Hollywood Bowl Aims to Restore Annual Summer Musicals Following Starry JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR

The Hollywood Bowl is bringing back its tradition of staging large-scale summer musicals, a programming staple that had largely gone dark in the wake of the pandemic. This weekend's production of Jesus Christ Superstar, featuring Cynthia Erivo as Jesus and Adam Lambert as Judas, marks the venue’s first major musical since Kinky Boots in 2022.

According to the Los Angeles Times, this revival signals a broader ambition by the Los Angeles Philharmonic, which oversees Bowl programming, to return to hosting musicals each summer as it did annually beginning in 2000. "We wanted to make sure that when we came back, it was the most spectacular thing we could do," said Meghan Umber, the Bowl’s president and chief programming officer, in an interview with the Times.

The casting of Erivo, a Tony winner, and Lambert, known for his work with Queen and on American Idol, helped secure the production, which quickly sold out. Directed by Sergio Trujillo, the minimalist rock concert-style staging strips down scenic elements in favor of road cases, microphones, and live on-stage instrumentation.

Brian Grohl, associate director of programming for the L.A. Phil, told the Times that securing the rights to a show capable of sustaining three nights at the 17,500-seat venue is always a challenge, but this production was especially meaningful. “When Cynthia said yes, everything else followed,” he said.

For Bowl leadership, the return of musicals is not just a one-off event but a sign of things to come. “This is our way of saying we’re back,” Umber said.

The Bowl’s production features a high-profile ensemble cast including Josh Gad, Phillipa Soo, Milo Manheim, Raúl Esparza, Tyrone Huntley, and Brian Justin Crum. This new production sees Jesus Christ Superstar returning to its rock roots, featuring lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, with Tony Award winner Sergio Trujillo as director and choreographer and Tony and Grammy award winner Stephen Oremus as musical director and conductor, and is produced in association with Neil Meron and Robert Greenblatt.

The production also includes scenic designer Jason Ardizzone-West, Costume Designer Emilio Sosa, projection designer Peter Negrini, lighting designers Tyler Lambert-Perkins and Tyler Glover, sound designer Jonathan Burke, and hair and makeup designer Brandi Strona, with casting by The Telsey Office.