Top West End talent to headline Godspell 50th anniversary online concert
Ruthie Henshall, Sam Tutty, and Darren Day will celebrate Stephen Schwartz's iconic musical.
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stephen Schwartz musical, over a dozen leading West End stars will take part in an online concert version of Godspell for charity. The concert will be available to stream from 27 to 29 August, with funds being raised for three organistions.
Stars include Ruthie Henshall and Darren Day (reprising their roles from a 1993 studio recording of the show), alongside Shekinah McFarlane (SIX), Danyl Johnson (X-Factor), Sam Tutty (Dear Evan Hansen), Ria Jones (Sunset Blvd), Jenna Russell (Sunday in the Park with George), and Alison Jiear (Jerry Springer the Opera).
The concert, directed by Michael Strassen, will raise funds for three charities - The Hope Mill Theatre, the National AIDS Trust, and Acting For Others.
Godspell, with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak, made its debut off Broadway in 1971 and on Broadway in 1977. A film version was released in 1973.
Based on the gospel of Matthew, the musical tells the story of Jesus Christ, up to his crucifixion. Traditionally performed by an ensemble of ten actors, it has been produced around the world and introduced the hit song "Day By Day."
After making his musical theatre debut with Godspell, Stephen Schwartz went on to write stage musicals including Pippin, Wicked, and The Prince of Egypt, in addition to lyrics for Disney feature films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted.
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