Note: This Q&A is part two of a three part series featuring Lincoln High School’s production of Godspell the musical. Part One featured a review of the musical and part three will feature more Q&As with the cast members.
Lincoln High School’s performances of Godspell will be held on Friday, November 11th at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, November 12th at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, November 13th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets prices are $12.00. All seats are reserved and can be purchased online by visiting www.showtix4u.com/events/Godspell. Tickets can also be purchased at the door beginning one hour prior to each performance.
We caught up with the cast for some Q&A:
Hunter Rock
Briefly Describe Your Musical character: Jesus is the leader of the group. Through songs and parables, he teaches the other members of the group various important lessons in regards to how God expects us each to lead our lives. He interacts with the audience, and he keeps the morale up through much of the musical.
Current Grade: 12
Been in musicals/plays since: 2021
Previous leads/musicals you’ve been in: Fester (The Addams Family, 2021), and Willy Wonka/Grandpa Joe (Willy Wonka, 2022)
Favorite Song in this musical: We Beseech Thee
What interested you in this role: I am used to playing very corky roles in musicals, so moving to a more serious role is a change in gears for me. The storyline of Godspell is quite a tough one to grasp as well, so it has been interesting working to decipher each part of the musical. Overall, almost every part of this show presents a challenge I have not yet had, but I welcome it. It is an honor to be a leader of this wonderful ensemble as we take on these challenges together.
What is an iconic prop in the musical or favorite part of your costume: One of my favorite props is the baptismal bucket, but you’ll have to come see the show to understand why.
What’s the hardest part about your role: The most difficult part of grasping this role is the comprehension of the subtextual narratives lying beneath the specific dialogue and songs of the script. As Jesus, it is especially important to grasp why everything is happening so that I can not only keep the ensemble in line with that meaning but also the audience. This adds a lot of weight to the role as well as a good challenge.
Has your character taught you anything “life changing” or that will stay with you after the show: The stories of this musical have taught me many life lessons, and the character of Jesus is one that displays how selflessness mixed with confidence can build the truest of leaders, and these traits will be ones that I attempt to integrate into my day-to-day life.
What do you think the audience will like about the musical: I think the audience will enjoy the interaction of this musical. Throughout the show, the cast breaks the fourth wall repeatedly, and this effectively ties the audience into the action. The difficult part is not gaining the audience’s attention, but communicating with it in a comprehensible fashion.
What is unique about this musical: This musical is unique in a multitude of ways. It includes a lot of audience interaction, the music is more rock than anything else, and there are no actual scene changes, so the lead cast is onstage for practically the whole show. All in all, this show is definitely a new entity that those of us in the cast were previously unfamiliar with.
If you could have a part in any musical … what would that musical be and why: Honestly, I cannot say that I have a favorite musical, as I enjoy many different musicals for many different reasons. A few that stand out to me are Hamilton, Into the Woods, and The Phantom of the Opera. I enjoy Hamilton for its complexity in words and historical basis, Into the Woods for its ensemble feel and conjoining of many different stories, and Phantom for its beautiful vocals and classical background.
What other activities are you involved in: Sports-wise, I participate in cross-country, tennis, and track-and-field. Considering school clubs, I am the president of the Class of 2023, president of Spanish Club at LHS, secretary of Student Council, librarian and operations manager for the LHS Marching Blue Band, Treasurer for the LHS SAVE Club, and I am a member of NHS, French Club, EC3, and the Kids Too Club. In the summer 2022, I had the privilege of attending Keystone Boys State at Shippensburg University as the LHS nominee. Outside of school, I am a member of Boy Scout Troop 806, and I am currently finalizing paperwork for my eagle scout rank.
Future plans: After high school, I plan to attend a 4-year school with a major in Forensic Science, possibly through a military option. I hope to be able to pursue extracurriculars dealing with music wherever life may take me.
Hayden Slade
Briefly Describe Your Musical character: As both John the Baptist and Judas, I portray both Jesus’s closest friend and also his betrayer.
Current Grade: I am a senior.
Been in musicals/plays since: I started in musical theater when I was 6 years old.
Previous leads/musicals you’ve been in: I was Candyman, Mr. Gloop, and Mr. Bucket in Willy Wonka last spring. In The Addams Family, I was Lurch and Mal Beineke. I also had roles in Shrek, Mary Poppins, and Little Women. When I was younger, I was a member of the childrens’ chorus in Annie Get Your Gun here at Lincoln and also participated in musicals at both Jeter Backyard Theater and Studio P.
Favorite Song in this musical: All for the Best; it is a very fun high-speed song with two-part counterpoint, and it is my favorite both vocally and choreographically.
What interested you in this role: Everyone thinks about Judas as the villain of the New Testament, but people often forget that he was one of Jesus’s closest friends. It has been interesting to get to showcase this friendship and ultimately, his emotional betrayal.
What is an iconic prop in the musical or favorite part of your costume: The shofar I play at the beginning of the show is an actual ram’s horn from Israel. While there was a little bit of a learning curve to play it, it quickly became my favorite prop.
What’s the hardest part about your role: The vocal range for my character is wider than I am used to, so that has been an interesting challenge.
Has your character taught you anything “life changing” or that will stay with you after the show: Playing Judas has taught me that even good people can make terrible decisions. Unlike Judas, however, it is how we repent and rectify our mistakes that truly define who we are.
What do you think the audience will like about the musical: This show is very upbeat and energetic. I think the audience will see that the cast members are having a great time on stage, and the resulting positive energy will be infectious.
What is unique about this musical: There are no scene changes, and the lead characters are on the stage for almost the entire show. While this is tiring, it also makes for a unique dynamic that makes the show’s energy unending.
If you could have a part in any musical … what would that musical be and why: I would love to get to perform as Javert from Les Misérables. Les Misérables is one of my favorite musicals; it has such an incredible story backed by one of the most legendary scores. It would be an honor to be cast in a performance of it.
What other activities are you involved in: In school, I am the tuba section leader and Vice President of the Marching Band, a member of Concert Choir, Vice President of History Club, Treasurer of German Club, and participate in National Honor Society and several other clubs. Outside of school, I am the co-founder of Games to Give, a 501(c)(3) organization that gives board games to children in need, deployed US troops, and cancer patients. I am also an Eagle Scout in Troop 806 and a member of Trinity Lutheran Church council.
Future plans: I plan to attend a 4-year college or university to obtain degrees in computer science and mathematics.
Ciara Paniagua
Briefly Describe Your Musical character: I play one of the people who follow Jesus, I sing the song Bless The Lord.
Current Grade: 10th
Been in musicals/plays since: For numerous years
Previous leads/musicals you’ve been in: Shrek, The Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, Little Women, Mary Poppins, and The Little Mermaid
Favorite Song in this musical: Bless The Lord
What interested you in this role: I’m always interested in the musical no matter what show it is.
What is an iconic prop in the musical or favorite part of your costume: My favorite part of my costume is my pink bomber jacket.
What’s the hardest part about your role: This show is very different from your typical show with the acting and audience involvement.
Has your character taught you anything “life changing” or that will stay with you after the show: My character has taught me to be unique, confident, and to think outside of the box.
What do you think the audience will like about the musical: I think the audience will enjoy the fact that we talk to them directly for the majority of the show.
What is unique about this musical: The majority of Act 1 is told through parables.
If you could have a part in any musical … what would that musical be and why: Eponine in Les Miserables, It’s been my favorite musical and favorite part since I was little.
What other activities are you involved in: Cheer, Competitive dance, and worship team at my church
Future plans: I plan on attending a 4 year college to be a lawyer/attorney.
Ava Robbins
Briefly Describe Your Musical character: My musical character sings the song “Learn Your Lessons Well.” In my song I talk about learning your lessons so you have the ability to follow Jesus and teach the others around you.
Current Grade: I am currently a sophomore at Lincoln High School.
Been in musicals/plays since: I have never been in a musical before.
Previous leads/musicals you’ve been in: I have not been in any musicals up until this year.
Favorite Song in this musical: My favorite song in this musical is “We Beseech Thee” because I like all the dancing that happens, the animal features we get to wear, and the tumbling that goes on.
What interested you in this role: I was interested in this role because it gave me the opportunity to learn how to play the ukulele and it shows my personality throughout my lines.
What is an iconic prop in the musical or favorite part of your costume: An iconic prop used in this show is definitely the trash monster. Some of us get prices of trash and a ladder to create a trash monster that acts as a pharisee. It is tons of fun and looks great.
What’s the hardest part about your role: The hardest part of my role is the ukulele because trying to sing and play at the same time is challenging, especially since this is my first musical so I am a little nervous already. Ms.Greco has helped me tons with learning how to play and I am so grateful for that.
Has your character taught you anything “life changing” or that will stay with you after the show: My character has taught me to always pay attention to new lessons. This will apply in school and people talking to me in general.
What do you think the audience will like about the musical: I think the audience will like all the dancing and props that are added into this show. There is a lot of things going on in Godspell which I think will keep the audience’s attention.
What is unique about this musical: This musical is unique because it is not like any other musical. We speak the truth about Jesus in scenes that sometimes are funny, but the point gets across. There is important information to be learned from this musical, other musicals do not include true facts like Godspell.
If you could have a part in any musical … what would that musical be and why: If I could have a part in any musical it would be Fantine in “Les Miserables” because my friend and I have always wanted to do this musical. We have each other’s roles all figured out and it would just be so fun to do it with her.
What other activities are you involved in: My other activists include Ellwood City Varsity Cheerleading, Pittsburgh Superstars All-Star Cheer, and Ellwood City Tennis.
Future plans: My future plans include attending Pitt University and going into Law. Also, I would love to be a competitive cheerleader at Pitt.
Wonderful article! I’m biased as Ciara and Miss Adams are my cousins, but everyone should go see this show!