Review: GODSPELL at Theatre Three

With theatre that touches upon the religious, it can be tricky to strike a balance between artistry and accuracy that carries the audience’s imagination instead of accidentally shunning creativity.

But Theatre Three, in Port Jefferson’s opening of “Godspell” on February 20 weighted the scales in perfect parallels of those two schools of thought. The musical is a retelling of parables from the Bible, culminating in the crucifixion of Jesus, but throughout, told with a brightly and whimsically dressed ensemble. Jesus himself dons a Superman shirt.

Jeffrey Sanzel’s vision of the oft secularly approached but surface-wise “religious” musical was one of great hope and understanding with charismatic character interpretations, free love dancing, and a tender heart at the center of the teachings.

Choreographer Josie McSwane developed dance ensembles (of which there are countless since all twelve cast members are on-stage for nearly every scene) that lifted the prophetic words as the characters always seemed to want to burst out of their bodies to fully embody the joy of the choreography.

Costume Design by Jason Allen brought a different layer of interpretation for the production because even though the traditional costumes for “Godspell” are relatively contemporary (being very generous here to the 1970s), there are touches of later decades that play into the duality like the grunge plaid Jesus wears that is colored brightly or the Michael Jackson-militaristic style of Judas that harkens to the establishment God of the Old Testament creeping through the new message of Christ.

Musical Direction from Jeffrey Hoffman filled the theatre as an Episcopal or Catholic mass would, but still with elements and arrangements to make the guitar sing in its rebellious persona.

Keith Jones as Jesus was perfect casting as the golden-boy with his blond locks (and also an air of controversy to have a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus). His genuine charm and compassion came through with each scene and his devotion to “turning the other cheek” was resolute in his formidable body language and blocking. Jones’s crystalizing voice featured strong oscillation and a solid command of the range of not just notes, but emotions of Jesus.

Jones’s big brother energy with Sadie Mathers was the central love of the show. In so many instances when Jones carries Mathers piggy-back style across the stage, the real glee between the two very deft actors was so apparent and exuberant.

Mathers’s voice carries such a gravitas when she holds a note and commands an audience with her comforting timbre. As an actress she nailed the comedic moments of her character with a strong understanding of timing. Of particular note is when Jesus says her shoes say “REEE-joice” and the corrects him saying her shoes read “Reee-BOK.”

Will Logan’s character arc doubles as both the story of Judas and the believers of Christ: doubtful, repenting, and eventually accepting of forgiveness. Logan’s sheer physicality of his part was a marvel and he definitely wins for cast-member-who-runs-through-the-audience most. In the betrayal of Judas scene, Logan makes the triple-knocking feel like an actual prison with invisible bars outside and inside the mind.

Angelina Miller in the tableau scenes of the Prodigal Son was a delight and able to convey subtle changes in the milliseconds of exposure with each mini-story.

Angie Barrientos Gómez’s rendition in “O, Bless the Lord, My Soul,” was striking and moving laying bare the raw talent she has in her voice.

 When Jones is taken down from the cross and carried off-stage, the harmony of the entire cast hit a dolefu tone that had not been heard prior but still swiftly pivoted to celebration for the curtain call finale.