Review: (Montreal) Godspell

(photo credit: Tristan Brand)

We can build a beautiful city
Yes, we can; Yes, we can
We can build a beautiful city
Not a city of angels
But we can build a city of man

by Caitlin Murphy

So goes the chorus to a song specifically written for the movie version of Godspell (though often since incorporated into stage versions as well).   And so goes the inspiration for the name and mandate of a new Montreal theatre company currently foisting itself into the fray with a production of the 1971 musical.  Beautiful City Theatre strikes me as that rare indie company that actually has its shit together.

Which is partly why I feel torn reviewing Godspell.  I loved it and hated it.  And the distinction lies quite neatly along that divide that musical theatre often unwittingly draws – the play vs. the music.  In this case, the play (book by John-Michael Tebelak) is long, meandering, dull and pedantic.  The score (music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz) is at turns joyful, sultry, stirring, foot-stomping, and haunting.

Sunday Feature: Natalie Gershtein on Godspell (Montreal)

                                          (photo credit all photos: Eric Chad)

Two Beautiful Cities
by Natalie Gershtein

As I write this from my New York apartment in the Upper (extremely Upper) West Side, I am overwhelmed by the stronghold Montreal has on my heart. I moved to Montreal just over four years ago, and fell in love quite instantaneously. I know it was an emotional blow to my family in Toronto every time I called Montreal “home,” but that is exactly what it was. A youthful city, Montreal is constantly abuzz with the sound of driven and ambitious individuals bringing new ideas and initiatives to an already thriving cultural hub. In a city so vibrant and alive, who wouldn’t want to jump in and make noise?

Montreal has that special something, the “it” factor that makes it so remarkable. As a theatre artist, Montreal was the perfect place for me to grow and develop. The way I see it, Montreal has the look and feel of a large metropolis, yet maintains the intimacy that is only possible within smaller cities. I didn’t know it until I left the city, but I was blessed to be able to experience theatre the way I did in Montreal.  I was able to develop my own work through an institution that supported me (I owe a great deal to the support of the McGill theatre community), and could also take part in the larger Montreal theatre scene – from smaller groups like Teesri Duniya, to the larger theatre companies such as the Segal Centre for Performing Arts. After immersing myself in the Montreal theatre community for a few years, I reached a point where I yearned to collaborate with other artists I connected with in order to make our own contribution.