About the work
Godspell is a musical by Stephen Schwartz (music and lyrics) with a book by John-Michael Tebelak, premiered Off-Broadway in 1971. One of the first major rock musicals, it is based chiefly on the Gospel of Matthew, turning its parables into a sequence of playful scenes.
Plot
A small group of performers gathers around the figure of Jesus and re-enacts, in a loose, clownishly joyful manner, a series of parables from the Gospel of Matthew—from the Good Samaritan to the Prodigal Son. Through games, improvisation, and song, the individuals form a community. In the final part the tone darkens: the Last Supper, the betrayal, and the Crucifixion are enacted, before the community, carrying away the dead Jesus, offers a sign of hope.
Cultural significance
Godspell caught the spirit of the early 1970s and, with its blend of hippie aesthetics, folk, and rock, became an international success. The song Day by Day reached the US charts and became the work's best-known number. As one of the defining rock musicals of its time—alongside Jesus Christ Superstar and Hair—Godspell is still especially popular with schools, churches, and amateur companies, and it launched Stephen Schwartz's major career.