Theater Review - "Godspell"

Theater Review

“Godspell”

Produced by: The CM Performing Arts Center - Oakdale

Reviewed by Jeb Ladouceur

After discovering the old Oakdale Theatre (a movie house that had been vacant for nine years), and negotiating lease and renovation terms with the landlord, the burgeoning Creative Ministries Performing Arts Center began the arduous task of turning an admitted eyesore into a remarkable facility capable of producing live theatre. This necessitated raising over $150,000 and recruiting dozens of CMPAC members to help with the actual renovations.

More than a hundred volunteers spent untold hours painting, sanding, re-covering seats, hanging electrical wires and laying carpet. Fleet Bank pitched in with continuous support and sent a crew of volunteer employees to assist with the renovation. What’s more, Fleet donated much of the CMPAC’s office furniture and a number of essential computers. Finally, the CM Performing Arts Center opened on an eventful evening in May, 1997—almost seventeen years ago. Appropriately, the play the group mounted was Man of La Mancha, and for Creative Ministries, ‘The Impossible Dream’ had become a reality.

As if to put his own stamp on what many have come to call this ‘miracle’ of theatrical achievement, Director Terry Brennan has brought area theatergoers a raucous, sometimes rowdy, but usually fun-fueled version of Matthew’s Gospel that runs through April 19.

Admittedly, this musical by Stephen Schwartz is not exactly your grandmother’s Bible story, but for rock enthusiasts, it seems to fill the bill, at least if last Wednesday’s audience reaction was any indication.

Schwartz, of course, is the same originator who wrote the music for the long-running ‘Pippin’ (a lot of naughty nonsense saved only by the great Bob Fosse’s direction and choreography) along with the wildly successful ‘Wicked’ (an insignificant takeoff on happenings post-‘Wizard of Oz’) and the composer brought those equally noisy productions to Broadway as well. Accordingly, the beatnik wunderkind from Carnegie Mellon University comes armed with show business credentials galore…whether deserved or not.

One’s first impression is that the cast for this local adaptation of ‘Godspell’ takes to the CMPAC stage in Oakdale like a confused troupe that’s still in early rehearsal for a show they know virtually nothing about. For that theatrical no-no, Director Brennan must accept the brickbats. After all, Brennan can hardly take credit for the considerable inborn talents of her star, Danny Amy, a magnetic Jesus who grabs our attention, steps out front, and stays there. Nor does the Director deserve kudos for the one memorable song (Day by Day) from this sometimes ear-splitting musical’s largely forgettable score.

Ironically, one of the truly memorable results of this play takes place not on stage, but in the film ‘Meet the Parents’ when Ben Stiller, playing the visiting Greg Focker, is asked by Robert De Niro to say Grace before his first meal with the Byrnes family. Nonplussed, Stiller recites what appears to be the only prayer he knows—the lyrics from ‘Day by Day.’

Plaudits for having given this production their best effort go to Meagan Materazo, Corey Martin, Brianne Boyd, Marielle Greguski, and Alyssa Caracciolo. They are better than the material assigned to them. Also, Tommy Castelli, Bobby Montaniz, and Sean Burbage are precise singers who show considerable promise, and likely will be heard from favorably. Conductor Matthew Surico is sure to be heard from as well. His feel for contemporary music is obvious.

Award-winning Smithtown writer Jeb Ladouceur is the author of eight novels, and his theater reviews appear in several major L.I. publications. In Ladouceur’s next thriller, “Harvest” due in late summer, an American doctor is forced to perform illegal surgeries for a gang of vital organ traffickers in The Balkans.

Comments

[Brianne]

Hi Jeb,
Thanks for your review. Just a couple of notes: Terry Brennan is female, but I suppose that knowing nothing about her makes it much easier to criticize her work so relentlessly on the internet. Also, 'Wicked' is actually set pre- and post-'Wizard of Oz'. Just wanted to clear up those few things. Thanks again!

Brianne Boyd

[Jeb Ladouceur]

Brianne:
Worse than mis-identifying Brennan's Gender, I identified her using the masculine personal pronoun in paragraph 3, and the feminine in paragraph 6. Unforgivable, since I know full well that Brennan is a woman.
As for the chronology of 'Wicked' vis-a-vis 'Wizard of Oz,' rather than identifying 'Wicked' as a '...takeoff on happenings post-‘Wizard of Oz,' I should have said '...takeoff on happenings WRITTEN post-‘Wizard of Oz.’
One develops a thick skin in this business ... but should never (in my view) fail to apologize for obvious errors.
Jeb Ladouceur