Britany wright/asst. features editorLighting, humorous anecdotes, light-hearted music and Jesus placed together combined the powerful musical of “Godspell” under the direction of Dr. Thomas Stretton, Jr., assistant professor of education.
Due to the tremendous demand for tickets an eighth show was added. Each night, theater seats were filled with Cabrini College students, alumni, faculty, staff and the neighboring community members.
The majority of the shows were received by a standing ovation at curtain call. After the well-received turnout for “The Laramie Project” by Moisés Kaufmam, the cast, crew and directors brought an increased level of intensity during the show “Godspell,” building on the success and attendance of Cabrini College theater’s performances.
“I’ve signed more autographs during this show than in my lifetime,” Nicole Hearn, a junior biology major, said.
The atmosphere inside the theater was well constructed. The stage crew, under the supervision of Bob Iodice, technical director, developed a set and lights to make this production of the musical relate to modern-day life, as the original had been written in the ’70s.
“The enthusiasm of cast and crew is inspiring. Night after night the energy that the company invests in mounting this sell-out musical is fabulous,” Iodice said.
The biblical teachings come to life each and every night with growing intensity. At the close of the show a few returning audience members had a chance to view the intricate work of the company.
Lauren Schreiber, a senior English secondary education major, said, “It’s my favorite show and I really couldn’t have seen it done any better.”
The cast spent hours on end perfecting their solos and even though it was tedious they still had the time of their lives. Zach Berman, a junior biotechnology major, described it as the most fun he had doing a musical and that he will definitely miss the production.
The stage crew had dedicated hours to behind the scenes work and the hard work they did reflected in the smoothness of the quality of the show as technical errors were little to none.
Everybody involved with the production is thankful for the hours their peers and teachers put in to make the show a success. They are especially thankful for the hours that the members of the musical pit put in to blend the overall sound of the show.
Even though the closing of every show means taking down the set and restarting for the next production, the theater will still feel like a second home to the students. In one of the concluding verses of Jesus on stage, he says something that makes this production stand out from others, “Yes, it’s all for the best.”
