Hansen finally tackling ‘Godspell’

TOM TITUS

When Beth Hansen was a student at Marina High School in Huntington

Beach, she recalls that she “fell in love with ‘Godspell.’”

“We would paint sets backstage and sing along to a recording of

the soundtrack,” Hansen said. “I’ve known the show for decades and

have always wanted to do it. It somehow eluded me -- until now.”

Now is next weekend, when Hansen’s production of the rock-gospel

musical will open a two-weekend engagement at Orange Coast College.

And, she said, “I’m grateful that I’m finally getting the chance to

do it.”

The veteran director and one-time Daily Pilot woman of the year in

theater has amassed dozens of credits during her career in both local

and professional theater. An Orange Coast College graduate, she has

spent nearly 20 years directing shows, many of them for the

Saddleback Civic Light Opera -- including “Forbidden Broadway,”

“Little Shop of Horrors,” “Tintypes,” “Funny Girl,” “42nd Street” and

“Side by Side by Sondheim.” She’s also been a memorable Mama Rose in

“Gypsy.”

While a student at OCC in the mid-1970s, Hansen was featured in

such shows as “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Carousel” and “A Streetcar

Named Desire.” It was during this period that she fell in love with

musical theater.

“Musicals became my passion while I was at OCC, and I’ve never

looked back,” she said.

Today, she’s known as one of the area’s premier directors of

musicals -- including last season’s OCC production of “Pippin.”

“I seem to have an affinity for musicals,” she said. “They’re

extremely difficult to create, and you must incorporate all of the

elements of comedy, drama, music and dance to be successful --

fashioning them into a single glorious package. It’s my belief that

musicals are the most complex and difficult form of theater to

produce, but they’re well worth the endeavor.”

For Hansen, she and “Godspell” seem to be a marriage made in,

well, heaven.

“I love the music,” she said. “I also like the show’s creativity.

It’s an organic work in which all the stories in the show are set,

yet a director can be creative in telling them. It’s not an ‘old

book’ musical that requires you to do it exactly as it’s written on

the page. As an artist, I’m attracted to a show of that sort.”

“Godspell” hasn’t exactly been a stranger in local theater over

the past four decades. South Coast Repertory had a hit summer show

with it in the mid-1970s, and brought it back for an encore the

following summer. The Costa Mesa Civic Playhouse staged it last

season, and OCC has produced it twice before, in the late 1970s and

in 1989.

However, none of the cast members of the current production were

familiar with the show before starting rehearsals.

“It’s a brand new thing to them,” Hansen said. “Many of us have

lived with ‘Godspell’ for 30 years, but to them, it’s a ‘cool new

musical.’”

“Godspell,” which opened off-Broadway and in London in 1971, is

based on the Gospel of Matthew and presents the last seven days in

the life of Christ. It communicates a classic 1970s message of love

and happiness without entering sectarian territory.

“Our show is not a retro 1970s production,” Hansen said. “We’ve

given it a bit of a face lift. It has a 2005 urban flavor -- and

there’s more bite to it than the ’71 version. We’ve put in little

beats here and there to spruce it up.”

Hansen is both director and choreographer for “Godspell,” assisted

in the latter task by Katie McGuire.

Musical direction will be supplied by Terence Alaric, a one-time

Daily Pilot man of the year in theater with whom Hansen has worked

for over 20 years.

For Hansen, “Godspell” is also an opportunity to reestablish

Orange Coast College’s musical theater tradition.

“Because of this class, we’ve been grooming students for four

years and have developed a wonderful cadre of actors,” she said.

“Godspell” will occupy the Drama Lab from March 10 to 20, with

curtain at 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays and at 2 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets, priced from $8 to $10, may be reserved by calling (714)

432-5880.

* TOM TITUS reviews local theater for the Daily Pilot. His reviews

appear Fridays.