ften compared unjustly to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Godspell,” which premiered in its current form in 1971, the same year as “Superstar,” takes a softer, sentimental and at times rather humorous approach to the Book of Matthew in the New Testament. Written by John-Michael Tebelak with the music of Stephen Schwartz, the story is modernized to the urban setting of New York City. This geographic setting, however, isn’t necessarily important to the context and sentiment expressed throughout the musical.

The University of Utah’s College of Fine Arts joined forces (modern dance, theater, ballet, music and film) to fulfill up the list of performances in “Godspell.” Theater Department Chairperson David Dynack spearheaded the effort, the first collaboration between all the departments in the college. Although Phyllis Haskell, the Dean of the College of Fine Arts hoped that such a collaborative effort would take place at one point, it was Dynack that took on the challenge. The means to accomplish the collaboration: “Godspell,” which premiered last night.

In a phrase, “Godspell” focuses on the allegorical storytelling of Jesus through a crossbreed of musical styles. The varied music style, from jazz to rock and funk to country-western, allows the story to move smoothly in and out of humor and moralizing. It helps a great deal that the two guitarists (Boyd K. Bement, James Lauscher), bassist (Robert Breault, incidentally the director of Utah Lyric Opera), pianist (the indispensable Jeffrey Price) and drummer (Mason Aeshbacher) create an infectious groove throughout the show with their great playing.

The unique thing about the performance of the show is that the burden of presenting the weighty material isn’t placed squarely upon one individual. The whole cast bears the burden; and bear it the actors did. If one was to bear a burden, it would be that of Jesus, played by Nate Brian. Brian did an exceptional job by simply not trying to play God the whole time. He simply taught the allegories through song and dance while not getting too much in the way. Other stand out performances include the number “Day by Day,” sung by Jennifer Tuttle, and Jeffrey N. Gunshol’s characterization of Judas Iscariot.

Overall, the collaborative effort of cast and crew make the 2,600th-or-so performance of Godspell all the cast and crew’s own. A unique set design and creative staging lend to a more interactive performance between audience and cast. Yet nothing detracted from the moral lessons that come from the New Testament and teach us the significance of community, friendship and love. In a proverbial phrase, “Praise the Lord and watch Godspell.”

“Godspell” runs at Libby Gardner Hall through Saturday, Feb. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $12, $6 for students. Call Kingsbury Hall (581-7100) or ArtTix (355-2787) for more information.
christian@red-mag.com