Pharisee (Simon)

Supporting Character

Part of the Pharisaical posse. Simon the Pharisee is an elder and a part of leadership among the Sanhedrin. He is fully in support of the Head Pharisee and his tactics as a necessary measure to maintain religious authority. The dinner party to which Jesus and his disciples were invited, where a woman came and poured out perfume on Jesus, was held at Simon the Pharisee’s house.

Intermediate to advanced acting skills required. Intermediate vocals and dance preferred.

ADULTERER

Supporting Character

Complicit participant in the scheme to set up the Adulteress in order to ultimately entrap Jesus. The Adulterer is a low-life, selfish guy who accepts pay without regard for what will happen either to the Adulteress (she should be stoned according to the law), or Jesus (would be put to death for heresy, or at the very least out of favor with the public for a lack of compassion).  

Advanced acting skills required.

ADULTERESS

Supporting Lead

The character simply called the Adulteress in HERO is actually a compilation of at least two biblical roles: the woman caught in the act of adultery, and Mary Magdalene. Compacted for the sake of abridging the gospels, the Adulteress first appears as a casualty of a plot to entrap Jesus, and then, in a dream sequence, leads the opening song of the show with her plea, ‘Holding Out for a Hero’. Next, in a reversal back in time, she is portrayed as a woman embittered by life’s circumstances who encourages other women in her similar plight to take matters into their own hands by pursuing a lifestyle of prostitution. Then, in a reprisal of the opening stoning scene, she encounters the saving grace and overwhelming compassion of Jesus that forever changes the trajectory of her life with one simple directive, “Go and sin no more.” From that point on, she is his devoted follower and lavishly pours out her gratitude as the woman with the alabaster box who anoints Jesus with costly perfume, washes his feet with her tears and dries them with her hair.

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, vocal, and agility skills. Highly emotive. Intermediate dance skills required.

ROMAN SOLDIERS

 Supporting Characters

Muscular and foreboding. Constant oppressive presence. During the time of Jesus, Israel was part of the Roman Empire and under Roman occupation. The job of the Roman soldier was to maintain order, instill fear of rebellion, and carry out orders. 

Intermediate to advanced acting skills required. Some vocals and dance.

MARY MOTHER OF JESUS

Supporting Lead

Mid-forties. Highly emotive, particularly in scenes regarding the persecution of her son. Deep inner strength, and resolve. Also displays raw resignation to the will of God. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced vocal and acting skills. Some dance.

JESUS

Lead Character

Perfect, yet passionate. Focused, yet a friend. Authoritative and sympathetic. Compelling and commanding. Completely divine and completely human. Jesus is given his assignment and called into ministry, and out of carpentry, at the age of 30 by his cousin, John the Baptist, and confirmed by both the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, as well as God the Father whose voice audibly resounds his approval. He gathers twelve disciples to himself, and many more followers, to teach and train in the ways of the Kingdom of God, and transfer authority bestowed on him to advance the Kingdom. Tested by Satan, preyed upon by Pharisees, and tried by both religious and Roman authorities, Jesus was clearly innocent of all charges, but surrendered his life willingly as a ransom for all humanity. Even to the point of death on a cross, his love was the predominant force propelling him forward. He became sin, and, as such, went to the depths of hell, crushed the skull of the Devil, and took back the keys to Death, Hell and the grave. Finally, he resurrected and revealed himself to the disciples, and others, commissioning them before ascending to the right hand of the Father in heaven. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, vocal and agility skills required. Must be in good physical condition. Toned, muscular physique preferred. Some dance.

PETER (SIMON PETER)

Supporting Lead

A fisherman by trade. Brother and business partner with Andrew, the disciple, and the only known apostle to be married. Peter is a passionate, sometimes hot-tempered, man’s man who is anxious for the promise of the Messiah to emerge and free God’s chosen people from the oppression and occupation of the Roman regime. He is motivated by greater vision and leans into the teachings of Jesus. Considered one of Jesus’ closest friends, Peter chops off the ear of a young pharisee when soldiers storm into the Garden of Gethsemane to arrest Jesus. After Jesus’ arrest, Peter struggles with the turn of events and goes into hiding. He denies Christ three times to various individuals just as Jesus had forewarned him he would. But after the divine ascension of Jesus, Peter, the Rock, is largely credited with the founding of the early church. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, vocals, agility and comedic timing required. Natural leadership skills preferred.

JOHN

Supporting Character

A fisherman by trade. Brother and business partner with the disciple James, John describes himself multiple times as the disciple whom Jesus loved. John was enraptured by the profound love of Jesus. Considered to be a more sensitive soul, Jesus enlists John to care for his mother, Mary, in one of his last requests from the cross. John was also one of three disciples noted as Jesus’ closest friends. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, agility and comedic timing required. Vocal ability preferred.

ANDREW

Supporting Character

Fisherman by trade and brother of Simon Peter, Andrew was the only disciple present at the baptism of Christ and the first to recognize him as the Messiah. Together with his brother, Jesus invites Andrew, personally, to follow him and become fishers of men. The brotherly, often comedic dynamic between Peter and Andrew is crucial to balance in the presentation of the show, holistically.

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, agility and comedic timing required. Vocal ability preferred.

MATTHEW (LEVI)

Supporting Character

A tax collector by trade, Matthew’s admittance to the posse of disciples was controversial. Tax collectors at the time were enlisted from the Jewish community by Roman overlords to exact payments that went to the Roman governments from Jewish citizens, and were, therefore, considered traitors amongst Jews. Intellectual, and possibly socially awkward, Matthew took copious notes of everything Jesus did and said, and authored the first of the Gospels. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

JAMES

Supporting Character

Fisherman by trade, son of Zebedee and brother of John. Jesus teasingly refers to James and John’s zealous behavior as donning them with the nickname, ‘Sons of Thunder’. James and John’s mother is documented to have requested of Jesus that they be seated at his right and left upon his ascension to James was the third in the band of three disciples noted to be Jesus’ innermost circle.

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

BARTHOLOMEW / NATHANael

Supporting Character

Bartholomew (as referred to as Nathanael in the Gospel of John), was a close friend of the disciple Phillip and from the town of Cana where Jesus performed his first miracle of turning water to wine. One of the twelve disciples. Jesus makes references to Nathanael that imply him to be an honest, morally upright, and spiritually devoted man. It is believed that he was a skilled tradesman, possibly an architect, before answering the call to follow Jesus. His first encounter with the Messiah can be sourced in John 1:43-51. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

JIMMY

Supporting Character

James, the younger, the son of Alpahaeus. Hand-picked by Jesus to be one of the twelve disciples, James, the younger, was a devoted follower of Christ who left family, occupation and friends in an act of obedience. He is believed to be the first of the disciples to see resurrected Jesus (1 Cor. 15:7). While little is known regarding specifics of James, the younger’s life, this may suggest a humility about him. Certainly being one of twelve disciples chosen to be directly mentored by Jesus himself is no matter of insignificance.

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

PHILLIP

Supporting Character

One of the twelve disciples from the town of Bethsaida, possibly a contemporary of Andrew and Peter from the same town. Friend of Nathanael who tells him about Jesus immediately after Jesus invites Phillip to follow him. Possibly the disciple charged with managing food and supplies for the disciples. Practical, down to earth, black and white kind of man who instantly believed the words of Jesus. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

THOMAS (DIDYMUS)

 Supporting Character

One of the twelve disciples called by Jesus. Possibly a fisherman by trade. Thomas was deeply devoted to Christ (John 11:5-16), and notably inquisitive in his pursuit of understanding the teachings of Jesus (John 14:1-7). He was a twin, and is perhaps most famous for demanding proof of Jesus’ resurrection when the other disciples described their accounts of the news. Jesus obliged by appearing to him in the midst of the other disciples and allowing Thomas to put his hand through the holes in his body. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

JUDAS ISCARIOT

Supporting Lead

One of the twelve disciples, formerly a locksmith, and a thief (John 12:5-6).  Judas seemingly ignores Jesus’ warnings against greed, and while charged with managing the treasury of the disciples, he begins to take money for himself out of it. Frustrated by his unmet expectations in Jesus the Messiah, and entangled in sin, Judas opens a door for Satan to enter him. After publicly arguing with Jesus about wasted perfume, Judas offers to betray Jesus to the Sanhedrin in the Garden of Gethsemane for thirty pieces of silver. Shortly thereafter, Judas, plagued with fear and irrational thoughts, regrettably commits suicide by hanging himself from a tree.  

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, vocal, and agility skills required. Freddy Mercury body type, preferred.

SIMON THE ZEALOT

Supporting Character

One of the twelve disciples hand-selected to follow Jesus and witness first-hand confirmations of his deity over the period of three years. Little is known about Simon the Zealot, except that, as his moniker implies, he was an extremely passionate man. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

JUDE / THADDEUS

Supporting Character

One of the twelve disciples called by Jesus. A farmer by trade. Possibly a close relative of Jesus; cousin or brother. Author of the book of Jude. 

Intermediate acting skills required. Vocal ability and agility preferred.

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO DANCERS

Supporting Characters

Female ensemble dancers that support the dream sequence aspect of the scene. Expressive and sharp in harmony and bolstering the solo performances of the Adulteress and Prostitute. 

Advanced jazz, ballet and general agility required, some ability to perform acrobatic abilities preferred.

PROSTITUTE / ROXANNE

Supporting Lead

Purely a fictional character as it pertains to the Biblical account, but the Prostitute is symbolic of a generation of women and Jews in general who, under legalistic, religious leadership were set up to lose. Hope deferred of the coming Messiah had caused hearts to grow sick, and endless man made laws were too much to bear. The Young Prostitute is worn down, abused, and embittered. Though there are times she can feel the presence of God, she chooses to build walls of pride and self-reliance around her fragile heart. Ultimately bound by the chains of trauma after trauma and poor choice after poor choice, the resurrection power of Jesus is more than enough to set her free, and she seizes the opportunity to live a new life. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced vocals, dance and acting skills required. Some ballroom and acrobatics, preferred. Must be fit, and for safety reasons <150 lbs.

ADAM

Supporting Character

The first human ever created by God; created in His image. God decides it is not good for man to live alone and decides to create a helper suitable for him. Adam is put into a deep sleep and God extracts from man the feminine qualities of His image to create woman. Adam wakes shocked and delighted– fully in wonder of the beauty before him. They enjoy the magnificence of the garden together. When Eve offers him a bite of fruit forbidden by God, Adam does not protest. For this reason, Adam, and all humanity after him were cursed until a second Adam came to redeem what the first had lost. Advanced acting and dance skills required.

Advanced acting and dance skills required. Must be fit and comfortable being shirtless. Experience with lifts, preferred.

EVE

Supporting Character

Overjoyed with the glory of God reflected in the garden and deeply attracted to her partner, Adam, Eve is the crowning adornment of creation. She succumbs to the deception of Satan and as a result of sin entering the world, her son Cain murders his brother Abel out of jealousy. In despair, Eve cleaves to Adam for hope. 

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting and dance skills required. Must be fit. Experience with lifts, preferred.

LUCIFER

Supporting Character

Both brilliant and snake-like in the HERO musical presentation, Lucifer slyly enters the garden to tempt Eve with fruit and ambition. Successful in his mission, he takes the keys of dominion from Adam and “sheds his skin” to reveal himself as Satan, the deceiver and Father of Lies. 

Intermediate to advanced acting skills required. Must be similar stature and body type as Devil.

DEMON DANCERS

Supporting Characters

Cloaked and masked, vile creatures worshiping the Devil and torturing humanity. Demon Dancers are featured in: Enter Sandman, Kings and Queens, and Bring Me to Life. Sharp, synchronized, and unnatural. 

Intermediate to advanced dance skills required.

DEVIL

Lead Character

The Devil displays a wide-range of emotion from full blown rage to stealthy cajoling. Priding himself as a master strategist, he is obsessed with thwarting the plans of God to redeem humanity from the curse of sin. Formerly in the highest echelons of heaven, the Devil roams the earth like a lion seeking whom he may devour out of spite for God. He is the archnemesis of Jesus.

Mic’d Cast. Advanced acting, agility, and vocal skills with a wide vocal range, required. Athletic or muscular build preferred.

CAIN

 Supporting Character

Son of Adam and Eve. Farmer by trade. Brings an offering that is not pleasing to God, because it is what he can spare, not necessarily his best. Cain immediately is filled with jealousy over God’s response to his brother’s offering. He murders Abel as a result and is cursed by God. 

Acting and agility skills required.

ABEL

Supporting Character

Supporting Character.Son of Adam and Eve. Shepherd by trade. Brings a pure and unadulterated offering from the best of his flock that pleases God. Is murdered by his brother who is consumed with envy. His blood cries out to God for justice. 

Acting and agility skills required.

VOICE OF GOD

Supporting Character

Pre-recorded voiceover, authoritative, yet fatherly. Delivering a message of consequence, but not without hope for redemption.

Emotive and commanding vocal presence.

Demon Army

Supporting Characters

Ensemble of demonic presence in the pit of hell. Varied in representation, but mainly grotesque, and unnatural. Featured in ‘Kings and Queens’.

Intermediate agility and characterization required. Some dance, preferred.

Angels

Supporting Leads

A mighty female trio of angelic proportions, the angel squad is the prophetic delivery mechanism of the word of God to humanity and warfares on their behalf. A power team of vocal and physical strength, the angels additionally minister to the broken hearted, and celebrate the ultimate victory of resurrection.

Mic’d Cast. Advanced vocal and acting skills with high agility; intermediate dance skills required.

Red Light Girls

Supporting Characters

Selective females in a brothel, as inferred, tastefully represented through dance and acting in the songs ‘Roxanne’, ‘Chandelier’ and ‘Royals’. Emotional range spanning from seductive, alluring, and brazen to vulnerable, desperate and abused.

Advanced dance with intermediate to advanced acting and backing vocals, required.

Creepers

Supporting Characters

Patrons of the brothel. Creepers are given to their carnal desires taking advantage of females in desperate circumstances. Featured in the songs ‘Roxanne’ and ‘Chandelier’.

Advanced dance with intermediate to advanced acting required.

Royals Dancers

Supporting Characters

Additional dance support specifically featured in ‘Royals’. The emotional tone for this scene is cold, contemptuous and proud:  “I’m every woman, it’s all in me…” “I don’t need a man”, “What have you done for me lately?” vibes.

Expressive, intermediate to advanced dance with ability to sing backing vocals, required.

Angel Choir

Supporting Characters

Angelic, female vocal ensemble featured in Sweet Child of Mine/ Hallelujah medley. Expressive, worshipful, backing vocals.

Intermediate to advanced vocal skills with some movement required.

Paralytic Man

Supporting Character

Taken from the account in Matt. 9:1-8, and Mk. 2:1-12. Carried in by friends on a mat who had heard about Jesus healing people all over Galilee. The paralytic is miserable and helpless until he encounters Jesus’ divine power to forgive and heal him. All at once he is ecstatic and overcome with emotion at the miraculous rejuvenation of his legs! Featured in ‘Come Together’.

Intermediate to advanced acting and agility required.

Man with the withered hand

Supporting character

Taken from Luke 6:6-11, Matt 12:9-13, Mark 3:1-5. The man with the withered hand is ashamed and embarrassed of his defective state, but upon meeting Jesus, he is miraculously impacted by the power and all-sufficiency of his words. At Jesus’ command, the man’s hand was healed! Wonder and rapturous joy fills the man at the realization and the implications of his restoration. Featured in ‘Come Together’.

Intermediate to advanced acting and agility required.

Blind Man

Supporting Character

Combining the accounts of blind men healed, found in John 9:1-12, and Mark 10:46-52, as well as Luke 18:35-43. Guided by a friend, the blind man calls out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus, always up to something new, takes mud combined with saliva and rubs it in his eyes, restoring the man’s sight.  Upon taking in the scene around him for the first time, the man weeps and weeps happy tears of gratitude.

Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Jairus

Supporting Character

Jairus, the official from the local synagogue, had heard about Jesus' reputation as a miracle worker and desperately begs him to cure his sick daughter.

Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Woman with the Issue of Blood

Supporting Character

Suffering with a menstrual ailment and bleeding perpetually for twelve years, the Woman with the Issue of Blood, though ceremonially unclean, desperately pushes through the crowd and reaches out for the hem of Jesus’ garment. Full of faith, she believes this single act is enough to heal her and it is! 

Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Jairus’ Wife

Supporting Character

Distraught over the sudden death of her twelve year old daughter, Jairus’ wife weeps loudly and pleads with Jesus irrationally to do something. To her shock and awe, he does.

Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Jairus’ Daughter

Supporting Character

Dead at age twelve from an unknown illness, she is laid by her father, Jairus, at the feet of Jesus. All at once, at the command of Jesus, power surges through her heart and lungs as she swells back to life.

Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Demoniac

Supporting Character

The man in the caves of Gerasene, as referenced in Mark 5:1-20, was an Incredible Hulk-like character. Isolated, tormented, and possessed by a legion (thousands) of demons, the Demoniac was encumbered by a number of oppressive characteristics. He had superhuman strength, self-destructive/ suicidal tendencies, severe personality changes, and spiritual insight to recognize Christ. The pivotal moment for this character is the transition from possessed to sane at the moment of exorcism at the command of Jesus.

Mic’d Cast. Advanced vocals, acting, and agility required.

Pontius Pilate

Supporting Character

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of the Roman province of Judaea, serving under the Emperor. He is the official who presided over the trial of Jesus. Upon examination of Jesus, Pontius found him innocent of all charges. He knew that the Jewish authorities had delivered him up out of envy, but was perplexed at the reaction of the crowd to his pronouncement. His wife, Claudia had warned him, “Have nothing to do with that righteous Man; for last night I suffered greatly in a dream because of Him.”  Matthew 27:15-19. Nevertheless, Pontius Pilate ultimately washes his hands of the situation in the interest of keeping peace in the region.

Mic’d Cast. Intermediate to advanced acting required.

Martha

Supporting Character

The third woman along with Mary, mother of Jesus, and Mary Magdalene to go to Jesus’ tomb three days after his death. Sullen and very much in mourning, the encounter with the angel at the tomb was breathtaking to say the least. Overjoyed and amazed, the three ladies are commissioned to share the good news with the disciples.

Intermediate to advanced acting required. Some vocals.