Godspell (film)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Godspell | |
|---|---|
 original film poster |
|
| Directed by | David Greene |
| Produced by | Edgar Lansbury |
| Written by | David Greene John-Michael Tebelak |
| Starring | Victor Garber David Haskell |
| Music by | Music and new lyrics Stephen Schwartz Song "By My Side": Peggy Gordon Jay Hamburger |
| Cinematography | Richard G. Heimann |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | March 21, 1973 |
| Running time | 103 min. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Godspell, released in 1973, is the film adaptation of the Off-Broadway musical Godspell created by John-Michael Tebelak.
Set in modern New York City, the film stars Victor Garber as Jesus and David Haskell as John the Baptist/Judas. John-Michael Tebelak is credited as co-writer of the screenplay and served as the creative consultant, although director David Greene said Tebelak did not write the screenplay.[1] It was filmed in New York from August to November 1972.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parables interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around New York City. John the Baptist (David Haskell) gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus (Victor Garber). These disciples then proceed to form a roving acting troupe that enacts Jesus's parables through the streets of New York. They often make references to vaudeville schtick.
[edit] Differences from the musical
The song Beautiful City was written for and first included in the film, while the songs Learn Your Lessons Well and We Beseech Thee were left out. Learn Your Lessons Well's melody is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music. We Beseech Thee is heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre where Jesus plays its melody on the piano during the story of "The Prodigal Son".
The film is deliberately less "stagy" than the musical with more dramatic emphasis put on the location shots, such as the band shell at Lincoln Park. The cinematography does much to emphasize the architecture of the New York City of the early 1970s, with a prominent performance of "All For The Best" atop the recently completed World Trade Center. However, except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city appears devoid of other people.
While the film still presents the group in the form of a roving acting troupe, the characters overall are made out more as flower children and less as edgy social rebels.
While not visible, Tebelak voiced the Pharisee Monster.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical, notably in All Good Gifts where Lamont Alford had used a dramatic tenor voice, Jackson uses a lighter voice and falsetto for the high ornament. By My Side is perhaps the vocal, if not the dramatic, high point.
[edit] Reception
The film was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Godspell received generally positive reviews in 1973. Allmovie Guide currently gives the film a three out of five rating. Various bands have covered songs from the film/musical. The film Jesus Christ Superstar was released that same year as Godspell.
[edit] Cast
For the eight (soon becoming nine) apostles, the role name is simply the actor's name. In the opening scenes, each of the eight apostles is presented in New York City as having an occupation. Several members of the cast were from the Off-Broadway show and attended Carnegie Mellon University. This was the first film role for many of them. With only ten actors, each was allowed to develop a distinct personality within the film.
Below is a list of the characters and their songs, sorted by order in which the songs occur in the film.
| Actor | Role | Occupation | Song(s) | Later life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor Garber | Jesus Christ | n/a | Save the People/All For the Best/Alas For You/Beautiful City/Finale | Working actor |
| David Haskell | Judas / John the Baptist / Peter | n/a | Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord/All For the Best | Died of a brain tumor in 2000 |
| Robin Lamont | Robin | window shopper | Day by Day | Lawyer and is a criminal prosecutor.[3] |
| Joanne Jonas | Joanne | ballet dancer | Turn Back, O Man | Health care professional/therapist in Northern California.[4] |
| Lynne Thigpen | Lynne | college student | Oh Bless the Lord | Died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 2003 after acting career |
| Merrell Jackson | Merrell | garment trade | All Good Gifts | Died in 1991 |
| Jerry Sroka | Jerry | parking attendant | Light Of The World (1) | Voice actor[5] |
| Gilmer McCormick | Gilmer | model | Light Of The World (2) | Working actor and teacher. Married Stephen Reinhardt |
| Jeffrey Mylett | Jeffrey | taxi driver | Light Of The World (3) | Died of AIDS in 1986 |
| Katie Hanley | Katie | diner waitress | By My Side | Sculptor living in Illinois.[6] |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ “Tebelak and I are enjoying an ideally smooth working relationship.… But he is not codirecting the film with me. He did not write the screenplay. He participated only minimally in pre-production planning and discussions, and attended very few rehearsals." — Letter by David Greene to Variety, Dec. 6, 1972.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: Godspell". festival-cannes.com. http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/2283/year/1973.html. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ^ Robin Lamont
- ^ Where are they now?
- ^ Jerry Sroka
- ^ Godspell Original Cast
