Two questions regarding Cynthia Erivo — Page 2

Well, this would prove to be a dilemma.

I have never seen Passion in person, only the proshot. And despite my admiration for Donna Murphy’s performance, and a few songs, I didn’t really like it. But this combination is tempting (it would cross one of the remaining Sondheim shows I haven’t seen off my list) except for what I assume would be stupid ticket prices. 

One thing for sure: I am not precious about Passion. Jamie Lloyd can change what he likes. Cynthia Erivo played Jesus Christ. I think she can play Fosca without everyone freaking out about the racial dynamics of it all.

But how do I recommend it to my spouse, who is much less of a Sondheim fan than me? Groff would help a lot but even that might not be enough. 

bear882 said: "One thing for sure: I am not precious aboutPassion. Jamie Lloyd can change what he likes. Cynthia Erivo played Jesus Christ. I think she can play Fosca without everyone freaking out about the racial dynamics of it all."

Agreed. In fact, the show should be cast without regard to race or ethnicity, since those don't figure into the themes of the show in any way at all. 

I also think some out-of-the-box staging could do this show some good, so I'm not worried about that either.

What I am precious about, personally, is the music, but based on Sunset Blvd. (and Evita, though I've only heard a few songs) I doubt Lloyd would mess with that, if he is in fact the director. (I regard this as perhaps Sondheim's best score in terms of the pure beauty of the music, though not his best show in terms of telling a persuasive story through song.)

Updated On: 6/2/26 at 11:27 AM