80 Black Celebrities Creating a Dramatic Audio Performance of the Bible

'Experience' the Bible
By Cathy Lynn Grossman, USA TODAY

Blair Underwood stands in a Los Angeles recording studio, his arms outstretched, tears on his cheeks, as he groans Jesus' suffering words, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Denzel Washington and his wife, Pauletta, coo the love poetry of Solomon's Song of Songs. Urban gospel artist Kirk Franklin gives voice to Paul the apostle. (Related clip:Hear Sample Clip

They're among more than 80 black celebrities reading, singing and composing music for The Bible Experience, a new 70-hour Genesis-through-Revelation dramatic audio performance of the Scriptures.

The New Testament in CD and MP3 formats will be in retail outlets — secular and Christian, storefront and online — by September. The Old Testament follows in 2007.

Also coming next year: additional formats, from ringtones to iPods to animation, so you could put Robert Guillaume intoning the mighty angel of Revelation on your home answering machine or, perhaps, a line from the Lord in Psalm 91: "They will call on me, and I will answer them."

It's a serious Bible, but there's wit in the casting:

Cuba Gooding Jr. is the voice of Judas, lending new meaning to his Oscar-winning Jerry Maguire catchphrase "Show me the money!"

Judge Greg Mathis, who wields a gavel on a syndicated TV courtroom show, reads Solomon.

Hip-hopper Heavy D reads Apostle Andrew, and gospel great Shirley Caesar reads Naomi. They join musical stars such as Franklin, Common, MC Lyte, Anthony Hamilton, Angie Stone and Faith Evans in recording original songs, psalms and more.

It's all designed to give life to even the dullest sections.

"Our co-producer Lou 'Buster' Brown says we're taking God's word and we're gel-capping it: surrounding it with elements that make it more palatable for mass consumption in today's marketplace," says Kyle Bowser, one of the quartet of Emmy- and Grammy-winning co-producers from Inspired By Media Group. The group instigated the multimillion-dollar project with financing and text provided by Zondervan, the nation's largest Bible publisher.

God? Still not cast.

There's an offer out, but "God requires a lot of recording time in hours. He had a lot to say," says casting director and co-producer Robi Reed.

Stars who have either already recorded or signed contracts include film actor Angela Bassett reading the Christmas story and TV's Tisha Campbell-Martin (ABC's My Wife and Kids) as Mary Magdalene.

Some, like Guillaume, have Old Testament roles as well. He'll be reading Noah, Bassett reads Esther and Gooding is the recalcitrant prophet Jonah. Queen Latifah, Star Jones and dozens more entertainers under contract have not been assigned their roles yet.

Underwood says his favorite part of his demanding role is the crucifixion. It was "the culmination of the three years of his teachings, but it was the beginning of a whole new walk for believers forever."

The producers say all-black casting should be no obstacle to a nationwide audience.

"We're taking artistic license, like Michelangelo on the Sistine Chapel. No one up on that ceiling looks like me," says Bowser. "I have to superimpose myself in that imagery. We're expressing what our artistic hearts see and allowing others to see themselves in these characters."

God is inherently universal, so the Bible speaks in the voice of all races, says Arizona State University professor Lance Gharavi, associate editor of the Journal of Religion and Theatre.

But not both genders: In The Bible Experience God is a guy. One female singer who asked to read the role — producers won't release her name — was turned down, although the translation used is Zondervan's most contemporary translation, Today's New International Version, advertised as "gender-accurate" with only the theologically essential pronouns.

Gharavi sees the distinction as part of a society-wide "struggle with who has the right to speak for God. It's part of a larger conversation we're having as a culture and our changing understanding of whose voices and what kinds of voices are legitimate."

Another casting question: Should only faithful Christians get roles?

Reed says the producers agreed that the Bible — populated with many unbelievers — would be their guide. "The Bible itself is God's word. Who are we to judge God's word? It's his project, his will and his purpose. If we bring in someone who doesn't believe or whose faith is not as strong as ours, God's plan might be that this is a way to bring them into belief."

"Some of the people whose voices they will be reading were not exactly saints, either," notes Paul Caminiti, publisher of Bibles for Zondervan.

Zondervan was looking for new ways to reach beyond print Bibles with its modern, accessible translation. "We wanted something unusual, something more visceral, something more experiential," Caminiti says. "We're trying to engage a new urban generation, and most are already turned off by the memory of the King James' " archaic translation.

Underwood, who played Jesus once in a short film 13 years ago, says he was drawn to the project by a chance to play out fully the role of a lifetime: "Whether you believe the doctrine or not, you cannot deny the impact that the life of this man, Jesus, had on everyday life."