Reviews of
Godspell

• Godspell On Tour--Phoenix Productions
• Godspell NYC

Godspell On Tour--
Spell-bound: Stop now and get tickets to Godspell

BILL HIRSCHMAN, Staff writer for the Sun-Sentinal, contributes this review as previously published by the newspaper. His review of the Godspell Touring show is from its second stop on the road in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Copyright Sep. 20, 2000. Used with Permission. The show is directed by Scott Schwartz.

Stop reading this review. Put the paper down. Now. Go to the phone and order the best tickets you can get for the road company of Godspell playing at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts. It's OK, I'll wait here until you get back.

Done? Good. Trust me on this one: You'll thank me later because it's only here through Sunday.

This second coming of the resurrected Godspell is a minor miracle. Who would have thought it possible to inject this much vibrant exuberance, artistic imagination and contemporary relevance into a beloved old war horse nearly done to respectable death by high schools and church groups for almost 30 years?

Godspell's timeless message has always been about finding your quiet, unshakable faith amid a very loud, very cold, very shallow modern world. So it shouldn't be a surprise that the style of this complete overhaul is as current as 'N Sync, Survivor and Jerry Springer, all of which get a nod in the heavily revised script.

How current? The fable of the prodigal son is narrated in part by South Park's Cartman.

But a contemporary setting and a relevance to modern life has always been Godspell's secret, even when this folk-rock take on the Gospel according to St. Matthew was dressed in flower-child clothes and Vietnam was still searing America's consciousness.

So where the original played out in an urban junkyard/playground, Godspell 2000 is appropriately played out in a world of technology surrounded by high walls of television monitors and with much of the action captured live on video cameras.

Alex Lacamoire's brilliant arrangements intentionally suggest yet subtly surpass the sound of an album rising on today's Top 40 charts. It's not a stunt; it's the point of the show. Using modern musical idioms, he has made Stephen Schwartz's venerable score accessible to a new generation without losing the old one.

The highest praise is due the musical direction by Christopher Gattelli and stage direction by Scott Schwartz, who is coincidentally the composer's son. With unbridled imagination, the two have revived Godspell's freshness, irreverent humor and unapologetic decency.

Their inventive twists will delight those overly familiar with the show. Many of the parables used to be portrayed as children's fables. Now they are related in broadly satirical skits that skewer social icons.

The Good Samaritan tale is now an episode of a reality cop show. Jesus is crucified on a bank of video monitors, his arms bound with thick electrical cables. These sound like contrived artifices, but they are staged and performed with naturalness.

About the only fault is that the creative staff is so self-consciously trying to update itself that the substance of each parable occasionally gets buried under the nonstop topical references and ingenious staging. As a result, all that Saturday Night Live feel undercuts what is usually a profoundly moving and cathartic finale.

The 10-member ensemble -- every last one a talented performer -- exudes life, energy, humor and joy with full-throated voices that raise goose bumps a dozen times during the show.

To unfairly single out a few: Michael Yuen as John the Baptist heralding Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord, Joseph J. Carney's Jesus leading the entire company in the anthem Save the People, Natalie Joy Johnson fronting the revival-like Bless the Lord, and Sal Sabella's exquisite All Good Gifts.

Oh, what the heck, they deserve it. Here's the rest: Todd Buonopane, Jessica Carter, Esteban Giron, Sarah Hubbard, Lauren Lebowitz and Sharon Francis, who has appeared in other Broward shows.

The backstage talents are equally impressive, from the flawless sound of Mark Norfolk's crew to Jim O'Connell's band. And most notable is Scott Pask's techno-scenery and Rick Belzer's evocative lighting that use the video monitors to comment on the action.

Aside from minor technical glitches, the entire production is unbelievably tight for a company that has only given three previous performances in a shakedown bow in Nashville.

Far more than Rent, this production is most likely to make lifelong theatergoers of teens lucky enough to get dragged to this show kicking and screaming.

Godspell NYC 2000

This review by Caroline Davina Barnard describes the Off-Broadway Godspell Revival of Fall, 2000 and gives a perspective on the show in general. Used by permission. Copyright by Caroline Barnard.

Certain expectations surround a musical about the Passion of Christ. One expects (well, hopes) that there will be some kind of message about humanity, goodness, love, God, any or all of the above. One does not expect Eminem. But in the new Off-Broadway revival of "Godspell," directed by Shawn Rozsa and currently playing at the York Theatre, the traditional meets the 21st century, creating a production with energy, humor, and, ultimately, meaning.

"Godspell," with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and book by John-Michael Tebelak, is a loose account of the life and death of Christ. It was originally presented in 1971, and lives on in the minds of many as one of the "hippie" musicals. Unlike "Jesus Christ Superstar," which also premiered in 1971 and was revived in New York this year, "Godspell" takes a non-linear approach to its familiar subject matter.

It is structured as a continuous stream of parables and stories, many directly taken from the Gospel According to St. Matthew. The book of "Godspell" is sketch-like in nature, meaning that the show is particularly suited to improvisation and adlibbing.

Rather than shy away from this aspect, Rozsa and his talented cast have embraced the casual nature of the script, keeping Tebelak's basic parable structure, but updating the pop culture references and language. They refer to sources ranging from silent movies to '80s TV shows, Broadway shows to Budweiser ads. In so doing, they have created a production which is equally appealing to theater devotees and to younger audiences more used to MTV than musicals.

This revisionist spirit also permeates the music. Schwartz's credit for "Godspell" has always been "new lyrics," referring to the fact that many of the words to the songs were taken directly from the Episcopal hymnal, but in this production, some of the lyrics are new to "Godspell" itself. Schwartz worked with the cast and crew of this revival, and his most evident contributions are in the form of new lyrics which bring certain songs up to date for the current generation of theatergoers. This is most apparent in the Prologue of "Godspell," in which a group of philosophers - some more modern philosophers than those in the original production - express their conflicting views on life, God, and humanity.

The melodies themselves have undergone a renovation. Although the much-loved songs - including "Day by Day," "All for the Best," and "By My Side" - are still familiar, music director Dan Schachner incorporates elements of punk, rap, and reggae, adding a contemporary edge to the good old "rock opera" style of the score. Playing with the tried-and-true can be dangerous, however, and one feels that some of the songs would have been better left alone. Specifically, a punk rock rendition of "Learn Your Lessons Well" falls flat, despite actress Leslie Kritzer's energetic channeling of Gwen Stefani.

The "hey-kids-let's-put-on-a-play" vibe which pervades "Godspell" means that the success of the production depends heavily on the chemistry of the actors. This young ensemble, most of them recent college graduates, has the strong voices which Schwartz's heartfelt songs demand, combined with the acting ability and vitality needed to enliven the biblical subject matter, which can be overly genuine for a cynical New York audience.

The actors acknowledge the existence of this skeptical attitude, at times poking fun at the homilies they proclaim, but never overshadow the sincere message of "Godspell." As Jesus, Barrett Foa has the presence and control which "Godspell" needs in its central figure, combined with a slight dorkiness, which adds humanity and fallibility to a character who in other hands could easily be more saintly and thus less interesting. Will Erat's John the Baptist/Judas (the "Godspell" script combines these two characters into one) is likewise a powerful figure. He is not the villain of the piece, but a foil to the Jesus character, and Erat's visible struggle with the inevitability of his fated betrayal adds pathos to the play's conclusion.

The other eight members of the cast portray the apostles, who in "Godspell" go not by their biblical names, but by the names of the actors who play them. They are a diverse group, without being easily definable "types" -after all, they're people, not teen pop group members. Standouts include Chad Kimball, as the least bohemian of the bunch, Shoshana Bean, whose voice soars through "Bless the Lord," and Capathia Jenkins, who starts the second act off with a bang with her lusty and hilarious rendition of "Turn Back, O Man."

The production design for "Godspell" is in keeping with the theme of reinventing a classic. Keven Lock's set is true to the show's original junkyard concept, but adds modern touches such as broken computers and walls full of peeling concert posters. William Ivey Long's costumes likewise stick to what was referred to in the 1971 script as "clown costumes," although these "clowns," in their brightly colored and mismatched clothing, look more like the young denizens of the Village than anything you would see in a circus. Herrick Goldman's lighting is generally simple and direct, but at times reminiscent of a rock concert - appropriate to the material. Smoke machines, used at sporadic intervals, are excessive in supporting the rock concert metaphor. The only excess this production should have is its excess of talent. Director Rozsa deserves much credit for harnessing this talent into a coherent whole.

The structure of "Godspell" makes it difficult for productions not to seem piecemeal. In Rozsa's interpretation, not only are the transitions between parables and songs seamless, but the narrative also flows naturally. Through blocking and other theatrical tools, Rozsa ensures that the play's ending - the Crucifixion - is present in the subconscious of the audience, so when the action becomes serious in Act Two, it does not come as a shock. The song "On The Willows," traditionally sung by the band as Jesus bids his followers goodbye, is here sung by Judas. This choice allows Judas's internal conflict to be clarified, adding further emotional resonance to an already powerful ending.

There are some who might shy away from "Godspell" because of its Christian subject matter. The messages of the play, however, are not limited to one religion: they are universal. "Godspell" does not stress the idea of Christ as the Messiah, nor does it focus heavily on the concept of God. Instead, the importance of community takes the fore. "Godspell" begins by stating the difficulties and confusion of existing in isolation, and shows how a group of individuals comes together to become stronger and more self-realized than they ever could be as separate entities. Such a message is surely relevant to today's society. As we become more and more self-contained, due to the ever-increasing scope of the Internet, it is important to remember the necessitude of human contact. "Godspell" is a powerful reminder of the joys of friendship and community, an oasis of sincerity in a cynical world.