British singer Boy George has turned down the role of King Herod in the upcoming production of *Jesus Christ Superstar* at London\u2019s Palladium Theatre. This came a few days after the release of his song \u2018We Will Dance Again\u2019, in which the artist expressed his support for Israel\u2019s military actions against Palestine. The singer\u2019s manager, Paul Kemsley, announced that the role would be taken over by actor Richard Armitage.<\/p>\n
Briefly about the main points<\/strong><\/p>\n Paul Kemsley wrote on Instagram that, as manager, Boy George<\/strong> decided to end the singer\u2019s involvement in *Jesus Christ Superstar*. The statement made no specific mention of the new song, but he emphasised that the artist had \u00abnever been afraid to stand up for his personal beliefs\u00bb.<\/p>\n According to Kemsley, withdrawing from the production will allow the show to remain in the spotlight, whilst enabling everyone involved to move forward \u00abwith mutual respect and goodwill\u00bb. The manager apologised to the audience who had been looking forward to seeing Boy George in the role, and thanked the producers and creative team.<\/p>\n In the musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, which tells the story of Jesus\u2019s persecution and crucifixion, the role of Herod was shared by five performers: Boy George, Julian Clery, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Leighton Williams and Richard Armitage. The latter will now perform in all the shows originally scheduled for Boy George. The role of Jesus will be played by Eurovision star Sam Ryder.<\/p>\n The singer himself responded to his departure with an AI-generated image of himself sporting a moustache like Groucho Marx\u2019s, and quoted the comedian: \u00abI would never want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.\u00bb.<\/p>\n The song is called \u05e2\u05d5\u05d3 \u05e0\u05e8\u05e7\u05d5\u05d3, or *We Will Dance Again* in English. In the lyrics, Boy George responds to Israel\u2019s critics with the lines: \u00abYou say \u201cgenocide\u201d, I say \u201cwar\u201d \/ When you\u2019re under attack, that\u2019s what the army\u2019s for\u00bb. A UN commission described Israel\u2019s military campaign against Palestine as genocidal.<\/p>\n\n
The manager\u2019s decision and a change to the cast<\/h2>\n
The controversy surrounding *We Will Dance Again*<\/h2>\n