping modern musical theatre worldwide.
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