Earlier this month, a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” took on even greater legendary status when it was presented over three evenings at the Hollywood Bowl in Southern California and featured Cynthia Erivo as Jesus. Erivo shrugged off any advance criticism of stunt casting with a performance for the ages, supported by a cast of other major Broadway stars ranging from Adam Lambert as Judas to Phillipa Soo as Mary to Josh Gad starring as Herod — although John Stamos rather valiantly filled in for one performance due to Gad’s COVID-19 diagnosis.
We talked to two of the men most responsible for ticketing the three shows and one longtime INTIX member who was in the audience. After you hear their stories, you’ll want to go find that DeLorean that’s currently traveling the country in “Back to the Future: The Musical” and see if it really is a time machine because this one was special!
Ticketing a Superstar Like No Other
Joe Carter, Vice President of Sales and Customer Experience for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Hollywood Bowl, says that demand was “through the roof.” So much so that he and his staff had to prioritize house seats and artist requests. “In the end,” he says, “we were not able to fulfill dozens of requests. Demand from our donors was so high that they were willing to sit in locations they normally would not ever consider just to ensure they could be there!”
Justin Foo, Director, Sales and Customer Engagement for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Hollywood Bowl, still marvels at the amount of visibility this show received and how so many people jockeyed for tickets.
One such jockey was Shawn Robertson, Business Development Consultant for RevPro. When the producers announced the show, he thought it was an interesting venue to stage the hit musical. “But I probably would have missed it,” he says. “Then they announced Cynthia Erivo and Adam Lambert as Jesus and Judas. That alone made me want to see this. A Black, queer woman playing Jesus?! I wanted in!”
Foo recalls, “Patrons, friends, family and colleagues all were asking for last-minute tickets and were willing to sit anywhere. But we simply did not have any inventory to assist anyone. The secondary market was absolutely out of control. As a non-profit, we try to make all our shows, including this one, accessible to all. Monitoring the resale markets, tickets were being sold at exponential prices.”
In addition, this particular production brought a large percentage of first-time patrons. And while it was exciting for Carter and Foo to tap into this new audience, they and their colleagues also needed to effectively welcome them and communicate the complexities of the 100-plus-year-old venue before they arrived “so they had the best experience at the Hollywood Bowl,” states Foo.
"Jesus Christ Superstar" at the Hollywood Bowl.
The Hollywood Bowl … The New, Modern Calvary
Even with its age, the Hollywood Bowl was clearly the perfect venue to give patrons of all ages and types a powerful experience. Foo says, “It felt like a rock concert, which just worked for the content and style of the show.”
Carter concurs, adding, “This production was beautifully conceived, so that it played as a theatrical rock concert with roving cameras and movement throughout the seating area. It pulled the sold-out crowd into the action — all the while, the emotions flowing from the amazing cast kept the audience in rapt attention. Everyone who attended the event was lifted up and loved that they witnessed a truly rare experience.”
RevPro’s Robertson chimed in, “The Hollywood Bowl equals summer in L.A. Despite the traffic hassles in Los Angeles and the stacked parking or shuttle rides from parking lots across the city, it’s just something we do here. We make our picnic choices, and we get there early to relax and enjoy the company of friends and loved ones. We get to sit in this iconic venue on a beautiful summer night — bring a sweatshirt though, because the temps can drop quickly — that people around the world know about and come from far and wide.”
What Will Be in Remembrance of This Jesus
So, what will each of these long-time theater pros remember about the weekend “Jesus Christ Superstar” ascended at the Hollywood Bowl? Both Foo and Robertson still marvel at the two-minute standing ovation Erivo received for her performance of “Gethsemane” that quite literally echoed up to the Heavens. “It was such a beautiful moment and exchange of gratitude between the audience and the artist,” says Foo.
INTIX member Shawn Robertson and friends.
Robertson agrees, “It was like we all needed to release the emotions of what we just saw, heard and felt. We couldn’t contain it. But to be fair … it wasn’t just her. The feeling of wonder and joy was building from the first sounds of the music and exploded in that moment for Cynthia, but it was also for the whole cast and experience.”
Foo says he’ll also remember how well behaved the three audiences were: “These audiences were engaged and didn’t want to miss a note. Our front of house continued to remark about how easy their job was, because everyone was happy, polite, wanted this shared experience and didn’t want to miss a moment.”
Much of Carter’s joy has come in the aftermath of the shows. He concludes, “It has been fun watching social media blow up about the impact of this show! It truly became an international phenomenon, and I’ve received feedback and questions from around the world.”
Roberston concludes, “True story! A friend from Washington, D.C., and his husband flew in. I had no idea until I saw him before the show, standing one section over. I messaged him as the show started, and we were able to meet up and say ‘Hi’ at intermission. We hadn’t seen each other in over a decade! Great show, iconic venue and awesome seats make for a magical night!”