About the artist
Godspell is a musical with music and new lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by John-Michael Tebelak, first staged off-Broadway in 1971. It reworks parables from the Gospel of Matthew into a loosely structured series of vignettes performed by a troupe of actors, framed by an ensemble, clown-like aesthetic and a joyous, communal tone rather than a conventional linear plot.
Musically, the show draws on folk-pop, gospel, vaudeville, and early-1970s soft rock, reflecting the countercultural, back-to-basics spirit of the era in which it was written. Its best-known numbers, including «Day By Day» and «All for the Best», became crossover successes beyond the theater world, with «Day By Day» reaching mainstream pop radio in 1972.
Godspell has been revived numerous times on Broadway and in productions worldwide, and its accessible, hymn-like melodies combined with an improvisational, ensemble-driven staging style have made it a staple of school, community, and regional theater. Its songs remain widely performed independently of full stagings, a testament to Schwartz's gift for compact, memorable musical-theater songwriting.