Prepare Ye: "Godspell" Turns 40, Celebrates With Deluxe Album Reissues

Prepare ye the way of the Lord. Just as the musical gears up for its first-ever Broadway revival, Masterworks Broadway is giving the deluxe treatment to Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak's Godspell with a new 2-CD set to celebrate both the new revival and the show's 40th anniversary. Godspell and its score announced a major new talent in Stephen Schwartz, alumnus of Carnegie-Mellon University (the birthplace of his next musical, the legendary Pippin). With its varied and diverse textures, as well as a decidedly modern feel, Schwartz's score yielded a Top 15 pop single on the Hot 100 with "Day by Day," and paved the way for his future triumphs including Pippin, The Magic Show and of course, Wicked.

Masterworks' 40th anniversary Godspell features the original Top 40-charting 1971 off-Broadway cast album on the first disc, while the second is devoted to the soundtrack to the 1973 film version starring Victor Garber. The original staging's Robin Lamont also appeared in the film to perform her hit rendition of "Day by Day." Although no additional tracks have been included on either disc, both recordings have been remastered for this edition, and Schwartz has been tapped to pen the new liner notes. He was first brought on board after an embryonic college staging directed by Tebelak, with music and lyrics by the student cast members. Though Schwartz was hardly older than the young troupe, his vibrant score was both youthfully exciting and professionally polished. (One song was retained from the original Godspell, "By My Side." It was written by Jay Hamburger and Peggy Gordon, and remains in the show's libretto to this day.) He drew lyrical inspiration from authentic hymns while still contributing his own unique lyrical voice.

Godspell opened off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 17, 1971, moving uptown to the larger Promenade Theatre on August 10 of that year. It eventually took a Broadway berth in 1976, ending its run the following year after 527 performances on the Great White Way. Its unique structure of loose parables and catchy musical illustrations of those stories (primarily adapted from the Gospel of Matthew) set it apart from traditional musicals; its dramatic content has continued to be revised with each subsequent staging, though Schwartz's score is a constant. He added one pivotal song to that score in 1973 for the film version, the uplifting "Beautiful City." Over the years, Godspell has introduced the image of Jesus clad in a Superman T-shirt to theatres everywhere, while its songs (particularly "Day by Day") have been covered and numerous recordings of productions all over the world have been released on vinyl and CD.

Hit the jump for Masterworks' full press release, plus a pre-order link and complete track listing! Godspell - The 40th Anniversary Celebration arrives in stores, physically and digitally, on September 6.

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY proudly announces the release of Godspell - The 40^th Anniversary Celebration, a two-disc set that will be available physically and digitally on September 6, 2011. The newly remastered collection includes both the original off-Broadway cast recording from 1971 and the motion picture soundtrack from 1973. Featuring new liner notes by composer Stephen Schwartz, Godspell - The 40^th Anniversary Celebration comes out in advance of the first ever Broadway revival, which begins performances at New York City’s Circle in the Square Theatre in October.

The score by Stephen Schwartz, the Grammy® and Academy Award®-winning composer of Wicked and Pippin, includes the hit “Day By Day,” which reached #13 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart in the summer of 1972. "The popularity of the record helped make the show a bigger hit," recalls Schwartz in his liner notes, "and at one point there were ten companies playing simultaneously around the United States, plus other productions in London, Paris, Australia, South Africa, Germany, etc. Today it is hard to believe that forty years have gone by since the original production.” New Godspell interview and performance videos featuring Stephen Schwartz will be available for viewing exclusively on MasterworksBroadway.com.

The 2-disc set also includes the soundtrack from the 1973 movie, which was filmed and set in New York City, and memorably featured the musical number “All For the Best” performed on the top of the as-yet-to-be-completed World Trade Center. Godspell introduced a young Victor Garber (Sweeney Todd on Broadway and four-time Emmy® nominee for TV’s Alias) as Jesus and features the joyous song “Beautiful City” which was newly written for the film.

Although this immensely successful musical based on the Gospel of St. Matthew now needs little introduction, when Godspell was first produced in 1971, it broke new ground in its treatment of the historical Jesus. It relates the last days of Jesus using dramatized versions of several parables, but quickly becomes something more – a religious experience and a joyous celebration of the family of man.

Godspell opened at the Cherry Lane Theatre on May 17, 1971 and then moved to the larger Promenade Theater in August 1971, where it became one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals of all time. Godspell moved to Broadway in June 1976 and was Tony®-nominated for its score before ending its run in September 1977, with a combined total of more than 2,600 performances. This beloved musical has become a staple of the theatrical repertoire in schools, churches, and community and professional theatres across the globe and is one of the most licensed titles annually.

Masterworks Broadway is an imprint of Sony Masterworks. For email updates and information please visit www.MasterworksBroadway.com.

Disc 1: Original Cast Recording (Bell Records 1102, 1971)