Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” has always drawn criticism for its blasphemous interpretation of Scripture, but this latest iteration — a three-night performance with “Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo portraying Jesus — has, according to some, crossed into the realm of the “demonic.”
Erivo, a 38-year-old woman, identifies as a queer bisexual and is a strong advocate of non-binary identities despite claiming to be Catholic, telling Elle last year she has “a deep belief that God makes people as they’re meant to be.”
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“This is demonic,” wrote Kevin Sorbo, a Christian actor who posted a clip of Erivo, whose arms were stretched across a crossbeam as she wore a crown of thorns while stumbling toward her costar, openly gay singer Adam Lambert, who portrayed Judas Iscariot in the production.
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This is demonic.
— Kevin Sorbo (@ksorbs) August 3, 2025
pic.twitter.com/d4mFqK6n5z
Sorbo was hardly the only critic sounding the alarm about the performance, which ran Aug. 1-3 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.
Others, like The Federalist CEO Sean Davis, wrote on X that Erivo’s bald look and long nails resembled Nosferatu, an ancient Romanian word believed to mean “vampire.”
Cameron Bertuzzi, the founder of the Capturing Christianity YouTube channel, shared a similar perspective about the performance, which he likewise said appeared “demonic.”
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In response to Lambert’s defense of Erivo, in which he claimed the teachings of Jesus should “transcend gender,” Bertuzzi, who is Catholic, condemned the “religious illiteracy” in Hollywood.
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Reprinted with permission from faithwire.com. Copyright © 2025 The Christian Broadcasting Network Inc. All rights reserved.
