It’s a simple image framed for the ages – the boy/man, garbed in white, his arms extended in agony, rising from ground to pay for man’s sins. Of course you have to wait until the very end for this striking image in the jazzy new production of Godspell now playing at Circle-in-the-Square. But its worth the wait, and very indicative of the hyper-creative imagery and imagination brought to bear on this 40 year old high school theater standby.
You know all the songs whether you want to or not– Day by Day, We Beseech Thee, Stand Back Old Man – and it’s a pleasure to watch the young, talented cast perform them with vigor. And as directed by Daniel Goldstein making his Broadway debut, they are given lots of toys to play with. The circular stage is basically bare but trap doors open, water (to be walked on of course) appears, mist is summoned, trampolines get bounced on, and an endless supply of props seem to be summoned from the cast’s imaginations. Mr. Goldstein’s creativity is particularly on display with the excellent and surprising staging of “All for the Best.”
It’s all very energetic, but sometimes the gimmicks overwhelm the message. Does Godspell really need references to Donald Trump, Gone With the Wind, Wicked AND the Occupy Wall Street movement?
It’s the rare quiet moments that ring the truest – Judas (Wallace Smith) singing “On The Willows” bathed in a simple white light, ensemble-member Telly Leung performing “All Good Gifts” with a spiritual conviction that reminds us of the old adage that all men of faith have courage. And that ending image of Jesus hanging from the cross is not to be forgotten – and Mr. Goldstein gives us a good 30 seconds of silence to take it all in.
Hunter Parrish (of Showtime’s “WEEDS” fame) has the singing voice, looks, and stamina to play Jesus, although his smile seemed cloying after about an hour. He’d fit right in with the chorus line of Mormon schoolboys down the block. The ensemble is the usual modern “one of each” – diverse in both ethnicity and gender (and probably sexual preference). No surprises here. Standouts include Mr. Leung, who is a quadruple threat – dancer, singer, actor AND pianist, and understudy Julia Mattison who leads us through a rousingly comical and improvisational Stand Back Old Man.
Godspell made quite an impression when it first premiered 40 years ago. With its rock-based score and book composed of passages from the New Testament, it belongs with HAIR and early Sondheim in dragging (kicking and screaming) the musical theater art form into a post-Rodgers & Hammerstein era. Like any great piece of art, in 2011 it surprisingly still seems fresh and new…its messages of love thy neighbor and turn the other cheek more relevant than ever. Sometimes, though, simpler is better. I just wish someone should have told Mr. Goldstein to rein it in a bit.
