Cross purposes

Godspell
8th Avenue Players
Florence Simmons Performance Hall, Charlottetown
March 15, 2025

A confession: I’ve long been lukewarm on the 1971 hit musical Godspell. Story-wise, it’s kind of a lightweight cousin of Jesus Christ Superstar. Instead of the fuller exploits of Jesus, we get a series of oft-playful Biblical parables told by Jesus and his followers until the show takes a dark turn and that whole crucifixion thing spoils everybody’s fun in the home stretch. 

Seems sparse on paper, but the show’s long history—legendary 1970s runs off-Broadway, on Broadway and in Toronto, plus a 1973 film adaptation and many stage revivals—proves the enduring appeal of this musical, created by John-Michael Tebelak (based largely on the Gospel of Matthew) with music & lyrics by Stephen Schwartz (later of Wicked fame). 

That appeal lies partly in Godspell’s soundtrack, full of memorable tunes like “Day by Day,” a top 10 hit in Canada. The show’s allure also stems from its flexibility. It’s been revised repeatedly over the years, and new productions often modify it—even the characters’ names change, with Jesus’s followers mostly rechristened in each show to suit each cast. 

The shape-shifting quality of Godspell, often incorporating audience interaction, fourth wall breakage, ad libs and improv, means no two productions are alike—heck, no two performances, even—giving the show a life beyond the page that’s hard to verbalize. Even more than most live theatre, on some level it boils down to: “You had to be there.” 

In this case, “there” was Holland College’s handsome performance hall, and it was a very good place to be. That’s where the 8th Avenue Players revived Godspell as part of a two-city, multi-week run spanning Charlottetown and Summerside. 

I’ve been wanting to see an 8th Avenue show but I had never managed it until now, partly because they mostly operate an hour away in Summerside. This tour having removed that geographic hurdle, the group has a shot at reaching a wider audience, me included. 

Some of the performers are familiar from other shows by other companies—it’s a small Island, after all—but others are new to me. The whole group is excellent, some doing multiple jobs; the show features Jesus (played by co-director/vocal director Hayden Lysecki), John the Baptist/Judas (set designer/builder Ryan Whitty), Babekah (assistant choreographer/wardrobe assistant Rebekah Brown), Rico (puppet designer/builder Eric Cerisano), Jubi (Julia Cerisano), MacK (MacKenzie Cutcliffe), Didi (Adia Laureijs), Gaston (Marius Lavoie), Samwich (Sam Marchionda), Peach (Carter McDevitt), Will (James Ronahan), Emsie (Emi Smith) and CharChar (co-director/choreographer Charlee Whitty).

Ryan Whitty’s set, a literal playground with slide, swings & teeter-totter, cultivates an air of childlike whimsy echoed and sustained by the effervescent cast. Brown, Marchionda, Smith and Charlee Whitty in particular are contagiously joyful figures. It’s a cast steeped in both chemistry and versatility; the whole gang has an easy, affectionate rapport with each other, and they all do ever-shifting voices, vocal styles and personas as they act out the parables. Brown is an especially crowd-pleasing chameleon in this regard, though every actor has memorable moments. 

Lysecki’s Jesus is a warm, charismatically whimsical figure who can turn on a dime into deadly serious intensity as needed, and Ryan Whitty shows compelling range as an uplifting John and a tormented Judas. Both are fine singers in a cast full of same, with highlights such as Brown’s boisterous “Learn Your Lessons Well,” Smith’s showstopping “Turn Back O Man” and Lysecki’s haunting “Beautiful City.” 

There’s also fun dancing shaped by Charlee Whitty’s exuberant, oft-intricate choreography, and a very physically expressive, fun-to-watch cast in general under the guidance of co-directors Whitty & Lysecki. They use the entire venue as a playing space with lots of action happening offstage, making it an immersive and surprising show. 

All this plus charming, slightly hippy-dippy costuming from Cadina Meadus; solid light & sound work by Samantha Bruce, Pat Caron, Peter Gallant, Joseph Cole & Dylan Smith; a slick program designed by stage manager Vanessa MacArthur, also available online (always a plus); an expertly rocking pit band led by producer and music director Mark Cerisano; a strikingly memorable puppet created by Eric Cerisano (though less open robes on its operators might have tightened its visual a bit); decades-spanning, genre-hopping musical styles and pop culture references; and the best impersonation of Satan by a blanket ever (again, you had to be there). 

It all adds up to one of the most entertaining, professional-class musicals you’ll see on PEI, especially outside of The Charlottetown Festival season. This town should have an 8th Avenue more often.