Rachel and Friends present “Long Haul Love”, an encore concert benefitting Episcopal Relief and Development
January 12, 2026
Godspell: Musical Coming to Christ Church
By Maggie FitzRoy
As a Christian, you’re probably familiar with the parables of Jesus—but how often do you get to see them acted out through song and dance?
Good news, you’re about to have a chance.
Godspell, a modern musical adaption of the Gospel, will bring Jesus’s parables to life at
Christ Church during Lent. The show will be performed on the Contemporary Worship Space stage Feb. 19—28 with a cast of 14 local talented actors and singers under the direction of experienced actor/director Cathy Dooley.
The Creative Academy at Christ Church ministry, now celebrating its 15th year at the church, is sponsoring the production, and the theater committee chose Godspell to be its annual spring performance to align with this year’s church calendar.
“It’s based on the book of Matthew and it’s perfect for the Lenten Season, for people to be mindful of the parables of Jesus and community,” Producer Barb Roberts says. “Each of the characters is someone we can identify with. One by one, they are followers.”
A long-running Broadway hit in the 1970s, the show was created by John-Michael Tebelak with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz.
One of its best-known songs is Day by Day but some of the other tunes are also memorable catchy favorites, Roberts says.
The show’s themes are love, joy, kindness, and community, presented through an eclectic mix of pop, rock, and vaudeville. And the script, director Dooley says, was written to allow for improv, rewrites, and additions to allow the show to evolve and remain relevant to present day times.
Dooley is having cast members, who range in age from teenage to senior citizen, with most in their twenties and thirties, dress in 1970s style clothing in keeping with the show’s origins. An ensemble production, every cast member also sings solo, bringing together a mix of experienced, talented performers.
Since the musical is about community, each character represents various elements of Everyman that audience members can identify with, Dooley says. “Through lessons learned, the actors and audience get to experience their own internal journey throughout the show as they follow Jesus—and in their new formed sense of community, it prepares them for the challenges of the events leading to the Crucifixion.”
In keeping with the Creative Academy’s tradition, opening night Thursday, Feb. 19 will begin with a wine and appetizer Premiere Party at 6 p.m., followed by the show at 7. Tickets that night are $55.
The other performances: Friday, Feb. 20 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 21 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3 p.m.; Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.; and Saturday, Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
Tickets are $25 and $35 for those shows, depending on seating, and are available on ticketleap.com.
