COMMENTARY:
WHERE "GODSPELL" GOES...
For theatre-lovers, it's bad news indeed that the revival of "Godspell" (directed by Dan Goldtein) which was scheduled to open on Broadway in September, has been cancelled. And it's bad news whether or not you like "Godspell" (we do), or were looking forward to this revival (we were, even if we weren't crazy about all of the the director's past work). It's bad news, because if producers are having trouble raising money for even a perennial favorite like "Godspell" (which ran for more than 2,600 performances in its original Off-Broadway/Broadway run), what chance will new shows have? The recession is hitting the theater world hard.
"Godspell" (by John-Michael Tebelack and Stephen Schwartz) looked like a sure thing. It was scheduled to start previews on September 29, 2008 at 7:00 pm at the Barrymore Theatre at 243 West 47th Street, with the official opening on October 23. Set to star were Gavin Creel (who was nominated for a Tony Award when he played the male lead, Jimmy, in "Thoroughly Modern Millie") and "American Idol"-finalist Diana DeGarmo. Joshua Henry left the cast of the hit "In the Heights" (which would have provided him with long-term steady employment) to play Judas in "Godspell." Others in the cast included Telly Leung (from "Rent") and David Josefsberg (from "Altar Boyz"). But producers reportedly were only able to raise $3.5 million of the $4.5 million they needed to open, and cast members, who'd begun rehearsing, were suddenly notified they were out of work.
So long as it is well cast--and on paper, this certainly appeared to be well cast--"Godspell" is almost always fun to watch. And for this production, Stephen Schwartz recently explained, he'd "written a new musical section to connect the two halves of 'Learn Your Lessons Well,' so that it will now all be one number. We've also done a bit of replacement and rewriting of the philosophers in the 'Prologue,' which of course has involved some new lyrics as well." And that should have created some extra interest--the fact that Stephen Schwartz himself (the composer of "Wicked," "Pippin," etc.) was personally involved in the production, and was helping to tweak it.
But the weak stock market means it's harder and harder to find investors needed to put in the money needed to mount any Broadway show. "Godspell" was holding backers' auditions, in a desperate attempt to raise funds, up to the end.
The proposed revival of "For Colored Girls...," which Whoopi Goldberg was producing, also appears to be have fallen victim to money troubles. And it is an open question whether the highly anticipated new musical "Turn of the Century," which nine-time Tony Award-winner Tommy Tune is directing in Chicago, will be able to raise the money needed to bring it into New York.
Advance ticket sales for forthcoming Broadway productions appear generally weak, with the British hit "Billy Elliott" being a major exception. Advance sales for the forthcoming revival of "Equus" are fairly strong, too--although that's probably due more to some clever stunt casting (with some ticket buyers intrigued by the idea of seeing the star of the "Harry Potter" films in person--and in the nude) than to interest in the play per se.
-- Rob Adams
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