Godspell (1973)

Posted By : Virginia Plain | Date : 12 Mar 2009 12:49:08 | Comments : 1 |

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Wikipedia wrote:
Godspell (an archaic spelling of the word gospel) is a 1970 musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since. Several cast albums have been released over the years and one of its songs, "Day By Day" from the original cast album, reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972.

The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew (though considerable material, such as the parables of the prodigal son and of the rich man and Lazarus, comes exclusively from the Gospel of Luke). These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of performance. It started as a college project performed by students at Carnegie Mellon University and moved to La Mama in Greenwich Village. It was then re-scored for an off-Broadway production that was a long-running success, but most people are familiar with the film version or have seen a local high school production of the musical.[citation needed]

The musical opened a year after another religiously-themed successful rock musical, Jesus Christ Superstar.

The Film

Godspell, released in 1973, is the film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical Godspell created by John-Michael Tebelak.

Set in modern New York City, the film stars Victor Garber as Jesus and David Haskell as John the Baptist/Judas. John-Michael Tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director David Greene said Tebelak did not write the screenplay. It was filmed in New York from August to November 1972.

The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around New York City. John the Baptist (David Haskell) gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus (Victor Garber). These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville schtick.

Differences from the musical

The song Beautiful City was written for and first included in the film, while the songs Learn Your Lessons Well and We Beseech Thee were left out. Learn Your Lessons Well's melody is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music. We Beseech Thee is heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre where Jesus plays its melody on the piano during the story of "The Prodigal Son".

The film is deliberately less "stagy" than the musical with more dramatic emphasis put on the location shots, such as the band shell at Lincoln Park. The cinematography does much to emphasize the architecture of the New York City of the early 70's, with a prominent performance of "All For The Best" atop the recently completed World Trade Center. However, except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city appears devoid of other people.

While the film still presents the group in the form of a roving acting troupe, the characters overall are made out more as flower children and less as edgy social rebels.

While not visible, Tebelak helped to operate the Pharisee Monster.

Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical, notably in All Good Gifts where Lamont Alford had used a dramatic tenor voice, Jackson uses a lighter voice and falsetto for the high ornament. By My Side is perhaps the vocal, if not the dramatic, high point.

Reception

Godspell received generally positive reviews in 1973. Allmovie Guide currently gives the film a three out of five rating. Various bands have covered songs from the film/musical and in the film Meet the Parents, Greg (Ben Stiller) recites "Day by Day" when asked to say grace over his first meal with the family. The film Jesus Christ Superstar was released that same year as Godspell.

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Amazon.com wrote:
I'm a child of the 60s/70s, you'd think I would have seen this film before 2002! I didn't think I could get past the idea of Jesus with a big afro and clown makeup. As it was, I was on my second viewing of this film before it really hit me. So if you think you don't care for it after the first viewing, try again.

Once you get into the fun, innocent, tie-dyed feel of the early 1970s (or at least when it doesn't jar you so much) you can begin to see Godspell for the brilliant production that it is. The musical score is fabulous and I have heard most of it used in church over the years. The scenes of NYC are both breathtaking and poignant, considering the events of Sept. 11, 2001. And how did they get the streets empty during the daytime?

The cast absolutely shines here. Young, energetic and all very talented. John/Judas is the strongest of the supporting cast members. Some people had a problem with the same actor (David Haskell) portraying both parts, but I see it as an important reminder that no one is all good or all bad; that we all have both John and Judas within us. Each cast member is showcased in one or more of the parables, and they all express their emotions vividly and handle the comedy, along with their musical numbers, expertly. Besides the 70s feel, there is also a strong vaudevillian component (they are clowns, after all) so be prepared.

And then there's Jesus. I can't say enough good things about Victor Garber's AMAZING performance! The young Mr. Garber (later of such films as "Titanic" and "Annie") is almost painfully thin and pale, which adds to the other-worldly quality of Jesus. Yet he comes across as unfailingly human: loving, caring and joyous, but also at times angry, awkward and doubtful as events unfold, a charasmatic leader for his motley band of disciples.

As happy and carefree as is the first 3/4 of this movie, so is the last quarter depressing and tragic. The inevitable advance toward the crucifixion is heartbreaking as Jesus sits at the last supper with his disciples and then moves to each one with a personal and emotional goodbye. The song, "On the Willows," with its beautiful harmonies will make the tears brim in your eyes. If you can get through this and the subsequent crucifixion without crying, with Jesus dying while his followers writhe and scream below, you must be made of stone. Finally Jesus is gently taken down and laid across the shoulders of the disciples and borne through the empty cityscape.

While there is no resurrection scene, it is certainly implied which was enough for me. The film ends on a hopeful and joyous note, with the disciples singing softly at first and then breaking into "Prepare Ye" and "Day By Day" with mounting happiness and enthusiasm as they move down the street.

Do yourself a favor and also buy the soundtrack recording on CD; you'll want to be able to listen to the music over and over even when you can't be watching the movie. Victor Garber's clear and beautiful tenor voice conveys all of the same emotions as the visuals, from silly and fun to tragic and painful. You can hear the last breath leave him as he softly sings, "Oh, God, I'm dead." Actually, you pick up more subtle emotional nuances from every cast member as you listen. It's best with headphones!! There is an old saying that goes, "God respects you when you work, but He loves you when you sing!" God must love Victor Garber and company very much for this incredible film. Bravo to all involved in bringing this production to the screen and thank you, thank you, Thank You!!

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Cast

For the eight apostles, the role name is simply the actor's name. In the opening scenes, each of the eight apostles is presented in New York City as having an occupation. Several members of the cast were from the Off-Broadway show and attended Carnegie Mellon University. This was the first film role for many of them. With only ten actors, each was allowed to develop a distinct personality within the film.:

- Victor Garber / Jesus
- Katie Hanley / Katie
- David Haskell / John / Judas
- Merrell Jackson / Merrell
- Joanne Jonas / Joanne
- Robin Lamont / Robin
- Gilmer McCormick / Gilmer
- Jeffrey Mylett / Jeffrey
- Jerry Sroka / Jerry
- Lynne Thigpen / Lynne
- Daniel Levans / Un-named ballet rehearsal dancer (uncredited)
- Joe Madden / Homeless man (uncredited)
- Burt Richards / Garment Salesman (uncredited)
- John-Michael Tebelak / Pharisee Monster (voice) (uncredited)

Running Time: 101:49

Pressing: 2007 Sony/Columbia 22419

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Posted By: NiteFly Date: 12 Dec 2010 07:58:43

Many many many thanks for Godspell.

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