Godspell (film)
Encyclopedia
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
. It was filmed in New York from August to November 1972.
s 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.
) plays its melody on the piano during the story of The Prodigal Son
.
The film is deliberately less stagy than the stage version, with more dramatic emphasis put on the location shots, including the following:
However, except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city appears devoid of people other than the cast.
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, John-Michael Tebelak
voiced the Pharisee Monster in the "Alas For You" song sequence.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical. Notably, in "All Good Gifts", whereas Lamar Alford had used a dramatic tenor
voice, Merrell Jackson
uses a lighter voice and falsetto
for the high ornament which creates a joyous effect.
.
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.
as having an occupation
. Several members of the cast were from the Off-Broadway
show and attended Carnegie Mellon University
, and many of them made their film debut with this production.
Below is a list of the characters and their songs, sorted by order in which the songs occur in the film.
1973 in film
The year 1973 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*The Marx Brothers' Zeppo Marx divorces his second wife, Barbara Blakely. Blakely would later marry actor/singer Frank Sinatra....
, is the film adaptation
Film adaptation
Film adaptation is the transfer of a written work to a feature film. It is a type of derivative work.A common form of film adaptation is the use of a novel as the basis of a feature film, but film adaptation includes the use of non-fiction , autobiography, comic book, scripture, plays, and even...
of the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
musical
Musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining songs, spoken dialogue, acting, and dance. The emotional content of the piece – humor, pathos, love, anger – as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an...
Godspell
Godspell
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since, including a 2011 revival now playing on Broadway...
created by John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak was an American playwright and director. He was most famous for creating the musical Godspell based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The music was by Stephen Schwartz...
.
Set in modern New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the film stars Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
as Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and David Haskell
David Haskell
David Michael Haskell was an American film, stage and television actor and singer.-Career:Haskell is best remembered for his dual performance in the 1970s in the New York City, New York, Off-Broadway musical-theatre production Godspell and its subsequent film adaptation Godspell: A Musical Based...
as John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
/Judas
Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:...
. John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak was an American playwright and director. He was most famous for creating the musical Godspell based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The music was by Stephen Schwartz...
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
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
. It was filmed in New York from August to November 1972.
Plot
The structure of the musical is, in large part, retained: a series of parableParable
A parable is a succinct story, in prose or verse, which illustrates one or more instructive principles, or lessons, or a normative principle. It differs from a fable in that fables use animals, plants, inanimate objects, and forces of nature as characters, while parables generally feature human...
s interspersed with musical numbers. Many of the scenes take advantage of well-known sites around New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
(David Haskell
David Haskell
David Michael Haskell was an American film, stage and television actor and singer.-Career:Haskell is best remembered for his dual performance in the 1970s in the New York City, New York, Off-Broadway musical-theatre production Godspell and its subsequent film adaptation Godspell: A Musical Based...
) gathers a diverse band of youthful disciples to follow and learn from the teachings of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
(Victor Garber
Victor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
). 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
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
schtick.
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. The melody for "Learn Your Lessons Well" is used briefly in an early scene of the film and again as incidental music, while "We Beseech Thee" is heard in the scene inside Cherry Lane Theatre where Jesus (Victor GarberVictor Garber
Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is...
) plays its melody on the piano during the story of The Prodigal Son
Parable of the Prodigal Son
The Prodigal Son, also known as the Lost Son and the Prodigal Father, is one of the parables of Jesus. It appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Luke a father extravagantly gives his sons their inheritance before he dies...
.
The film is deliberately less stagy than the stage version, with more dramatic emphasis put on the location shots, including the following:
- the Brooklyn BridgeBrooklyn BridgeThe Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
, where John the Baptist walks down the pedestrian walkway while humming "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord" in the opening sequence; - Bethesda FountainBethesda FountainBethesda Terrace overlooks The Lake in New York City's Central Park. It is on two levels, united by two grand staircases and a lesser one that passes under Terrace Drive to provide passage southward to the Elkan Naumburg bandshell and The Mall, of which this is the architectural culmination, the...
in Central ParkCentral ParkCentral Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
, in which the new disciples are baptized by John while singing "Prepare Ye"; - the Andrew Carnegie MansionAndrew Carnegie MansionThe Andrew Carnegie Mansion is located at 2 East 91st Street at Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City, New York. Andrew Carnegie built his mansion in 1903 and lived there until his death in 1919; his wife, Louise, lived there until her death in 1946. The building is now the Cooper-Hewitt,...
, in which they sing "Turn Back O Man"; - Times SquareTimes SquareTimes Square is a major commercial intersection in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, at the junction of Broadway and Seventh Avenue and stretching from West 42nd to West 47th Streets...
, where Jesus and John are silhouetted by a screen of lights as they dance to "All For the Best"; - the central fountain at Lincoln Center, where Jesus and Judas dance on the fountain's stone lip as they sing "All for the Best";
- the top of one of the Twin Towers of the World Trade CenterWorld Trade CenterThe original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
, which was nearing completion at the time of the film's production; - the Soldiers' and Sailors' MonumentSoldiers' and Sailors' Monument (New York)The Soldiers' and Sailors' Memorial Monument commemorates Union Army soldiers and sailors who served in the American Civil War. It is located at 89th Street and Riverside Drive in Riverside Park in the Upper West Side of New York City. It was dedicated on Memorial Day, 1902.The white marble...
on Riverside DriveRiverside DriveA number of cities around the world have a Riverside Drive.In the United States:*Riverside Drive *Riverside Drive *Riverside Drive *Riverside Drive...
; - A bird's-eye view of Fifth Avenue from above and behind St. Patrick's Cathedral (New York), looking down on the Tishman Building, street address 666 Fifth Avenue during "Beautiful City";
- the Hell Gate BridgeHell Gate BridgeThe Hell Gate Bridge or Hell's Gate Bridge is a steel through arch railroad bridge between Astoria in the borough of Queens and Randall's and Wards Islands in New York City, over a portion of the East River known...
on Randall's IslandRandall's IslandRandall's Island is situated in the East River in New York City, part of the borough of Manhattan. It is separated from Manhattan island on the west by the river's main channel, from Queens on the east by the Hell Gate, and from the Bronx on the north by the Bronx Kill. It is joined to Wards...
, where the disciples carry Jesus' body through the arches, creating a barrel-vaulted cathedral effect, after his crucifixionCrucifixionCrucifixion is an ancient method of painful execution in which the condemned person is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead...
on a chain-link fence.
However, except for the opening scenes and the very last scene, the city appears devoid of people other than the cast.
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, John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak
John-Michael Tebelak was an American playwright and director. He was most famous for creating the musical Godspell based on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The music was by Stephen Schwartz...
voiced the Pharisee Monster in the "Alas For You" song sequence.
Vocally, the chorus is very much in the same style, but solo parts are, at times, more lyrical. Notably, in "All Good Gifts", whereas Lamar Alford had used a dramatic tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
voice, Merrell Jackson
Merrell Jackson
Merrell Jackson was an actor who played one of the apostles in the film Godspell . He sang "All Good Gifts"....
uses a lighter voice and falsetto
Falsetto
Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...
for the high ornament which creates a joyous effect.
Reception
The film was entered into the 1973 Cannes Film Festival1973 Cannes Film Festival
The 26th Cannes Film Festival was held on May 10–25, 1973. At this festival two new non-competitive sections were added: 'Étude et documents' and 'Perspectives du Cinéma Français' ....
.
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.
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 CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
as having an occupation
Job (role)
A job is a regular activity performed in exchange for payment. A person usually begins a job by becoming an employee, volunteering, or starting a business. The duration of a job may range from an hour to a lifetime . If a person is trained for a certain type of job, they may have a profession...
. Several members of the cast were from the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
show and attended Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University
Carnegie Mellon University is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States....
, and many of them made their film debut with this production.
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 Victor Garber Victor Joseph Garber is a Canadian film, stage and television actor and singer. Garber is known for playing Jesus in Godspell, Jack Bristow in the television series Alias, Max in Lend Me a Tenor, and Thomas Andrews in James Cameron's Titanic.-Early life:Born in London, Ontario, Canada, Garber is... |
Jesus Christ | n/a | Save the People/All For the Best/Alas For You/Beautiful City/Finale | Working actor; appearances include Deathtrap Deathtrap (play) Deathtrap is a play by Ira Levin in 1978 which encompasses many plot twists and is essentially a play within a play. It is a play in two acts with one set and five characters. It holds the record for the longest running comedy-thriller on Broadway and was also nominated for the Tony Award for Best... (1978) and Sweeney Todd Sweeney Todd (musical) Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is a 1979 musical thriller with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and libretto by Hugh Wheeler. The musical is based on the 1973 play Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Christopher Bond.... (1979) on Broadway, James Cameron James Cameron James Francis Cameron is a Canadian-American film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, environmentalist and inventor... 's film Titanic Titanic (1997 film) Titanic is a 1997 American epic romance and disaster film directed, written, co-produced, and co-edited by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the RMS Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack Dawson, Kate Winslet as Rose DeWitt Bukater and Billy Zane as Rose's fiancé, Cal... (1997), and TV series Alias Alias (TV series) Alias is an American action television series created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on ABC for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006... |
| David Haskell David Haskell David Michael Haskell was an American film, stage and television actor and singer.-Career:Haskell is best remembered for his dual performance in the 1970s in the New York City, New York, Off-Broadway musical-theatre production Godspell and its subsequent film adaptation Godspell: A Musical Based... |
Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot Judas Iscariot was, according to the New Testament, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. He is best known for his betrayal of Jesus to the hands of the chief priests for 30 pieces of silver.-Etymology:... / John the Baptist John the Baptist John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River... |
n/a | Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord/All For the Best | Died of brain tumor Brain tumor A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm, a tumor within the brain or the central spinal canal.Brain tumors include all tumors inside the cranium or in the central spinal canal... in 2000 |
| Robin Lamont | Robin | window shopper | Day by Day Day by Day (Godspell song) "Day by Day" is a song from the 1971 Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell.Day by Day is the third song in the show’s score and it is also reprised as the closing number for the 1973 film version... |
Currently a lawyer Lawyer A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political... and criminal prosecutor. |
| Joanne Jonas | Joanne | ballet dancer | Turn Back, O Man | Health care professional/therapist in Northern California. |
| Lynne Thigpen Lynne Thigpen Cherlynne Theresa “Lynne” Thigpen was an American stage and television actress, most famous as "The Chief" in the various Carmen Sandiego television series.-Early life:... |
Lynne | college student | Bless the Lord | Died of cerebral hemorrhage in 2003 Featured as the DJ in 1979's 'The Warriors' |
| Merrell Jackson Merrell Jackson Merrell Jackson was an actor who played one of the apostles in the film Godspell . He sang "All Good Gifts".... |
Merrell | garment trade | All Good Gifts | Died in 1991 |
| Jerry Sroka | Jerry | parking attendant | Light Of The World (1) | Voice actor |
| Gilmer McCormick Gilmer McCormick Gilmer McCormick is an American actress and singer best known for her performance in the stage and film versions of Godspell in the early 1970s and for her role in the 1984 horror film Silent Night, Deadly Night.... |
Gilmer | model | Light Of The World (2) | Working actor and teacher. Married Stephen Reinhardt, who was one of the music directors. |
| Jeffrey Mylett Jeffrey Mylett Jeffrey Mylett was an American actor and songwriter. Born in North Canton, Ohio, he attended Hoover High School there, and studied theater at Carnegie Mellon University.... |
Jeffrey | taxi driver | Light Of The World (3) | Died of AIDS AIDS Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus... in 1986 |
| Katie Hanley | Katie | diner waitress | By My Side | Sculptor living in Illinois Illinois Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,... . |