GODSPELL
Louise Gold appeared in Godspell,
at Thorndike Theatre (Leatherhead), Between Tuesday 19 August
to Saturday 13 September 1980
Cast
Paul
Blake (as Jesus)
Michael Cashman (as Judas)
Jenny
Galloway
Louise
Gold
Gary
Hurst
Colette
Kelly
Pauline McGough
Anthony
O’Keeffe
Josephine
Welcome
Production Team
Music
and New Lyrics by - Stephen Schwartz
Original
Productions -
Directed by
- Andy Hinds
Designed by
- Rod Langsford
Musical
Director - Richard Brown
The Band
Guitars - Graham Atha
Bass Guitar - Dave Olney
Drums/Percussion - Nigel Bates
Keyboards - Richard Brown
Choreographer
- Janis Mackintosh
Lighting by
- Ron Beattie
Sound by - Richard
Tierney
Musical Numbers
Act I
Prepare Ye The Way of the Lord - Warwick and Company
Save The People - Paul and Company
Day By Day -
Josephine and Company
Learn Your Lessons Well - Pauline
Bless The Lord - Louise
All For The Best - Paul and Michael
All Good Gifts
- Warwick and Company
Light of The World - The Company
Act 2
Learn Your Lessons Well (Reprise) - The Company
Turn Back, O Man - Colette
Alas For You
- Paul
By My Side
(Lyrics by Jay Hamburger, Music by Peggy Gordon) - Jenny,
Josephine and Company
We Beseech Thee - Gary and Company
On The Willows
- Tony and Company
Finale - The
Company
Louise’s main feature role in this show seems to have
been as the woman who tells the story of a man who spent his life accumulating
things, and then died before he could enjoy it. She then sang a song praising a
patient and wise God. Apparently her big number is one of the shows best known
and more energetic numbers. The words of the song were apparently taken from
the Psalms. It seems likely that she played the role of “JoAnne”,
although as bits of script sometimes get reassigned between characters in
different productions, this is not entirely certain.
It is perhaps interesting to note that in her resume
in the programme for Godspell, Louise
Gold mentions the possibility of developing a solo cabaret act of her own.
Whether anything of note was achieved at the time is not entirely clear.
However, twenty two years later she really made her mark in the solo cabaret
act field with LOUISE GOLD....By Appointment.
Louise Gold and Warwick Evans
had previously appeared together in another biblical musical, Joseph and the
Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Touring Production)
Louise Gold and Jenny Galloway
went on to appear together in: A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Boys From Syracuse, and The
Regent’s Park 70th Anniversary Gala, all at The Open Air
Theatre in Regents Park.
It is possible that Choreographer Janis Mackintosh
may also have been the same Janis Mackintosh who appeared, along with Louise
Gold, as one of the Ballroom Dancers in the film Labyrinth.
It is perhaps interesting to note, that Godspell is not the only religious musical to
have had its original premier at The Cherry Lane Theatre, the rather
more irreverent Nunsense
also premiered there. Louise Gold subsequently appeared in the original
Links about Godspell
MIT’s page detailing the plot synopsis, and some
details of the original
A detailed Fan site devoted to the musical: http://www.geocities.com/cugodspell/
A page about Godspell’s
songs: http://www.reallyfaithfulgroup.org.uk/Shows/Godspell/godspellsongs.html
