mib@geech.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell) (03/05/91)
I was just thinking about the Finale to the musical Godspell. (I was thinking about it because I just purchased the CD of the Broadway production of Godspell...:-)). The finale has Jesus on the cross singing "Oh God, I'm bleeding" antiphonally with the onlookers singing "Oh God, you're bleeding". Then it moves, with Jesus voice beginning to crack, to "Oh God, I'm dying", and the crowd's "Oh God, you're dying". Finally, Jesus sings, once, in a very still voice with no accompaniment, "Oh God, I'm dead", and then the crowd sings, several times, "Oh God, you're dead". The crowd's singing begins to lift a bit, and then finally changes to "long live God" sung over and over, and finally intertwined with the "Prepare ye the way of the Lord" from the opening of the show. It occurred to me that our message of the death of Christ, on our minds this season, is in an interesting way, similar to Nietzsche's pronouncement "God is dead". Neitzsche thought that statement to represent a joyous time, a time of liberation, etc. While we don't agree with his ideas, and while his predictions certainly didn't come to pass, we see in the same words "God is dead", as the act of God's self-sacrifice for us, a message of great power, liberation, and joy. For, because of that death, Christ broke death and sin. The singing of "long live God" is even more poignant, since this is what was said when English kings died: "the king is dead; long live the king!" I've always found Godspell to be tremendously uplifting...I'm glad I got it. I'd recommend it to anyone. While Andrew Lloyd Weber's "Jesus Christ Superstar" has much to recommend it, as well as much to be disappointed at, Godspell is a fine musical. -mib
tblake@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu (Thomas Blake) (03/07/91)
In article <Mar.5.00.25.14.1991.1219@athos.rutgers.edu> mib@geech.ai.mit.edu (Michael I Bushnell) writes: >I've always found Godspell to be tremendously uplifting...I'm glad I >got it. I'd recommend it to anyone. While Andrew Lloyd Weber's >"Jesus Christ Superstar" has much to recommend it, as well as much to >be disappointed at, Godspell is a fine musical. I've been involved in a number of Godspell productions and it is a wonderful show. It's effect upon the audiance and the cast is different than any other show I've been involved in. The dialog is taken almost straight from the gospels. (It is not exclusively Matthew despite the sub-title.) The songs come from a number of sources. One of the finest songs in the show is not included in the Broadway cast albulm or in the movie. "Tower of Babel", this song, following a brief creation speach by God, (spoken by the Christ character) serves to introduce the show, a series of philosophies are presented as solos which are then combined into a fugue-like structure. (Included is Nietzsche (sp?)). Before the fugue really starts, everyone joins in the chorus. Babel, Babel, Babel, Babel... High above the Rabel, Rabel, Rabel... Greatest minds in History Solving life's sweet mystery So listen to me, (So listen to me) Know how life should be, (Know how life should be) Oh what does it matter if they don't agree??? It is into this tower of Babel that John the Baptist comes, blowing a shofar, and baptising the rest of the cast. (Excepting Jesus/"Stephen" who will appear later.) There really is no resurrection in the show. The disciples (or clowns as the script calls for), carry out the body of Christ to the tune of "Long live God", then turning to John the Baptist's "Prepare ye the Way of the Lord". Then reapper singing "Day by Day". The productions I have participated included a resurrection of some sort. (Often dramatic.) Sometimes subtle (Stephen appears back on stage wearing a T-Shirt with the words "He Lives"). But the script and the movie include no resurrection. The author, and the man who would popularize the show were/are both Jewish. Both in the stage show, and in the movie, the disciples carry on. Jesus however remains dead. It's my understanding that the author intended to write 3 shows, each one presenting the teachings of one of the 3 major religions (as he saw them). Godspell presents the teachings of Christianity. I have never been involved in a production of Jesus Christ Superstar. But it was an elder brother who used JCS to explain to me the passion of Christ, and the political forces arrayed at that time. To my way of thinking, Jesus Christ Superstar presents the Gospel through the eyes of Judas, Mary and (to an extent Peter). It is through the character of Judas that the audiance gets to ask Jesus the questions they've always wanted to ask: "Who are you?" "What have you sacrificed?" "Do you think you're what they say you are?" "Did you *mean* to die like that? Was that a mistake? Or did you know your messy death would be a record breaker." I support my claim that these questions are the questions posed by the audiance by other questions asked by the ghost of Judas. "Could Mohammed move a mountain? Or was that just P.R.?" The historic Judas predates Mohammed obviously. "If you'd come *today* you would have reached the whole nation. Israel in 4 BC had no mass communication." Clearly, Judas had no knowledge of "Mass Communication", or the Julian Calendar. "You'd have managed better if you'd had it planned. Why'd you chose such a backward time, and such a strange land?" Well, I can go on like this all day, you get the idea... The questions posed by Judas, (in my mind the audiance's sympathetic character), are then answered with the crucifixion. The peacful music following the traumatic crucifixion would, (from the title of the cut), appears to only represent Christ being laid in the tomb, at peace at last. This raises the question, "Is Jesus Christ Superstar" a Christian musical? (Since it includes no resurrection.) My answer is yes, just as a crucifix is a Christian symbol, even though it presents a dead body hanging on a cross. Both of these musicals are powerful ways of communicating two different aspects of the life of Jesus. Godspell presents the teachings, "Superstar" presents the passion. Both are dear to me. Tom Blake SUNY-Binghamton [At least in the case of Jesus Christ Superstar, the show is pretty clearly a "passion". This is a well-known traditional form, and by definition does not include a resurrection. That doesn't answer the question of whether the author is a Christian and whether the show is consistent with the Gospel. But the fact that no resurrection is included has bothered some people, and it's worth noting that that fact alone may not be as significant as it appears. Since Godspell appears to cover the entire career of Jesus, and by its name seems to be claiming to be the Good News, it may be more significant that there is no resurrection there, though it could be argued a resurrection might be hard to stage effectively, and "Long Live God" may be a dramtically reasonable way of dealing with it. --clh]
joefritz@rpi.edu (Jochen M. Fritz) (03/09/91)
[Responding to comments by THomas Blake and Michael Bushnell on Godspell. From Bushnell: --clh] >>I've always found Godspell to be tremendously uplifting...I'm glad I Me too after seeing it, I was on a spiritual high for about a month. The songs still go throught my mind. Thanks for reviving a great memory. [From Blake, who commends that productions he has participated in add a resurrection of some sort. --clh] In the producetion I saw, there was a resuection. Jesus' body gets carried out by the disciples to the tune of "Long Live God"/"Prepare ye the Way" The cast leaves through the back door of the auditorium, and a minute later returns to "Day by Day". This then becomes both the resurection and the curtain call. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | Jochen Fritz | For though we live in the world, we do not | | joefritz@pawl.rpi.edu | wage war as the world does.-- 2 Cor. 10:3 | | usergk2s@rpitsmts.bitnet| You have heard it said, Love your neighbor | | Noah [the peace monger] | and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love | | | your enemies. Matt. 5:43-44 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------