I have wanted to direct Godspell for many years now, and I believe I have the right cast to do it this fall.

My problem is the religious nature of the show--I've never had problems doing religious music before, but lately, there have been a family or two that are complaining about any religious music.

Has anyone done Godspell, especially in larger schools? What arguments did you have with the show? What fodder could I use to make the show seem less religious?

I love the music, and I think the message is good dialogue for people of all faiths, but I also don't want to stir up controversy of the legal kind (one of the families has a lawyer parent).

This musical would not be required for any student, it is considered extra curricular by administration.

Thanks for any advice or comments you'd be willing to give me.

Perry,

I did Godspell here in Fall 2000. It went really well. I had one student drop out after realizing the religious affiliation. We didn't have any parents bring up concerns. It is an extra curricular activity, therefore, students make a choice to participate.

Look at the musical as being a great show for the following reasons:
1) Ensemble Show ... other than the roles of Jesus and John the Baptist / Judas, it's really an ensemble driven show -- lots of opportunities to feature lots of students.

2) Wide variety of musical style to study ...

3) We made the setting a construction site. Instead of listing Jesus in the program, the character's name was Foreman. I'd have to find a program to tell you how we listed JTB.

4) Some opportunities to develop improv skills

It's a fantastic show. I hope you are able to move forward with it!