Magical, joyful, and emotional performance! Godspell, Riverwalk Theatre, Lansing, MI May 2014

Godspell (related to the word "Gospel," meaning "Good News") was originally a thesis project for writer John-Michael Tebelak in 1970 while he was a student at Carnegie Mellon. Based mostly on parables and the Passion of Christ from the Gospel of Matthew (with a few extra from Luke thrown in for good measure!) and hymn texts from the 1940 Hymnal from the Episcopal Church, he enlisted the help of Stephen Schwartz to compose the score. Mr. Schwartz followed Godspell with a number of well-known scores--Pippin and Wicked are two of the most recognized today.

It originally opened in 1971 off-Broadway, and was followed by the movie a couple of years later, featuring a young Victor Garber as Jesus. Early productions embraced a sort of hippy feel, and as productions have been done throughout the years, there have been cultural updates.

In 1986, I had the privilege to be in a production of this wonderful show, and as I remember, the script at the time allowed a lot of leeway for the actors and director, encouraging a bit of improvisation and current cultural references and the use of (with the exception of the characters of Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas) the actor's real names.

It was a life-changing experience--it took every ounce of strength I had--physically, mentally, and emotionally--to rehearse and then perform this piece of magical theatre. Add to that is the fact that any time I hear these stories--either at church or in my head as I read the Bible, I cannot do so without thinking about this show (okay, and also Handel's Messiah, but that's a story for another blog entry someday).

A few years ago, I heard there was an updated version of the show on Broadway. And I feel that for the most part, it was long overdue. Imagine my excitement when I learned that this show--one that has become dear to me over the years--was going to be performed at one of my favorite theatre hang-outs: Lansing's Riverwalk Theatre.

I rarely sit in the front row, but when I learned a seat was available there, I figured this was the show to sit as much into the action as possible. And I'm glad I did!

The important thing about Godspell is that there cannot be any weak links--this is very much an ensemble show. And this wonderfully energetic and joyful and emotional production did not disappoint. Director/choreographer John Delaney, with assistance by Emily Clark and music direction by John Dale Smith, brought forth some of the best musical theatre I've seen at the Riverwalk (well, pretty much everything is great at Riverwalk, but this is one of the best!) with the help of a very talented cast and crew. They felt like family to me, with all their joys and sorrows and difficult times. A family of which i would gladly become a member. And this show willingly invites the audience in--with some participation--to the family.

One of the most difficult roles in the show is that of Jesus, played with mirth, playfulness, and--when needed--the seriousness required of such a role, by Matt Eldred. He was outstanding--some of the best parts were when he was patiently teaching his "disciples" and realizing with a smile and an acknowledgement that--like the original disciples--though they had good intentions, sometimes they just didn't get it. His rendition of "Beautiful City" was especially wonderful.

It's hard to pull out individual performances--the cast was *that good*. I will say that Ben English's rendition of "All Good Gifts" (a song that is very special to me, since I performed it in the production I was in, due to the lack of tenors...we only had one: Jesus) is one of the very best I've ever heard--better, in my opinion, than the renditions performed in the original stage version as well as the recent revival and the movie. In fact, I'd say I enjoyed everyone much more than those other renditions. Also memorable is the heartfelt "By My Side" as sung by Abigail Grill. Also wonderful was Rachel Dalton, who sang the most famous song in the show--"Day by Day"
 (which spent some time on the Billboard charts when it first came out!), Tigiste Habtemariam's "Bless the Lord," Mary Maurer's "Turn Back, O Man," and "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" as sung by Christian Wojtowicz portraying the John the Baptist/Judas role.

The music was wonderfully balanced between the cast, the pit orchestra, and the backstage chorus, which filled in as a sort of addition to the orchestra. Part of me found myself wanting to see the other singers, and part of me understood why they weren't visible. But they were wonderful and added so much to the full sound of the work.

I saw it on opening night, and there was only one place where I can see that perhaps the opening night nerves got the best of them--the end of "We Beseech Thee," which I remember is a very difficult song to cleanly pull off...the update seems even more difficult than the original way it was done.

Speaking of the update, one of my favorite additions to the show is the way that the opening is done. It's always seemed to me to be a fairly awkward part of the show, and it didn't feel that way at all with this very thick vocal score with updated quotes from people like Marianne Williamson and L Ron Hubbard. Loved the wink to the original production, too, after John the Baptist baptizes Jesus.

The set was wonderfully imaginative, with all sorts of surprises beneath the floor of the set. I won't spoil this for you--you need to see it for yourself!

One of the marks of an enjoyable show for me is if you can't stop thinking about the performance and the things the cast, directors, and crew bring to it. It's also (at least to me) important if you can  walk away humming a tune or two from the show. Even if I didn't already know the show, I know I would have heard that music in my head all day as I did today (this is an ear worm you WANT to have).

I think Riverwalk has another hit on their hands, and if you find yourself in the area (or even if you aren't in the area), hurry up and reserve tickets for this show! It opened on Thursday, May 29 and runs through June 8, 2014. For details and ticket information, check out www.riverwalktheatre.com.

A new blog...from the cheap seats...

I've been thinking about starting a blog for posting reviews about different things I experience. From as early as I can remember, I've enjoyed being an audience member just as much as a participant. And in most instances, it's been from the cheap seats.

Years ago, I had season tickets to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. And those tickets placed me toward the back of balcony. Those that sat around me, I believe, were the true lovers of what was unfolding below. Those that have smaller pockets but want to be a part of the magic.

My one concern has been that I never want to hurt feelings; so I will start by saying that nothing I talk about should be taken personally. I will be honest and will try very hard not to be mean, as those types of reviews, I think, are not productive. I have been the subject of a few bad review comments, and I know how much they hurt....so here's the first post...enjoy, and please feel free to comment.

And welcome to the cheap seats!