| Godspell | |
|---|---|
 Original cast recording | |
| Music | Stephen Schwartz |
| Lyrics | Stephen Schwartz |
| Book | John-Michael Tebelak |
| Basis | Gospel of Matthew (primarily) |
| Productions | 1971 Off-Broadway 1971 London 1976 Broadway 1988 Off-Broadway 2000 Off-Broadway 2001 US Tour 2007 UK Tour 2011 Broadway 2012 US tour |
Godspell is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak. The show is structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ appearing briefly near the end.
Godspell began as a project by drama students at Carnegie Mellon University and then moved to the off-off-Broadway theater La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in the East Village of Manhattan. The show was rescored for an off-Broadway production, which opened on May 17, 1971, and became a long-running success. Many productions have followed worldwide, including a 2011 Broadway revival. An abbreviated one-act version of the musical designed for performers aged 18 and under also exists, titled Godspell Junior.[1]
Several cast albums have been released over the years. "Day by Day", from the original cast album, reached #13 on the Billboard pop singles chart in the summer of 1972 and #7 in Canada.[2][3]
- ^ "Godspell Jr" (PDF). Stephen Schwartz. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
- ^ Spreadsheet of Pop 100 charts through 2013, available for download as RAR from Bullfrogs Pond
- ^ "RPM Magazine - August 12, 1972 - Page 15" (PDF).