Days after the release of Boy George‘s controversial pro-Israel song, “We Will Dance Again,” the singer has withdrawn from the Jesus Christ Superstar revival on London’s West End.
The singer’s manager Paul Kemsley announced the news on social media Thursday. “After careful consideration, I have decided, in my capacity as Boy George’s manager, that he will no longer be appearing in Jesus Christ Superstar at the London Palladium,” Kemsley wrote, adding that the decision was “made with the utmost respect for the producers, the creative team and the entire company.”
For fans that were hopeful to see George perform, the artist’s manager offered their “sincere apologies for the disappointment this decision may cause, and we are deeply grateful for their continued loyalty and support.”
“George has never been afraid to stand by his personal convictions, and I have always respected him for that,” Kemsley continued. “Equally, I believe it is my responsibility to make decisions that are in the best interests of my artist while also showing respect to others. In this instance, I felt it was right to step aside, allowing the production to remain the focus, while ensuring everyone involved can move forward with mutual respect and goodwill.”
Earlier this week, George release the AI-assisted song, “We Will Dance Again,” which shares the same name as the 2024 documentary on the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack at the Nova Music festival in Israel. On Instagram Threads, George said, “The song was created using AI. I call it ‘AI for good’. Truthfully, I would struggle to write this with a human!”
The song begins with the lyric: “You say genocide, I say war/When you’re attacked, that’s what the army’s for.” George’s song also states that Israeli civilians were murdered “for the crime of dancing,” and also addresses artists who have shown support for those suffering in Gaza and denounced the war: “You condemn the Jews, with selective memory/Musicians holding flags, mouthing like sheep/Propaganda fueled by the internet feels so weak.” The song no longer appears to be available online.
George was set to play the starring role as King Herod in the West End revival of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s Jesus Christ Superstar, which runs until Sept. 5. The production has so far welcomed Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Simon Russell Beale, and Richard Armitage in the rotating role, and Layton William (Aug. 17-29) and Julian Clary (Aug. 31-September 5) are next up to star in the production. At the moment, it is unclear if George’s turn as King Herod — the singer was scheduled to star Aug. 3-15 — will be filled.
