Mustard Seed Theatre's 'Godspell' Yields Likable Characters

When Godspell first opened Off Broadway in 1971, it dared to put Jesus in clown make-up and a Superman T-shirt and to set the play in a New York City junkyard.

Old-school Christians were not pleased, but Christian youth were. They had been leaving churches of virtually every denomination in droves—not Christianity itself, just the stuffy, un-hip, tradition-mired confines of organized religion.

And then came Godspell.

Say what you want about the John-Michael Tebelak play, which features music by Stephen Schwartz. But a person could make a compelling argument that Godspell changed modern religion: Guitar masses have become common, and Christian rock has become a major industry, to name just a couple of changes.

In the current production by Mustard Seed Theatre in , director Deanna Jent has updated the play and excised some of the period trappings. Gone is the clown make-up and hippy costuming, and the setting has become an unnamed St. Louis street, all of which serves to make the play more relevant.

J. Samuel Davis as Jesus is relaxed. He is immensely likable, and he has a strong voice. In fact, the entire cast exhibited those characteristics, and all of the members shined in their turn. Charlie Barron as John/Judas is driven by his passion and manages to be the villain without being villainous, no simple feat.

Justin Ivan Brown shines on “All Good Gifts,” while Laura Ernst surprises with some simple but lovely flute playing during the same number. She also does fine work in the Good Samaritan sketch, delivered delightfully in Spanish by Anna Skidis, and highlighted with a hilarious bit by Amy Loui. Loui presented one of the strongest and specific overall characters of the evening.

The rest of the cast doesn't disappoint, either. Isabella Lui on “Day by Day,” Deborah Sharn on “Learn Your Lessons Well” and Justin Leibrecht throughout the performance all step forward when called and perform admirably.

There are some nice takes on some of the songs. When Khnemu Menu-Ra first begins “We Beseech Thee” as a gospel song, my first thought was that it was a bad choice. But by the end, the gospelized number rocked the house thanks to his strong vocals and an equally powerful chorus. It was a memorable number. Likewise, “All For the Best” started out poorly but by the end had become one of the stronger numbers.

Joe Shoen, as the lone band member, does great work and makes up for not having the traditional guitar and other instruments.

While the show is enjoyable, it is somewhat lacking in creative improvisation. There is nothing truly surprising or unexpected, and the ensemble hasn't bonded as much as is necessary by the time Jesus is crucified. The cast didn't seem to have a remarkable, shared experience together, which is both the play's message and the summation of the actors' experience in performing Godspell.

This might have resulted from opening-night jitters, and as the cast members get a few performances under their collective belt, they hopefully will loosen up, take more risks, surprise one another on stage and thereby bond every night. Then, when Jesus is crucified at the end, they will cry because they feel it, not because the script tells them to.

Nevertheless, there is still plenty in which to delight here. Jent's usual fine direction is often evident, and Dunsi Dai's multilevel set couldn't be better. It allows the actors to literally sing from the rooftops.

Jane Sullivan's costumes are a perfect collection of modern simplicity, and John Sullivan's lighting is fine, though I was surprised by the low-key lighting effects during the crucifixion. The choreography by Juli Venegoni, Laura Ernst and the ensemble is, at times, delightful.