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The Conversation
The Conversation
Sarah Parkhouse, British Academy Research Fellow, Centre for Biblical Studies, University of Manchester

Cynthia Erivo will be the most talked about Jesus of 2025 – but women have long retold the gospel

Jesus Christ Cynthia Erivo Mary Magdalene Catherine Hardwicke Luke Matthew the Hollywood Bowl Los Angeles

Cynthia Erivo, the award-winning actor and star of Wicked, will play Jesus Christ at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles between August 1 and 3 2025.

Unsurprisingly perhaps, the casting of the Wicked star as the son of God in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s provocative rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar has caused upset on social media. Accusations of blasphemy have been made based on Erivo’s gender, sexuality, race – and even hairstyle.

The UK-based Christian magazine Premier Christianity responded to the outcry, featuring articles on whether a female Jesus was “inclusive” or “offensive”. Erivo laughed it all off.

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