There's a possibility that I may be directing/producing a production of Godspell in the coming months, so I've been doing research into parts, ranges etc. I've been in Godspell before myself, but only as a part of the backing choir.

I've been trying to find out if the philosopher lines are always given to specific characters, but I haven't been able to find anything on it so far and it's the philosopher's names on the score in TOB rather than the other characters.

I wondered if anyone has noticed any patterns in the line assignments in different productions they have seen or heard about, or if those of you who have been cast members in Godspell before might be able to tell me how the lines were assigned in your own productions.

Thanks.

I think, if I remember right, the philosophers take on the different main "song" characters...with that being said, I don't remember who is who.

John/Judas is typically Thomas Aquinas if he appears in the number.

John/Judas is NEVER Aquinas. The Prologue/Tower of Babble is performed by the eight members of the cast excluding Jesus and John/Judas. John the Baptist interrupts the prologue with "Prepare Ye".

In the original production the philosophers were played accordingly:
Gilmer - Socrates
Jeffrey - Thomas Aquinas
Joanne - Martin Luther
Lamar - DaVinci
Sonia - Gibbon
Robin - Nietzsche
Peggy - Sartre
Herb - Buckminster Fuller

Same line-up with the new philosophers, for reference:

Gilmer - Socrates
Jeffrey - Thomas Aquinas
Joanne - Galileo Galilei
Lamar - Leonardo da Vinci
Sonia - Jonathan Edwards
Robin - L. Ron Hubbard
Peggy - Jean-Paul Sartre
Herb - Marianne Williamson

Great thanks! think the roles were changed around slightly when we did it before since our Thomas Aquinas was female but then it was a school production.

Having now referred back to the two recordings I have of this song, both the OBC and 2001 tour seem to have different assignments. Unless the lyrics/script that I've seen are incorrectly assigning lines, Luther and Gallileo are definately male voices, and both Thomas Aquinases female. Anyone know which assignments those casts used? The single recording I can find with a female Luther on Youtube sounds a bit odd to me, though it's probably because I'm just used to hearing the others.

When I directed the show, I used the 2000 Cast (the Blue cast, if you will) philosophers. These included:

Socrates- Joanne (because she has to be first for everything)
Aquinas- Robin (she's more or less the Mary Magdalene of the group, and it says in the score that this part should be played/sung romantically)
Galileo- Jeffrey (he's on trial and defending himself, much like "We Beseech Thee")
DaVinci- Martha (The character I invented for "Beautiful City" and who was the intellect of the group)
Jonathan Edwards- Gilmer (The verse discusses condemning men, much like "Learn Your Lessons Well")
L Ron Hubbard- Lamar (Lamar is the slow one of the group, and this verse has the fewest words haha)
Jean Paul Sartre- Split between Sonia & Peggy (the rebel and the follower)
Buckminster Fuller- Herb (I can't mess with tradition haha)

The video from my production is here

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lsBUtIj2IDU

Different directors assign the lines to different characters based on how the cast develops their character's personality. What Tom and I listed are just how the script (and the original cast) would have performed it.

That's thet way we did it too.

Buff