Godspell is the story of Jesus and the
community of believers he brought into existence. God's good
news often sneaks into our lives on the wings of laughter, and
that is the intent of this musical. It's a comedy ... and
yet, if you listen, God speaks and we hear.
On this page
are the words to the songs, many of which are old hymns of the
church with different melodies. Interspersed is a synopsis of
what happens between the tunes. Links abound to those hymns
and the scriptures upon which it all is based. Check it
out!
Some Christians take offense at using comedy to share the
gospel story. Jesus and his disciples in clown outfits to them
is too much. Remember, though, that Jesus himself was
considered offensive to many religious people 2,000 years ago. His
followers were fishermen, for heaven's sake. Everyone knows
the tall tales they can tell. His parables stretched the
faith, often in quite humorous ways. Finally, the cross was
considered foolish business, at least in some eyes. If
you cannot hear God speak through this musical (the words to
which are heavily taken straight from the King James Bible)
maybe you need to take the plank out of your own eye.
Each
production of Godspell is unique, for every group
puts their own personal stamp on it. That's true of our
rendition. We've added some elements, taken away others,
placed a song in a different location, spread the lines and
tunes around to different people - each of whom is gifted in
their own unique way. This Godspell thus becomes
the Gospel according to this company of believers who have
come together at this moment in time to put it onstage. We are
merely passing on what we have received, but doing so in our
own dress - which is what the church has been called out to do
everywhere. To say all this in a slightly different way - we
are, like the apostle Paul, "fools for Christ
sake."
So rejoice with us, and laugh ... and live!
Godspell begins with Jesus (offstage) declaring himself as God and King in whom
there is no beginning and no end. The company (onstage) takes on the roles of
different philosophers who debate the existence of the God. Their
musical discussion disintegrates into an "ivory tower of babble" where ideas become only
fragments.
Wherefore, O men of Athens,
I say to you:
Therefore, acquit me or not
But whichever you do
I shall never alter my ways
Never adjust my approach to this maze
Never reform til the end of my days
Even if I have to die many times.
Thomas Aquinas:
God is apprehended by imagination, intuition, reason,
touch, opinion, sense,
and name - and so on.
While on quite the other hand, we find we can't begin to
Understand him, so to some it seems a shame
To go on
But he is all things in all
And he is nothing in any
He is often found in one thing small
Conversely, he is often missed in many.
Martin Luther:
God almighty has made our rulers mad
God almighty has turned our people bad
For the German nobility, with typical agility,
Have so applied their skill at egregious laws
That the people are lead astray; they feel beholden to obey
I may be just the German way, but God, it gives one pause.
DaVinci:
Gibbon:
The rise of man...
Was natural...
Man is so levitable!
Instead of admiring
Man's filling of the void.
We should rather be surprised
That God had man so tyrannized
... Man will be strong
So long
The decline of Rome...
Was natural...
And inevitable...
Instead of inquiring
Why Rome was destroyed...
We should rather be surprised
That Rome remained so strong
So long
Frederic Nietzsche:
What...
Is noble
Nowadays?
Jean Paul Sartre:
Atheistic existentialism
which I represent is
More coherent - I do believe it...
Buckminster Fuller:
Man is a complex of patterns, of processes...
Jean Paul Sartre:
There is no such thing as human nature,
not in all or few men,
Since there is no God to conceive it...
Buckminster Fuller:
Man is a complex of patterns, of processes...
I live on Earth at present, and I don't know what I am.
I know that I am not a category
I am not a thing - a noun
I seem to be a verb, an evolutionary process-
An integral function of the universe.
All:
So high
In my
Lovely Ivory Tower of Babel
(babble, babble, babble, Babble, babble, babble,
babble)
high above the
Rabble
(rabble, rabble, rabble, Babble, Rabble, babble, babble, rabble,
babble)
Greatest mind of history
Solving life's sweet mystery
So listen to me (so listen to me)
Know how life should be (know how life should be)
Oh, what does it matter if they don't agree?
[All then sing their parts at the same time, ending with a
chorus of:]
John the Baptist enters and prepares the way for Jesus, baptizing
the company as they join in the song. At its conclusion, they
quickly exit, leaving John alone.
While John preaches repentance to the audience (Matthew
3:7-12), Jesus quietly enters, and then asks to be baptized. John kneels and wishes to be baptized by him
instead (Matthew
3:13-15). Bringing John back to his feet, Jesus
is baptized and proclaims - in song - that he is
here to save humanity. The
company returns in clown costumes and joins in the song and dance.
When wilt thou save the people? Oh God of mercy, when? Not kings and
lords, but nations, Not thrones and crowns, but men! Flow'rs of thy heart,
o God, are they; Let them not pass, like weeds, away, Their heritage a
sunless day. God save the people.
Shall crime bring crime forever, Strength aiding still the strong? Is
it thy will, o Father, That men shall toil for wrong? "No", say thy
mountains; "No", say thy skies; Man's clouded sun shall brightly
rise, And songs be heard instead of sighs. God save the people.
When wilt thou save the people? Oh God of mercy when? The people, Lord,
the people, Not thrones and crowns, but men! God save the people, for
thine they are, Thy children as thy angels fair. God save the people from
despair. God save the people. Oh God save the people! God save the
people! Oh God save the people! God save the people. Oh God save the
people! God save the people! Oh God save the people!
When wilt thou save the people? O God of mercy when? The people, Lord,
the people, Not thrones and crowns, but men! God save the people, save
us, For thine they are, for thine they are. Thy children as thy angels
fair: O, God save the people, Save the people, God save the
people, From despair. God save the people!
God save the
people, O, God save the people, God save the people, O, God save the
people, God save the people, God save the people, God save the
people.
Jesus gives to each of the company a special item which they
wear until the end of the production. He assures them that
he has come not to abolish the law of the prophets but to
complete it, informing them that those who keep to the law
of God will earn the highest place in heaven (Matthew
5:17-20). To illustrate this, he tells the story of
the widow and the judge (Luke 18:2-8),
which the company humorously acts out - as they do most of
the stories. This parable shows that God is a good judge who
will vindicate those who cry out to him day and night.
Next comes
the story of the Pharisee and the tax gatherer praying in
the temple, to illustrate that every man who humbles himself
before God shall be exalted (Luke
18:10-14).
Even anger
must be dealt with, Jesus says (Matthew
5:21-22), and the story of someone bringing their
gift to the altar when a brother holds something against
them (Matthew
5:23-26) is acted out as
if it were an Olympic event. Then, all clapping in
rhythm, they act out the story of a King who had a
servant who owed him a great debt (Matthew
18:23-35). Asking for pity, the servant's debt
was forgiven. However, the servant left and demanded
repayment from a fellow servant, without showing the same
compassion he had received. The king heard and condemned
this unforgiving servant to prison. Jesus thus proclaims the
importance of forgiveness.
Judy then
sings “Day By Day” which is a prayer for clear vision.
The company joins in the song.
After the song ends, Jesus preaches that if one part of the
body offends, it is better to lose it than to have the whole
of it thrown into hell (Matthew
5:27-30).
In a series
of vignettes, the company acts out Jesus' answers to such
problems as “if someone slaps you on the right cheek...”
or “if a man sues you for your shirt...” or “if a man
asks you to go a mile with him...” (Matthew
5:38-42). Then comes a “Winnie the Pooh” puppet
show of the Good Samaritan story (Luke
10:30-35) performed for Jesus,
who then tells them to love their enemies and not to make a
show of religion (Matthew
5:43-6:4).
If good deeds are done in secret, the reward will come from
God.
The company
performs the story of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke
16:19-31). Lazarus is a poor man who goes to heaven.
The rich man goes to hell, where he begs to let Lazarus rise
from the dead in order to warn his rich brothers of their
eventual fate.
Nicole,
Terri, and Caitlin sing “Learn Your Lesson Well” in
which they warn of eternal doom if one does not learn what
God desires.
I can see a swath of sinners settin' yonder And they're actin' like a pack
of fools. Gazin' into space lettin' their minds wander, 'Stead of studyin'
the good Lord's rules. You better pay attention, Build your
comprehension, There's gonna be a quiz at your ascension. Not to mention
any threat of hell, But if you're smart you'll learn your lessons well!
Ev'ry bright description of the promised land meant, You can reach it if
you keep alert. Learnin' ev'ry line and ev'ry last commandment May not
help you, but it couldn't hurt. First ya gotta read 'em, then ya gotta heed 'em. Ya never know when you're gonna need
'em Just as old Elijah said to
Jezebel "You better start to learn your lessons well!"
Original lyric by Stephen Schwartz
Jesus tells the company that no one can can serve two
masters - God and money (Matthew
6:24). Following the story of a
man who spends his life accumulating things and then dies before he
can enjoy it (Luke
12:16-20), Christine then sings “Oh Bless the Lord, My Soul”
in which she praises a patient and wise God. The cast joins in on
the song and dance.
Oh bless the Lord my soul! His praise to thee proclaim! And all that is
within me join, To bless His holy name! Oh yeah! Oh bless the Lord my
soul! His mercies bear in mind! Forget not all His benefits, The Lord,
to thee, is kind.
He will not always chide He will with patience wait His wrath is ever
slow to rise Oh bless the Lord And ready to abate And ready to
abate Oh yeah! Oh bless the lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the
lord my soul! He pardons all thy sins Prolongs thy feeble breath He
healeths thine infirmities And ransoms thee from death He clothes thee
with his love Upholds thee with his truth And like an eagle he
renews The vigor of thy youth Then bless His holy name Whose grace hath
made thee whole Whose love and kindness crowns Thy days Oh bless the
lord Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my
soul Oh bless the lord my soul! Bless the lord my soul Oh bless the
lord my soul! Bless the lord, bless the lord My soul! Bless the lord my
soul!
Jesus bids the company to put away thoughts of material things and
anxieties about tomorrow (Matthew
6:24-34). The company recites the beatitudes
(Matthew
5:3-12), and Jesus answers them in a
call-and-response manner. However, Judas recites the final beatitude
about persecution and directs it at Jesus. The company freezes with
fear about possible events to come. However, Jesus quickly changes
the subject and sings “All for the Best,” through which he
assures everyone that even if life is bad, their reward will be in
heaven. Al sings a verse of the song as well, and he and Jesus
perform a soft shoe dance. The company joins in with canes in hand
and feet moving.
When you feel sad, or under a curse Your life is bad, your prospects are
worse Your wife is sighing, crying, And your olive tree is
dying, Temples are graying, and teeth are decaying And creditors weighing
your purse... Your mood and your robe Are both a deep blue You'd bet
that Job Had nothing on you... Don't forget that when you get to
Heaven you'll be blessed.. Yes, it's all for the best...
Al:
Some men are born to live at ease, doing what they please, Richer than the
bees are in honey Never growing old, never feeling cold Pulling pots of
gold from thin air The best in every town, best at shaking down Best at
making mountains of money They can't take it with them, but what do they
care? They get the center of the meat, cushions on the seat Houses on the
street where it's sunny.. Summers at the sea, winters warm and free All of
this and we get the rest... But who is the land for? the sun and the sand
for? You guessed! It's all for the best...
[Vaudeville style jokes ending with a serious note about
taking care of the log in your own eye before trying to
remove the speck out of your brothers (Matthew 7:3-5).]
Jesus, Al, and company:
Don't forget that when you get to Heaven you'll be blessed! Yes, it's all
for the.....(all your wrongs will be redressed..) Yes, it's all for
the.....(you must never be distressed....) Yes, it's all for
the.....(someone's got to be oppressed!) Yes, it's all for the best!!!
Original lyric by Stephen Schwartz
After the song ends, the company shows - in “3 Stooges”
fashion - how the act of judging others eventually
returns to hurt you (Matthew
7:1-2).
Jesus then helps Caitlin to tell the parable of the Sower and the
Seeds (Matthew 13:3-9,
18-23) which represent the
Word of God. To further illustrate the
parable, Mark sings “All Good Gifts.”
We plow the fields and scatter the good seed on the land.. But it is fed
and watered by God's almighty hand.. He sends the snow in winter, the warmth
to swell the grain... The breezes and the sunshine, and soft refreshing
rain...
All good gifts around us Are sent from Heaven above So thank the Lord,
oh thank the Lord for all his love...
We thank thee then, O Father, for all things bright and good, The seedtime
and the harvest, our life, our health, our food, No gifts have we to offer
for all thy love imparts But that which thou desirest, our humble thankful
hearts!
All good gifts around us Are sent from Heaven above.. So thank the
Lord, oh thank the Lord for all his love..
Using a take-off of the TV game show, "Family
Feud," the Caan and Carnegie families then try to win
by naming as many of the 10 commandments (Exodus
20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:6-21) as they can. The
losers reject the consolation prize and all fight for the
"pearl" the winners receive, about which Jesus has
a few things to say (Matthew
7:6).
The company then acts out the story of the prodigal son (Luke
15:11-32), after which
the father and his two sons in the parable sing "Beautiful
City."
Come sing me sweet rejoicing Come sing me love We're not afraid of
voicing All the things We're dreaming of Oh, high and low, And
everywhere we go
We can build A beautiful city Yes we can Oh yes we can We can
build A beautiful city Call it out And call it the city of man
We don't need alabaster We don't need chrome We've got our special
plaster Take my hand (Take my hand) I'll take you home (I'll take you
home!) We see nations rise In each other's eyes (in each other's eyes!)
We can build (we can build) A beautiful city (a beautiful city) Yes we
can Oh yes we can We can build (we can build) A beautiful city (a
beautiful city) Call it out And call it the city of man
Come sing me sweet rejoicing Come sing me love We're not afraid of
voicing All the things (all the things) We're dreaming of (we're dreaming
of) Oh, high and low, And everywhere we go (everywhere we go)
We can build (we can build) A beautiful city (a beautiful city) Yes we
can Oh yes we can We can build (we can build) A beautiful city (a
beautiful city) Call it out And call it the city of man
This song was written for the 1973 movie adaptation
of Godspell.
For more info, see the
musicalschwartz.com page about it.
The lyrics for this song do not come from scripture.
In rap style, Jesus tells of how God desires to give his
children "good things" (Matthew
7:9-12). Act I ends in black-light and white gloves with “Light of the
World,” a song which encourages everyone to be shining beacons in
the world. As the band plays on, Jesus then announces a ten minute break and thanks the
audience for coming.
You are the light of the world! You are the light of the world! But if
that light is under a bushel, It's lost something kind of crucial You've
got to stay bright to be the light of the world
You are the salt of the earth You are the salt of the earth But if that
salt has lost it's flavor It ain't got much in its favor You can't have
that fault and be the salt of the earth!
(chorus): So let your light so shine before men Let your light so
shine So that they might know some kindness again We all need help to feel
fine (let's have some wine!)
You are the city of God You are the city of God But if that city's on a
hill It's kinda hard to hide it well You've got to stay pretty in the city
of God
(chorus): So let your light so shine before men Let your light so
shine So that they might know some kindness again We all need help to feel
fine (let's have some wine!)
You are the light of the world You are the light of the world But the
tallest candlestick Ain't much good without a wick You've got to live
right to be the light of the world
The cast returns onstage, with Russ, Mark, and Al (in wigs and
'feminine' voices) humorously singing a reprise of “Learn Your
Lessons Well.” Afterward, Terri comes up through the
audience singing “Turn Back O Man.” Jesus joins her in the song,
and the company joins in the dance.
Turn back, O man Forswear thy foolish ways Old now is earth And none
may count her days Da, da, da, da, da Yet thou, her child Whose head is
crowned with flames Still wiltl not hear Thine inner God proclaim
Turn back, O man (is your seat comfortable sir?) (mm, I like that) Turn
back, O man (is my seat comfortable sir?) (Handle with care) Turn back, O man
(can you take it?) Forswear thy foolish ways (See ya later I'm going to
the front of the thee-ay-ter) (Hold me while I slip into something more
comfortable)
Earth might be fair And all men glad and wise Age after age their
tragic empires rise Da, da, da, da, da. Built while they dream And in
that dreaming weep Would man but wake From out his haunted sleep
Turn back, O man... Turn back, O man... (hard as a rock) Turn back, O
man... Forswear thy foolish ways
Earth shall be fair And all her people one Not till that hour Shall
God's whole will be done Now, even now Once more from earth to
sky Peals forth in joy Man's old undaunted cry Earth shall be
fair And all her people one
C'mere Jesus, I got something to show ya! (chorus repeat first
verse) Forswear thy foolish ways!
Cast members then become Pharisees who question Jesus’
authority in a variety of ways, and he responds (Matthew
21:23-32; 22:16-21, 36-40; 23:1-10). In the song, ”Alas for You,” Jesus scorns
the Pharisees and calls them hypocrites, turning over the tables
upon which they had been sitting.
Alas, alas for you, Lawyers and pharisees Hypocrites that you
be Searching for souls and fools to forsake them You travel the land you
scour the sea After you've got your converts you make them Twice as fit
for hell! As you are yourselves!
Alas, alas, for you Lawyers and pharisees Hypocrites that you
are Sure that the kingdom of Heaven awaits you You will not venture half
so far Other men that might enter the gates you Keep from passing
through! Drag them down with you! You snakes, you viper's brood You
cannot escape being Devil's food! I send you prophets, and I send you
preachers Sages in rages and ages of teachers Nothing can mar your mood
Alas, alas for you Lawyers and pharisees Hypocrites to a man Sons of
the dogs who murdered the prophets Finishing off what your fathers
began You don't have time to scorn or to scoff It's getting very
late! Vengeance doesn't wait! You snakes, you viper's brood You cannot
escape being Devil's food! I send you prophets, and I send you
preachers Sages in rages and ages of teachers Nothing can mar your mood
Blind guides, blind fools The blood you've spilt On you will
fall! This nation, this generation Shall bear the guilt of it all!
At the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem, Jesus predicts that he will not be
seen again until a future time (Matthew
23:37-39). He remembers the days of Noah when
the flood swept over the land and drowned humankind (Matthew
24:4-8, 37-44). He predicts
that when he comes again, only one man and one woman will be taken
with him. The rest will be left wailing outside the kingdom of God.
Acting out
a story of 3 servants left in charge when their master goes
away (Matthew
24:45-51), the cast
discovers which one remains faithful when the show host
asks, "will the real D. Trusty Servant please
stand up."
Caitlin is thrown down onto the stage and called an adulteress.
Jesus tells the company that the one who is faultless can throw the
first stone at her. When no one condemns her, Jesus tells her that
he will not condemn her either, but she must not sin again (John
8:3-11). She then sings,
“By My Side,” asking Jesus to travel with her.
Where are you going? Where are you going? Can you take me with
you? For my hand is cold And needs warmth Where are you going?
Far beyond where the horizon lies Where the horizon lies And the land
sinks into mellow blueness Oh please, take me with you
Let me skip the road with you I can dare myself I can dare
myself I'll put a pebble in my shoe And watch me walk (watch me walk) I
can walk and walk! (I can walk!)
I shall call the pebble Dare I shall call the pebble Dare We will talk,
we will talk together We will talk (chorus) about walking Dare shall be
carried And when we both have had enough I will take him from my shoe,
singing: "Meet your new road!" Then I'll take your hand Finally glad
Finally glad That you are here By my side
By my side By my side By my side
(Spoken- Judas) Then the man they called Judas Iscariot Went to the
chief priests, and said "What will you give me to betray Him to you?" They
paid him thirty pieces of silver.
(Spoken - other character) And from that moment, he began to look out
for an opportunity To betray Him.
(Matthew 26:14-16)
By my side By my side By my side By my side
Original lyric by Jay Hamburger
Following the reminder of Judas' betrayal within the song, Jesus
tells of a time when he will sit in glory and divide men into two
groups like a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. His
righteous sheep will enter heaven while the cursed goats will face
eternal fire (Matthew
25:31-46). The goats beg for mercy, and
Al sings “We Beseech Thee,” with the cast then joining
in the song and dance.
Father, hear thy children's call Humbly at thy feet we fall Prodigals
confessing all We beseech thee, hear us!
We thy call have disobeyed Into paths of sin have strayed And
repentance have delayed We beseech thee, hear us!
Come sing about Love! That made us first to be Come sing about
Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! That draws us
lovingly We beseech thee, hear us!
Sick! We come come to thee for cure Guilty! We seek thy mercy
sure Evil! We long to be made pure We beseech thee, hear us! Blind! We
pray that we may see Bound! We pray to be made free Stained! We pray for
sanctity We beseech thee, hear us!
Come sing about Love! That made us first to be Come sing about
Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! That draws us
lovingly We beseech thee, hear us!
By the gracious saving call Spoken tenderly to all Who have shared
man's guilt and fall We beseech thee, hear us! By the love that longs to
bless Pitying our sore distress Leading us to holiness We beseech thee,
hear us!
Grant us all from earth to rise And to strain with eager eyes Towards
the promised Heavenly prize We beseech thee, hear us!
Come sing about Love! That made us first to be Come sing about
Love! That made the stone and tree Come sing about Love! That draws us
lovingly We beseech thee, hear us!
When the song is over, the company sings a reprise of “Day By
Day” as they return to Jesus what he had given to them at the
beginning (all except Judas, who keeps his whistle). Jesus announces
that one of the company will betray him, and then tells Judas to do
quickly what he must do (Matthew 26:20-22, 25; John
13:27). Judas runs off. Then, after a prayer (Matthew
6:9-13), Jesus shares with the rest the bread and wine, and
announces that it is his body and blood. They will all eat and drink
together again in the kingdom of God (Matthew
26:26-29). While the band sings and plays
“On the Willows,” the cast share their goodbyes with Jesus - one
by one.
On the willows, there We hung up our lives For our captors
there Required Of us songs And our tormentors mirth On the willows,
there We hung up our lives For our captors there Required Of us
songs And our tormentor's mirth Saying Sing us one Of the songs of
Zion Sing us one Of the songs of Zion But how can we sing? Sing the
Lord's songs? In a foreign land?
Jesus then prays in the garden (Matthew
26:31-42). In a moment of uncertainty, he begs
for the burden to be lifted from him and is tempted by the devil,
but he orders the devil to be gone (a reprise of
Matthew 4:1-11).
Judas returns and betrays Jesus with a
kiss (Matthew
26:47-50), blowing the whistle.
Jesus is crucified on the fence upstage while the company climbs the
fence and wails. In the “Finale,” Jesus sings as he dies...
“Long Live God,” one voice sings after the silence, then
another, until all join in. “Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord”
comes in as a counter melody while the company removes Jesus from the
fence and carries him off.
Oh God, I'm dead Oh God, you're dead Oh God, you're dead
Long live God, long live God Long live God, long live God Long live
God, long live God Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live
God) Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live
God) Prepare ye, the way of the Lord (Long live God, long live God)
Original lyric by Stephen Schwartz; reprise of Matthew 3:3
The cast exits. From outside the hall,
Jesus says,
"And on the third day Jesus rose from the Dead, in fulfillment of the Law and the
Prophets."
(1
Corinthians 15:4)
The company then reenters onstage for bows with a reprise of
"Day by Day."
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
Day by day Day by day Oh dear Lord Three things I pray To see
thee more clearly (day by day!) Love thee more dearly (day by day!) Follow
thee more nearly (day by day!) Day by day (day by day!) Day by day (day by
day!) Day by day (day by day!)
Ending Thoughts
Does Godspell
tell the whole story of Jesus? No. In fact, as a narrative,
it's more a series of vignettes and less a play with a
consistent plot. For source material it relies heavily upon
the teachings and parables of Jesus as found (if you note
from the above scripture references) primarily in the gospel
of Matthew and some from Luke. Missing are his healings and
other miracles. It doesn't tell the whole story. Jesus and
the church he brought into being are bigger than any
retelling, otherwise why would we have four canonical
gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) instead of just one?
The other parts of the story? Well, isn't that why God's
people gather together on a regular basis, to remember?
A major
question raised about how Godspell ends concerns the
resurrection. Jesus is cut down from the cross (a fence) and
carried offstage while the cast sings "Long live
God" and "Prepare ye." When does Jesus rise?
- an important element of Christian belief. Some
point to this (among other things) as evidence that Godspell
is "a slap-stick, harlequin, blasphemous musical
supposedly based upon the gospel according to St. Matthew,"
produced by "the hippie counter-culture." We just
plain don't believe this is so. A comedy? Indeed! Blasphemy?
No! Our production chose to end (as it begins) with the
voice of Jesus - at this point paraphrasing the words of the
apostle Paul (1
Corinthians 15:4) on the resurrection. That's
just our "take," one of the ways we have put our
own stamp on this musical. According to composer Stephen
Schwartz, "Godspell is about the formation
of a community which carries on JESUS’ teachings after he
has gone. In other words, it is the effect JESUS has on the
OTHERS which is the story of the show, not whether or not he
himself is resurrected."
Regardless
of if or when you sense the risen Christ
in this production, the important point is this - what will
you do with what you have seen and heard after you leave?
When all the bows have ended, our cast steps into the
audience (or is it a congregation?) and finishes with the
"Day by day" that we all face. The community drawn
together by Christ, thus, is not the actors on stage, but
the people who then go forth to live. ... "Prepare ye
the way of the Lord!"
Valley
Fellowship Players