Prepare ye for 'Godspell' at Henegar Center

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Based on the Gospel of Matthew, "Godspell" interprets parables from the Bible as a series of hummable, danceable songs by composer Stephen Schwartz ("Wicked," "Pippin," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"). The toe-tapping music - which ranges in style from vaudeville to pop - is catchy and the stories are timeless.

The Henegar Center brings a modern spin to the familiar stories as "Godspell" opens March 24 and runs through April 2.

"Godspell" was a huge hit when it premiered Off-Broadway in 1971, running more than 2,000 performances before being made into a 1973 movie starring Victor Garber. The show was revived for a high-energy Broadway production in 2011.

Part of the show's charm is its setting, which can be anywhere the director wants it to be. For the Henegar version, executive artistic director Dominic Del Brocco chose to place the action in a library filled with people looking for understanding.

"While every director's interpretation differs, I took a modern, more clean approach," said Del Brocco. "It is set in a college library with several people of differing opinions who are in a search for answers and knowledge."

"'Someone' comes along and through parables, gives them other ways to think about things," he said.

"(The show is) not played overly religious and does not cater to any specific practice, it is more about hope and faith in general."

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This production marks the show's "second coming" to the Henegar stage. Originally produced at the theater in January 2021, at that time the show could only play to half-filled houses due to COVID precautions. In his director's notes for the show's playbill, Del Brocco explains why he felt it was important to remount "Godspell."

"The biggest issue was not being able to accommodate so many due to half capacity and the large amount of the general public who didn’t get the chance to see the show due to a slow comeback to group events," he wrote.

"This show and its message of hope is being produced again, much in the same way it was previously presented with the addition of a few new performers. Now it can be seen and played to a full house as it deserves."

For the current production, Del Brocco intended to bring back the same cast to reprise their roles, but four of the actors were unable to return, including the leading role of Jesus.

"The lead role of Jesus is now played by Daniel Grest," said Del Brocco. "Daniel grew up as a child actor at the Henegar and then eventually went away from school and performing opportunities. He has come back to his hometown to take on the lead role and return to the Henegar after many years."

The production also stars Melinda Benya, Kayla Canada, Olga Intriago, Bethany Soule, Bryan DeSouza, Marquise Hillman, Jared Sierra and Jacob Ballard.

Del Brocco feels that the show's lighthearted innocence and creative storytelling will appeal to all audiences, regardless of their individual spirituality or beliefs.

"We want your takeaway to not be a smattering of any specific denominations, opinions or argued facts, but rather a simple message of what happens when a group of people can question but still find faith and hope in the darkest of days."

If you go

'Godspell'

Where: Henegar Center, 625 E. New Haven Ave., Melbourne

When: Fridays and Saturdays at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m. through April 2

Tickets: $34

Info: 321-723-8698

On the web: henegarcenter.com

Christina LaFortune is the Entertainment and TGIF Editor at FLORIDA TODAY. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/christinalafortune or send her an email at clafortune@floridatoday.com.

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This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Henegar's 'Godspell' puts a modern spin on the Gospels