There has been an onslaught of outrage since it was announced Cynthia Erivo would star in a short run of "Jesus Christ Superstar" in L.A. ... but one former messiah actor says haters need to chill and maybe ask -- WWJD?
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00:00The bottom line was they just assumed that everything we were doing was anti-Christian
00:08and the fact that Jesus was singing, my God, that doesn't happen.
00:12I was told that constantly, you can't do that.
00:15Jesus doesn't sing and certainly doesn't sing with a rock and roll band.
00:20That's impossible.
00:22We won't take it.
00:23Can't do it.
00:24And literally, we would be faced with that as we walked into the theater.
00:28We'd have to walk like this to squeeze our way through to get in the backstage door.
00:32And the producers told us, don't say anything because you don't know they might punch you
00:36out.
00:37Well, I wanted, honestly, to be able to say something to somebody.
00:43One day when we were going in for a matinee, I caught eye contact with this gentleman.
00:50And I said, may I ask you a question, sir?
00:52And he said, what?
00:54And I said, well, about why you're protesting this show.
00:59Why?
01:00Because whatever you're doing is anti-Christian.
01:02It's horrible.
01:03Jesus didn't sing.
01:04He didn't sing with a rock and roll band.
01:06And you guys are doing that every night.
01:08And I said, well, could I ask you another question, please?
01:12He said, well, if you have, I said, if you haven't seen the show, what is it you don't
01:16like?
01:17Jesus sings.
01:18Jesus sings with a rock and roll band.
01:20Jesus didn't sing.
01:22But Jesus was a wonderful person, okay?
01:24Okay.
01:25And I said, okay, well, may I ask you another question?
01:27He said, what?
01:28What?
01:29What?
01:30I said, could you, since you haven't seen the show, could you come in tonight as my
01:34guest and watch the show?
01:37Wait for me in the lobby and tell me what you don't like about the show.
01:42Maybe we can fix that for you.
01:43And his expression immediately changed.
01:46He went, you would do this?
01:48And I said, absolutely.
01:49We're here to entertain you folks, not to upset you.
01:52He came in.
01:53He watched the show.
01:55I went out in the lobby.
01:56The minute I opened the door, he went, we love your show, man.
01:59It's incredible.
02:00We're going to bring all of our family.
02:02That's what always happened, you see?
02:04So I understand this that's going on.
02:06It's just, I can't change it.
02:09I wish everybody who's doing anything like we do in theater or movies or whatever gets,
02:15you know, a good response from the audience.
02:18And I assume this will happen because of what's been done.
02:21You know, Wicked, it was really successful.
02:24So I hope it is.
02:26I know it's only there for three days, but I'm hoping that I'm in town because I'd like
02:31to see the show.
02:32Definitely.