Godspell

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Hi,
I saw Godspell in 1970 in Washington, D.C., at the Ford Theater where Lincoln was
shot. Having never seen the movie, I don’t know how the movie ends, but on stage
Victor as Jesus died by electrocution as he had his back against an electric fence.
His death was very powerful and moving in that performance.
Did you know that at age 5 or so Victor Garber was a child evangelist named
Marjoe (combination of Mary and Joseph). Then there the were hippie days (Godspell).
I was freshman at UCDavis the fall of 1966. I saw both the movie version and stage
production of Jesus Christ Superstar.
I’m glad you enjoyed the Godspell movie. The entire story was a parable.
Lorraine
 
I enjoyed both the play and the movie, when I saw them years ago. I found the play to be very enriching to my understanding of some of the gospel stories. For instance, when the Pharisees ask Jesus “By what authority do you teach?” and He says, “First answer me this: from what authority did John baptize?” They confer “If we say that his authority was from God, then Jesus will say ‘Why did you not believe him?’ but if he say just from man than the people will be angry with us.” Until I say this well played in Godspell, I did not get how totally they were not looking for truth in their answer, but just expedience.
 
There are many great aspects of Godspell - a distictive modern view of Jesus and his ministry, easy to relate to, great music. I really want to like it. But I can’t. It’s not gospel. There is no good news. It’s classic 1960’s - post-modern, ambiguous, subversive. It tells parts of the story but leaves out the ending, like it’s optional or open to interpretation. It’s ALMOST the story, and that makes it far worse than a clearly pagan or demonic entertainment. It can easily be seen as representing the Bible and the story of Christ, but it isn’t and doesn’t. It’s about an innocent. likeable man and his unjust death. It’s not about the incarnate Son of God making the ultimate sacrifice and conquering death and Satan for us.

I suppose it’s possible that Godspell could lead a non-Christian to become interested in Jesus and be drawn to learn more. They won’t learn it in Godspell, though. And for a Christian, it’s probably OK as long as it’s recognized to have a non-biblical, non-Christian orientation. I wouldn’t expose my kids to it without a lot of discussion.

Merry Christmas!
Jerry
 
Still love that song from the play:

Day by day
Day by day
Oh Dear Lord
Three things I pray
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly
Follow thee more nearly
Day by day

🙂
 
lorraine_peters said:
Did you know that at age 5 or so Victor Garber was a child evangelist named
Marjoe (combination of Mary and Joseph). Then there the were hippie days (Godspell).
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The child evangelist was Marjoe Gortner, subject of the Oscar winning documentary “Marjoe”. He had a minor career as an actor, appearing in the movie “Earthquake” and, most recently, Walter Hill’s “Wild Bill”.
 
There is a resurrection in Godspell. There is a specific moment in the music where it occurs, and the play feels very incomplete without it. Someone I know in theater once told me about a production of Godspell he saw where there was no resurrection. It went “Oh God, you’re dead,” then a blackout, and that was it. He said it was awful; it felt entirely inappropriate to the rest of the play. The play is highly modular; in many productions Jesus is carried offstage somehow and actually walks back onto the stage. Even in productions in which that doesn’t happen, there is certainly a resurrection.

Jesus’ divinity is emphasized in Godspell as well; see especially when the ensemble sings to Jesus on the cross “Oh God, you’re dead,” followed by “long live God,” followed by the resurrection.

Godspell is very good at two things: not trying to distill Jesus’ teachings down into some “essential core message,” and preaching the gospel to people in a way that bypasses their defenses.

When I say that Godspell doesn’t try to distill Jesus’ teachings down into some “essential core message,” I’m thinking of how you’ll often hear Christians say something like “what was Jesus’ message about, really?” followed by some segment of Jesus’ teaching that is important but to which the whole certainly cannot be reduced. For instance, they’ll reduce the “essential core” of Jesus’ message to his moral teachings, or to his mission from the Father , or to the necessity of his death on the cross, or to his eschatological statements. Godspell doesn’t do that; it presents all of the above in a way very faithful to their presentation in the gospels. All of them receive their due emphasis. Jesus is not reduced to his teachings on loving others, but nor are those all-important teachings marginalized in favor of a presentation focused almost entirely on the passion and death and the end times. His mission from the Father is emphasized in the all important song God Save the People, and eschatology is presented powerfully in Turn Back O Man.

When I say that Godspell is good at preaching the gospel to people in a way that bypasses their defenses, I mean that people’s reflexive response to close off or shut down when someone is preaching Jesus to them is cleverly subverted by Godspell. People hear about Jesus without even realizing it, because they are sucked into the experience by the topical jokes and how much fun the cast appear to be having.

So, yeah, I support Godspell. But this webpage is pretty funny. Especially the part about how THERE IS NO BLOOD!!!11!1 when Jesus dies on the cross. Apparently they just weren’t paying attention when Jesus sings “Oh God, I’m bleeding.”
 
I love the play but I don’t like the movie much (other than enjoying seeing Lynn Thigpen again). Maybe it’s because every time you see the play it’s different. I’ve seen it staged in Val Speak; with the cast portraying homeless people and even with everyone looking and talking like the epitomy of WASP. Each time it was different and each time it left me in tears.

I couldn’t relate to a previous poster who said there was no resurrection because I’ve always understood the resurrection at the end when Jesus walks back on stage. As for the blood the last poster mentioned, we used red rags to ‘crucify’ Jesus to the scaffolding – the trailing ends made it look as though his hands were bleeding.
 
I responded to this thread back in 2007, so perhaps I’m repeating myself. If so, apologies.

Whether or not there is a visible resurrection (not just in the music) depends on the director. I’ve attended more productions that showed a visible resurrection, IOW, Jesus actually appears again to the disciples WHILE the play is still in progress (not just for curtain call). These productions are awesome, IMO.

Of course, they are usually directed by Christian directors. But not always. I think that a lot of non-Christian (or non-practicing Christian) directors include a visible resurrection because they know their audience and want people to keep coming to all the other plays at that venue! Maybe this isn’t the case in some of the big cities with a liberal population, but in many cities and towns, a large majority of the theater-going population are practicing Christians and are not pleased to see a production of Godspell where Jesus stays in the grave. It’s all about subscriptions and ticket sales and attracting a paying audience–anyone who wants to make a statement that “the resurrection is a myth” is probably not wise to do it in a Godspell production in Anytown, U.S.A., i.e., if they wish their theater to continue to attract an audience and they wish to work as theater professionals, not table waiters. There are theaters where people can work who are out to offend Christians, but most Christians don’t attend productions at those theaters, so what’s the point?
 
I responded to this thread back in 2007, so perhaps I’m repeating myself. If so, apologies.
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Aww, dammit! This thread got necromancied twice!?
 
I found the 1973 LP to Godspell among my parents’ records a few years back. It was then I realized where “Prepare Ye” came from, a song us kids in Catholic grammar school had to sing at our weekly school Advent service.

I also recognized another song on it; “All Good Gifts,” which was sung by my parish’s “joyful noise” guitar choir from time to time before they were phased out for a “contemporary ensemble.”

Aah, the 70’s…guitar Mass and Godspell. I know I’m getting off topic here if I haven’t already, but I’d take a group of aging Boomers singing Godspell at Mass then new Haugen and Haas stuff…
 
I love the musical. When I was a teen the church my parents and I attended felt that “Godspell” was not something they would condone. “Jesus is shown as a clown”…“There is no resurrection story”…“There are no miracles”…“It’s from the devil”…you get the idea of the criticisms that were being made.

I was visiting some Friends at their home when I was 19 and somehow we ended up discussing “Godspell”…they asked me if I had ever seen the musical or listened to the music…I said no…“It’s from the devil”. We then sat and listened to the LP…and I fell in love with the music.

I then went to see the muscial and was “WOW’ed” by the imagery. HERE was a “Jesus” I could relate to…very human…very loving…very “real”.

The muscial focused on his teachings…and whoever said there’s “No resurrection” never saw the musical or the movie…The “Long live God…” litany and the disciples with the clown makeup wiped off their faces as they “entered the world” was so real and powerful…we are the ones who brings the Light of Christ into the world…we are the one’s who carry him to our neighbors and friends telling them the good news…

“Beautiful City” from the movie version is one of my favorite songs of all time…“We don’t need alabaster…we don’t need chrome…we’ve got our special plaster…TAKE MY HAND…” gives me goose bumps. This one song speaks to me the TRUE message of the gospel…“we see nations rise in each other’s eyes…”
 
Sorry for reviving such an old post, but I didn’t want to start a new one if this one already existed.

I’m currently rehearsing for a school production of Godspell and it’s different to say the least. But different in a good way. We are using this production as a sort of reflection for lent.

I thought I’d write a bit of my thoughts and comment on some of the things people have mentioned.

If you notice in the film and in most play productions, Jesus puts on clown makeup on the cast as a visible sign of their commitment to God and to the Christian community and removes it prior to the Last Supper to symbolize that they no longer need this outward symbol. What my school is doing is instead of makeup, we are using purple cloth (purple for Lent) that we are wrapping around us (either arm, head or neck). When we remove them we tie them together to make two long strings. In our production, Jesus is tied to the purple cloths when he dies (the electric currents go through the cloth). I really take this as symbolic of Jesus dying for us and our sins. I know that some people have a problem with how it looks like He was just a guy who was unjustly killed, but I think the way we did it added symbolism.

Also, in the play (and film) Jesus is the one that kisses Judas, so we changed it to make it accurate.

As for John the Baptist becoming Judas, according to our script, it’s for convenience. This is also done to show Judas as Jesus’ right hand man who ultimately betrays him to make it more powerful. Also, which I think makes sense, they do this to differentiate Judas from the other apostles so that it’s not, “Oh, a random apostle did it,” but one of the two the main characters.

The ending to me is very beautiful, even up on stage I feel like crying especially when the “Long live God” turns into “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” It’s interesting, I hold up what Jesus is leaning on when he is dying, so I see myself as the centurion who converted and then carry Jesus off singing “Prepare Ye.” I see this as an implied resurrection, because it’s just so joyful! I also see the curtain call as the resurrection. However, from what I have read, the resurrection was left out because it wasn’t the point of the play, the point is not the resurrection, but the community that Jesus founded and how it will continue to carry on His teachings, which is a reminder to us the cast and the audience to carry out the message of Jesus. But I like thinking there’s a resurrection.

Overall, I think it is ca great play and can work as a nice reflection for Lent. Though I am going to sit the more orthodox family members down before the play and explain why Jesus is a clown in a run down circus.
 
SalesianSDB said:
Sorry for reviving such an old post, but I didn’t want to start a new one if this one already existed.

I’m currently rehearsing for a school production of Godspell and it’s different to say the least. But different in a good way. We are using this production as a sort of reflection for lent.

I thought I’d write a bit of my thoughts and comment on some of the things people have mentioned.

If you notice in the film and in most play productions, Jesus puts on clown makeup on the cast as a visible sign of their commitment to God and to the Christian community and removes it prior to the Last Supper to symbolize that they no longer need this outward symbol. What my school is doing is instead of makeup, we are using purple cloth (purple for Lent) that we are wrapping around us (either arm, head or neck). When we remove them we tie them together to make two long strings. In our production, Jesus is tied to the purple cloths when he dies (the electric currents go through the cloth). I really take this as symbolic of Jesus dying for us and our sins. I know that some people have a problem with how it looks like He was just a guy who was unjustly killed, but I think the way we did it added symbolism.

Also, in the play (and film) Jesus is the one that kisses Judas, so we changed it to make it accurate.

As for John the Baptist becoming Judas, according to our script, it’s for convenience. This is also done to show Judas as Jesus’ right hand man who ultimately betrays him to make it more powerful. Also, which I think makes sense, they do this to differentiate Judas from the other apostles so that it’s not, “Oh, a random apostle did it,” but one of the two the main characters.

The ending to me is very beautiful, even up on stage I feel like crying especially when the “Long live God” turns into “Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” It’s interesting, I hold up what Jesus is leaning on when he is dying, so I see myself as the centurion who converted and then carry Jesus off singing “Prepare Ye.” I see this as an implied resurrection, because it’s just so joyful! I also see the curtain call as the resurrection. However, from what I have read, the resurrection was left out because it wasn’t the point of the play, the point is not the resurrection, but the community that Jesus founded and how it will continue to carry on His teachings, which is a reminder to us the cast and the audience to carry out the message of Jesus. But I like thinking there’s a resurrection.

Overall, I think it is ca great play and can work as a nice reflection for Lent. Though I am going to sit the more orthodox family members down before the play and explain why Jesus is a clown in a run down circus.
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Thank you for this.
 
Are you familar with the musical Godspell? What do you think of it? Is it Christian or do you think it mocks the Gospel? I’ve never seen it, but my teenage son wants to audition for it. Your thoughts?
 
As far as I can tell Godspell is a play that can be seen several times and each one be different depending on the director. I got to see a school production when my sister was in it.

I enjoyed it. I wasn’t offended by it. I’ve heard many of the songs in other scenarios before I ever saw the play. But the director definitely had a personal touch to it and for some of the scenes it kinda felt like a 90’s children’s show. Not that it was geared towards 5 year olds…more like Jesus was the enthusiastic adult character teaching a group of enthusiastic excited child characters. It was very playful until they got into the Holy Week scenes where it became much more serious. It was definitely contemporary but I felt it managed to be respectful at the same time. But this was the director’s touch on it. The director of your son’s production could do something totally different.

I have not seen Jesus Christ Superstar so I can’t compare the two regarding their handling of the subject matter. My mom has seen both and I believe she felt Godspell was the better of the two.

One thing to know as a viewer is that Judas and John the Baptist are played by the same person (at least they were in my sister’s production) and the transition from the John character to the Judas character wasn’t completely clear.
 
It was written from the Jewish perspective. I always noted that the play ends without mention of the resurrection. I have seen many versions of it. While I am not offended, it is less than fully Christian.
 
Frankenfurter said:
It was written from the Jewish perspective. I always noted that the play ends without mention of the resurrection. I have seen many versions of it. While I am not offended, it is less than fully Christian.
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No resurrection?

I saw it a ton of years ago, but I firmly remember that while they don’t talk about the resurrection, they show it by shining the light back on him (after he has ‘died’ in the darkness) as the musical tempo picks up.

I’d see it again if the opportunity arose. One doesn’t go to the theater for theological wisdom.

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
No resurrection?

I saw it a ton of years ago, but I firmly remember that while they don’t talk about the resurrection, they show it by shining the light back on him (after he has ‘died’ in the darkness) as the musical tempo picks up.

I’d see it again if the opportunity arose. One doesn’t go to the theater for theological wisdom.

ICXC NIKA
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I believe in the version my son wants to try out for, they will be doing something similar to signify the resurrection, but it isn’t part of the original script.

We rented & watched a movie version… the disciples were clowns. Like literal clowns. It was cheesy beyond cheese.
 
yellowbird said:
I believe in the version my son wants to try out for, they will be doing something similar to signify the resurrection, but it isn’t part of the original script.

We rented & watched a movie version… the disciples were clowns. Like literal clowns. It was cheesy beyond cheese.
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Well, I don’t often reant movies, and now I know to skip this one, thanx.🙂

No resurrection sequence in the original GS script? So it ends with him ‘dying’ in the shadows? That would be depressing beyond belief. I doubt it would play well.

ICXC NIKA
 
When I was in high school (Catholic high school) we did a production of it. I would say it was respectful of the gospel.

Just recently a local theater group put it on and it was very good, again respectful and the music is fun. But the tone does change when it gets to Holy Week.

(I think John and Judas are always played by the same actor, that’s the way I have always seen it. At first I thought we had to do it that way because we were an all girl school and we needed to find boys to audition.) 🙂

I have always seen it with some form of resurrection at the end.

I have not seen Jesus Christ Super Star but I have heard that show does not make mention of the resurrection.

You may be able to find it to rent or view so you can see before he auditions.

I’m sure if your son does do the show he will have a wonderful time. Our cast always became like family and I felt we grew spiritually. We would attend mass together etc.
 
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