Godspell on Broadway - The First Revival

Update August 19

The Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak's Godspell has been postponed.

Producer Adam Epstein said in an Aug. 19 statement, "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. I could not in good conscience move forward without full confidence that the capitalization was in place and that all of those employed by the production could be responsibly taken care of. . . Even in light of the situation, my passion for this vibrant production is unwavering and it is my goal to regroup as soon as possible."

Composer Stephen Schwartz added, "I take comfort in my belief that productions happen when they are supposed to. The cast and creative team was poised to create a terrific production and I have no doubt it will be just that when its time comes."

Godspell is the latest casualty of the new theatre season, which has already seen postponements and/or cancellations of the revival of Brigadoon; the Harry Connick Jr. vehicle Nice Work If You Can Get It; among others.

For more about the musical Godspell...

GavinCreel and Diana DeGarmo in Godspell Revival on Broadway

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IF THE SAME CAST RETURNS LATER - Here's who would be in it.

Gavin Creel (Thoroughly Modern Millie) and "American Idol" finalist Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray).

Gavin Creel was nominated for a 2002 Tony Award for his performance as "Jimmy Smith" in that year's Best Musical winner, Thoroughly Modern Millie. He recently played "Jean-Michel" in the Tony Award winning Broadway revival of La Cage aux Folles.

Diana DeGarmo rose to fame as the runner-up in the 2004 season of "American Idol." Her hit single, "Dreams," went to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot Singles Chart. She made her Broadway debut as "Penny Pingleton" in Hairspray in 2006. The planned cast also included Uzo Aduba (Coram Boy), Andrew Arrington, Sara Chase, Celisse Henderson, Joshua Henry (In the Heights) as "Judas", David Josefsberg (Altar Boyz), Morgan James, Telly Leung (Rent), Kyle Post (Rent), Dana Steingold, Maria Thayer (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Daniel Torres (Pirate Queen).

This new production of Godspell would mark the first Broadway revival of the seminal American musical since its acclaimed run ended thirty years ago. Schwartz's Wicked continues on Broadway with no signs of slowing down.

Godspell Recordings that include all the songs

This Off Broadway Godspell Cast CD includes more of the script passages than other albums (e.g. dialogue in the middle of songs). The version of Beautiful City on this album includes the more current lyrics that Stephen Schwartz favors. Buy or hear audio clips from Godspell 2000 Cast Album .

 

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"Beautiful City" affectionados will not want to miss the up-tempo version on this recording. The 2000/2001 national Godspell tour features some of orchestrations and arrangements you won't hear elsewhere, based on modern bands like Dave Matthews, Tori Amos, and others. For contemporary rhythms and fun, try this CD. Buy or hear audio clips from Godspell - 2001 National Touring Cast [new browser window].

Godspell Cast Member BIOGRAPHIES

STEPHEN SCHWARTZ (Music and Lyrics) has contributed music and/or lyrics to Wicked, Godspell, Pippin, The Magic Show, The Baker's Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Personals, Rags and Children of Eden. For films, he collaborated with Alan Menken on the scores for the Disney animated features Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame and wrote the songs for the DreamWorks animated feature The Prince of Egypt. He has released two CDs of new songs entitled Reluctant Pilgrim and Uncharted Territory available at www.stephenschwartz.com. Mr. Schwartz is also the artistic director of the ASCAP Musical Theatre Workshops and a member of the Dramatists Guild Council. Awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards and four Drama Desk Awards.

JOHN-MICHAEL TEBELAK (Book) was 22 years old when Godspell hit New York. It was his first brush with the New York theatre, but by no means his first venture into theatrics. His theatrical career started when he "walked into a theatre at the age of nine and stayed there." Mr. Tebelak originally conceived of Godspell as his Masters Thesis project at Carnegie-Mellon University in 1970. All of the original cast members contributed to the playful script that evolved under John-Michael's direction. Subsequently, he directed productions of Godspell at La MaMa Theatre in February of 1971, the Cherry Lane Theatre (opening May 17, 1971), the Promenade Theatre, and on Broadway. Tebelak co-authored the screenplay for Godspell (1973) for Columbia Pictures with David Greene. Mr. Tebelak was dramaturge for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York City, and wrote and staged liturgical drama there. He died of a heart attack at the age of 36 in April 1985.

Daniel Goldstein (Director) recently directed the Off-Broadway commercial production of the hit Fringe Festival musical Walmartopia. Other recent credits include Beau Willimon's Lower Ninth at SPF, Kenny Finkle's Indoor/Outdoor at the DR2, Falsettos and Les Liaisons Dangerouses at the Huntington Theater Company, But I'm A Cheerleader at the New York Musical Theater Festival and Bathsheba Doran's Living Room In Africa at Gloucester Stage. He has served as the Associate Director for All Shook Up! and Fully Committed and the Resident Director for the First National Tour of Mamma Mia! Daniel has developed the work of playwrights Peter Morris, Roberto Aguirre-Sacassa, Rob Handel, John Shea, Bathsheba Doran, Janet Neipris and Eliza Jane Scheider at the O'Neill Playwright's Conference, PlayPenn, and elsewhere. As a writer, he was the recipient of an inaugural Calderwood Commission from the Huntington Theater Company, for which he is writing an original musical. He is also developing a musical with Disney Theatrical and was the author, with Michael Friedman, of the musical Song of Songs. Celebration, the one person show he created with Ethan Sandler and Josie Dickson, was seen Off-Broadway as well as New Haven, San Francisco and the HBO Aspen Comedy Arts Festival. He is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Performance Studies.

Christopher Gattelli (Choreographer). Broadway: Sunday in the Park and South Pacific at Lincoln Center in 2008 (Tony Award nomination), The Ritz, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, High Fidelity. West End: Sunday in the Park with George. Off-Broadway: Altar Boyz (Lortel, Callaway Award, Drama Desk nom.); Bat Boy: The Musical (Lortel Award); tick, tick.BOOM!; I Love You Because; How to Save the World.; Adrift In Macao. Other favorites: directed Silence! The Musical (Best Musical 2005 Fringe Festival), Chess Broadway concert w/Josh Groban, Hair Broadway concert (Grammy nom.), "The Rosie O'Donnell Show."

David Korins (Scenic Design). Broadway: Passing Strange, Bridge & Tunnel. Off-Broadway: Hunting and Gathering (Drama Desk Award nomination), The Receptionist, Pumpgirl (MTC), Yellow Face, Passing Strange (Public), Jack Goes Boating (Lortel and Drama Desk nominations; LAByrinth), Drunken City, Floyd and Clea and Miss Witherspoon (Playwrights Horizons); Essential Self-Defense (Drama Desk nomination, Playwrights Horizons/Edge Theater); Blackbird (Hewes Award and Drama Desk nomination); Orange Flower Water (Drama Desk nomination, Edge Theater); Swimming in the Shallows (Lortel nomination, Second Stage); Walmartopia, Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell (Minetta Lane).

Miranda Hoffman (Costumes) on Broadway, she designed the costumes for Well. Off-Broadway credits include Satellites and Well (The Public Theater); Essential Self-Defense, Spatter Pattern and She Stoops to Comedy (Playwrights Horizons); Landscape of the Body (Signature Theatre); Beauty of the Father (Manhattan Theatre Club); Columbinus and Oedipus at Palm Springs (New York Theatre Workshop); A Very Common Procedure (MCC Theater); The Last Letter (Theatre for a New Audience); and The Marriage of Figaro (Target Margin Theater). Opera credits include Le Portrait de Manon (Gran Liceu of Barcelona); La Voix Humaine and Le Portrait de Manon (Glimmerglass Opera); Mirandolina, Lord Byron's Love Letter and The Village Singer (Manhattan School of Music). Regional credits include Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Theatre), Uncle Vanya (Court Theatre), Mauritius (Huntington Stage), Godspell (Paper Mill Playhouse), Merchant of Venice and Outrage (Portland Center Stage), Betrayal (Yale Repertory Theatre), among others. Nominee for the 2006 Henry Hewes Design Award. Recipient of NEA/TCG Career Development Grant. Graduate of the Yale School of Drama.

BEN STANTON (Lighting). Off-Broadway credits include Neil LaBute's In a Dark Dark House; Essential Self-Defense; Spalding Gray: Stories Left to Tell; Sandra Bernhard: Everything Bad & Beautiful; Play Yourself; Light Raise the Roof; Bexley, OH!; Throw Pitchfork; The Thugs; The Triple Happiness; The Dear Boy; Orange Flower Water; Stone Cold Dead Serious; Finer Noble Gases; Esoterica; Indoor/Outdoor; Orange Lemon Egg Canary; Caligula (AUDELCO nomination). Regional credits include Godspell (Paper Mill Playhouse); Persephone; Love's Labour's Lost; The Cook; The Crucible; Bus Stop; The Chekhov Cycle; Loot and The Great Game.

MIKE FARFALLA (Sound). Broadway: 12 Angry Men, All Shook Up, Curtains (Asst. Designer), Pajama Game, Grease (Prod Sound Eng), Grey Gardens, Spring Awakening (Prod Sound). Other NYC credits: Serenade (Jaradoa Theatre Company), But I'm a Cheerleader, Bonnie & Clyde (NYMF), Indoor, Outdoor (SPF).

GAVIN CREEL (Jesus). Broadway: Thoroughly Modern Millie (Jimmy - Tony Award Nomination), La Cage Aux Folles (Jean-Michel). London West End: Mary Poppins (Bert). Off-Broadway: The Mystery Plays (2nd Stage), Hair (Encores! City Center), Bat Boy (Union Square Theatre). Other Theatre: Bounce (Goodman Theatre/Kennedy Center, Dir. Hal Prince), Honk! (American Premiere). TV: "Eloise at the Plaza" and "Eloise at Christmastime" (ABC/Disney). Recordings: GOODTIMENATION (Debut Pop Album), .Millie, Bright Lights Big City, It's Only Life, and others. Training: University of Michigan.

DIANA DEGARMO shot to fame as runner-up on the popular television show "American Idol" in 2004. She is known for her amazing range and vocal prowess. Following her national television debut, DeGarmo released "Dreams" to radio, the best-selling single of 2004, and later a full-length album on RCA titled Blue Skies. DeGarmo's heightened profile afforded her the role of Penny Lou Pingleton in Hairspray on Broadway as well as Maria in a regional production of West Side Story. Most recently, DeGarmo was featured on the initial season of CMT's reality program "Gone Country." She is now signed to John Rich's production company and currently recording a country-pop album in Nashville.

Uzo Aduba trained in Voice Performance at Boston University. Uzo was last seen on Broadway as "Toby" in Coram Boy. She was also seen in The Seven at New York Theatre Workshop and LaJolla Playhouse and in 365 Plays/365 Days at The Public and just completed a run in the title role of Dessa Rose for the New Rep. Uzo is a Helen Hayes nominee for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Play for Translations of Xhosa performed at the Kennedy Center, Olney Theatre, and Boston Playwright's Theatre. She was in Daniel Goldstein's production of Godspell at The Paper Mill Playhouse and has been seen in Crowns at the Denver Center, Abyssinia at Goodspeed Musicals and The Jungle Book at Peoples Light & Theatre Company.

ANDREW ARRINGTON is grateful to be making his Broadway debut in Godspell. Recent credits include: 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chicago Company), Showboat (Carnegie Hall), RESPECT (NYSAF) and Disney's High School Musical 2.

Sara Chase is thrilled to be making her Broadway debut and returning to Godspell after being a part of the Paper Mill Playhouse production. She most recently starred in and produced the hit sketch comedy Jen and Angie at the Upright Citizen's Brigade Theatre in NY and LA. Off-Broadway: Slut. Film: Little Black Book, Uncertainty. Television: "As the World Turns" and "Guiding Light." BFA Boston University.

CELISSE HENDERSON's credits include the national tours of Wicked and Andrew Lloyd Weber in Review, Jerry Springer the Opera (Carnegie Hall) and VOTE! A New Musical. Regional: Steve Silver's Beach Blanket Babylon. Her recordings include the soundtrack of Rent and Stephen Schwartz's Captain Louie.

Joshua Henry (Judas) is a member of the cast of In the Heights, the 2008 Tony Award winning Best Musical. Off-Broadway: Serenade (Thomas), In the Heights (Benny u/s). Regional: Godspell at Paper Mill (Judas), Being Alive at Westport Playhouse.

Morgan James is an accomplished actress on both stage and screen. In addition to her regional theatre credits, she can be seen in current Toyota Highlander and TJ Maxx commercials. Godspell marks her Broadway debut. She received her BM in Voice at The Juilliard School in NYC.

David Josefsberg has been touring both Europe and the United States with comedian Stephen Lynch performing his own original material and songs co-written with Mr. Lynch and Jeff Gurner. David has been seen on Broadway as "David Fonda" in The Wedding Singer, "Roger" in Grease, Marius in Les Miserables and On the 20th Century. Off-Broadway he has created roles in the Altar Boyz, Slut, Joys of Sex and Night Blooming Jasmine. David was seen as "Arthur (the Fonz) Fonzarelli" on NBC's "The Mork and Mindy Story" and in the films Limbo and Carlito's Way.

Telly Leung's Broadway credits include Rent (Steve and Angel), Sondheim's Pacific Overtures and Flower Drum Song. Telly also originated the role of Boq in the Chicago company of Wicked. Favorite regional credits include: M. Butterfly (Philadelphia Theater Company), Barnaby in Hello, Dolly! (The MUNY), Godspell (Paper Mill Playhouse), Thuy in Miss Saigon (Pittsburgh CLO), Lun Tha in The King and I (North Carolina Theater), and Seth / Shem in Children Of Eden (Fords Theater). Television credits include: "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" and the 2008 Tony Awards. Telly is featured on the original cast recordings of Pacific Overtures and Wall to Wall Stephen Sondheim (recorded live from Symphony Space). BFA Carnegie Mellon University.

Kyle Post comes to Godspell directly from the final company of Rent on Broadway. Other credits: Jesus Christ Superstar (KC Starlight), Berger in Hair and Whizzer in Falsettoland. Kyle is a graduate of the Music Theatre program at Baldwin Wallace Conservatory.

DANA STEINGOLD. National Tour/LA: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Logainne). New York: Calvin Berger at MTC, Galt McDermot's Goddess Wheel and Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Century Center).

Maria Thayer. Theater: Necessary Targets, Endpapers (Variety Arts Theater), Hair (Bay Street Theater). Film: Accepted, Strangers with Candy, Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the upcoming State of Play with Ben Affleck and Russell Crowe. Many television guest appearances including Grace's daughter on finale episode of Will and Grace. Maria originated the role of Tammi Littlenut on Strangers with Candy.

Daniel Torres is thrilled to be in Godspell. NYC credits include: The Woman in White (Original Broadway Company), The Pirate Queen (Original Broadway Company/Cast Recording), Young Scrooge in A Christmas Carol (Madison Square Garden) and Juan in Altar Boyz (Off-Broadway). Regional credits include: Danny Reyes in Most Wanted (La Jolla Playhouse/Sundance Theatre Lab), and Tobias in Sweeny Todd (Cleveland Opera).

Godspell PRODUCTION HISTORY

Godspell embraces the 21st century in this exciting new production of one of the longest-running and most beloved Off-Broadway musicals of all time. Using improvisation and contemporary themes to illustrate the parables, Godspell brings these lessons to life through the grand tradition of musical theatre. The score, by Academy and Grammy Award winner and six time Tony Award nominee Stephen Schwartz (Wicked, Pippin), features recognizable songs that have become staples of both the American musical theatre and popular culture alike. With a book by John-Michael Tebelak, Godspell uniquely and joyfully exclaims a message of tolerance, kindness and hope that resonates just as deeply as the music.

Based on The Gospel according to St. Matthew, Godspell was originally a senior thesis directing project for Carnegie Mellon University Master of Fine Arts candidate John-Michael Tebelak. Using a profound experience at an Easter

Sunday church service for inspiration, Tebelak wrote the first version of Godspell in 1970. This first version included a score comprised mostly of lyrics from the Episcopal Hymnal set to music by the student cast. After a chance meeting with Ellen Stewart of Café La MaMa in New York, Godspell transferred to La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club for a two-week, ten performance run where it was brought to the attention of producers Edgar Landsbury (brother of Angela Landsbury) and Joseph Beruh. Excited by what they saw, the duo approached Tebelak with the opportunity of an off-Broadway run if he would agree to a new score. Tebelak agreed and the producers hired Stephen Schwartz, another alumnus of the Carnegie Mellon theatre department, to write new songs for the show. Schwartz’s score featured a variety of styles including pop, folk rock, gospel and vaudeville. “By My Side” was the only song kept from the original production. The new Schwartz / Tebelak musical Godspell opened off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 13, 1971 and its success was immediately evident. The critics raved unanimously and in August of 1971, Godspell moved to the larger Promenade Theatre where it ran for 2,124 performances making it one of the longest running Off-Broadway musicals in history.

After five years of sold-out audiences Off-Broadway, Godspell made its Broadway debut on June 22, 1976 at the Broadhurst Theatre. Critics found the show to be just as fresh and exciting as it was when it first opened at the Cherry Lane. The show would move to the Plymouth and the Ambassador before closing on September 4, 1977 after 527 performances. In all, the musical achieved more than 2,600 performances both on Broadway and off.

Godspell has entertained audiences the world over for decades. Major sit-down productions of the smash hit musical were produced in most all major cities including Boston, Washington, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago and Toronto. During much of 1972, these seven companies performed simultaneously. Productions also opened abroad in Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Melbourne. A London production, which opened in 1971, ran for nearly three years. In the last four years of its New York run, there were 25 companies performing Godspell around the world with eight resident companies and three touring companies. Godspell has been credited for establishing Toronto as a major theatre center that could support its own productions with its own actors. The legendary 1972-73 Toronto production cast local actors for the record-breaking production providing the first paying jobs for actors Victor Garber, Eugene Levy, Andrea Martin, Gilda Radner, Dave Thomas and Martin Short. Paul Schaffer served as musical director.

A film version of Godspell was released in 1973 set in modern New York City. The cast featured Toronto alum Victor Garber as Jesus, David Haskell as John the Baptist/Judas and Lynne Thigpen in her first film role. John-Michael Tebelak co-wrote the screenplay and served as the creative consultant. The song “Beautiful City” was written for the film and has subsequently been performed in major stage revivals of the show. Godspell permeated pop culture when its song “Day By Day” reached #13 on the Billboard Top 100 list.

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Original lyrics and music are on the Godspell Movie Soundtrack but it's been changed since then. Buy Godspell: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [new browser window]

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