Boy George declined to appear in a London musical because of a song about the war between Israel and Hamas
British singer Boy George will not be appearing in the London production of the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” following the controversy surrounding his new song “We Will Dance Again,” which addresses the events of October 7 and the war between Israel and Hamas.
The artist’s manager, Paul Kemsley, announced that the 65-year-old musician will not take the stage at the London Palladium, where he was scheduled to play the role of King Herod from August 3 to 15.
“After careful consideration, I, as Boy George’s manager, have decided that he will no longer perform in the musical *Jesus Christ Superstar*. George has never been afraid to stand up for his personal beliefs, and I have always respected him for that. In this case, I decided it would be best to step aside, allowing the production to remain the center of attention,” Kemsley said.
The controversy stemmed from the song “We Will Dance Again,” whose title refers to a memorial for the victims of the Hamas attack on the Nova music festival on October 7, 2023.
In the song, the singer expresses support for Israel and criticizes the use of the term “genocide” in the context of war. In particular, the song conveys the idea that an attack on a country justifies the right to a military response.
Boy George shared on the social media platform Threads that the song was created using artificial intelligence. According to him, he was inspired to write the song after visiting the Nova exhibition in London, dedicated to the victims of the attack on the festival.
“Why can’t the word ‘genocide’ be used in a song? Why have people suddenly become uncomfortable hearing that word?” the musician wrote.
The singer himself did not explicitly explain his decision to keep the song, but acknowledged that his new track had sparked a negative reaction.
Following the Hamas attack on October 7, Boy George has repeatedly and publicly expressed his support for Israel and Jewish communities. In particular, he spoke out against calls to boycott the “Eurovision Song Contest” due to Israel’s participation in the competition.
The musical “Jesus Christ Superstar” opened in London on July 31 and will run through September 5. In December, Culture Club, fronted by Boy George, plans to embark on a tour of the United Kingdom.
As a reminder, Ukrainian Oksana Lyniv became the first woman to conduct a Swiss orchestra at a concert dedicated to the UN’s anniversary. The event took place at Victoria Hall in Geneva.
Oksana Lyniv was named “Best Conductor of 2020” by the opera magazine *Oper!Das Magazin*.
