Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Early Peek at Broadway's Godspell Revival

I was invited to a press preview yesterday of a rehearsal for the upcoming Broadway revival of Godspell (scheduled to open Nov. 7 at Circle in the Square Theatre. Previews begin Oct. 13).

Composer Stephen Schwartz, director Danile Goldstein (who helmed a production of Godspell at the Paper Mill Playhouse), choreographer Christopher Gattelli and the cast (featuring TV actor Hunter Parrish as Jesus) were on hand to present three numbers from the show (Schwartz was hearing them, and arrangements by Michael Holland for the first time).

The young cast, selected from more than 700 auditions over six months, according to Goldstein, energetically presented "Bless the Lord," (video below featuring Lindsay Mendez) "All Good Gifts" (video above, featuring Telly Leung) and a new depiction of the telling of the Good Samaritan, (pictured below) which creatively uses a ladder, some newspaper and a drum. (This number actually was written by cast member Celisse Henderson as her audition piece for the musical.)

Producer Ken Davenport was on hand and promised that you haven't seen Godspell until you have seen this production. Discounted tickets are available by cliking here for our Givenik affiliate.
--Lauren Yarger

Hunter Parrish
Daniel Goldstein and Christopher Gattelli
Stephen Schwartz
The Good Samaritan

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Daily Inspiration

The Blind Side

Read about the real life mom from "The Blind Side."

Lifeway: http://www.lifeway.com/article/?id=169816

Guideposts: http://www.guideposts.com/story/sandra-bullock-blind-side-football?page=0,1

Read Matt Mungle's review of the movie at http://www.buddyhollywood.com/.

Lauren Yarger, Bio

Lauren Yarger has written, directed and produced numerous shows and special events for both secular and Christian audiences. She co-wrote a Christian musical version of “A Christmas Carol” which played to sold-out audiences of over 3,000 in Vermont and was awarded the 2000 Vermont Bessie (theater and film awards) for “People’s Choice for Theatre.” She also has written two other dinner theaters, sketches for church services and devotions for Christian artists.

Yarger trained for three years in the Broadway League’s Producer Development Program, completed the Commercial Theater Institute's Producing Three-Day Training and produced a one-woman musical about Mary Magdalene that toured nationally and closed with an off-Broadway run.

In 2008 she was a Fellow at the National Critics Institute at the O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, CT. She writes reviews of Broadway and off-Broadway theater with a Christian perspective for Reflections in the Light (http://reflectionsinthelight.blogspot.com/) and is editor of The Connecticut Arts Connection. She also is a contributing editor for BroadwayWorld.com

She also reviews books for Publisher's Weekly and is a member of the National Book Critics Circle. She formerly was Connecticut theater editor for CurtainUp, a national theater web site bsed in New York and a reviewer for American Theater Web.

She also served as Executive Director of Masterwork Productions, Inc. and worked in arts management for the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford and the Hartford Symphony Orchestra.

She is a freelance writer and member of the Drama Desk, The Outer Critics Circle, The American Theater Critics Association, The League of Professional Theatre Women and The CT Critics Circle.

A former newspaper editor and graduate of the University of Missouri’s School of Journalism, Yarger lives with her husband in West Granby, CT and has two adult children.

Copyright Notice

All contents copyright © Lauren Yarger 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. All rights reserved. For reprint permission, contact masterworkproductions@yahoo.com.

Scripture from THE MESSAGE Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

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