Godspell

Please Note: My thoughts below are based on a preview performances. Possible that cuts, additions, or other such changes may alter the production until the time of its opening on November 7.

Today I caught a preview performance of this season's second musical revival: Godspell, returning to Broadway forty years after its New York premiere.

Godspell debuted Off-Broadway in 1971 and has seen extended success throughout the country (plus, its composer Stephen Schwartz went on to write a little show called Wicked that hasn't done to poorly, either). It juxtaposes several parables from The Gospel According to Matthew with a rock score, providing a unique experience for performers and audiences alike.

I wish I could say that this production of Godspell harnessed the same energy as other recent rock shows like Spring Awakening and Next to Normal, but, ultimately, the performance just left me flat.

The cast is young and energetic, but the entire performance played more like an inside-joke among a group of theatre-camp teens than a Broadway production. Everyone sounds amazing: Lindsay Mendez demonstrates her full ability to belt and riff in "Bless the Lord" and understudy Julia Mattison (filling in for the injured Morgan James) is quite humorous during "Turn Back, O Man". But there is an unfortunate disconnect with everyone on stage. I even felt removed from Hunter Parrish's Jesus, which is quite unfortunate in a musical that culminates with a staging of the Passion. I spent more time thinking about how good he would be as Jason in bare than caring about what he was doing in the moment.

The staging felt similarly distant. Being in the Circle in the Square - Broadway's only theatre-in-the-round - I was expecting the creative team to capitalize on the concert-like feel and to facilitate a greater sense of community. And yes, the cast and band are frequently placed throughout the audience, but this does little to make the audience feel truly included. Instead, Godspell comes off as the awkwardly fumbling kid sibling to the similarly staged (and much better) 2009 revival of Hair

The show's cultural references during the book scenes contributed to its cheap humor, drawing on trite celebrity impersonations (Charlie Sheen and Donald Trump have all been done before, and by much stronger comedians) while making other jokes that seemed in poor taste (it's much too soon for a line about Steve Jobs sending iPads down from heaven). The best scene in the show was one of the most serious and the most traditional: Jesus going around the table at the Last Supper, hugging each of his followers and saying goodbye. Hopefully the creative team recognizes that its scenes like this that make the show worthwhile, not the cheap humor that is spread throughout the rest of the performance.

I really wish Godspell had been everything it could have been: an exciting and touching afternoon at the theatre. Unfortunately, despite the involvement of many talented people, it fell short. It certainly had its moments--especially during intermission when the audience was invited onstage to drink tiny cups of grape juice and explore the playing space. Unfortunately, its hard to recommend a show by saying "Well, the intermission is the best part!"