Ascension troupe adds fresh ideas to Godspell

• By JUDY BERGERON
• Advocate News Features staff
• Published: Apr 20, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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After more than 30 years,  Godspell could use a little updating.

Enter Bradley Sanchez. The 20-year-old LSU student and Gonzales native is directing the Ascension Community Theatre Second Stage’s production of the rock musical, opening this week at the Pasqua Theatre in Gonzales.

Sanchez, who’s at the helm of his first musical, is mixing his young ideas on costuming, set design and music with the original script, which already leaves a lot of room for interpretation, he said.

“We’re not straying too far away, to honor that (script),” Sanchez said.

“We’re just making it more relevant.”

Godspell, by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, opened off-Broadway in 1971, and its popularity has endured. Several of its songs are well-known, including “Day by Day,” “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord” and “Save the People.” The show follows Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew and is structured as a series of parables interspersed with the music.

“It’s a bunch of vignettes, all combined to form this one message of unity and community,” Sanchez said.

Jesus, of course, leads the cast. He’s being played by Collin Cleary.

“With Jesus in particular, I looked for someone you would instantly connect with,” Sanchez said.

“You were instantly drawn towards that human being, or that spirit that was within him.

“I was looking for someone who would lead the way and he does that with the cast already. He’s very charismatic. He’s the first person you look at on stage. You can’t help but notice him.”

Landon Watts plays John the Baptist/Judas, and the rest of the cast forms an ensemble, using their real names rather than any character names.

The ensemble includes Adam Gilbert, Johnathan Stevens, Sean Matassa, Taylor Morgan, Mary Elfert, Mary Griffith, Taylor Rhinehart and Emily Gyan.