For the week of September 18 - 24, 2002

All God’s gifts, 
and a few more…

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By DANA DUGAN
Express Staff Writer

Once, a long, long time ago, three plays—"Godspell," "Hair", "Jesus Christ Superstar"—opened in New York and changed two things. They endorsed the viability of rock music in the theater, and they rejuvenated the concept of spirituality for many disaffected youths of the day.

"Godspell" opens Friday, Sept. 27 at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley. Image by Kevin Johnson

"Godspell" is being presented at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Sun Valley Friday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 30. It features more than 60 local performers of all ages.

Written by Stephen Schwartz, "Godspell" tells the story of the last seven days of Christ's life as based on the Gospel of St. Mathew. The parables have been contemporized in the play, and Christ's followers sing the likes of "Day By Day", "All Good Gifts," and "Turn Back, O Man."

"Godspell" originally opened Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 17, 1971. It then moved to the Promenade on Broadway and 76th Street, where it ran for 2,124 performances.

In this version, the setting has been changed from New York in the 1970s to an abandoned Route 66 truck stop somewhere in the West.

Instead of flower children and Jesus as a clown—as in the original "Godspell," which needless to say was shocking at the time—the characters are a motley crew of disenfranchised stragglers.

Anna Johnson directs, and the musical director is Dick Brown, musical director of both the St. Thomas Church choir and the Caritas Chorale. The choreography is by Julie Fox-Jones and the scenic designer is Bob Dix. Lowie Graves and Vicki Riedel designed the costumes, and Tony Evans and Heather Hanson did the videography.

The cast of "Godspell" Photo by Kevin Johnson

A reinvented opening, written by the Rev. Brian Baker, begins with contemporary voices instead of the philosophers, as in the original productions. The disembodied words, familiar from TV ads, politicians, religious leaders, and Nobel laureates, are interspersed like a Greek chorus.

They unflinchingly remind us of the ways in which leaders—Jerry Falwell and Osama bin Laden, for instance, call us toward hate and intolerance, while others stroke our vanity and materialistic desires.

In every age the questions are the same, Baker said. The play reveals an alternative way of living. "Jesus calls us to a life that counters our brokeness," Baker said. "And it rocks," he added.

The cast features Dawson Howard, last seen in "Cabaret," as Jesus, and Chris Stacie, also featured in "Cabaret" as well as many other local productions, as John the Baptist.

Dave Carter, Vickie Riedel, Sue Noel, Sara Bradshaw, Daniel Moore, Sara Berquist, Gloria Gunter, Laura Grabow, Louisa Waycott, Quinn Orb, and Patrick Christensen play other principal parts. The Choir of St. Thomas Episcopal Church accompanies the players in song.

Tickets for "Godspell" are available at the church or at Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum. They cost $45 for adults and $20 for children on Friday night. Other nights, the cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children.

 

The Idaho Mountain Express is distributed free to residents and guests throughout the Sun Valley, Idaho resort area community. Subscribers to the Idaho Mountain Express will read these stories and others in this week's issue.