godspell ( film )
david greene directed the godspell film. i was unable to turn up anything beyond biographies of greene’s professional work — nothing specifically about his views of or work on the film .
to discover how a group of creative young people developed the musical godspell in the early 1970s, please see the complete book the godspell experience .
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in 1973, the film adaption of the play appeared. the film uses new york city as the backdrop for the story, but the ten characters who make up the cast act out their story in an eerily - deserted city. unlike its contemporary, jesus christ superstar, which was also made into a film in 1973, the film version of godspell was generally not well received .
godspell (1973) - - (movie clip) day by ...
godspell and the parables (part 5): the sheep and ...
godspell and the parables (part 3): the pharisee a ...
sketch comedy: the bulk of the film, apart from the musical numbers .
bonnie and clyde, which was not adapted from the well - known film .
the godspell section of musicalschwartz. com, a fansite for stephen schwartz — go toward the bottom of the page for content about godspell' s history and backstory .
titanic, which surprisingly is not based on the hit film from the same year .
looking for movie tickets? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing godspell near you .
if we do godspell the last 2 weeks in june, how far in advance can we book .
merrell jackson (1952–1991) appeared in the godspell movie and later joined one of the stage companies .
the musical theater of stephen schwartz: from godspell to wicked and beyond. by paul r. laird
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these shows all began as movies that eventually became broadway musicals that were adapted once again for film .
singing well requires the sort of physical movement and concentration that, on film, looks like overacting .
hippies relive the story of christ' s ministry and crucifixion in the musical godspell (1973). >
film is image driven, where theater is dialogue driven. film can have little or no dialogue and tell the story with pictures; theater can have very little physical movement and tell the story with verbal images .
the new book the godspell experience: inside a transformative musical tells the whole story of how each actor joined the godspell cast, plus a full 384 - pages of rich stories about the musical as it made its way into musical theater history. it also includes a chapter on the movie version of godspell and the broadway revival .
award bait song :
beautiful city
. it is now included in stage productions of godspell, too .
thank you for your comment! it enriches me now, and will also enrich my next viewing of godspell .
the song
we beseech thee
is in the stage play, but film director david greene thought it wouldn' t work for the film. so he asked schwartz to write another song and (the original )
beautiful city
was the result. a fan used a recording of
we beseech thee
and clips from the film to create this video (after you play it, youtube may well show you other videos of godspell stagings) .
after godspell, schwartz wrote the scores for pippin, the magic show, wicked, and many other musicals. read defying gravity: the creative career of stephen schwartz, from godspell to wicked to explore the colorful world of this artist .
in 1971, nina faso assisted her friend, john - michael tebelak, in staging the musical godspell at café la mama and at cherry lane, where she served as production stage manager. (see the godspell experience for details) .
the end credits include an infinity frames effect. a sixteen second film of a busy street is shown, and then the right and bottom of the frame is frozen in a sideways capital l. this then becomes the frame for the next iteration of the film, which in turn leaves its right and bottom edges as a frame for the next film. over the frames and film are played thumbnails of the actors, then credit cards and finally a credit scroll .
in the next post, i will start to analyze the film' s distinctive interpretations of the parables of jesus .
what this does for me is to allow the question of whether godspell portrays the resurrection to melt into the question of whether it embodies the life - giving implications of his resurrection. to that question, i find that godspell most definitely brings us to life, if we are able to see it. this, too, washes over the film' s lack of representation of jesus as miracle - worker or healer, considering that the film' s focus was on his teachings .
the film is very different, but i always found the berger substitute more devastating than what happens in the stage version .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
film version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of christ' s life told in an anachronistic manner .
musical theater of stephen schwartz: from godspell to wicked and beyond. by paul r. laird | music and letters | oxford academic
it is only after this scene, more than an hour into the film, that jesus encounters opposition (in the form of large robot who represents the pharisees and the doctors of the law, but which is manned by his disciples). jesus says, “this is the beginning, ” and the “passion narrative” in godspell begins. it consists of less than thirty minutes of the film .
— over the space of 30 years or so — that i finally was able the feel the full joy of the film. i had come finally to understand the how the film embodies the critical depth of life (as opposed to religion) that jesus had come
the godspell experience: inside a transformative musical
is now available. visit the home page on this site to find out more .
does that mean that the film should be adapted for the stage as a musical, with rose belting “my heart will go on” as high as she can? not at all, and given the huge part that spectacle plays in the film, a stage production couldn’t be half as effective in that regard anyway. sure, there is a sense that the characters in the film could break out into song, but that’s because titanic is basically a melodrama and relies a great deal on the score to support and create emotional identification with what is happening in the film. but i do think that a musical based on the film would be a bit of a “why” musical .
starting in the fountain with david haskell (
the baptist
), victor garber (as
victor
and
jesus
) leads the cast in an upbeat hippie number in the film version of the stephen schwartz / john - michael tebelak musical godspell, 1973 .
as i read godspell, it is indeed consistent with the bible in nearly every significant way. most importantly to the film' s work, the uninhibited joy and life in godspell embodies the spirit of life that the bible gets to when jesus says, in john 10: 10 ,
i have come that they may have life, and have it to the full .
if we take nothing more away from the film than a lighter spirit and a deeper love for life, it will have served well. jesus said his load is light .
stephen schwartz was brought in later to re - write the music for godspell. schwartz’s primary focus with godspell is on the community being built by the disciples; he downplays a focus on jesus. he was not so much a fan of the film version. schwartz has said that, prior to doing godspell, he “didn’t really know anything about” jesus beyond the general story “of his birth and then his death and the belief of some in his resurrection. ” godspell gave schwartz a stronger appreciation for the golden rule (i. e. , “do to others as you would have them do to you. ” as a matter of policy, schwartz does not publicly disclose his religious / metaphysical beliefs .
starting in the fountain with david haskell (
the baptist
), victor garber (as
victor
and
jesus
) leads the cast in an upbeat hippie number in the film version of the stephen schwartz / john - michael tebelak musical godspell, 1973. >
you' re visiting musicalschwartz. com, an independent resource site on broadway and film composer - lyricist stephen schwartz and his musicals wicked, godspell, pippin, disney movies, and others. this site by carol de giere offers information, tips, and products through affiliate programs .
this website page serves as “appendix a” to the book the godspell experience. it answers the “where are they now? ” question for the original cast of godspell and other key people. fans of the show are often curious about what happened to those people over the past four decades .
film can zoom in and pan out to control the audience' s focus. theatre controls this with dialogue and blocking (how actors and props are positioned). no less a luminary than stephen sondheim has said that one reason why it' s hard to adapt a stage musical to film is that in film a close - up can tell you everything that a song can — so why bother with the song ?
mccormick was cast in the godspell film and continued performing with the stage production off and on in new york city for a number of years. she and music director, stephen reinhardt, married on february 12, 1972, on a saturday morning, and had their reception after the matinee performance of godspell so the cast could attend. in 1976 they had a son, brian, the first godspell child. in 1979, with their second child, eve, on the way, they moved to los angeles. gilmer has pursued acting, directing, and teaching acting .
so i think that, if you take the whole film into account, and remember that there is more to it than just the love story between jack and rose, the tragedy of the titanic is clearly appreciable, even if it’s not the primary focus of the film itself .
over his long career, lansbury built up extensive credits producing musicals and plays, films, and television shows. the company of lansbury / duncan / beruh produced godspell around the world in the early 1970s, the godspell film, and the broadway production. lansbury also produced the hit broadway musical the magic show, along with beruh and ivan reitman. he also produced a revival of the musical gypsy that starred his sister, angela .
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the film includes several old testament stories, including the creation and noah' s ark, described using the perspective of rural, black americans .
it is this quality of nonstop busyness that is one of the chief assets of “godspell, ” both of the off broadway musical (still running at the prontenade theater on upper broadway), and of the film adaptation that opened yesterday at the columbia 2 theater. especially of the fim .
i would like to do a church reduction of the original godspell. is there a way for a nonprofit to get a break on the royalties ?
although i did not scour the film for small ways that one might question whether godspell departs from the bible, i did listen closely so as to hear such concerns as i might catch in watching the film. there are some, but not very many, and few have any definite conflict. what i noticed, and how they each strike me, are as follows (but to be clear: even when these do stray from being biblical, they are nowhere near significant enough to discredit the film, but rather are cause for reflection on and grace toward the filmmakers and their work) :
for tickets and information on godspell at the 350 - seat victoria theatre (right next to the apollo), call (212) 769 - 8183 .
while both pieces focus on the same characters and are arguably the best works from their respective composers, they are much different from one another both musically and thematically. jsc is a rock opera while godspell dabbles in various musical styles. while godspell focuses on the gospel according to matthew, jsc takes its interpretation from multiple gospels. in my opinion, godspell is more celebratory while jsc is more investigatory. while jsc stirred up a lot of controversy, godspell is considered a safe choice and endorsed by many church groups. in most cases it comes down between a show that is full of improvisation versus envelope pushing .
many argue that godspell domesticates both the message of jesus and jesus’s life (such domestication is often found in interpreters of jesus and his parables over the centuries). others ask, however, whether godspell also ultimately domesticates the counterculture in the united states in the 1960s (see walsh 2003: 74) .
9. in 2003, the new york times claimed that campus crusade for christ' s jesus (1979) was the most - watched motion picture of all time. the jesus film, a movie that used american bible society' s good news for modern man translation of the gospel of luke has been translated into nearly 1, 100 languages and dialects, and has reportedly been viewed (including repeated viewings) more than 6 billion times. according to the film project' s website, more than 5, 000 jesus film workers worldwide show the film an average of three times a week .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice, telling a story of startling cruelty. what a space it opens…
basically, the film is very awkward and dull during the dialogue scenes. the actors seem to be improvising on camera (and not very well. )
boasting a score with chart topping songs, a book by a visionary playwright (john - michael tebelak) and a feature film, godspell is a sensation that continues to touch audiences. because of its small technical demands and minimal cast size, it has become a staple of theatre companies, large and small .
shout out: the story of the prodigal son takes place in a theater. it' s cherry lane theater, where the first production of godspell opened .
for several years after the show opened, faso worked with edgar lansbury and joe beruh, directing and organizing productions of godspell in boston, washington, d. c. , san francisco, and on the first national tour. her brother laurie remembers how she was “entrusted by john - michael tebelak and stephen schwartz with protecting and maintaining the soul of godspell ” as she directed productions. she also directed the production in paris and later supervised the transfer of godspell to broadway .
boasting a score with chart - topping songs, a book by a visionary playwright (john - michael tebelak) and a feature film, godspell is a sensation that continues to touch audiences. because of its small technical demands and minimal cast size, it has become a staple of theatre companies, large and small .
) is convincing in his film debut. once baptized, they follow him around various scenic new york locations, singing and acting out passages from the scriptures .
in the indian hindi - language film industry known colloquially as bollywood, musicals are the default genre. japan has takarazuka, among other classes of stage theater .
was a silent film that tells the biblical story in the first half and a morality parable set in modern times during the second half. the 1956 remake of
i was told godspell jr was about $ 500 and we keep the materials and can perform the show any number if times. when i use the cost estimator it asks the same questions as godspell 1971 / 2012 and the price is the same. why is it the same price but only for a one hour show. ? thanks
victor garber has an active film, tv, and stage career. enjoy victor garber products at urltoken e. g. titanic and many other movies and cds .
john‐michael tebelak, who is credited with having “conceived and staged” the off broadway show, is credited as associate director of the. film, and david greene as its director. i have no idea who did what, but the movie has the look of something shot by richard lester in an evangelical frame of mind. ordinarily, this sort of fractured style is something i can easily resist, but it is the only way, i suspect, that “godspell” could be made to work on film .
fwiw the tradition in the depiction of the passion for good friday is to not depict the resurrection. applies more directly to jc superstar than godspell, but there it is .
the broadway community was given a similar situation in 1971 when two shows opened in new york about the last days of jesus. the shows were jesus christ superstar and godspell .
the forum archives at stephen schwartz' s official site, which has a history of questions schwartz has answered about godspell, his life, and (what he will say in regard to) his religious / metaphysical beliefs. there are many separate parts of the archive. look first under the godspell sub - heading and the
stephen schwartz
main heading .
the film clips that supplement the story telling in the cherry lane theater — it is pure fun the way they play off of and imitate what' s on the screen .
( 1956) is the sixth highest - grossing film domestically, with an adjusted total of $ 1, 025, 730, 000. the others are: # 13 –
most film representations of jesus figures, however, tend to rely on well - known visual portraits of jesus from the european renaissance. these portraits often soften jesus (though passolini’s
her compositions can be heard on the soap operas guiding light, as the world turns, and another world. upcoming projects include the poignant comedy the pertinacity of love, a play slated for broadway, and the eccentric comedy bad miracle, gordon’s film that won the new york independent film & video festival’s best screenplay award. she lives in new york city
however, film and theater have one thing in common: you get 90 minutes of butt time, and if you run longer than that, you' d better be good .
well the film was made in 1978 and offered a late 1970' s view of the late 1960' s. it is not a direct film of the, but more a film inspired by the show. on stage hair is a very theatrical piece borrowing elements of different theatrical style. obviously this would not work on film, so milos forman tried to give it unity by trying to develop a storyline. this is teh least successful part of the movie. there was a lot of carping at the time that twyla tharp' s entensive choreography was cut by forman before release. (there was talk of the dance material being reused in a documentary about the film that was never made .) also cut were six songs: abie baby / fourscore; air; my conviction; frank mills; what a piece of work is man; & don' t put it down. (all six were included on rca victor' s soundtrack album .) though the film has good moments it doesn' t really hold together and doesn' t capture the unrest of the era .
creator cameo: stephen schwartz (who wrote the score) is the man drinking coffee in the diner, and john - michael tebelak (the original writer of godspell) voices the pharisee .
in the west, musical films are often either animated, like classic disney films, or adapted from stage musicals. film adaptations of stage musicals have to deal with two major issues :
orchextra is now available for godspell 2012! orchextra® - the industry leader in musical theatre orchestra enhancement just took a quantum leap forward: powerful new interface hundreds of new features downloadable expanded ...
playfully serious, musically excellent, and rich in spirit, godspell romps through new york city exploring and embodying wisdom for life and relationships from the bible’s gospel according to matthew. set in 1973, jesus
raised in an evangelically christian household, the allegory of the christ has always loomed heavily over the moral map of my consciousness. watching the film, “godspell” several times a week, during a most troubling period in my physical context, allowed me to retain a place for best messages of the gospels, invigorate my passion for this planet and dispense with the more judgmental aspects of the christian tradition .
in 1977, the year before the film' s release, hair was brought back to the biltmore and had a less - than - successful run, playing only 43 performances after two months of previews. i can see why there would have been a hesitation to reproduce the broadway show on film. i loved the original production (saw it many, many times) and i love the current production, which i' ve seen both in the park and on broadway. i also find a lot to enjoy in the film version, realizing that it is a riff on the original .
at some point during the course of the film, the character playing john the baptist morphs into judas the betrayer. this transition helps underscore the point that in the kingdom of heaven according to godspell, no one is left behind; all are included. when judas mocks jesus’s next teaching—that one is supposed to turn the other cheek—jesus slaps him; judas decides to turn the other cheek, and jesus embraces him .
but which one is better? there probably isn' t an answer for that. my personal favorite is godspell but only because i' ve been involved with multiple productions of it and never have done jsc .
this was the quality that attracted me to the stage version. i had to be almost dragged to the play, because its subject matter sounded so depressingly contemporary. but after i finally got into the theater and sat down and let
godspell
relax me, i found myself simply letting it happen. for a musical based on the gospel according to st. matthew ,
godspell
is strangly irreverent, wacky, and endearing .
the most significant question about whether godspell is biblical is whether or not it depicts the resurrection and, if not, is there an artistic reason for not doing so — a reason that enhances what the film is doing in us. to this question, one thing is immediately clear: after the crucifixion, the jesus character is never shown to have any signs of life. for some, this may settle the question (i. e. , that there is no resurrection) and lower their opinion of the film (or raise it, for any who think the resurrection is mythical). yet there is more to consider, including :
i wondered, i am performing in an amateur production of godspell this year. providing we use the correct material, are we ok to perform with a backing track rather than with a live band? ?? ? thank you
william a. everett; the musical theater of stephen schwartz: from godspell to wicked and beyond. by paul r. laird, music and letters, volume 96, issue 2, 1 may 2015, pages 309–311, urltoken
i liked the film for what it was, though i understood before i saw it that it was something totally different from the stage production. it does have some strong standout scenes and tharp' s choreography is stellar. i' ve always felt a remake was in order and i would love to see oliver stone' s take on the material. but if they don' t bring back tharp, get david parsons to choreograph the film .
lamont also performed in all early productions of godspell: the college production, café la mama, cherry lane, and the movie version. after godspell, lamont starred on broadway as “sandy” in grease and performed in stephen schwartz’s show working. her singing can be heard on the cast albums for godspell and working. on the side, she responded to an ad from a company hiring actors as private investigators. that led to her interest in law. she earned a law degree and served as a district attorney in westchester county, new york, for many years. she is married and has two grown children. she is currently an award - winning novelist. read more at the kinship series .
the fearless vampire killers was adapted for those musical - thirsty germans. why else would it be known world - wide under a german title, namely tanz der vampire which is the title of the german dub of the film .
jesus kisses judas: in the gospels, it is judas who kisses jesus. also, in the film, judas seems hesitant and confused, but if anything, the gospels portray him as confident and direct. i find that godspell' s rendering works very well, compressing multiple points into one. jesus gave himself willingly, and this shows in his initiation of the kiss. after the betrayal, judas was confused and regretful, as shown by his suicide .
i have some of these same feelings of ambivalence about “godspell. ” i like its music, its driye and its determination, even when it' s pretending to a kind of innocence and naiveté that “i never for a second believe .
springing from a parable, robin lamont (as
robin
) leads victor (victor garber, the
jesus
character) et - al in the top - forty hit from the hippie - christian musical godspell, 1973. >
well, one must simply guess that the broadway revival of godspell, regardless of its overall outcome, will be guaranteed to not only touch the lives of those who already count the show among their favorites, but to reach a whole new audience of younger people otherwise unfamiliar. the possibilities remain endless for the next chapter in godspell ’s long and incredible life, and it’s safe to bet that the new york theatre scene eagerly awaits the following step towards the show’s renewed success .
the film also is distinctive because it incorporates the parables so deeply into the narrative of jesus’s life and teachings. jesus is the proclaimer and bringer of the kingdom of god, which is found within the community formed around him. this community, however, grows and develops outside of any interactions with other people, except for the robot that symbolizes the opposition to jesus and the police cars that drive up near the end of the film right before jesus’s death. and at the end, the community apparently vanishes as new york city comes back to life at the end of the film with crowds once again filling the streets, leaving the question of the harvest in the parable of the sower unanswered .
godspell i see as a far more reverent piece. the script is primarily taken from the gospels of st matthew and the show was written and conceived in a very communal environment where the original cast had direct input to the songs and construction of the show and therefore has a much more personal feel to it. also, the staging of godspell is a very organic process. the version you' ve seen in the film mirrors the original off - broadway production where the cast were portrayed as children playing games and learning through the parables. later productions (including mine) were far different staging it in more modern settings and allowing the show to evolve. also, there is a very improvisational aspect to the show in that the staging of the parables themselves are very up to interpretation and open to adding modern pop culture to the show making it accessible to newer audiences. it' s these aspects that i think make godspell a much more artistic show .
they' re leaving out a pretty big plot point! i' m not so sure. i think the idea of godspell was to present the parables and lessons found earlier in the gospel of matthew, rather than focus on the events of jesus' last week alive. the crucifixion is there, certainly; but perhaps it is only because it indicates the story is over. look at what else is missing: there is neither a trial before pilate, nor a trial before the sanhedrin, for example. a good chunk of matthew is taken up with the events of the last week of jesus' life; godspell reverses this and a good chunk of it is taken up with what happened prior to jesus' last week. i' d also suggest that by returning to a crowded new york, the film provides a neat conclusion. indeed, it is
bookended
by settings at the beginning and end of the film: crowded new york: the disciples are called and baptized. junkyard: the gang fixes up the junkyard. empty new york: parables and lessons in various settings. junkyard: the last supper and crucifixion. crowded new york: end credits. given the emphasis on the parables and lessons over the events leading to the crucifixion, and the neatness of
bookending
the film, i' d almost suggest that the resurrection isn' t necessary in godspell. we know it happens subsequent to the crucifixion, but because godspell' s primary subject matter consists of the parables and lessons found in matthew, it' s perhaps more important to have the audience leave the theatre thinking about those, rather than jesus' death .
ricky, i completely understand and appreciate your comment. the godspell four (as you and steve and jesse and richie are known to fans of the show and the film) were an indisputable part of the history. but my focus with this article was strictly on the women, not just the five actresses but also nina. i took much more liberty with the book and mentioned everybody. anyway, nice to know that you read it. be well, my friend .
the invitation for a party being held next thursday by the princess cruises states “please join us as we announce an industry - first entertainment partnership with the oscar - winning composer of wicked, pippin and godspell. ”they mean, of ...
john michael tebelak originally created godspell as a small production for work on his master’s in drama at carnegie - mellon university. a member of the episcopal church, even at one point considering the priesthood, tebelak credited a specific inspiration for the show: an easter vigil service (i. e. , an anticipation of the resurrection) that left him feeling that they treated jesus as more dead than alive. he had been re - reading the gospels in the bible as a potential source for material, and in them found “a great joy, a simplicity. ” the stark contrast between this and his experience at the vigil sparked a rapid burst of writing to create godspell. with godspell, tebelak said he “wanted to make it the simple, joyful message that i felt the first time i read them and recreate the sense of community. ” for the “clown” schtick in godspell, tebelak’s inspiration was the book feast of fools by harvard’s harvey cox (especially the chapter “christ the harlequin”) .
godspell, directed by david greene; associate director, john‐michael tebelak; screenplay by mr. greene and mr. tebelak, based on the stage production as conceived and directed by mr. tebelak; music and iyrics by stephen schwartz; director of photography, richard g. heimann; editor, alan helm; produced by edgar lansburv; released by columbia pictures. running time: 103 minutes. at the columbia 2 theater, second avenue at 64th street. this film has been classified g .
now, most movie studios have a christian film division, and several studios are doing major movies with strong christian content. and, now, all of the major studios, not just disney, are doing movies for young children and families .
peggy gordon was a member of the original godspell cast and she also wrote the music for “by my side, ” a song in the show. since then, she has enjoyed a varied career in theater, publishing, television, film and recordings. some of her writing / composing credits are as follows: she co - wrote the long - running off - broadway comedy, taboo in revue, winner of the manhattan association of cabaret’s best musical comedy award with fellow godspell alum, robin lamont. she co - wrote the book, music and lyrics for the new musical comedy, mating habits of the urban mammal, with michael leeds, a tony - nominated broadway director. this show has been successfully produced in boston, miami and atlanta .
it' s comparable to the film version of cabaret in how much it doesn' t reflect the stage version. it' s not comparable in terms of quality. however, i think the black boys / white boys segment is awfully clever .
odd not to mention merrell jackson when you ask the subjects of your article to comment on cast members who died. he was huge, at least in the film and soundtrack. not to have them mention him gives the impression he wasn’t liked .
herb braha passed away in february 2016. an original cast member in the 1971 productions of godspell at la mama and cherry lane, braha had continued performing in godspell for over a year and was then successful in getting work in television and motion pictures. in 1982 he founded a successful business supplying materials for costumes. his company provided costume - related materials for stage productions, operas, and movies, including the pirates of the caribbean series, ironman, and many others. braha lived in the los angeles area .
not much music but scripture, and david haskell (in the
john the baptist
role) is seen first, as the people gather amid manhattan scenery, opening godspell, 1973, from the musical by stephen schwartz and john - michael tebelak. >
there are other times where the film might cut short something it takes from the bible. for example, jesus responds to the question from the
teachers of the law monster
about the greatest commandment by saying ,
thou shalt love the lord your god with all your heart and with all your soul ,
but the bible also inludes
all your mind
and
all your strength
. though it might be more technically accurate to include
mind
or
strength ,
i find this to be a minor point to the film' s overall trueness to the bible (and anyway ,
strength
occurs in only one of the three relevant bible passages — and not in matthew, which is the stated biblical basis for godspell) .
for understandable reasons, the authors of the show (ragni and rado, though more ragni) long expressed their displeasure with the film for several reasons. some quotes from them on the topic of the film over the years follow .
it seems that milos forman regarded the hippies as some sort of aberration. they were portrayed simply as oddballs, without any understanding of their motives, their search for truth, their commitment to the peace - love movement, their efforts to create a world based on human values .
- jim rado
any resemblance between the 1979 film and the original biltmore version, other than some of the songs, the names of the characters, and a common title eludes us .
- gerry ragni and jim rado
forman was not able to come up with a form that matched the play' s revolutionary content .
- gerry ragni
a film of the play on stage would have been much better .
- gerry ragni and jim rado
the screenwriters missed the boat on the true message and potential of the original. the film version of hair has yet to be made .
- jim rado
i call it' h' because forman took all the' air' out of it .
- gerry ragni
right out of godspell, stephen nathan was cast in the movie version of 1776 as the courier. as an actor, he worked on both coasts before settling in los angeles, where he acted in film and television projects until he began writing and producing in the late 1970s. in addition to developing feature films at all the major studios, nathan has written and / or produced more than 300 episodes of television. from 2005 – 2017 he served as executive director and writer for the popular fox tv series bones .
i find that tebelak’s vision comes through strongly in the film. furthermore, i find it significant that tebelak’s vision was sparked by his attendance at a service of observance of the resurrection. though neither the film nor the stage play contain a literal depiction of the resurrection, tebelak’s response to observing a failure - of - life in the easter vigil led him to godspell, whether intentionally or not, as an expression of the deeper point of the resurrection: that life comes through death. in the grand narrative of christianity, it is through jesus’ death and resurrection that we have life, yet even in small ways, such as one’s forgiving a small offense, there are small deaths that lead to life (i. e. , giving up one’s “right” to revenge) .
thank you for this insight into the evolution of such an incredible work of art. i have never had the opportunity to see a live production of “godspell, ” but i was exposed to the film very early in my life and returned to it in the last 18 months, in my late forties, as i embarked on a major internal transition, from a life studying many different esoteric traditions, to one of being committed to a very personal inner practice of meditation and expression of external helpfulness…a focused study of interdependency .
well, i love the film. it blew me away - the audience would be laughing one moment at berger trying to suit up to get on the plane, but the moment the flesh failures (edited because i was in a zombie mode originally) start, the theatre grew quiet and by the end of let the sunshine in, people were crying - - and this was in berkely, california when the film came out. the film and the play are two entirely different creatures / entities. i don' t think forman felt the hippies / tribe were
oddballs
- he filmed them as people who enjoyed life, knew life and treasured life. i remember writers saying
hair
was forman' s
love letter
to the united states - and when you see the way he had the vistas filmed, the skylines of the cities, you can see that
love .
forman, it seemed, loved the freedom of america and berger' s
tribe
reflected that freedom. and, the film has a mindblowing, breathtakeawaying rendition of
easy to be hard
i saw hair on stage only once (1974 in st. louis), but the film had more of an impact on me, while recognizing the two are entirely different .
hairspray is an extreme case. the original film was made in 1988. it appeared to be ideal musical material even though the entire score had to be written from scratch. the musical came out in 2002 — and was made into another movie in 2007 .
written in 1971, godspell took its cue from the gospel according to st. matthew, recasting the parables in hair - inspired, pop music form. (the irony is that a newly revised version of hair will be opening in connecticut around the very same time - - see playbill on - line story .) since it' s now 25 years after the show' s premiere, stephen schwartz and director richard haase are
rethinking and rearranging
the score .
musical numbers... reflect not only the current wave of popular black music formats (hip - hop, rap, r & b) but the score' s strong gospel influences .
schwartz has also incorporated his song ,
beautiful city ,
from the
godspell
film, into the stage version .
godspell also features the international hit, “day by day”, as well as an eclectic blend of songs ranging from pop to vaudeville, as jesus’ life is played out onstage. even after the haunting crucifixion, jesus’ message of kindness, tolerance and love lives vibrantly on .
godspell was the first major musical theatre offering from three - time grammy and academy award winner, stephen schwartz (wicked, pippin, children of eden), and it took the world by storm. led by the international hit ,
day by day ,
godspell features a parade of beloved songs, including
prepare ye the way of the lord ,
learn your lessons well ,
all for the best ,
all good gifts ,
turn back, o man
and
by my side .
godspell was the first major musical theatre offering from three - time grammy and academy award winner, stephen schwartz (wicked, pippin, children of eden); and it took the world by storm. led by the international hit ,
day by day ,
godspell features a parade of beloved songs, including
prepare ye the way of the lord ,
learn your lessons well ,
all for the best ,
all good gifts ,
turn back, o man
and
by my side .
paul r. laird’s the musical theater of stephen schwartz: from godspell to wicked and beyond offers impressive insights into the creative output and legacy of a significant figure in american musical theatre. laird focuses on the generative process behind each of schwartz’s shows, whether intended for broadway, off - broadway, children’s and regional theatres, or film, and offers cogent discussions of the music itself. filled with material drawn from numerous interviews with schwartz and his collaborators, the book should be essential reading for anyone involved with a production of any of schwartz’s shows .
shoo out the clowns: in this case, jesus paints the faces of the cast with clown makeup when they decide to follow him, and they wear it for most of the film, until he removes it during the
last supper
scene immediately preceding his death .
since far more people can see a hollywood film than a broadway musical (even one that runs for years), films adapting stage musicals are especially prone to adaptation displacement. it is very rare in the west for live - action musical films to be original, rather than adaptations .
read about the lives of herb braha, peggy gordon, joanne jonas, robin lamont, sonia manzano, gilmer mccormick, and stephen nathan from the original godspell cast. also find remembrances of original cast members lamar alford, david haskell, and jeffrey mylett, and details about creative team members .
agreed that jc superstar to this day holds up well. godspell, on the other hand, was considered rubbish by my friends and i when we saw it. even then, it struck me as being remarkably cheesy. i am considering buying a copy of the dvd and trying to sit through it .
that’s not to say that the approach taken by james cameron in the film is invalid. while some might say that putting the fictional jack and rose front and centre, the film romanticises one of the great tragedies of the 20th century. i take the point, but i’m not sure i agree with it. i think it is up to people do to some thinking about the context of the story and make the connections for themselves. after all, james cameron isn’t making a documentary; he’s telling a story that has the sinking of the titanic as its backdrop, not reporting the event in itself .
i' ve listened to the film recording and the original broadway recording for decades... so this might sound a bit ridiculous. i' m still not absolutely certain who is singing what in terms of the cut songs from the film. it' s clear annie golden is singing
air
but is she also singing
frank mills
? someone once noted that it was actually beverly d' angelo (that same person believed beverly was singing the top harmony in
what a piece of work is man
). i question that. does anyone have a full credit list for the recorded songs ?
jesus christ superstar and godspell were both produts of the 1960' s, which was a whole nother planet. i think superstar holds up surprisingly well. the idea was to show the human side of jesus (he' s a man, he' s just a man), something the gospels tend to ignore .
jesus christ superstar and godspell were both produts of the 1960' s, which was a whole nother planet. i think superstar holds up surprisingly well. the idea was to show the human side of jesus (he' s a man, he' s just a man), something the gospels tend to ignore. i' ve not actually seen it but i have read about an italian film from the early' 60s called the gospel of matthew. the director is an atheist. he concentrates on the teachings of christ (be nicer to poor, or else !) and is considered to be one of the best films about jesus .
, which includes a parallel narrative of the story of jesus, was made into four films, first in 1907 and then again in 1925 and 1959 (the 2003 version was an animated film). the latter two feature films were among the top ten money - making films of the decade in the 1920s and 1950s.
godspell ( also known as godspell : a musical based on the gospel according to st. matthew ) is the 1973 musical film of the off-broadway musical godspell created by john-michael tebelak with music and lyrics by stephen schwartz . directed by david greene with stars victor garber as jesus and david haskell as judas/john the baptist , the film is set in contemporary new york city . john-michael tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant , although director david greene said tebelak did not write the screenplay . 
godspell (also known as godspell: a musical based on the gospel according to st. matthew) is the 1973 musical film of the off-broadway musical godspell created by john-michael tebelak with music and lyrics by stephen schwartz. directed by david greene with stars victor garber as jesus and david haskell as judas/john the baptist, the film is set in contemporary new york city. john-michael tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director david greene said tebelak did not write the screenplay.
godspell (also known as godspell: a musical based on the gospel according to st. matthew) is the 1973 musical film of the off-broadway musical godspell created by john-michael tebelak with music and lyrics by stephen schwartz. directed by david greene with stars victor garber as jesus and david haskell as judas/john the baptist, the film is set in contemporary new york city. john-michael tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director david greene said tebelak did not write the screenplay.