"Godspell" Star Telly Leung talks Broadway, Hunter Parrish and "Glee"

Telly Leung

Religious themes are experiencing a renaissance in popular of Broadway shows. Currently, the Tony-winning musical The Book of Mormon and the stage adaptation of Sister Act are entertaining theater-goers with both comedic and profound statements on the oft-controversial institution. Also joining the fray is the current revival of Godspell at the Circle In The Square theater.

Since it’s off-Broadway debut in 1971, Godspell, with music by Stephen Schwartz, has been an interactive, improv-based show with the majority of the cast (excluding the characters of Jesus and Judas) using their own names instead of characters. And with a cast history that includes such names as Jeremy Irons, Gilda Radner, Victor Garber, Martin Short, Andrea Martin, Eugene Levy and Paul Shaffer, it almost seems to be a right of passage for a performer to do Godspell sometime in their career.

The current Broadway production opened in November and not only has hunky Hunter Parrish (Weeds, Spring Awakening) in the lead role of Jesus but also stars Telly Leung, best known as Warbler Wes on Glee as well as his previous stage work in Rent and Wicked. AfterElton grabbed a few minutes with Leung in between performances to talk about how audiences are responding to Godspell as well as if he’ll be returning to Glee anytime soon now that The Warblers have recently reappeared on the show.

AfterElton.com: How familiar were you with Godspell before you were cast?
Telly Leung: I was originally cast in a version of Godspell that was directed by the same [Broadway revival] director, Daniel Goldstein. He did a production at the Paper Mill Playhouse in New Jersey. It was a month of rehearsals, a month long run and it was a wonderful cast. We got amazing reviews. Stephen Schwartz loved it and said if there was ever a revival it should be this production with this amazing director.

But before 2006 I had no idea what the show was about. I didn’t know there is no real script to the show. The way we did it at Paper Mill, which is the way we’re doing it on Broadway, is you have the parables, you have where the parables fall and where the songs fall but how you make that accessible to the audience is up to the cast and the creative team. The whole show has been improv. We’ve created the show from scratch. All the original cast, besides Jesus and Judas, use their own names! For the revival it’s Jesus and Judas but then it’s Telly! It’s more of a theatrical experience than a traditional play. I’ve never been a part of anything like it.

During recording of the Godspell soundtrack, Hunter Parrish and Telly Leung.

AE: So every show can truly be different, right?
TL: It is different, and when we worked with Stephen Schwartz he said, ‘Every Godspell should be different and every Godspell should reflect the individuality and creativity and the special talent of every one in the company.’

AE: And Hunter Parrish as Jesus! If he had been my Jesus growing up I probably would be much more religious than I am!
TL: [laughs] I’m so thrilled that Hunter is playing Jesus. First of all, offstage he is such a wonderful person and just one of those leading men in a company that really is a leader and is wonderful. He boosts morale and he always lifts everybody’s spirit up. Onstage, when he looks at you, he has that same open heart, open energy that the show and that role requires. You go ‘I do want to follow you!’ There is a warmth to him that is so right for this role. He has such a playfulness in the way that he approaches the role and it’s contagious.

On opening night, cast members past and present met (clockwise from upper left):
Victor Garber, Wallace Smith, Stephen Schwartz, Nick Blaemire, Martin Short,
Leung, Paul Shaffer, Andrea Martin, George Salazar and Eugene Levy.

(Photo by Bruce Glikas)