Irregular Productions and Lydian Productions Present GODSPELL
By: Stephi Wild Apr. 22, 2018
Godspell was originally conceived by John Michael Tebelak back in 1970 for his master's thesis and was first performed off-Broadway the following year with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz. It went on to be performed around the world and even made into a movie.
This production of Godspell at The Parks Theatre is the first time it has been performed in Adelaide by an amateur or professional company for over 14 years and features the 2012 Revival orchestrations with vocal arrangements by Michael Holland.
Many different settings have been used over the years and this version directed by Karen Sheldon, music direction from Martin Cheney, and choreography by Kerry Hauber is set in a rundown community garden on the Lower West Side of New York.
Eight disparate and desperate individuals come and go - they can't agree on anything and get more hostile towards each other and the weeds gets bigger. Then John arrives and announces the coming of someone who will show them another way. Enter Jesus, who comes into this group of vagrants and gradually leads them into becoming a community through the playing of games and the telling and absorption of lessons. And the garden blossoms.
We know how the story ends, but that doesn't make the journey any less worth taking, as each member of the community commits to carrying on His teachings after He has gone and sending what they've learnt out into the world. The beauty of Godspell is the universality of its themes. Concepts of community, humility, forgiveness and love are explored through the parables in the gospels of Matthew and Luke.
Godspell utilises a variety of theatrical story-telling devices to connect with the audience and bring them along on this highly interactive theatrical experience; everything from pantomime, to mime, vaudeville, melodrama, and Brechtian and realism styles are used throughout.
The cast of all Adelaide performers includes Mark Oates (Jesus), Joshua Angeles (Judas/John the Baptist), Harry Nguyen, Jemma Allen, Katie Packer, Maya Miller, Nick Munday, Ron Abelita, Ruby Pinkerton, Scarlett Anthony and a live band.
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