DUBOIS – The sounds of gospel, rock and soul can all be heard coming from what was once a church at 36 E. Scribner Ave., in DuBois.
Today, this church is the home of the Reitz Theater Players of Cultural Resources Inc. (CRI).
The harmonies are rich and the message is clear “Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord!” The show is Godspell.
Directors Joe and Becky Sensor agree that: “We wanted to produce a show that had a message of hope and was about building a community based on love.”
When asked why they picked Godspell, the answer was simple: “It is a great show with awesome music! There are some super, funny moments but also, some incredibly moving parts. Truly, you just can’t beat the music!”
Godspell was originally written by John Michael Teblec as a Master’s Thesis project at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Later the music was re-written by Stephen Schwartz, the same composer of the Broadway smash, “Wicked.”
The Sensor’s choose new music arrangements from the 2001 national tour by Alex Lacamoire. Lacamoire is a three-time Tony Award winner for his orchestrations of “In the Heights,” “Hamilton,” and “Dear Evan Hanson.”
The Reitz Theater Players’ cast features 17 local students between the ages of 16 to 22 years who bring to the stage a maturity of a much older and more seasoned cast. “They are incredible,” says director Becky Sensor.
Godspell opens at the Paul G. Reitz Theater of Cultural Resources Inc. (CRI) on June 30 with shows on July 1, 6, 7, 8 at 7:30 p.m. and on July 2 at 2 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased at Reitztheater.com, at the theater’s box office Thursdays 1 p.m. – 6 p.m., or at Kohlhepp True Value in DuBois.
The cast is comprised of Nate Horner (Jesus), Tom Hibbert (John the Baptist), Max Sensor (Judas) and playing the disciples (all named for themselves) are Raeanne Reynolds, Alexa Alker, Sam Vida, Emma Reed, Keith Zeliger, Dominic Umbaugh, Angelina Casile, Patrick Rutledge, Jacquelyne Spicher, Ian Walker, Carrie Fetzer, Caitlin Kalgren, Shannon Gibson and Isaac Rupert.
