Sammy Bayes Movies
Directors David Greene and John-Michael Tebelak collaborate with composer Stephen Schwartz to bring his wildly successful Broadway musical, Godspell, to the big screen. Told almost entirely in song, Godspell presents the gospel of St. Matthew updated to New York City of the late '60s/early '70s, featuring Jesus Christ as a wandering minstrel dressed like a circus clown. By blowing on an instrument that reaches only the ears of a select few around the bustling city, John the Baptist (David Haskell) summons nine simpatico hippies to a fountain in Central Park, where they revel in the waters of their baptism. When Christ (Victor Garber) joins the group, the free-flowing fraternal love solidifies into a desire to spread the word of God around the city. Outfitting themselves in a nearby junkyard that bursts with color, the lively group makes its way around a sparsely populated fairy-tale version of the city, re-enacting Biblical parables with great enthusiasm and flamboyance. Opting for a lighter yet more devout approach than its thematically similar Jesus Christ Superstar, Godspell features an equivalent number of hummable hit songs, notably "Prepare Ye (The Way of the Lord)," "By My Side," and "Day by Day." ~ Derek Armstrong, Rovi
- Starring:
- Victor Garber, David Haskell, (more)
Norman Jewison's adaptation of the long-running Broadway musical is set in the Ukranian ghetto village of Anatevka (the film was actually lensed in Yugoslavia). Israeli actor Topol repeats his London stage role as Tevye the milkman, whose equilibrium is constantly being challenged by his poverty, the prejudicial attitudes of non-Jews, and the romantic entanglements of his five daughters. Whenever the weight of the world becomes too much for him, Tevye carries on lengthy conversations with God, who does not answer but is at least more willing to listen than the milkman's remonstrative wife Golde. After arranging a marriage between his oldest daughter Tzeitel and wealthy butcher Lazar Wolf, Tevye is forced to do some quick rearranging when the girl falls in love with poor tailor Motel Kamzoil. Fancying himself more broad-minded than his gentile oppressors, Tevye cannot accept the notion that his other daughter Chava would want to marry Fyedka, a non-Jew. And after shouting the praises of "tradition," Tevye must change his tune-and his entire life-when he and his neighbors are forced out of Anatevka by the Czar's minions. Topol's co-stars include Norma Crane as Golde, Yiddish theater legend Molly Picon as Yente the matchmaker, and Leonard Frey as Motel. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Topol, Norma Crane, (more)
