Godspell

I think it might be safe to say that never in my life before have I encountered two tasteless, punishing religious rock musicals in one theatergoing year. Well, after the sickening dread that was Jesus Christ Superstar this Spring, nauseating viewers the world over (it thankfully closes in September), we now have this putrid updating of Godspell, which is at least the fiftieth show I've seen this year (Superstar included) that thinks theater patrons just can't get enough rip-offs of Rent. Seeing these pathetic excuses for live theater really makes me appreciate that wondrous show more and more. With Rent, composer Jonathan Larson let the emotion pour out of his songwriting and the palpable passion displayed by the exuberant cast. Yes, some of it was silly and the direction was a little cluttered, but Rent held you in its fiercely emotional rapture, and best of all, let you feel it. The sentiment was earned because it didn't constantly remind you of it all the time, and wittily updated La Boheme without ignoring what makes that story so powerful.

From the first trite moments of Shawn Rozsa's cloying, thoroughly obnoxious musical here, the cast can't wait to get in your face, all of them making bug eyes and contorting their bodies in odd shapes, singing in that "look at the technique I learned in musical theater" way. Stephen Schwartz's Godspell always did seem to be the poor man's Superstar, but it certainly had integrity and daring. A rock opera based on the parables of the Bible, created for the masses without being too unctuous or one-sided seems like a miracle to accomplish. But Schwartz did it, and created a lovely score that never quite makes it to exultant highs but is sturdy and perfectly fine throughout. In this wretched "update," according to reports, the cast was encouraged to make the characters their own, therefore eliminating the writer and making the whole event into the worst sub-par John Hughes-bad sitcom folly you've ever seen. Instead of thoughtful verses about humanity and hope, we get stale jokes referencing marijuana, "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire," Ricola ads, and my favorite, the annoying "Wassappp?" beer commercial. It seems lately that unless a show is hurtling stupid pop culture references at you, you won't be intelligent enough to follow it. Frankly, this is bullshit. We deserve better. And for a musical about the Holy One, this production seems unbelievably disrespectful, not to mention offensive. (The token Hispanic player gets to play really swishy-gay or become a hoochie-mama, the black performers all speak in urban slang and quote "Shaft." Boy, we've come a long way, haven't we?).

Saddest of all, the audience surrounding me nearly fell out of the seats laughing and swallowed it up. Am I really that much of a grump, you ask? Was there nothing I could appreciate? Honestly, no. Their reactions only made the experience that much more depressing and agonizing as I surveyed priorities in theatergoing. Being entertained is a key factor, I agree, but that feeling should come out of something better than rock-bottom puns and blaspheming religious beliefs for the sake of employing the favorite catchphrase of 1995.

The question I have is: Why on Earth did Stephen Schwartz feel he had to change anything? Godspell was never a bomb by any means and is beloved by so many. So why must people waste $50 to see a community theater level production that doesn't even have the respect community theater would give it? The music, when Eminem or Prince variations don't intrude, still works, but I have to review this as a revival, not a reissue. As a revival, it fails on every level, simply because there seems to be little of the spirit that made this musical so popular and little remainder of the show that once was. What was once a gripping rock opera about faith and redemption is now a big, long, terribly unfunny joke. And neither the makers nor the audience seem to find any problem with that. Well, all I can say is, the joke's on you.