Peg and I have seen Stephen Schwartz speak about his plays/musicals in person. His productions capture the moments that remain in our hearts and memories forever. I’ve seen Pippin and Wicked on stage and was looking forward to seeing Godspell. Peg and I sat in one of the prime seats right on the edge of the stage. We saw the preparation and movements of moments in what looked like a back alley with the people wandering and lost. The characters spoke to us like we were in the alley as well. Soon we saw Jesus who joined the movements and wandered with the people. Jesus didn’t wear or show a sign, but people accepted Jesus as part of their own confusion and beliefs.
We had the advantage of knowing that Jesus was a member of the crowd. Peg and I also knew that the person playing Jesus was a woman. We had seen her at Dukesbay Theatre as a character in the play “Taking Leave” at Dukesbay Theatre in Tacoma. She had studied at Pacific Lutheran University and worked on the production of Macbeth. In “Taking Leave” she played the third daughter and was quite touching.
In Stephen Schwartz’s lively and enlightening hit musical, Jesus and his followers gather to share parables from the Book of Matthew, celebrating unity, spirituality and community. Godspell is certain to entertain and inspire all who experience its message of acceptance, hope and love. Peg and I think that having the main character be a woman as well as being shorter than others gives the entire production an extra aspect that makes one stop and wonder.
The production is quite entertaining and has been extended already for an additional week. The characters blend as Jesus explains life and love.
