Students Raise Choir Funds with 'Godspell'

More than a dozen Westmont students of varying backgrounds and majors perform the 1970’s rock musical “Godspell” Friday, Jan. 29 - Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Jan. 31, at 3 p.m. in the gym at Montecito Covenant Church. The show is a fundraiser for the Westmont College Choir’s tour in May, which will take the group through California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Tickets are $10 for general admission, $5 for students and faculty, and can be purchased in the Westmont Dining Commons Jan. 25-28 from 6-7 p.m. or at the door 30 minutes before each performance.

At the performance, students will be selling flowers donated by Flora’s Flowers in Monterey to raise money for the Dream Foundation’s Flower Empower, which delivers flowers to the terminally ill in the Santa Barbara area.

“Godspell” follows the life and teachings of Jesus set in a contemporary landscape. It was one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals before making it on Broadway in 1976. A movie version of the play, set in modern New York, was released in 1973.

“It’s a great opportunity not only for fundraising but to showcase a wonderful and relatable telling of the Gospel according to Matthew,” says senior Celestina Ripley, who directs the performance. “The dedicated cast has really brought the show alive with their energy.”

The project includes four student musicians and a cast headed by seniors Jay Visbal as Jesus and Bryan Lane as Judas.

“This is another facet of the varied repertoire of the Westmont Music Department,” Ripley says. “The show offers a unique opportunity for students to get involved and express themselves in ways they may not have considered before.”