Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
#0Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:19am
Just finished watching GODSPELL the movie and actually kinda enjoyed it in the end. Garber with an afro is hilarious ridiculous though, I must say. I guess I just never knew that he actually had a background in theater! Good to know also that he played Jesus in Toronto and then got the role for the movie! Explains a lot now why he was Warbucks in Annie (I totally thought that it was just random casting after his Titanic success).
If anyone wanted to talk about the movie that would be awesome too. I think the whole "roaming around NYC" concept was done very well and gave a great feel of timelessness to the piece. But yeah...definetely a 70s interpretation with the flower children aspect. I've seen a production before and remember there being more room for current events to be put into the show. Did they completely cut these quirky nuances from the movie? I was also reading about a tour of it that was directed by Schwartz's son, done uber high tech with computer screens and all. Anyone heard of any other cool interpretations of Godspell?
So weird also that I also just found out that he was Booth in Assassins! OMG soooo great! They're doing it at my school next semester and I totally can't wait! (Rooting to get Sara Jane Moore...tall girl that I am...) Sorry for long message, I'd love to hear what people think!
Plum
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/4/04
#1re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:25amVictor Garber was also the original Anthony in Sweeney Todd, among other things. Updated On: 12/19/04 at 12:25 AM
#2re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:25amDon't forget the was the original Antony in Sweeney Todd!
#3re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:25am
i've always liked this movie myself 
#4re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:29am
Which one is Anthony in Sweeny Todd? I've seen the video and heard the recording but not 100% remembering everything about it.
Yup he's a cool Canadian dudeee. Might have to check him out on Alias sometime.
Good to hear that someone actually likes the movie. At first I was like "WHO WAS SMOKING THE P*T DURING THE FILMING OF THIS MOVIE?" But I guess it was just the times...... Even the eighties seem pretty whack to me!
#5re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:32ami watched this movie after i got casted in godspell so i could get a feel for the show. It's kinda an odd choice for hollywood to make a movie being that it's a really strange show but it works. there are some differences but it's still pretty true to the stage production.
#6re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:33amHe's not in the video, but Antony is the sailor in the blue garb that loves Johanna.
#7re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:39am
Ah yes yes.... I remember ditsy Johanna from the movie...golly she shore was a shrieker. Every time I hear that darn factory whistle sound, I get shivers up me spine.
No more Sweeney ... Nobody's gots comments about being IN Godspell?
#8re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:41amHey man....how about does anyone have any comments on my avatar? Random peeps have already told me it's sAXy.....ooo lala. Tiff's is hotter by far though....haha
#9re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 12:43ami like the movie, but there's nothing like seeing GODSPELL live with a really tight ensemble cast :)
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#10re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 2:51am
It's funny to me that you say you didn't know he had a background in theatre. To me, he's primarily a stage actor who happens to supplement his income doing tv and movies (and good for him for being able to do that). I remember seeing him in Deathtrap, Sweeney, Noises Off, Lend Me A Tenor, Damn Yankees and Arcadia. I'm happy for him for having Alias etc ... but it's been six years since his last Broadway credit and he needs to get back here when time allows.
I just checked IBDB, and he's been in 14 Broadway shows in the last 27 years (VERY impressive) and has been nominated for the Tony four times. He has another five credits on the Lortel Archives for his off-Broadway work (Lortel is often incomplete -- I believe he has several more off-Broadway credits than that).
He was THE young male ingenue on Broadway in the 70s and 80s. While I'm very happy for his success in other media in the last several years, I hope we get to see him on stage again in NYC very soon.
IBDB -- Victor Garber's Credits
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#11re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 3:03am
Margo - while I understand that you feel like he may have been swept away by the 'other media' , don't forget that we also have theatre out here in the hinterlands of the west coast. And while he's involved with his very successful TV show, he also found time to be involved with an AMAZING production of A Little Night Music out here - which was good enough to bring even Mr. Sondheim himself out to this wasteland to see 
#12re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 3:05amI think Victor in anything is amazing. If he was just sitting there eating a pork chop I would be transfixed.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#13re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 3:08am
Having sat next to him while he had lunch at Canter's in LA, I can tell you it's pretty entertaining
MargoChanning
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/5/04
#14re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 3:49am
Now, DGrant, you know I don't downgrade anyone's wonderful stage work in LA or in places other than New York -- I don't doubt brilliant theatre happens elsewhere, I just don't tend to know or hear about it. You know how we are in NYC -- if it doesn't happen in here, we don't pay much attention....... Jesus could come back tomorrow, but if he doesn't do it in Manhattan or a fashionable part of Brooklyn (and have a solid publicist to make sure that there's proper press coverage), no one here would even notice
MasterLcZ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/12/03
#15re: Victor Garber Godspell Appreciation
Posted: 12/19/04 at 4:43am
What's quite reamarkable about Garber is how smoothly he transitioned from the wide-eyed youths of the 1970s, to the distinguished leading man of today. One forgets how long he's been a working stage actor. And I fully agree that hes been away from the New York stage for FAR too long.
And BwayHappy, those frizzy Afros were more common on white boys in the 1970s than you'd think. At my high school, so many Jewish guys had them they we referred to them as 'Isros' instead!
Mamie
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/26/04
#16Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 8:12amMay I say how happy I am to see DGrant and MargoChanning participating on the same string again? For a few minutes it feels like the board is back in the hands of the adults.
A click for life.
mamie4 5/14/03
mbjts
Understudy Joined: 10/21/04
#17Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 8:20am
I've been a Victor Garber fan since the early 1980's, and I was fortunate to see him in many of his Broadway appearances, as well as working with him at a BC/EFA occasion.
I believe his most recent Broadway show was in the original cast of "ART", along with Alan Alda and Alfred Molina.
SamIAm
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#18Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 8:26am
Margo, I'm happy that others remembers his stage credits. He's a fine stage actor with credits in shows like Art et al. However, I do have to say that I don't blame him for taking a role on Alias and FINALLY being able to make enough money to live in NY and buy a place here after all those years as a struggling actor.
It speaks badly of the stage in NYC that most actors can't mke enough money to live comfortably here even after 20-30 yrs on the stage. We all miss him in NY and can't wait for him to come back to the stage here again but he is doing work in L.A. and got wonderful reviews in ALNM last summer. Spread the theater joy around the country, I guess...but come home soon Mr. G.
Jon
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/20/04
#19Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 8:27am
It's sad to think that three of the movie cast members - David Haskell, Lynn Thigpenn, and Merrell Jackson - are no longer with us.
And how eerie is it to see them al dancing on the roof of the then-brand-new World Trade Center?
sabrelady
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/16/03
#20Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 9:24amVictor was recently in town for the Gilda's Club benefit( she was also part of the Toronto Godspell cast) he & Eric McCormick did a wonderful performance of Its All For the Best! Met him briefly afterwords such a nice guy. His life has really smoothed out and he seems very happy. Not sure he wants the stress of live performance any more.
MasterLcZ
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/12/03
#21Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 9:28am
Ahh, but if he didn't want the stress of live performance, why did he hop into ALNM at the last minute?
I think he thrives on appearing on stage, myself!
SamIAm
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/18/04
#22Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 9:45am
He has publicly stated that the stress of 8 shows a week is a lot and he doesn't know if he'd ever want to do that again, but that short runs might work for him.
At least until Alias is cancelled, this would be all he could do anyway, but I do miss him on the stage.
#23Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 10:16am
I've gotta say that I've never been a fan of the show Godspell - I prefer the darker Jesus Christ Superstar (back when ALW was still in decent form and writing with Tim Rice)...
I wish Victor Garber would have been in the video of Sweeney Todd - Chris Groenendahl (sp?) has a nice voice but I don't think he's as good an actor as Victor. (I didn't like any of Chris' acting choices when he played Jules in Sunday in the Park at the Kennedy Center).
Victor Garber would be a welcome addition to Broadway if he chose to come back...so much better than most of the character males out there right now.
Unknown User
Joined: 12/31/69
#24Meanwhile - for something a little different....
Posted: 12/19/04 at 10:21am
"Jesus could come back tomorrow, but if he doesn't do it in Manhattan or a fashionable part of Brooklyn (and have a solid publicist to make sure that there's proper press coverage), no one here would even notice"
Margo - I would hope he'd stage his encore from Queens - or maybe even be one. As Harvey is segueing into iconic Jewish roles, perhaps the time is nigh and we're just not paying attention
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