Godspell question!!!

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/25/06 at 7:37pm

I was cast in Godspell, which I probably can't do due to Hairspray, but I was cast as (obviously) one of the ten characters. The philosoper that I portray in the beginning is Jean-Paul. Does anybody here know what part in the prologue he sings as well as if he has a song at all throughout the show?

Thanks a lot!
Updated On: 5/30/06 at 07:37 PM

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 12:42am

bump

[suzycat]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:05am

try putting "godspell" in your subject line. you'll probably get more responses.

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:26am

Good idea about the Subject suggestion. I might also suggest that posters not start sentences (if they even are sentences with "So" or "Okay"

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 12:27pm

Now that I have appeased the grammar gods (ha), can one of the theatre wizzes on this board help me out? It is quite disconcerting because this is pretty much the epicentre for banal theatre knowledge, and one useful reply has yet to be made.


Huh.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 12:44pm

I don't believe that character does any singing. It's just a voice speaking the lines, which in the production I did, was recorded.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:03pm

Jean-Paul Sartre sings "Atheistic existentialism, which I represent / Is more coherent / I do believe it...." "There is no such thing as human nature / Not in all or few men / Since there is no God to conceive it."

ETA: In the original show (if you're doing that version and your director isn't screwing with it), Peggy played Sartre, so you would have "By My Side" as a solo.
Updated On: 5/30/06 at 01:03 PM

[WhenURScrap]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:45pm

ShbrtAlley44 is correct with the Tower of Babble lyrics, though I just want to add that from my expereinces with Godspell, since actors use their own names usually, aside from Jesus and John the Baptist/Judas, the other songs are scattered throughout all the characters. Some lines for "Jeffrey" may be given to the lines of "Robin" and so on. The same with the songs. We Beseech Thee may be sung by Lamar ... So, I guess it is up to the director for his vision.

[ShbrtAlley44]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:46pm

I really don't like when people do that. The songs are given to those characters for a reason. That's just me though.

[broadwayboy430]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:47pm

cool all. thanks!

[Jazzysuite82]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 1:54pm

It's actually a better way to work. Those songs aren't given to those charcters because of any through line. The thing with Godspell is that it takes on the personality of its performers. You can switch around the song assignments (and the director probably will) based on your cast. So if you're sing John-Paul, you might actually sing All for the Best because of who you are personality wise. The director might actually have a vision.

[WhenURScrap]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 2:05pm

What I love about Godspell is that it is 100% versatile. Really, all the script is dialogue and music. It lets the director decide who says what and who sings what. You don't have to have clowns pantomiming around stage. Godspell is really a staged game.

One version of Godspell I saw staged it liek a West Side Story high school playground fight between the Jets and the Sharks ... they did use the West Side Story snapping opening, which I thought was really cool (probably also illegal) and cut Tower of Babble. When they start fighting, a person gets in the middle of the brawl and halts everyone singing Save the People. The cast had two teams of 40, including the leads, High school kids and ages 6+. They also put references to other musicals in the show and also today's products such as Verizon's "Can you hear me now? Good!" when Judas goes to slap Jesus back.

Also, I think I prefer the 2000 touring version of Turn Back O' Man to any version of the song I have heard. It's just amazing with what you can do to Godspell to make it so enjoyable.