"Godspell" to be Staged at Bergen Community College

"Godspell" a modern-day telling of the Gospel of St. Matthew, enacted through performances of song and dance, comedy and mime, will be performed at the Anna Maria Ciccone Theatre at Bergen Community College, 400 Paramus Road, Paramus, on Friday, December 5; Saturday, December 6; Friday, December 12; and Saturday, December 13; at 7:30 p.m.

Matinees will be performed on Sunday, December 7 and Sunday, December 14; at 3:00 p.m. On Saturday, December 6, the performance will be interpreted in sign language.
Tickets are $10 for general admission and $7 for students and seniors (65+) and are available by calling Bergen's Office of Community and Cultural Affairs at 201-447-7428 or visit them on the Web at www.bergen.edu/cca.

"Godspell," a musical by Stephen Schwartz and John-Michael Tebelak, opened off-Broadway at the Promenade Theatre on August 10, 1971. It became one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals before moving to Broadway in 1976.

The performance opens with John the Baptist calling a group of young people to walk away from their work-obsessed lives and follow Jesus. Through song, dance and the telling of the parables, the life of each of the characters finds comfort in the community that is formed. Schwartz's songs include a variety of musical styles, from pop to folk rock, gospel, and vaudeville. Some of the songs include "Day By Day," "All For The Best," "All Good Gifts" and "By My Side."

The Cast:

Jason Ver Hage, from Midland Park, as Jesus
Genise Deal, from Teaneck, as Joanne
Oto Estrada, from Fort Lee, as Lamar
Elliot T. Herrera, from Dumont, as Jeffrey
Sean Lakomy, from Waldwick, as Herb
Victoria Lopez, from Ridgefield, as Peggy
Courtney Lyons, from Wyckoff, as Robin
Kevin Maphis, from Hawthorne, as Judas
Brittany Samboga, from Westwood, as Sonia
Katie Stevens, from Ramsey, as Gilmer

The Production Team:

Director/Producer: Jim Bumgardner, from Upper Nyack, NY
Musical Director: Bronwen Eastwood, from Ridgewood
Choreographer: Michele Lavitola, from Bergenfield
Set Designer: JoAnn Onnembo, from Lyndhurst
Lighting Designer: John Ehrenberg, from New Milford
Costume Designer: Marie Natali, from Hawthorne
Sound Designer: Dean Mattson, from Clark
Stage Manager: Mae Frankeberger, from Bloomfield

Bergen Community College is a public two-year coeducational college, enrolling more than 15,000 students in Associate in Arts, Associate in Science, and Associate in Applied Science degree programs and certificate programs. More than 10,000 students are enrolled in non-credit, professional courses through the Division of Continuing Education, the Institute for Learning in Retirement, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center, located at 355 Main Street, Hackensack, and Bergen at the Meadowlands, located at 1280 Wall Street West, Lyndhurst. Information about the College is available at www.bergen.edu or by phoning the Welcome Center at (201) 447-7200.

Photo Caption: (Left to Right) Elliot T. Herrera, Courtney Lyons, Genise Deal, Jason Ver Hage and seated, Kevin Maphis