Review: GODSPELL at Theatre Harrisburg

Godspell, by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, has had numerous tours and revivals since it first opened off-Broadway in 1971, including the 1988 off-Broadway revival, the 2000 off-Broadway revival, and the 2011-2012 Broadway revival and tour. Based on the parables in the Gospel of Matthew, Godspell features an ensemble cast. With the exception of Jesus and John/Judas, the names used for the characters are the cast members’ real names. As part of it’s 100th season celebration, Theatre Harrisburg brings Godspell to life April 24th -May 10th under the direction of Dave Olmsted with music director Ellen Carnahan and stage managers Alexandra Marusko, Laura Dugan, and Rima Cameron.

One of the great aspects of Godspell is its flexibility in terms of setting. For this production, the audience found themselves transported to Venice Beach upon entering the space. The set itself (by Curtis Mittong, Dave Olmsted, Susan Oscilowski, Benjamin Rand, Bruce Kolka, and Brydon Lidle) creates a fun, vibrant atmosphere, complete with boardwalk, lifeguard chair, outdoor shower, and various beach accoutrements. The props (by Becky Arney) and costumes (by Sarah Murphy with Karen Switzer, Norine Bahnweg, and Cheryl Petroff) are bright and varied, creating a beautiful rainbow of colors as the individual characters are brought together by Jesus. The sound (by Grant Komm) is well designed to keep the band and actors wonderfully balanced. The fantastic band, positioned on the boardwalk of the set, features Ellen Carnahan (music director/keys), Ben Carraher (guitar 1), Larry Gildner (guitar 2), Tim Crane (bass), Mike Feher (drums), Janelle Evans (substitute drums), and Greg Martin (substitute bass).

The staging of this production is filled with creative and lovely elements—from the use of the boardwalk, picnic table and benches, and lifeguard chair to create levels to the shower with real water to the use of live puppetry in “All for the Best” to subtle but fun magic tricks to bring to mind Jesus’s miracles—it is a visually stunning production, and the director and creative team deserve a round of applause.

The company includes Gabriel Martinez Castellano, Tim Servinsky, Marcus Weaver, Regilynn Haywood, Anna Clemens, Jessica Mowery, Bryden McCurdy, and Taye Olivia. This company truly felt like a community to the audience—they were in sync with one another in their movements and interactions. Each of these actors take on various roles in the telling of the parables, quickly altering their expressions, voices, and movements to suit their new character. This reviewer’s favorite parables in this production were the parable of the sower and the parable of the prodigal son. Another moment that really stands out for this reviewer is the opening of the show, “Prologue” and “Tower of Babel”. This reviewer has seen Godspell numerous times, and this was one of the first productions where the opening was performed with such clarity and precision that it actually made sense with the rest of the show.

Each actor in the company pulls together to create a beautiful performance. There are so many highlights—here are just a few: Bryden McCurdy opens the show beautifully with her acapella verse as Socrates. Taye Olivia’s smokey vocals and gorgeous descant on “Day By Day” make a song that can easily be boring thoroughly engaging and interesting, and her final solo line at the end of the show brings tears to the eyes. This reviewer greatly enjoyed Jessica Mowery’s spirited performance of “Learn your Lessons Well” that perfectly highlighted her strong belt. Regilynn Haywood’s riffs on “Bless the Lord” demonstrate her vocal agility as her voice soars above the ensemble. Marcus Weaver gives one of this reviewer’s favorite company performances as they fully embody each character and reveal their beautiful tenor tones and emotional depth in “All Good Gifts”. Gabriel Martinez Castellano particularly shines in the parable of the prodigal son. Anna Clemmens brings the house down with her rendition of “Turn Back, O Man”, her full, classical voice giving the song a new depth and emotion. Tim Servinsky’s performance of “We Beseech Thee” is pure joy, making this song an audience favorite.

William McCarthy and Anthony Arbaiza round out the cast as John the Baptist/Judas and Jesus, respectively. McCarthy’s voice is flawless, from his performance of “Prepare Ye” as John the Baptist at the beginning of Act 1 to “On the Willows” as Judas in Act 2. His interactions with the company and with Arbaiza’s Jesus are well crafted, highlighting his internal conflict as Judas. Arbaiza gives a beautifully emotional performance as Jesus, reminding the audience that part of the point of this show is Jesus’s humanity. His performance of “Alas for You” is the best this reviewer has seen in years—fully exploring the anger and rage Jesus felt—while his final lines in “Finale” show the raw anguish and pain of his final moments. Arbaiza’s vocals draw the audience in right from the beginning, and his energy elevates every single scene.

For an evening of terrific talent, beautiful staging, and emotional performances, check out Theatre Harrisburg’s production of Godspell. Tickets are going fast, so visit theatreharrisburg.com to get your seats before it’s too late.

Photo credit: Marc Faubel @thsguy81

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