2021 St. Augustine Prep Play - GODSPELL

PLAYBILL PRESENTED BY ST. AUGUSTINE PREPARATORY SCHOOL

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 2021 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021 SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2021 ALL PERFORMANCES AT 7:00 P.M. IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR LADY OF MERCY ACADEMY

St. Augustine Preparatory School in cooperation with Our Lady of Mercy Academy presents

Conceived and Originally Directed by John-Michael Tebelak Music and New Lyrics by Stephen Schwartz Originally Produced on the New York Stage by Edgar Lansbury/Stuar Duncan/Joseph Beruh Presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

All authorized performance materials are also supplied by MTI www.mtishows.com Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.

Production Staff

Director…………………………..…………….Mr. Stephen Sharp

Musical Director……….………………......Mr. Erik Stenswold

Choreographer……………………………....Ms. Casey Gebeline

Stage Management…………………………...Mr. Lou Renzulli Costumes………………………………….……………..by Tootsie

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We are so proud of you and look forward to every time you go on stage or sing. Break a Leg Jackson!

We love you: Mom, Dad, Morgan, Larry, Kevin, Po’o, Rupert, Clara, and Smokey

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CASEY’S DANCE STUDIO GODSPELL

It’s been a pleasure working with the talented cast of “Godspell”.

I know the show will be fabulous!

Miss Casey

GIANNA You are our shining Star!

Love your Peeps!

4276G Harbor Beach Boulevard, BriganMne, NJ 08201 MissCasey101@comcast.net 609-266-2120

Jackson, I am proud of you. Have fun in Godspell.

Break a Leg! I love you, Morgan

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CAST BIOS John Terista (Jesus) is absolutely ecstatic to be a part of Godspell this fall and blessed to

bring this role to life! John is in his junior year at St. Augustine Prep. When John is not onstage, you can find him on his high school’s swim and baseball team and performing with the school’s A capella group, The TestosterTones. His favorite past credits include Heathers the Musical (Preppy Stud, Kurt) , The Addams Family (Lucas Beineke), and performing with SJCDA (South Jersey Choral Directors Association). He is so excited to be back onstage once again for the Prep.

He would like to thank his friends, family, and cast mates for all the love and support!

Kevin Grealis (Judas, John the Baptist) is ecstatic and exhilarated to be in this year’s

production of Godspell. Kevin is a senior and has a musical and choral history at St. Augustine Preparatory School. He has participated in previous productions such as Guys and Dolls and The Adams Family, and is president of St. Augustine Preparatory School’s A Capella group, The TestosterTones.

Joseph Bilella is excited to be in his first play at the Prep. Joseph is a senior at St. Augustine

Preparatory School. Joseph earned the Boy Scout rank of Eagle Scout earlier this year. Joseph hopes to study political science and economics and continue on to earn his law degree.

Lana Davidson is a sophomore at OLMA and this is her first show with St. Augustine Prep.

Previous shows that Lana has appeared in were The Little Mermaid (Sebastian), Seussical the Musical (Sour Kangaroo), and Beauty and The Beast (Lumiere). Lana is a competitive swimmer for the EHT Seahawks with her favorite event being the 200 fly, and she swims for the OLMA Swim Team. Lana also enjoys reading, drawing, and writing. She would like to thank Mr. Sharp and the rest of the staff for giving me the opportunity to perform in Godspell and for putting in the time to make this musical a success.

Christianna Figurelli is a freshman at OLMA. She has been in many musicals over the

years. Christianna starred in Mary Poppins, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music. She would like to thank her mom, dad, brother, sister, friends, and family for all of the love and support.

Matthew Flanigan is a hard-working, intelligent, and dedicated student. Outside of aca-

demics, Matthew participates in fencing, singing with the school’s A cappella group, the TestosterTones, and is in Godspell. Matthew is ecstatic to be a part of the return of the school musical. He would like to thank all of his teachers, especially Mr. Sharp for pushing him to do his best this year not only in academics, but with the show as well. He would also like to thank his family, and specifically his parents which have motivated him to continue on his musical theatre

Gianna Gebeline is a sophomore at Our Lady Mercy Academy. She is an OLMA Cheer-

leader, a competitive dancer, and she sings and has performed in many musical productions for the Brigantine Summer Theater program, with leads in Fame and Beauty and the Beast. Gianna loves working with the Cast and Crew of Godspell! Thanks to all who make this show possible!

Luke Grippo is a sophomore at St. Augustine Prep. This is Luke’s first performance with St. Augustine Prep’s Fine and Performing Arts department. He loves acting and singing, and has performed in many school and community shows since the 2nd grade including A Christmas

Carol, Lion King, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Dear Edwina, Back to the 80’s, The Sound of Music, Pippin and a bunch more. Luke enjoys performing in plays, singing with The

Testostertones, being on the JV Crew team, hanging with friends and keeping his faith close to him in all that he does.

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Jackson, We are proud of you.

Look forward to seeing you in Godspell. Break a Leg! We love you!

Aunt Stacey and Sophia

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CAST BIOS Riley Hudson is making her debut on the OLMA and Prep stage with her performance in

Godspell. The junior is no stranger to the stage though. Prior to transferring to OLMA last year, Riley was active in drama club. When not on stage, Riley enjoys animals, art, and spending time with friends and family.

Jackson Kuzma is a diligent student-athlete at St. Augustine Prep. He participates in many clubs such as the St. Augustine A capella group, The TestosterTones, and Hermit Ambassadors.

Jackson participates in the Rugby program and also plays baseball for St. Augustine Prep. He would like to thank Mr. Sharp for the opportunity to perform in Godspell. He would also like to thank his family for pushing him to do his best and helping him grow his love for acting.

LilyAnna Lemauro is so excited to be a part of Godspell. Her most recent credits

include Miss Hannigan in Annie with Triple Threat Workshop and as a featured performer with the Broadway Star Project at the Triad Theater in New York City. Lily has also been in the 6ABC Thanksgiving Day Parade, performs with Harmony Show Choir, and has performed all throughout the tri-state area as a soloist for Kidz4Cuz, advocating for mental health awareness.

She would like to thank Miss Casey, Mr. Stenswold, Mr. Sharp, and her cast mates for making this such a great experience.

Lorenzo Lopes is a sophomore at St. Augustine Prep and was beyond excited to be

a part of this year’s play, Godspell. Lorenzo loves to be a part of anything that involves acting and music. He is a part of his school’s TestosterTones. He has also done many school plays in his previous school and was excited to be in his first high school play. He would like to thank his parents for their support, and all his cast members for making this an amazing experience to be a part of. Lorenzo cannot wait to be a part of next year’s play!

Lauren Olah is absolutely thrilled to be in this year’s production of Godspell. After missing her sophomore year show due to the pandemic, she couldn’t wait to be back up on stage. Some other shows she’s been in are The Addams Family and Aladdin. She would like to thank her family and friends for all of the love and support, as well as her cast mates for making this experience as fun as possible.

Rachel Ross is a sophomore at Our Lady of Mercy Academy. She has been involved with plays on stage and behind the scenes. This is her first time taking part in St. Augustine Prep’s play and she hopes to be in many more! When not on stage, Rachel enjoys hanging out with friends, dancing, and playing tennis.

Delaney Shur is so excited to be back on stage once again! This is her second show with this company, and she is so grateful to be working with such talented actors and actresses! Delaney has played several roles throughout her career, such as “Jojo” in Suessical, “Jack” in Into The Woods, as well as “Henrietta” in All Shook Up. She would like to thank her peers and her family for supporting her throughout this amazing journey.

Adriana Verrico is a freshman at Our Lady of Mercy Academy. She has been in 9

different plays and have been the lead in 3. Adriana would like to thank her Mom and her Dad for all of the hard work that they have made to support her in her journey on the stage.

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"BREAK A LEG!" FROM YOUR CREW BROTHERS

Congratulations, Luke Grippo and Lorenzo Lopes!

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The Story of Godspell

Godspell was the brainchild of John-Michael Tebelak, who devised the script for the play. It originated as Tebelak’s master’s thesis project at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Most of the score’s original lyrics were adapted from the Episcopal Hymnal by students, who were members of the cast. Tebelak then directed the original production which ran for two weeks, ten performances, at the La MaMa Experimental Theater Club in New York City in February of 1971.

It was then brought to the attention of producers Joseph Beruh and Edgar Lansbury (brother of Angela Lansbury of Murder, She Wrote fame). The producers hired lyricist Stephen Schwartz, an alumnus of Carnegie Mellon’s Theater Department, to write new songs for the show, although the song “By My Side’’ was retained from the original score. They opened Godspell at the Off-Broadway Promenade Theatre on August 10, 1971, where it became one of the longest running Off-Broadway musicals. The Off-Broadway hit was then released as a major motion picture in 1973 prior to its moving to the Broadway stage in June 1976 and ran for 527 performances before closing in September 1977. Since then, the show has been performed by countless community and school theaters, as well as Off-Broadway revivals and world tours. Most recently a Broadway revival ran from October of 2011 until June of 2012.

The play, based mostly on the Gospel According to Matthew, opens with the voice of God, declaring His supremacy. We then hear an array of classic philosophers spouting their various worldviews in a maddening cacophony in the “Tower of Babel.” This is interrupted by the trumpeted John the Baptist ushering in the Age of the Messiah, Jesus. As the play continues the actors, each retaining their given names, follow Jesus through a variety of parables and songs, in two acts, which we hope will entertain and delight you.

So, thank you all for coming. Sit back, relax and enjoy our production of Godspell.

Thank You The cast and crew of Godspell would like to thank the Administration, Faculty and Staff of both St. Augustine Prep, and Our Lady of Mercy Academy, especially Father Murray and Mrs. Coyle for their support of the arts in our schools.

A special thanks to Mr. Manny DiJamco and Mrs. Karrie Davis for production of our tickets and this playbook and to the St. Augustine Prep’s Facilities Department for transportation of our props.

Special thanks to NMR Productions for providing us with the lighting and sound equipment.

Thanks go to Mrs. Carr for arranging the transportation for us, to Mrs. Alspach and the Prep Art Department for painting our sets, and to Mr. Attanasi for our ASL lesson.

Most of all to our parents, who are the backbone of our program.

They feed us, help with costumes, props, scenery, donations of gift baskets, take us to and from rehearsals and so many other things.

We are forever grateful for all that the parents do for us!

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JACKSON, ALWAYS BE CONFIDENT AND HAVE FUN. I AM PROUD OF YOU. BREAK A LEG!

LOVE, AUNT BETH

Jackson, We cannot wait to see another exciting show.

Break a leg!

We love you! Mom Mom and Pop Pop

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Musical Numbers Act I Tower of Babel…..Socrates……………..……….……. Matt

Thomas Aquinas…………...….. Luke

Martin Luther…….……..…... Lauren

Leonardo DaVinci……...…. Delaney

Edward Gibbon………..…………. Lily

Friedrich Nietzsche…...Christianna

Jean Paul Sarte…………….. Lorenzo

Buckminster Fuller…………….. Riley Prepare Ye (the Way of the Lord).............John the Baptist and Company Save the People…………………………………………...……..Jesus and Company Day by Day………………………………………………..………..Riley and Company Learn Your Lessons Well………………………………..…………………….Jackson O’ Bless the Lord, My Soul…………………..………………...Lily and Company All for the Best……………………………………...………………...Jesus and Judas All Good Gifts……………………..………………………….Lorenzo and Company Light of the World……………………..…………..Luke, Delaney and Company

Act II Beautyful City………………………………………………………..…………….Lorenzo Turn Back, O Man…………………………………..……………………………..Lauren Alas for You…………………………………………………...………………………..Jesus

By My Side……………………………………………….……………Matt and Delaney We Beseech Thee…………………………………………...…………………….Jackson Day by Day (reprise)....................................................................Company On the Willows………………………..……………..the voice of John the Baptist Finale…………………………………………………...…………..Jesus and Company Bows…………………………………………………………..…………………...Company

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The Players Jesus…………………………..…………….………………...……John Terista John the Baptist/Juda.…...…………….……………..……Kevin Grealis Adriana…………….……...………..………………..…..…Adriana Verrico Christianna……………………...…………………….Christianna Figurelli Delaney…………………..………………….……..………..……Delaney Shur Gianna………………………………..….………..…….…..Gianna Gebeline Jackson….…….…………..……...….……………..……….Jackson Kuzma Joseph....................................................................Joseph Bilella Lana………………………………..…………………………….Lana Davidson Lauren.…………..………………...…………………………….Lauren Olah Lily.…………………………………...……………………………Lily Lemauro Lorenzo…………………….…………………………………...Lorenzo Lopes Luke……….………………………………………………………...Luke Grippo Matt.………………………………...………………………….Matt Flanigan Rachel ………………………………………………...……………..Rachel Ross Riley…………………….…………………………………………..Riley Hudson Stage Lighting and Sound courtesy of NMR Productions Stage Crew: Matthew Kemenosh, Thomas Tran, Siena Marsico Set Painting: Mrs. Alspach and the St. Augustine Prep Art Crew

The Musicians

Mr. Erik Stenswold – Conductor Aiden Andre ‘23 - Guitar Kyle Rowe ‘18 - Bass Kyle Noone - Drums Gavin Kim ’22 - Keyboard

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THE AUGUSTINIANS AT ST. AUGUSTINE PREP ASK GOD TO BLESS THE CAST AND CREW OF GODSPELL...

ALL GOOD THINGS AROUND US COME FROM HEAVEN ABOVE, THEN THANK THE LORD, WE THANK THE LORD, FOR ALL HIS LOVE!

FR. FRANCIS X. DEVLIN, O.S.A., PRIOR FR. ANTHONY P. BURRASCANO, O.S.A. FR. STEPHEN M. CURRY, O.S.A. FR. ROBERT J. MURRAY, O.S.A.

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S T A R G N O C JOSEPH BILELLA

Best Wishes to the Cast and Crew!

JOSEPH YOU ARE A STAR TO US! HAVE FUN AND ENJOY EVERY MINUTE ON STAGE. LOVE, UNCLE TONY, AUNT JACKIE, MARISSA, AND JESSICA J

JOSEPH

WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU! YOU GOT THIS-HAVE FUN! CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND THE CAST! Love ya Mom, Dad, James, Jonathan, and Pop

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Best of Luck to Matthew & the GodSpell Cast!

uck L d o o G w Matthe

Love, Uncle Chris, Aunt Jackie, Nicole, Paige, Grace, + Brooke

nd are e you a v o l e W oud of ely pr extrem you!

LOVE

DAD, MOM, & AIDAN

We would like to wish Luke the Best of Luck in his 1st Prep production.

Christianna you continue to amaze us, “Day by Day”!

We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom, Dad, Maria, Tommy and Sonny

We know you'll be a great storyteller in Godspell! Best of Luck to the Cast too!

We love you Luke!

- Mom + Dad

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CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CAST AND CREW OF

GODSPELL FROM THE ST. AUGUSTINE PREP FACULTY AND STAFF