Godspell 50th Anniversary Online Concert

Darren Day in the Godspell 50th Anniversary Online Concert

Godspell 50th Anniversary Online Concert – available to watch until 29 August 2020.

Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

From Godspell in 1971 to Prince of Egypt, six weeks into its West End run when Covid-19 reared its ugly head and put theatreland into a coma, Stephen Schwartz has been a massive musical presence on both sides of the Atlantic.

This virtual concert of his first big hit, thrillingly conceived and directed by Michael Strassen, is a feast of fine songs and fine singing for some great causes, the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester (due to reopen with Rent at the end of October), Acting For Others and the National AIDS Trust.

Somehow 15 numbers have been shoehorned into 55 minutes of pure joy. Performing independently, a top-quality cast of all generations has been assembled.

From established names such as Ruthie Henshall, Ria Jones, Darren Day and Jenna Russell to new kid on the block Sam Tutty, not long ago an Italia Conti student but recently the toast of the West End for Dear Evan Hansen, their contributions are superbly stitched together by Strassen and his henchmen, video editor John Walsh, MD George Carter and sound editor Cyrus Brandon.

The sound quality and clarity of the voices are top class and the use of the great outdoors, using gorgeous countryside, lakes and churches as background, is inspired.

Ruthie Henshall in the Godspell 50th Anniversary Online Concert

Henshall and Day are reprising roles they played on the 1983 studio cast recording and we even had the glorious Henshall kicking her legs out while enjoying a foamy bubble bath (complete with rubber duck) in a sultry version of ‘Turn Back, O Man’.

Add to that Alison Jiear, skipping from open-top car, through flowers in the park to village church, in a highly inventive treatment of ‘Bless the Lord’. This is an outstanding piece of video.

Schwartz was 23 when Godspell opened Off-Broadway in 1971 and arrived at London’s Roundhouse in November that year before transferring to the Wyndham’s at the start of 1972 – the original cast included Julie Covington, David Essex and Jeremy Irons – and his music reflects the dazzle and positivity of a special young talent.

The Bible has been a big thread through his career – Godspell is a series of parables leading up to the Passion of Christ, taken chiefly from the Gospel of St Matthew. Twenty years later he went back to it for Children of Eden and delved further for Prince of Egypt. He wrote ten new songs for the world premiere of that, though none up to Godspell standard.

For the moment Jenny Fitzpatrick launches into ‘Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord’, this concert ticks every box a virtual piece of musical theatre could tick, everything down to the animations and the framing of each artist is polished and handsome.

We could have done with more of the pure-voiced Jenna Russell, who only shares one number ‘On the Willows’ with Sally Ann Triplett and the underused John Barr.

‘Learn Your Lessons Well’ from Ria Jones is another highlight and it is ironic that arguably Godspell’s most memorable song ‘By My Side’, here sparklingly delivered by Lucy Williamson and Shekinah McFarlane, isn’t written by Schwartz at all but by members of the original Off-Broadway cast. He graciously said he could not come up with anything better and kept it in.

Jodie Steele, Danyl Johnson, Natalie Green, Matthew Croke, Jerome Bell and Ronald Brian all sing their hearts out and the ensemble work is entrusted to Italia Conti students in a totally worthwhile production from Thomas Hopkins and Michael Quinn on behalf of Ginger Quiff Media.

In a world desperately praying to discover a brighter future from the ravages of a ruthless pandemic, Godspell’s simple message of hope and faith could not be more timely. Well done.

Jeremy Chapman