“Love One Another” — Unless They’re Queer and in a Rock Opera

by Chris Peterson, OnStage Blog Founder

When Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (John 13:34), I’m fairly certain he didn’t add a footnote excluding rock musicals, casting choices, or the LGBTQ+ community.

But judging by the comment sections lighting up over the recently announced concert production of Jesus Christ Superstar—with Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas—you’d think he did.

The outrage, almost entirely from conservative Christian voices online, has been swift, venomous, and disappointingly predictable. “Blasphemous!” one commenter said .. One particularly exhausting user posted, “How dare they cast a woman as Jesus? And a gay man as Judas? This is satanic!” The irony is so loud it practically drowns out the electric guitar.

First, let’s address this on the merits. Jesus Christ Superstar is not a new show. It’s a rock opera that premiered in 1970. It’s always been a radical retelling of the final days of Jesus, filtered through the lens of human emotion, doubt, and betrayal. It was edgy then. It’s edgy now. That’s kind of the point.

Second, casting Cynthia Erivo—one of the most gifted performers of her generation—as Jesus is not a stunt. It’s an artistic choice. And Adam Lambert as Judas? The man was born to sing in Jesus Christ Superstar; he’s exactly the type of singer and actor the character was made for. 

Now, let’s address the religious aspect of the objections. I am about to channel one of my favorite West Wing episodes ever, where President Bartlett takes on Dr. Jenna Jacobs’s anti-gay views by using the Bible against her (The character of Dr. Jacobs is basically a stand-in for noted talk show host and bigot Dr. Laura Schlessinger) 

If your issue with this casting is based in theology,  then why does your belief system fall apart the moment a Black woman plays the role of Jesus for a musical, or at the moment a gay man is allowed to show rage, regret, and humanity on stage playing Judas?

Because if your God is only sacred when portrayed by a cis straight white man, maybe you’re worshipping something smaller than God.

1 John 4:8 says “Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” I heard this quote myself all the time growing up Catholic. And yet these supposedly religious people now claim the Bible  justifies exclusion, rage, and cruelty—especially toward artists and communities who challenge the rigidity of their worldview.

I hate to break it to the folks clutching their pearls, but Jesus himself was portrayed as radical in the bible. He spoke to the outcast. He broke bread with sinners. He told stories in parables to make people uncomfortable. He flipped tables in temples. He lived outside the lines. Nothing is more in line with Jesus' legacy than art that questions, stirs, confronts, and invites us to see things differently.

And let’s talk about the hypocrisy for a second. Because many of the same people who are furious about a woman playing Jesus had nothing to say when the role was played by a white man in a region where Jesus would have had brown skin. They’ll scream about “respecting Christ” while ignoring his actual teachings—like humility, compassion, and nonjudgment. If your Christianity only kicks in when someone challenges your comfort zone, then maybe it's not Jesus you're defending. It's your ego.

And to the outraged commenters quoting scripture in all caps—maybe revisit the red-letter parts. The parts where Jesus says things like “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone” (John 8:7). The parts that ask us to “love our neighbor” (Mark 12:31), not because they look like us, or vote like us, or match our ideal casting, but because love—radical, boundary-breaking, holy love—is the foundation of the faith you claim to follow.

Here’s one more bible quote for those upset about a musical casting, yet supportive of elected officials who cheat, lie, and steal from those less fortunate than them: Matthew 25, Verse 45: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me”

Now let’s bring this back to the merits:  this is a concert production. Not a rewrite of the Gospel. Not a replacement for the Bible. It’s a show. A powerful, beautiful, theatrical event starring some of the best voices we have, using music to examine one of the most iconic and complex relationships in history.

You don’t have to like this production. You don’t have to buy a ticket. But maybe take a beat before condemning those who see the divine in a new key. You might just hear something sacred.