Who said the Bible doesn't rock? Certainly not the Auburn Players.
Chet Susslin / The Citizen
Auburn Players Community Theater performer Mike Nye plays John the Baptist in the group's rehearsal of “Godspell,” which opens tonight and continues through Sunday at Cayuga Community College.
Auburn Players Community Theater performer Mike Nye plays John the Baptist in the group's rehearsal of “Godspell,” which opens tonight and continues through Sunday at Cayuga Community College.
The local musical theater group will try and prove just the opposite today as it opens its production of “Godspell.”
Written in the 1970s by John-Michael Tebelak, the rock 'n' roll musical follows the life of Jesus Christ as described in the Gospel of St. Matthew. His parables are told through high-energy songs, one of which (“Day by Day”) has endured as a popular hit.
The musical has enjoyed well-received runs both on and off Broadway, and it was made into a film in 1973.
Its challenging and inspirational music, combined with its blend of pantomime, clowning, acrobatics and other dramatic devices, make “Godspell” a unique theatrical experience, according to Co-director Elisa Hunt.
“These stories are beautiful. The music is so high energy, and the dancing is high energy too,” Hunt said.
The Auburn Players were originally going to produce a different piece, but had a difficult time obtaining the rights, she said.
“Then the idea of doing this one came up, and everybody got excited about it,” Hunt said.
The musical features a 20-person cast, which is larger than normal for “Godspell.” Most of the cast is on the stage throughout the whole show, Hunt said.
One of the cast members is Max Kellogg, 20, of Auburn. Kellogg plays Jesus, a part he said has been challenging for a number of reasons.
For one, Kellogg does not usually perform music that pulls from rock and pop. He has more experience with operatic styles of musical theater, he said.
“I'm not used to singing that way,” Kellogg said. “It is just as difficult to sing these songs as anything else.”
Kellogg said it has also been a challenge portraying such a major historic and religious figure.
The play is a product of the experimental time that was the late 1960s and early 1970s. On the other hand, these are deeply spiritual stories that he does not want to trivialize, he said.
“It is two different worlds, and it is putting me right in the middle,” said Kellogg, who added that he grew up in a religious family. “I talked to my mother and my grandparents, and they said, regardless of what time it was set in, it is still getting the message across.”
But Dia Carabajal, Hunt's sister and co-director of the musical, said that while the story comes from Christian text, its themes are universal. Most people can relate to the ideas of community, love and sharing, she said.
“Those come out loud and clear,” Carabajal said. “They are the same classic messages that were always there. They were just expressed in a new way and a new style.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: “Godspell”
When: 8 tonight through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St., Auburn
Cost: $14 general admission, $12 seniors and students, $7 children younger than 12
Info: Call 258-8275
Written in the 1970s by John-Michael Tebelak, the rock 'n' roll musical follows the life of Jesus Christ as described in the Gospel of St. Matthew. His parables are told through high-energy songs, one of which (“Day by Day”) has endured as a popular hit.
The musical has enjoyed well-received runs both on and off Broadway, and it was made into a film in 1973.
Its challenging and inspirational music, combined with its blend of pantomime, clowning, acrobatics and other dramatic devices, make “Godspell” a unique theatrical experience, according to Co-director Elisa Hunt.
“These stories are beautiful. The music is so high energy, and the dancing is high energy too,” Hunt said.
The Auburn Players were originally going to produce a different piece, but had a difficult time obtaining the rights, she said.
“Then the idea of doing this one came up, and everybody got excited about it,” Hunt said.
The musical features a 20-person cast, which is larger than normal for “Godspell.” Most of the cast is on the stage throughout the whole show, Hunt said.
One of the cast members is Max Kellogg, 20, of Auburn. Kellogg plays Jesus, a part he said has been challenging for a number of reasons.
For one, Kellogg does not usually perform music that pulls from rock and pop. He has more experience with operatic styles of musical theater, he said.
“I'm not used to singing that way,” Kellogg said. “It is just as difficult to sing these songs as anything else.”
Kellogg said it has also been a challenge portraying such a major historic and religious figure.
The play is a product of the experimental time that was the late 1960s and early 1970s. On the other hand, these are deeply spiritual stories that he does not want to trivialize, he said.
“It is two different worlds, and it is putting me right in the middle,” said Kellogg, who added that he grew up in a religious family. “I talked to my mother and my grandparents, and they said, regardless of what time it was set in, it is still getting the message across.”
But Dia Carabajal, Hunt's sister and co-director of the musical, said that while the story comes from Christian text, its themes are universal. Most people can relate to the ideas of community, love and sharing, she said.
“Those come out loud and clear,” Carabajal said. “They are the same classic messages that were always there. They were just expressed in a new way and a new style.”
Staff writer Christopher Caskey can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 282 or christopher.caskey@lee.net
If you go
What: “Godspell”
When: 8 tonight through Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday
Where: Irene Bisgrove Theater, Cayuga Community College, 197 Franklin St., Auburn
Cost: $14 general admission, $12 seniors and students, $7 children younger than 12
Info: Call 258-8275
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