'Everyone can come and enjoy it': Godspell the musical coming to BHS stage

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Students are preparing to share the message of community, treating others with kindness and loving your neighbour in the upcoming performance of the Bathurst High School musical Godspell.

The classic rock musical from the 1970s features crowd-friendly pop-folk music that teaches life lessons based on the Book of Matthew along the way, said Patrick Connolly, who co-directs the play with his wife Angela Knowles.

“It tells a biblical story that’s not preachy or of a certain religion in a way that everyone can come and enjoy it,” he said.

Performances will be held April 18-20 at 7 p.m. and April 21 at 2 p.m. in the high school’s Gwendolyn Kent Auditorium.

The pair of teachers have a love for the musical and chose it this year because of the multi-talented cast of students, Connolly said.

“We have a very large group of strong soloists and leading actors … We wanted to pick something that would feature a lot of people in a big way.”

This year’s performance includes a cast of more than 50 students, with 20 in the main ensemble and 30 in the supporting chorus.

The majority of the student actors hadn’t heard of the musical before rehearsals began, but many, like Shelby Henry, who is cast in the main ensemble, have come to love it.

“It was definitely intriguing right from the beginning,” she said. “The music is so fun and the cast is awesome.”

Henry is excited to see the audience’s reaction to the hard work students have been putting in since December.

“I’m excited to see the audience’s response to all of our music because it’s very high-energy and knowing a little bit about the show, you wouldn’t expect it to be like that.”

Avery Early said preparing the show, especially perfecting the music, has been a process.

“Our songs are just so filled with harmonies and dancing and singing so it’s definitely a big process,” she said.

“The music is definitely an unexpected part.”

Members of the main ensemble were given lines but no assigned name or direction. For cast member Zoe Landry, that’s where the fun comes in.

“You kind of make your own character. You can be whoever you want to be and take the lines and make them really personal to you,” she said.

“You get to really use your creative side.”

The cast is excited to share the play with the community.

“I’m really just looking forward to hearing the audience’s reaction to certain scenes. I’m really excited to hear the gasps or the laughter at certain parts,” Landry said.

Tickets for the show are available from cast members, at the Bathurst High School main office and at Tower Jewellers.