"Original Godspell Cast - By My Side - Peggy Gordon/Stephen Nathan"

[ChristophePhilippe]

What a very precious document.

[WyldJezter]

This is the play that made me want to be an actor. You cant imagine my utter joy when I got to perform it last year :)

[Nuiceltico]

So thankyou , blessings to all the casts .Great to see this 10th anniversary version of 1981; its a paeon to the human voice , committment ,vulnerablity to dare and our interdependence. I shall like this at my own funeral, alongside a couple of other soul songs. I saw the show in Auckland NZ at His Majestys Theatre (since torn down) about 1978 and it has never left me.

[mje2k]

It is terrific to see the original Godpsell cast on youtube. This show and its music and message has brought great joy to my life. It is refreshing to see the show as it originally looked with its PAR lights, sawhorses, chain link fence and planks.

[larkluster]

@mje2k When asked about John Michael's intent re: our deliberate soulful simplicity I say this scene is an anachronism in 21st century America. But no director who has added political and pop cultural commentary to the parables has done so here and that proves John Michael's point, a spiritual message doesn't need a contemporary context to be meaningful. Women aren't stoned for adultery in America, but the point is that he saves her life and she, in turn, devotes hers to him. Soulful simplicity.

[lacrosse257]

Exact reason why I love Godspell... why I see the song clips... I just feel happy inside.

[TheGodspellLover]

Wow. What a wonderful scene. It's staged just like I imagined. Did the people such as Robin or Lamar see the dvd?

[larkluster]

@TheGodspellLover Robin and Lamar were in New York and couldn't do this shoot, which was in LA. But, Robin has seen it! We lost our precious Lamar 20 years ago and miss him everyday!

[afamreport]

@larkluster Lamar lived on the same floor as me at Morehouse College in the early 80s. It was interesting to live with a guy who was a Broadway star, even more crazy to hear his voice on the record. He stayed at Morehouse as an artist in residence. A great guy, not pretentious at all.

[larkluster]

@GodspellFreak The rest of us went to LA for four months at The Mark Taper Forum to open the show there until a local replacement company, including the great Judy Kaye in Robin's role, took over for us before we came back to New York. And, yes, Uzo is cast in my part. There have been so many brilliant actors/singers cast in my role over the years I'll be curious to see what she does.

[larkluster]

@GodspellFreak It will depend on what AEA allows. Hopefully!

[defygravity1215]

I just got done playing Peggy with the Greater Cleburne Carnegie Players. It was the best show I have ever been part of and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to sing this gorgeous song. I was moved listening to video. Thank you, Peggy, for sharing an amazing song.

[WyldJezter]

This is my absolute favorite show! I was lucky enough to perform in it at college. I dont know if i'll be lucky to get more parts in my lifetime, but just the fact I had the honor performing in a show that had such an effect on me, I can be happy with that.

[jlreed58]

I'm doing this song in a community theatre production this weekend. It's a beautiful song! I hope I can do it justice!

[larkluster]

@GodspellFreak No, I got a wicked case of Tonsilitis that took out of the show AND the movie. Katie had been a great Robin clown replacement in New York when the majority of the original cast went to LA for a few months to open the show. The director of the film liked her and put in her my role (although most of what I did in the show was divided between katie and gilmer). Katie is one of my very best friends and I love how simply she sang By My Side in the movie!

[rcktmanil]

@larkluster This is so cool, and I love seeing and hearing you sing this beautiful song. I always wondered what happened when the movie was made and why you weren't in it. I agree, Katie did a wonderful job with this song. I love both versions equally. It's my favorite song in the show. :)

[larkluster]

@rcktmanil I love when people put their love of what Katie did in "print," so I can show it to her. She's such an amazing Broadway belter and felt By My Side was out of character for her singing style. So, I love to show her all the compliments she gets!

[lolchick95]

So beautiful she's so amazing!

[lilcortez513]

i love watching the originalz. diz just get me more excited for our prodution of this. thiz weekend. great vid :)

[flatdisk]

BEAUTIFUL as always.

[mollificent]

When I was in "Godspell" back in '92, I got to sing this song. Opening night, when I finished singing it, there was dead silence...and I panicked, thinking to myself that the audience hadn't enjoyed it. When I asked someone about it later, they said, "Are you kidding? They were completely spellbound...it wasn't an awkward silence, it was a reverent hush!" What an amazing song.

[larkluster]

@mollificent You'll be relieved to know that when we structured the song into the show, the way John-Michael set it, it flows directly into the next moment at the Last Supper; so, the audience is never cued to applaud the way they are with other songs in the show. I have to admit, I missed having that "button," at the end of the song but I made up for it by creating a real signature ending to the seed parable which gave me thunderous applause!

[Balrainn]

Thank you for sharing this, I'm part of a group performing the show in Ireland this month and the video has really helped with my performance of this song. It's a truly beautiful song and I hope I can do it justice.

[larkluster]

@Balrainn Please upload a video if you can! Peggy Gordon

[AGmylife]

Wow, this is soo beautiful. We just finished our last performance yesterday, I sang Day by Day. And I really wish I got the solo for this song because this was my favorite in the whole play. Thank you so much for posting this!!!!!!!

[TheBlueCream]

truly beautiful song and performance...was this filmed back in the 70s?..amazing..thank you for this gr8 post !

[larkluster]

@TheBlueCream We filmed this in December of 1981!

[mikemorehead71]

Peggy, doing research for our production and arrived here. typing through tears. thanks for this song, for your performance, and the heart. the power of the decrescendos is incredible.

[supernatt924]

I hope this song stays the same in the broadway revival.

I'd love to sing it, but well, like THAT would happen.

This is my favorite Godspell song.

[supernatt924]

oh man. this was so beautiful but the "meet your new road" gave me chills!

[Basssinger86]

Probably the best version I have ever heard. I take that back...that IS the best verison I have ever heard. :) Amazing!!!

[larkluster]

@Basssinger86 Thanks! It's fortunate that after our initial run at La Mama (where we created the show), and a year and a half at both The Cherry Lane Theatre and then the Promenade on Broadway, I managed to do the best performance of my song EVER for this shoot 10 years later with the majority of my original cast! Maybe that's why. This is the only living film of me, Gilmer McCormick, Jeffrey Mylett and Steve Nathan doing the song as we originally created it!

[rcktmanil]

@larkluster Watching this alone gives me chills and tears-- but knowing that you posted this to share with the world makes me even more moved. You wrote a beautiful song that I have always loved. Thank you so very much!!!

[jjmccraty]

Well I'm in tears. So beautiful. You had me at "no one..."

[larkluster]

@jjmccraty Missed hearing your gorgeous harmony part soaring over my vocal on "meet your new road." Marley was good in your role but as an alto she couldn't even begin to sing what you did. If you listen closely you'll hear Bobby Garrett singing your part!!!!!!

[om92555]

I have never seen this clip before. What I liked about Godspell was that it was a simple stage. No elaborate scenery or loud production just great songs and story telling.

[larkluster]

@om92555 Yes, it was John-Michael Tebelak's vision that the show be in an abandoned, urban child's playground... no swings, sandbox, jungle jim, nothing... only three planks, two saw horses and huge garbage bags that would hold our props... and in this empty, blighted world he placed ten innocent clowns!

[2005Films]

Awesome!  Thanks for sharing.