Local Church spans gender gap with Godspell production

A hymn written by William A. Dunkerley tells us that ‘in Christ there is no East or West, in Him no South or North’. For youth involved in Lakewood Congregational Church’s (LCC) production of Godspell, we can add ‘no male or female’ to that list.

The part of Jesus is being played by Charlotte Petrie, a young woman who got the part because of her musical abilities. Julie Warren, musical director for Godspell, sees the gender bending casting choice as a good fit for the teachings of Jesus Christ.

“Did Jesus not embrace the unique qualities in people and reach out to those in need regardless of their gender, race or social standing?” Warren asks. “Godspell is about the message, not about the deliverer of the message. This show reminds us of the parables that Jesus used as teaching tools – it’s about loyalty, friendship, learning life’s lessons, communication, and goodwill toward humankind.

There are two performances planned for Godspell – Saturday, April 12th at 7 p.m. and Sunday, April 13th at 2 p.m. Lakewood Congregational Church is located at 1375 West Clifton Boulevard [the northeast corner of Detroit and West Clifton].

The cast and directors of LCC’s production agree that this musical is about delivering the message of their faith through song. In that, this production delivers the familiar songs audiences come to hear – “Day by Day”, “All Good Things”, “We Beseech Thee”, to name a few.

Another way this production helps to deliver a message of faith is in the use of the proceeds for its performances. The youth at LCC are active in mission work, including an annual Homeless Awareness Sleep-Out and their yearly summer mission trip. This year, they will travel to Philadelphia to be part of the Urban Service Learning Experience in that city. Proceeds from Godspell will help support the youth’s mission trip in July.

This is LCC’s 26th anniversary of church productions. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children of all ages and seniors [aged 65+]. For more information, contact the church office at 216.221.9555.