Jesus walks, sings, and dances in this Stephen Schwartz-penned musical.
Jack Grolin, Staff Photographer
Let me start with this: I am not the biggest fan of “Godspell.” When I saw the most recent Broadway revival, which premiered in 2011, I left feeling conflicted. Most of the songs in “Godspell,” composed by Broadway legend Stephen Schwartz, are spectacular. However, what comes between them is not nearly as great. Through no fault of the company or the creative team, I left Second Stage’s production of the musical feeling the same as when I saw it on Broadway: loving the score but unamused by the parables between them.
“Godspell” is mostly based on the Gospel of Matthew, though three of its parables come from the Gospel of Luke. It features an ensemble cast and has only two named characters: Jesus and Judas, played by Paul McCallion ’15 and Will Stewart ’17, respectively. The show is a collection of parables narrated and performed by members with no coherent plot. Sometimes the songs are sung to reinforce a lesson found in one of the parables, but other times they seem to come from no direct prompt. While the first half of the show is lighthearted, the second half takes a darker turn, detailing the well-known stories of Judas’s betrayal, the Last Supper, and Jesus’s crucifixion.
“I went and saw the revival of ‘Pippin’ on Broadway last year and thought, ‘Wow that’s a fun show, maybe I want to create something like that,’” said Anthony Dean ’17, the production’s first-time director. “So I started off thinking of what shows I could do where I could create a fun environment, and I was like, ‘Well, Stephen Schwartz writes great shows.’”
Like me, Dean was drawn to the music of “Godspell.” However, Dean was also drawn to the enjoyable, bright nature of the show and sought to bring that spirit to his production here at Wesleyan, a feat that he definitely achieved.
When I walked into the Westco Café on Friday night, I was overwhelmed by color. The show’s set and lighting design, done by Luke Schissler ’17 and Cicily Clare Gruber ’15, respectively, exposed the visual aesthetic of the café, taking advantage of all of its graffiti and grime. Though the actors initially sported dull, neutral clothing, they eventually sported a similar aesthetic to the café, changing into vibrant, mismatched clothing after the show’s initial introduction.
While some audience members—including the relatives of the performers and creative team—sat on chairs, most of us sat on the floor. Though sitting on the floor is never the most comfortable endeavor, it was a supreme choice by Dean. It allowed for maximum sightlines and, more importantly, set the tone of the show, which at no point seemed to have the theatrical fourth wall, a smart directorial decision on Dean’s part. In fact, the cast often got right in our faces, singing directly to us, and there was even audience participation at certain points. This proved to be particularly comical at the performance I attended; when two audience members were brought up to play Pictionary and Charades, they both failed to do so and instead spoke their clues out loud. In fact, the member of the audience referred to by cast member Justin Greene ’16 as “Anderson Cooper”—who was actually the father of cast member Tess Jonas ’15—was the only audience participant of to execute his instructions correctly.
While I tend to prefer traditional theater, where the fourth wall is completely intact, I have to admit that the cast’s energy and enthusiasm made the choice of constant audience interaction work. If one were to go and watch a rendition of “Godspell” with a fourth wall, the show would fall flat. So, in the end, the decision to break the fourth wall worked for the show, but it was just not my ideal audience experience.
The success of the production ultimately was in the hands of the cast, which was absolutely delightful. Standouts included Ryan Dobrin ’18, whose infectious smile and delightful voice left me wanting to hug him; Jonas, who displayed her amazing vocal range; Charlotte Sarraille ’16 and Jess Cummings ’17, who harmonized gorgeously; and the always-hilarious Jessica Wolinsky ’17. Finally, McCallion, whose delicious vocal quality and perfect presence anchored the production, divinely played the lead role of Jesus.
While the show is known for its cheerful moments and songs, my favorite moments were the calm points amidst its chaos, specifically the songs “By My Side,” “Beautiful City,” and, most importantly, “On the Willows,” which underscored Jesus saying goodbye to everyone at the Last Supper. It was the best moment in the show: profoundly emotional and raw, yet understated and soft. Overall, the show was expertly sung, played, and heard, overcoming various obstacles presented by the performance space. “Godspell” accomplished this feat thanks to the wonderful musical direction of Max Luton ’17.
In the end, “Godspell” was an excellent production of a mediocre musical. It was lifted by its dazzling execution of an amazing score but brought down by the fact that its cast was forced to play out the odd parables between each song.