BWW Reviews: Prepare Ye for GODSPELL in Fox Chapel

A week ago, I was eating with a good friend of mine from college. We had both been theatre majors, but she had taken a job in cosmetology instead. "Do you ever miss acting, or singing?" I asked, as we shared some Greek roasted potatoes. She told me that she did, all the time, but because she had a steady job, she didn't think she could get involved with the arts anymore. "I mean, we're in Pittsburgh," she said. "It's not like there's community theater here, you know?" She's wrong, of course- as soon as she said that, I decided that maybe I needed to look outside the professional groups, and write a piece on community theatre, so that people remember this resource exists.

Stage Right, a community theatre group based in O'Hara Township and performing at the Boyd Community Cehter, is just such a resource. (The Pittsburgh area has two different companies named "Stage Right," but I am prevented from writing about the other, a professional theatre and school located in Greensburg, because of my close professional ties to the group.) And what better show for a Pittsburgh community theatre than a musical about community, written in Pittsburgh? As any local theatre fan knows, GODSPELL was born out of a project at CMU, when famous composer Stephen Schwartz, librettist Joh-Michael Tebelak and a handful of multi-talented actors, musicians and entertainers transformed the Gospel of Matthew and the Episcopalian hymnal into a sometimes-comic, sometimes-touching exploration of the effect Jesus, or a Jesus-like figure, would have on a group of good-hearted individuals searching for meaning and purpose in life.

GODSPELL is a show that lends itself to free adaptation, as the script is written deliberately loosely to allow actors and directors to experiment, the characters are blank slates, and the setting is essentially "wherever you want it to be." The plot, as it exists, is pretty non-linear: A composite character of John the Baptist/Judas Iscariot (Stephen Gallagher) unites a colorful group of misfits, and when they are joined by wandering philosopher/clown/magician Jesus (Dan Wozniak), a community of love and acceptance forms around his teachings of peace and charity. The forces of the outside world tear the community apart, Jesus dies... and the community decides to go on anyway. In director Lora Oxenreiter's staging, the setting for the play (and the location where the play is actually performed) is an abandoned school gymnasium. When Jesus, who in this production has the aura and personality of an idealistic young teacher, frees the ensemble from their restrictive worldviews and combative philosophies (represented by academic robes), they are reborn as what seems to be their high school selves- the flirt, the class clown, the quiet guy, the peppy girl, and so on. This inspired twist, helped by Oxenreiter's costume design, places them in bright costumes evocative of the time in which they would have been in school, from young hipsters to old hippies.

Wozniak and Gallagher make an appealing double-act, as their distinct voices, body types and mannerisms make them an ideal pair for a comedy duo. (Perhaps a production of THE PRODUCERS is in the future for Stage Right, as the two of them made a perfect Bialystock and Bloom during "All for the Best.") Both of them sang, danced and improvised well, but they both brought something to their roles as Jesus and John/Judas that I've never seen in these GODSPELL roles before: fear. Though Wozniak's Jesus keeps his chin up as he deals with his community of post-adolescent cutups, troublemakers and sweethearts, there is a new teacher's genuine fear in his portrayal: fear that there's too much to do and not enough time; fear that he's not getting through to these kids; fear that he might not have what it takes to do the job. Gallagher's John/Judas seems to know he's trapped by his role as confidante and betrayer from the beginning, making the usually abrupt turn to the dark side in Act 2 feel more organic.

Of course, GODSPELL lives and dies on its ensemble, and thankfully the small, no-frills group of eight performers brings the show to life. Each one has a clear and distinctive personality- harder than you'd think in a show full of intentional ciphers- and each one stands out in their featured moments. In terms of singing and dancing, the ensemble leaders are Bill Ivins and Madison Siple. Ivins hits a home run performing "We Beseech Thee" in true musical-comedy fashion, and brings an appealing bit of texture to the show's sound in Act 1, playing a lovely acoustic guitar solo on "Day by Day." Siple, better known for horror films than musical theatre in the Pittsburgh area, is the cast's strongest dancer but its most vulnerable community member, and her folk-soul vocal solo, "By My Side," is probably the best musical moment in the show. With a low, smooth voice reminiscient of Natalie Merchant, one can only hope more musicals are in her future.

But if anyone walks away with the show, it's the cast's least musical performer. GODSPELL trivia holds that original cast member Herb Simon, though a fantastic comedian and improviser, couldn't sing, so the show's structure was designed to give him (and future performers playing the "Herb track") slightly less music than the singing characters, but slightly more comedy than them to balance it out. Though Stage Right's Jim Froelich certainly sings better than Mr. Simon, he still manages to milk every opportunity he gets for comic potential, dispensing impressions, pratfalls and topical references (yes, you will hear "Uptown Funk") with the help of his partner in crime, Kendra McLaughlin. McLaughlin's own number, "Turn Back O Man," is appropriately vampy and over-the-top, and one can absolutely empathize with Wozniak's Jesus in his mingled love and exasperation for his two most "exuberant" students. A vocal cameo by drummer and reed player Hal Davis near the end of Act 2 is a beautiful, understated moment.

The sets and choreography, like the costumes, are appropriately simple, as if the cast and crew simply walked in and made the show happen. This simplicity of concept and intimacy of staging leads to some unexpectly effective moments: "Day by Day," not as a dance number or sign language showcase, but as an acoustic singalong/bonding session; a throwaway joke about how Jesus's stories almost always include two brothers, which would likely not have been audible- or as funny- in a bigger space; even a touching moment when, before the crucifixion, Jesus and John/Judas each find a way to comfort the other.

Like most productions of GODSPELL, the show ends in a darker place than it began- from the minute Jesus stands above the rest of the ensemble and sings "Beautiful City," his plea to rebuild a broken world, the mood gets gloomier and gloomier. Goodbyes are said, devils are exorcised, and the kind-hearted teacher/Messiah winds up dead, hung, as in the original staging, on a chain link fence. (The image of a young man in bright clothes and makeup hanging dead on a fence, which was simply a clever bit of updated Crucifixion imagery in the original production, is now significantly darker and more impactful in the post-Laramie world.) But out of the ruins and rubble, the community finds a way to stay strong. Carrying Jesus off above their heads like Tony in WEST SIDE STORY, they sing the refrain, "Long live God, long live God." As soon as they disappear, they run back on with Jesus. Is it just the curtain call, or has he risen from the dead? The libretto is intentionally vague on the topic; the implication appears to be, "what do YOU think?"

In closing, I'd like to say a few words in defense of community theatre: why are we so hard on it? I've done it. You've done it. Sure, sometime it can be rough around the edges, but more often than not, like this production, it produces something genuine and authentic and beautiful. A quick glance at the program showed that the cast is made up of nurses, producers, government workers, students and more. None of these people are performers by vocation, but by choice. They do it for love of the arts, love of the community, love of each other. So, to anyone out there who's sitting at home evenings and weekends because they don't think they can get back into the arts, I ask you the same thing I asked my friend at the Greek restaurant.

The opportunities are out there. What's your excuse?

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