Now it’s “Godspell” that is saying “no go” on Broadway.
A revival of the 1970s Stephen Schwartz flower-power musical about Jesus has announced it will not open as scheduled, the fourth production to put on hold plans for a New York run this season.
“I am devastated that, due to the loss of a major investor in the harsh reality of a slowing economy, there were no other options at this time than to postpone,” Adam Epstein, “Godspell” producer, said Tuesday in a statement.
“Godspell” had been set to open October 23 at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre. The musical, reportedly budgeted at more than $4 million, joins a growing number of shows that are doubtful for Broadway engagements in a nervous, recession-wary environment.
“There are so many variables in bringing a production to Broadway — theater availability, artists’ schedules, and securing capitalization to name but a few,” said Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theatre Wing.
I recall being highly amused way back then that this composer took old hymns, set new music to them and called himself the writer of the “words and music”. What a disaster that musical was. John the Baptist played by the same actor as Judas, at least in the movie. It was the thing that launched a hundred thousand “Folk” masses. Well worth forgetting.
I liked the stage play, which was basically a setting of the Gospel of Matthew. Most of the songs were interesting resetting of old hymns that I like (“We Plow the Fields and Scatter” is wonderful); in live production, even the really strange “Turn Back, O Man” made dramatic and musical sense. Seeing it 20 years later (in the mid-90s) I was surprised how well it held up. I wonder how I would see it today.
The movie was a silly hippy-dippy display of narcissism which added a stupid song “We can build/A beautiful city/Call it out/And call it the city of man” What garbage on top of the old Episcopal Hymns reset.
I actually gained a certain appreciation for the original production when I saw a youth production in a large suburban Catholic parish. It was reset to the beach with Jesus as a life-guard and completely failed. Why? Because a clown in a ghetto is “a sign of contradiction”, bringing hope to the hopeless, and a lifeguard in a suburb protects the status quo, and brings nothing.
‘Light of the world’ is quite a clever song in the Broadway tradition.
‘godspell’ was my first EVER exposure to the gospel. i’m a music person by design, and it was a huge part of my making real life decisions for Christ – when I’d sit in my lutheran church and hear the gospel read – word for word – as I had memorized it in my script, i sat up, and took notice. The Lord used it in my life. Hippy dippy? yeah. Redeemable? ABSOLUTELY.
I’m glad to hear (some) positive comments about the musical, but it’s the financial situation that’s troubling me. What is the precedent for major musicals/production companies/theaters on Broadway to pull such a big show? What does it say about our economy?
Many moons ago (let’s just say longer than I want to admit) a group of we “young folks” attended a perfomance of “Godspell” at the Falls Church (VA). It was put on by a group of youth from Sewickly PA (near Pittsburgh-e.g. Trinity). It was done IN THE SANCTUARY. Jesus was NOT a clown but more of a “fun guy” (i.e. no makeup). I still remember the opening song “Prepare Ye”. I also remember a wonderful young lady singing (well vamping actually) Turn Back O Man.