Odom Jr. ...

Odom took a moment to talk about “One Night in Miami,” a recent film where he played Sam Cooke. Odom himself wrote and performed the song “Speak Now” for the film and performed it during his evening event. Right after, he also performed Sam Cooke’s famous “A Change is Gonna Come”, a song also featured in the film. To build up to it, guitarist and musical director Steven Walker played a long guitar solo to bring the energy in.

Shortly after, Odom performed other Sam Cooke songs, starting with “Bring It On Home to Me”, but sliding right into “You Send Me.” The lights then turned all onto Odom as he sang Bob Dylan’s “Forever

Young” without an accompaniment. He then kicked the Hamilton flair once more, flying into “Dear Theodosia” and “The Room Where It Happened,” even making a jab at how he’s glad to be in person and not online for the concert.

“[I’m] so glad to be in the room,” Odom said, “and not in the Zoom.”

At the end of the night, people leaped to their feet and cheered as Odom left, but not for long as he soon returned to sing an encore song from the musical “Rent” called “Without You.” Odom didn’t leave the stage again without saying some words.

“Every artist spends their whole life,” Odom said at one point, “trying to get back to the point where their heart first opened up.”

Continued from 1 news.ed@ocolly.com

Godspell...

Continued from 1

The audience played a big part in the show. Throughout several points, characters left the stage and ran into the audience, where they would spend some time and go back to the stage or had entire moments acting off stage as they watched what was happening on stage. At one point, the musical told the story of Lazarus by plucking an audience member out of the crowd and pulling him up onto the stage to read off massive cardboard cue cards.

Norman said the unique thing about the show was the fact they found the core of the story and leveled it down to compassion, humor, optimism, love and community so the story would be for everybody.

“We got to be so hands-on with this show,” Norman said. “It’s been around since the 70s, it gets done every single year, people love the songs, it’s iconic, but what’s so beautiful about it is that within the script, it’s pretty open. There’s room for ideas in the script or whatever joke you think. Our rehearsal process was us making the show. It’s ours, it’s almost like we’re not doing someone else’s show, it’s us doing our show.”

Devon Hunt, the director of “Godspell,” was also happy with how the night turned out.

“I think the cast just really knocked it out of the park,” Hunt said. “They did great. I’m excited [for the rest of the productions.]”

Godspell went on for three more shows, the last being on Sunday.

Within the playbills, the 20232024 season’s shows were also announced. They are “Airness” by Chelsea Marcantel, “Ride the Cyclone” with lyrics and book by Jacob Richmond and Brooke Maxwell Davis, “Macbeth” by Shakespeare, “Duality” choreographed by Jessica Murphy, “Ada and the Engine” by Lauren Gunderson and “May We All” by Brian Kelley.