Exclusive: The legendary 1972 Toronto production of the musical Godspell – a staging that launched the careers of Martin Short, Eugene Levy, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Paul Shaffer, Andrea Martin and Dave Thomas, among others – will be the subject of a feature length documentary exec produced by Judd Apatow.
“As a bona fide comedy nerd,” said Apatow in a statement, “I’ve long wondered what exactly brought that amazing group of people together to produce not just a fantastic theatrical event, but what came after: Second City Toronto, Sctv, and of course Saturday Night Live – not to mention a host of movies and TV from Splash to The Three Amigos to Schitt’s Creek and Only Murders in the Building. None of that would have happened in the way that it did without the Toronto Godspell.”
The film will be produced, directed and co-written (with Jane Mendelsohn) by Nick Davis, whose most recent film,...
“As a bona fide comedy nerd,” said Apatow in a statement, “I’ve long wondered what exactly brought that amazing group of people together to produce not just a fantastic theatrical event, but what came after: Second City Toronto, Sctv, and of course Saturday Night Live – not to mention a host of movies and TV from Splash to The Three Amigos to Schitt’s Creek and Only Murders in the Building. None of that would have happened in the way that it did without the Toronto Godspell.”
The film will be produced, directed and co-written (with Jane Mendelsohn) by Nick Davis, whose most recent film,...
- 3/14/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Chicago – Yet another famous musical version of the final days of Jesus Christ is celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a film. “Godspell” began as a college project, moved to off-Broadway, released the film adaptation the same year as its cousin film “Jesus Christ Superstar” and had one actor go through all the iterations, while scoring a hit single with the song “Day by Day” … she is Robin Lamont.
Robin Lamont of “Godspell”
She went through all the steps of “Godspell” – even premiering in the Broadway stage version in 1976. Lamont was a student at Carnegie Mellon when a normal class assignment would connect her to the musical for six years. “Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs,...
Robin Lamont of “Godspell”
She went through all the steps of “Godspell” – even premiering in the Broadway stage version in 1976. Lamont was a student at Carnegie Mellon when a normal class assignment would connect her to the musical for six years. “Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs,...
- 4/6/2023
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – One of the better film treats of Easter weekend is “Godspell” (1973), the hippie musical based on the Bible gospels in the book of Matthew. Featuring Victor Garber as Jesus, the film is set in New York City of the early 1970s, at the same time the World Trade Center was nearly complete. The producers had a great idea … why not film a dance number on the top of the North Tower? So the ironic song “All For the Best” ends up there, and cast member Robin Lamont remembered her reaction in an interview with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com.
“Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs, the producers hired composer Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”) to create the now classic soundtrack.
“Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs, the producers hired composer Stephen Schwartz (“Wicked”) to create the now classic soundtrack.
- 4/15/2022
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Chicago – Easter has just passed, and one of the film traditions during that holiday is the musical “Godspell.” This 1973 classic retells the story of Jesus from the Gospel of St. Matthew, through a group of hippie performers, including Victor Garber as Jesus. Robin Lamont sings the signature song in the show, “Day by Day.”
The one actor to go all the way through each iteration of the play – from its origins to Off-Off/Off Broadway to the the film version to Broadway – is Robin Lamont. Lamont was a student at Carnegie Mellon when a normal class assignment would connect her to the musical for six years. “Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs, the producers hired...
The one actor to go all the way through each iteration of the play – from its origins to Off-Off/Off Broadway to the the film version to Broadway – is Robin Lamont. Lamont was a student at Carnegie Mellon when a normal class assignment would connect her to the musical for six years. “Godspell” began in Pittsburgh in 1970 as a staged thesis for a Masters Degree by John-Michael Tebelak. It had a whole different set of songs and was structurally different than the show that opened Off-Off Broadway in 1971. After rejecting the original songs, the producers hired...
- 4/8/2021
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Today in 2011, Godspell opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 264 performances. Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since.The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew though three of the parables featured are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance.
- 11/7/2015
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today in 2011, Godspell opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 264 performances. Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since.The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew though three of the parables featured are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance.
- 11/7/2014
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Our celebration of 1973 continues with Andrew on Godspell and Jesus Christ Superstar
In 1970 John-Michael Tebelak was completing work on his master’s thesis project about Jesus Christ at Carnegie Mellon University. Before long he would pair up with musician and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and in May of 1971 the musical Godspell would officially begin playing. Around the same time, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were finalising work on a rock album, a concept musical of sorts, on the last ten days of Jesus' life. The album would be released in the fall of 1970, and one year later Jesus Christ Superstar, the musical developed from the soundtrack, would open on Broadway. By some weird happenstance the fates of the two Jesus musicals would be tied*. Two years later, the two musicals (both moderate hits on stage by that time) saw screen adaptations released in 1973.
One religious stage-musical adapted to the...
In 1970 John-Michael Tebelak was completing work on his master’s thesis project about Jesus Christ at Carnegie Mellon University. Before long he would pair up with musician and lyricist Stephen Schwartz and in May of 1971 the musical Godspell would officially begin playing. Around the same time, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice were finalising work on a rock album, a concept musical of sorts, on the last ten days of Jesus' life. The album would be released in the fall of 1970, and one year later Jesus Christ Superstar, the musical developed from the soundtrack, would open on Broadway. By some weird happenstance the fates of the two Jesus musicals would be tied*. Two years later, the two musicals (both moderate hits on stage by that time) saw screen adaptations released in 1973.
One religious stage-musical adapted to the...
- 7/29/2014
- by Andrew Kendall
- FilmExperience
Today in 2011, Godspell opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 264 performances. Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since.The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew though three of the parables featured are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance.
- 11/7/2013
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Today in 2011, Godspell opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre, where it ran for 264 performances. Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak. It opened off Broadway on May 17, 1971, and has played in various touring companies and revivals many times since.The structure of the musical is that of a series of parables, based on the Gospel of Matthew though three of the parables featured are recorded only in the Gospel of Luke. These are then interspersed with a variety of modern music set primarily to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ treated briefly near the end of the performance.
- 11/7/2012
- by Stage Tube
- BroadwayWorld.com
Telly Leung
Religious themes are experiencing a renaissance in popular of Broadway shows. Currently, the Tony-winning musical The Book of Mormon and the stage adaptation of Sister Act are entertaining theater-goers with both comedic and profound statements on the oft-controversial institution. Also joining the fray is the current revival of Godspell at the Circle In The Square theater.
Since it’s off-Broadway debut in 1971, Godspell, with music by Stephen Schwartz, has been an interactive, improv-based show with the majority of the cast (excluding the characters of Jesus and Judas) using their own names instead of characters. And with a cast history that includes such names as Jeremy Irons, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Paul Shaffer, it almost seems to be a right of passage for a performer to do Godspell sometime in their career.
The current Broadway production opened in November and not only has hunky Hunter Parrish (Weeds,...
Religious themes are experiencing a renaissance in popular of Broadway shows. Currently, the Tony-winning musical The Book of Mormon and the stage adaptation of Sister Act are entertaining theater-goers with both comedic and profound statements on the oft-controversial institution. Also joining the fray is the current revival of Godspell at the Circle In The Square theater.
Since it’s off-Broadway debut in 1971, Godspell, with music by Stephen Schwartz, has been an interactive, improv-based show with the majority of the cast (excluding the characters of Jesus and Judas) using their own names instead of characters. And with a cast history that includes such names as Jeremy Irons, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Paul Shaffer, it almost seems to be a right of passage for a performer to do Godspell sometime in their career.
The current Broadway production opened in November and not only has hunky Hunter Parrish (Weeds,...
- 1/3/2012
- by nyjimmy67
- The Backlot
The team behind the Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak's "Godspell" announced today that Hunter Parrish, of Showtime's "Weeds," will be playing Jesus in the production.
In a statement to Playbilll, Hunter Parrish said he was "elated" to join the cast of the musical, which is based on a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew.
"I knew after meeting with the creative team that I was going to be a part of something really exciting," he said. "I can't wait to get started."
The revival, which was only confirmed a few months ago, is set to begin performances on October 13 at the Circle in the Square Theater. The director Daniel Goldstein will be making his Broadway debut with this production, though according to the "Godspell" blog, he once played Jesus himself in a 1988 version at the storied Catskills theater camp, Stage Door Manor. Zach Braff played Judas.
In a statement to Playbilll, Hunter Parrish said he was "elated" to join the cast of the musical, which is based on a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew.
"I knew after meeting with the creative team that I was going to be a part of something really exciting," he said. "I can't wait to get started."
The revival, which was only confirmed a few months ago, is set to begin performances on October 13 at the Circle in the Square Theater. The director Daniel Goldstein will be making his Broadway debut with this production, though according to the "Godspell" blog, he once played Jesus himself in a 1988 version at the storied Catskills theater camp, Stage Door Manor. Zach Braff played Judas.
- 8/10/2011
- by Lucas Kavner
- Huffington Post
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.