'Prepare Ye' For Fresh Adaption Of 'Godspell' In Morris County, Starring Local Pastor

MORRISTOWN, NJ — A local theater company will stage the beloved musical "Godspell" in June, with the senior pastor of a Morristown church starring in the role of Jesus.

North Jersey-based Pioneer Productions Company, Inc. is inviting audiences to journey with Jesus Christ and some of his followers in a more contemporary staging of "Godspell," which first debuted off-Broadway in 1971.

The show uses a variety of storytelling techniques and musical styles to convey Jesus' moral and spiritual lessons through parables, or simple stories. Perhaps the best-known song from "Godspell" is the ballad "Day by Day," which charted on Billboard after the 1973 film adaption. Other numbers include "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord," "Learn Your Lessons Well," and "By My Side."

The show runs the weekend of June 14-16 and June 21-23. Show times are at 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, with a Sunday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets are $30.

"Godspell" will be staged at the Morristown United Methodist Church, 50 South Park Place in Morristown. And, Senior Pastor Luana Cook Scott will be making her Pioneer Productions debut in the role of Jesus, which she said is "a gift and a privilege."

“I applaud Pioneer for having a vision that goes beyond gender and for giving me the creative space to bring compassion and joy to the role," said Cook Scott in an announcement from the company. "Whether you meet Jesus as a historical figure or as Christ (as I do in my life and vocation), I promise you will leave feeling that we can indeed build a 'Beautiful City.'"

Pioneer Productions rents space from the church and is not directly affiliated; a spokesperson said Cook Scott impressed the director and "blew us away" when she came to audition.

Pioneer Productions co-founder Shanna Levine-Phelps is directing the production, a 2012 revival of the original musical by Stephen Schwartz.

“At its core, the show is about building community,” she said. “There is a greater energy than what we can see and feel, and it connects us all. I hope our audiences will embrace that energy and leave inspired to live life to the fullest.”

The other actors making up the tapestry of this case include Tiffany Bizub, Sean Coyle, Patrick Comey, Lauren Mangine, Sarah Emaline Melton, Robert Stevens, Margaret Summer, and Jade Virginia.

Hannah Comia is the musical director, and Jon Mantes the choreographer. Pioneer co-founder and Artistic Director Dan Vissers is providing tech direction (lights/sound) and set design/construction expertise.

Funding for the show was made possible in part by Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, which is a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts.

Pioneer Productions was incorporated in 2003 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit theatre company by founding members Dan Vissers, Shanna Levine-Phelps, and Jon Mantes.

The Company’s stated mission is "to share our collective human story through live theatrical performance by producing shows that are relevant to our time and inspire audiences to attend live theater."

Visit them online at www.pioneerproductions.com.