Godspell (1973)

“Now what the Good Master is telling us all right now is that up in Heaven, there are about a hundred million little tiny angels about 'yea' by 'yea', and they all take shorthand. And every time you do something silly, they write it in a...”
“No, no.”
“That's not what the Good Master is telling us?” 

            I cannot remember the first time I sat through Godspell. I must have been young because I can remember using a clip from the movie for a project my senior year of high school. All I know is that I love watching Godspell because the music is so much fun to listen to and even sing along with.

            Godspell is based off the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. I had to read this Gospel when I was taking a Bible class as a requirement for an Art History fulfillment (Montclair State University and their ridiculous requirements) and the class was actually interesting. As we read the Gospel in class I had to keep from laughing because I kept thinking about the movie.

            The movie manages to have its religious message but it never once does it become preachy. I am catholic but trust me there is nothing worse to me than when anything with a catholic/Christian message gets preachy (I am an official C and E catholic I do not go every week). The way the stories from the Gospel play out you almost forget you are listening to something from the Bible. All the characters/actors are fantastic. They are so entertaining and extremely talented. Each one of them has their own unique and funny personality. It is hilarious seeing Victor Garber this skinny young guy with his hug afro, smiling and singing when I am so used to him playing the stone faced, grumpy, gun-slinging Jack Bristow on Alias.

            My absolute favorite part of Godspell is the music. I like “Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord”, “Day By Day”, “Turn Back O Man”, “God Bless The Lord My Soul”, and “Beautiful City”.

            Godspell is one of my all time favorite musicals. I know all the words to the songs and all the lines like the back of my hand. It is really cool to see these people roam around an empty New York City and wearing these thrown together clothes. It is very dated from the clothing down to the music but that is what makes it so much fun to watch. I watched Godspell once when I was away at college. My roommate said it was Jesus in acid and that is what she now calls the movie. I think that is a very fitting way to describe Godspell especially for it being made in the seventies.