“Wicked” star Cynthia Erivo — a female who identifies as bisexual and queer — is slated to portray Jesus in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the Hollywood Bowl, an amphitheater in Los Angeles.

The 38-year-old celebrity posted about the controversial role on her Instagram story, writing, “Just a little busy this summer. Can’t wait!”

She also collaborated with the Hollywood Bowl in a post to her feed:

Erivo is not a stranger to “Jesus Christ Superstar,” as she portrayed Mary Magdalene in the incredibly controversial musical in 2020, when it was performed by an all-female cast.

The condemnations for the casting decision have been swift, according to Daily Mail.

One critic called the news “blasphemy” and “mocking Christ the King,” while another wrote, “Hollywood really is just a fishbowl of likeminded individuals; good luck with this one.”

“Cynthia should be more careful about the roles she gets,” added someone else. “This is just plain disrespectful.”

It should be noted the Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd-Webber musical, which first debuted in 1971, is a very controversial and, to some, deeply offensive show known for depicting Jesus as a flawed man with doubts and anxieties. The musical also establishes the relationship between the Son of God and Mary Magdalene as potentially romantic and sees Judas in a more sympathetic light than Scripture portrays.

The short run for Erivo’s performance at the Hollywood Bowl is slated for Aug. 1-3.
Sources:faithwire

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Michael Medved is an author, political commentator, film critic, and talk show host whose career successes came early and often.

Medved attended California public schools until age 16 when he enrolled at Yale as a national merit scholar. He went on to attend Yale Law School and then worked as a campaign speechwriter and political consultant.

He authored his first best-selling book at age 26. That book gave birth to a television series. Now, his newest project turns his latest book, The American Miracle, into a docudrama.

The movie explores moments of crisis in our nation’s history that were interrupted by the hand of Providence, or as President George Washington described it, “the Invisible Hand which conducts the affairs of men.”

“The history of the American Experiment is a fabric woven of countless instances of improbable, unimaginable success. Whether it is the supernatural protection that surrounded George Washington – the Father of our Country – throughout his life, the mysterious weather conditions that favored the movements of the Continental Army at critical battlefield junctures, or, the unique, longstanding success of a revolution unlike any other in recorded world history; it is difficult, nearly impossible to explain the outcome of any of these, and so many more events like them, without allowing for divine intervention,” the website for the movie explains.

Sources:CBN News

http://theendtimeradio.com

The groundbreaking Christian TV drama based on the life of Jesus is gearing up for the debut of Season Five in a major way.

Dallas Jenkins, the creator and executive producer behind The Chosen, recently unveiled the season’s newest artwork, shot by legendary photographer Annie Leibovitz, on display in Times Square.

Leibovitz has shot iconic photos of the Queen of England, presidents, and celebrities, Dallas explained in a recent social media post.

He said he thought, “She probably hasn’t even heard of our show, much less going to be interested in (shooting) it.”

But unbeknownst to the cast and crew, a few months prior Leibovitz began watching the series at the recommendation of a crew member.

“She became obsessed with it and became a huge, huge fan,” Jenkins explained. “She’s been wanting to do something related to the Bible for a decade. Nothing came along and nothing made sense to her. And then this came along and she thought, ‘I have to do it.'”

Leibovitz’s trio of stunning portraits reveal pivotal points in Jesus’ ministry which the upcoming season is focusing on, such as the Last Supper and Judas’ betrayal.

“I admire what Dallas Jenkins is doing so much… He is the artist of our time doing the Bible,” said Leibovitz.

Jenkins and Jonathan Roumie, who plays Jesus – along with the series’ actors Elizabeth Tabish, George H. Xanthis, Abe Bueno-Jallad, Austin Reed Alleman, and other cast members – stood in Times Square last week as the billboards were displayed.

What makes her work so extraordinary is she tells stories – in seconds – and then you look deeper and you find more. And we’re trying to tell stories of some of the most iconic people who ever lived. They actually lived and breathed and had fear and doubt and felt things like joy and betrayal. So in a season like this, where you see all of those things, it felt like the season that was in need of someone most like her to communicate that photographically. When she agreed to do it, we knew that it was going to elevate the show and bring something to it with her portraits that we can’t do,” said Jenkins regarding Leibovitz and her photography.

Season 5 Premiere

Season 5 will premiere in theaters through a 3-part series right before Easter, beginning March 28.

The Season Five synopsis reads:

The table is set. The people of Israel welcome Jesus as king while his disciples anticipate his crowning. But—instead of confronting Rome—he turns the tables on the Jewish religious festival. Their power threatened, the country’s religious and political leaders will go to any length to ensure this Passover meal is Jesus’ last.

The series picks up on the events that took place through Holy Week, which leads up to Jesus’ crucifixion.

Part One of the season, or the first 2 episodes, will be in theaters nationwide starting March 28 in the U.S. During its four-week run, fans can purchase tickets for the remainder of the series which includes Part Two (episodes 3, 4, 5) followed by Part Three (episodes 6, 7, 8).

In April, The Chosen: Last Supper Part One will roll out in more than 40 additional markets worldwide, including Brazil, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Poland, the Philippines and India.

And although fans have an idea of what will happen because of its Biblical context, Dallas says that there are unexpected scenes in the upcoming season.

“There is a big moment that, when we did a little sneak for a crowd of about 5,000 people at our ChosenCon, it was such a surprise, they freaked out for two minutes!” Jenkins told Women’s World. “But the thing with The Chosen is, even when you know the stories from the Bible, we’re going to bring it in a way that is faithful to the story, but also gives you a human perspective that you haven’t seen before.”

He continues, “We remove it from a stained glass window, we take it down from a painting, and it becomes an actual human moment that you can identify with. So the triumphal entry, the turning over the tables in the Temple, the betrayal of Judas, the Last Supper—these are all moments you’re going to feel viscerally because you can identify with the people involved.”

Roumie told the outlet there are many heart-tugging moments.

“The Garden of Gethsemane was a very difficult scene in Jesus’ life,” he explained. “So to portray that was trying to connect with all the sorrow that he went through.”

“I think (Season 5) maybe prepares viewers’ hearts for the magnitude of the sacrifice that Jesus made on Calvary. I think it’s a really appropriate and sobering precursor to Season 6,” Roumie added.

After its theatrical run, The Chosen Season 5 will make its streaming debut.

As CBN News has reported, The Chosen tries to read between the lines in depicting the ministry of Jesus, telling the Gospel story through the eyes of the people who encounter Him. The series is the largest crowdfunded television project in history and continues to climb to new heights of success.

Episodes of The Chosen started as a crowd-funded project and have grown to over 280 million viewers with a strong social media following.

The series is available to watch for free on The Chosen App. It’s also available on popular streaming services including Apple TV, fubo TV, Amazon Prime, and the Roku Channel.
Sources:CBN News

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