Song:Day By Day
Album:Godspell: 40th Anniversary Celebration
This 1972 top twenty hit was from Stephen Schwartz' Off Broadway musical Godspell which was then turned into a film. The single was credited as Godspell because Bell Records wanted fans to know that it was from a show. But it was performed on stage and in the film by Robin Lamont. Godspell started in 1970 as John-Michael Tebelak's thesis project at Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. After one performance, everyone moved to New York and Carnegie alumnus Charles Haid planned to produce the show on Broadway. Of course Haid went on to acting and directing on TV, most notably Hill Street Blues. Producer Edgar Lansbury hired Stephen Schwartz to write the songs. Godspell was his first show. Godspell is more or less based on the Gospel Of Matthew but it's a very loose interpretation. The show came along at a time when Jesus Christ Superstar was also popular. Critics of both shows take things too literally. Godspell opened on Broadway May 17, 1971 and closed in 1976. That's an excellent run. There were also shows in London and Toronto. Bell Records released the Original Cast album and then Columbia Pictures decided to turn it into a film in 1973. The cast and the music was for the most part faithful to the original Broadway production. Of course there were differences including Victor Garber starring as Jesus Christ. He starred in the Toronto production. But most of the rest of the cast was with the show from the start. They decided to set the film in present day New York City. The version of Day By Day that reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 was from the original cast album. Robin Lamont was part of the show when it was at Carnegie Mellon. Because Bell released the single as Godspell instead of Robin Lamont, a lot of fans may not know who sings it. She was in the film too. Robin also appeared in the 1978 Broadway musical Working and was a regular on the daytime soap Ryan's Hope for two years. She retired from acting and is currently district attorney for Westchester County in White Plains, NY. For many years, the film soundtrack for Godspell was unavailable. But last month, Sony released this 2CD 40th Anniversary edition that contains the Original Off Broadway Cast and the film soundtrack. That should satisfy everyone. Here's Robin Lamont performing Day By Day in the 1973 film Godspell.
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