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"Blessed is Stephen Schwartz for giving us a score
that makes as good an
impression as it did 29 years ago -- when such current
wonderful cast members
as Barrett Foa (Jesus) and Will Erat (John the
Baptist) weren't yet on earth.
Blessed are those who creatively updated the show
without getting any credit
in the program. As for the concept of updating: Hey,
why not, say, why not?
Godspell has always been a freewheeling exercise, so,
really, what's the harm
of references to Reeboks and "Who Wants to a
Millionaire?"
Blessed be director Shawn Rozsa, for making a
wise-as-Solomon decision with
regard to "We Beseech Thee" and "Beautiful City." The
former was a toe-tapper
in the original 1971 show, while the latter replaced
it in the 1973 movie
version. Both are so good that it's sad to see only
one included -- but Rozsa
had his exemplary cast do both of them.
Blessed are Shoshana Bean and Leslie Kritzer, two
alumnae from the Cincinnati
Conservatory of Music, who once again find themselves
performing together, as
they did at school in Babes in Arms and The Hot
Mikado. Only now they're
professionals, and sure worthy of the label. After
Bean finished "Bless the
Lord" -- as the audience was roaring with approval as
loudly as the day Don
Larsen pitched his perfect game in the World Series --
she returned to where
her director put her, coincidentally next to Kritzer.
The actress gave Bean
such a warm smile and approving gesture that Bean gave
her a little hand-slap
out of embarrassment. (It's okay. Bean had such
respect in her eyes when
Kritzer got each and every one of her laughs, which
numbered in the dozens.
What a terrific funny girl she is, and what a terrific
Funny Girl she'd be.)
Blessed is the musician who begins the show by turning
one of those signs
that hang in store windows, the ones that say "Open"
-- which stayed that way
until the end of the musical, when the musician
flipped it over to display,
"Sorry -- We're Closed." Yes, but only until the next
performance. For
blessed are the producers and the audiences that will
keep this Godspell
alive and well for months to come. " ~Peter Filichia,
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