"She’s set to play who?": Fans crack up as Cynthia Erivo is cast as Jesus Christ in ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ at the Hollywood Bowl

Cynthia Erivo as Jesus. The Hollywood Bowl is pulling off the kind of casting move that makes X explode into a frenzy. From August 1-3, 2025, Erivo—Tony winner, Grammy collector, occasional Oscar nominee, and all-around vocal powerhouse—will take center stage in Jesus Christ Superstar.

One X (formerly Twitter), seemingly in disbelief, humorously asked:

"She’s set to play who?"

One user, pointing out an absurd fact, noted:

"Thats why everyone’s been crying around her"

Meanwhile, one user humorously warned:

"Y’all are not ready for a Jesus with vocals like that."

In an absolute mic-drop of the century, a user mentioned:

"Didn't He already suffer enough?"

Another user went on to state:

"He'll look pretty good with long hair and a beard"

A user, probably in disbelief, said:

"I feel like I didn't read that right lmao"

With no words, one user shared a hilarious GIF:

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What is Jesus Christ Superstar?

According to Variety, it's Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's rock-opera version of the final days of Jesus, but with electric guitars, soap opera betrayal, and existential angst.

Coming into existence as a concept album release in 1970 before starting on Broadway during '71, this musical has been through the gamut of every possible redesigning—arena tours, live NBC specials, and even the all-female concept album version in 2020 (trivia alert—Erivo herself was a participant in this project as Mary Magdalene).

Now, she's leveling up. Taking to Instagram stories, she said:

"Just a little busy this summer. Can't wait."

To make the hint obvious, she put a wink emoji in there.

Sergio Trujillo, Tony Award-winning choreographer, is also directing and choreographing this new production, so it's going to look as good as it sounds.

And with musical director Stephen Oremus, another Tony Award winner, you can bet your dollar this show is here to slay (figuratively, of course).

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Cynthia Erivo's return to the stage

For Erivo, the gig is a return to her theater roots nearly a decade to the day since her breakout performance in The Color Purple.

She's been piling up awards since then, most recently defying gravity as Elphaba in the movie Wicked.

Now she is exchanging emerald green for biblical robes.

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A production, not only as a milestone event

It is the first summer musical at the Hollywood Bowl since the pandemic suspended live theater.

Kim Noltemy, President and CEO of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, is hyped, calling it a return to form for the venue’s grand musical tradition. Noltemy told the Los Angeles Times:

“We missed the musicals for a few years, and I think that one is a good one to return with. Whether it be staffing or psychological transition, we needed time to get back up to running like the machine we can be when everything’s going well.”

And with the past Bowl productions like Kinky Boots, Les Misérables, and Rent, the stakes are as high.

The August countdown has started.

With Erivo at the helm, Jesus Christ Superstar is going to serve up something new, something fiery, and something that will most likely have everyone arguing on X until the second coming.