Godspell
Overheard in the lobby during intermission at the rock musical Godspell:
First Senior Citizen: So, how do you like it so far?
Second Senior Citizen: (pause) It’s loud.
That wasn’t my complaint, even though the production at The Paper Mill Playhouse may have its sound issues. Was my long familiarity with the score the reason it didn’t feel "loud"? I certainly would have missed some lyrics if I were hearing them for the first time, and maybe I’d be confused about intent here and there. Godspell, mainly a presentation of the parables of Jesus as told to and re-enacted by an eclectic youthful "tribe," encourages a flexible presentation. To avoid feeling like a Sunday School church lesson, the show employs wit, high energy, casualness and makes "a joyful noise": the music is a celebration and embraces styles beyond what was considered rock or pop when it first appeared in 1971. The show invites innovative touches in its adaptations and the current production takes up that invitation in its look and added bits of business and lines ("Look, Jesus, it’s Nicole Richie!!"). However, it stays basically true to the idea of mixing irreverent humor and theatrical styles as a sense of community sense is built and things get more serious.
The matinee performance I attended found the cast working hard, but only gaining mild reactions at first. With the combination of new and old, broad ’cornball’ shtick and modern references, and bold but idiosyncratic choices, it’s not so surprising for things to be so hit and miss. Some things meant to be cute or ingratiating landed with the thud of a dud, and a few early songs got just polite, brief applause despite the large number of people in attendance. For a while, it seemed that those on stage were having a grand old time, laughing and cheering and clapping, and the audience was not at the same party. There’s a running gag wherein one woman (Julie Reiber) gets carried away, digging the song the group just sang and she keeps going after the applause. It’s not even funny the first time. Some sight gags and wink moments don’t go over, but pass by quickly enough. (I did like the inside joke of Jesus considering a few proposed outfits near the beginning. He rejects the Superman T-shirt memorably worn by the character in earlier versions, and seen on posters.) The energy and good-spirited fun with the better ideas eventually win out.
There’s a laissez-faire sense to the direction of Daniel Goldstein, as if everyone’s still trying out ideas. Sometimes they all just try too visibly hard. But he is to be credited for keeping and highlighting the unique qualities of each performer in group scenes rather than make them homogenized. The "tribe" is a melting pot, with happily co-existing ingredients. Oddly, Jesus doesn’t get the focus needed. Construction site scaffolding with levels and work lights serve as the set, with a couple of the band members visible atop a junk heap of discarded furniture. Musical director/ keyboard player Loren Toolajian is there, ably playing. Colorful costume pieces, puppets, and bright wrinkled curtain dress things up when desired for contrast.
Although each of the performers has at least one musical number in the spotlight, it’s the ensemble work that’s most impressive. The teamwork is delightful, the whole being far more than the sum of the parts. Dan Knechtges’ choreography is a pleasure to watch, whether he’s making the most of the established specific personalities or creating more uniform movement. Yes, there’s precision but it has the feel of improvised bursts of joy. (Bless The Lord My Soul, led by the skilled Sara Chase, is smashing.) One charming number uses brooms with cartoony eyes as puppets to present a story, and the story of the prodigal son is a major number, with changes of costume, a painted backdrop of Las Vegas that unspools from the bodies of two performers, and the cast is especially game and adorable playing various animals. Bravo to these designs of Miranda Hoffman. Ben Stanton’s lighting is effective and notable as well. The straw hat and cane duet All For The Best for Jesus and Judas is a grinning, winning highlight. It’s one of Dan Kohler’s most successful moments as Jesus. He’s too often too low-key and his Jesus seems charisma-challenged. Perhaps they have erred too far on the side of caution in trying to make Jesus an uncomplicated Regular Guy, a pal who is non-threatening and supportive. He is successful in portraying non-condescending acceptance of his flock and genuine affection for them, warts and all.
The score’s best-known song, Day By Day, is written as a prayer but is sung with too light a touch, with offhand phrasing, short on the needed fervent or sincere qualities. It was just one more happy ditty. Mostly, the singing and musical flavors were in the architecture of the original, with one attempt at bringing rap into the show fortunately being an anomaly. But there are chills down the spine as soon as Joshua Henry (Judas/John The Baptist) begins to sing an emotional solo-same for Uzo Aduba who gets By My Side, the one number not written by Stephen Schwartz. Some opportunities are missed to really make it feel that the participants are really taking in the morals and drinking in the life lessons rather than just performing.
The exception to any quibbles above is cast standout Telly Leung whose fresh energy, openness and reactions find all the right moves. He seems to be actively listening, thinking, and absorbing wisdom, free of guile. Despite the fact that he portrays one of the least showy or aggressive personalities, your eye goes to him constantly. His singing of All Good Gifts with a rare sweetness captures the essence of faith and a sense of discovery that’s missed elsewhere in the show. Wisely, he gets a second chance to spread this bliss in a loose jam that opens the second act. The death of Jesus is not played with drawn out melodrama and the show ends with an extra dash of hope and the sense of community it embraces.
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This is Paper Mill’s season opener, with the musical version of (It’s) A Wonderful Life (Joe Raposo-Sheldon Harnick) coming before Christmas. Later: Summer And Smoke; and the musicals Romance Romance, Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Pirates!, an adaptation of Pirates Of Penzance.
Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ. Info, tix, directions, and more at www.papermill.org Tix by Phone: 973-376-4343. Runs through October 22.
