Goldstar Member Tips

• Nina on Where to Park
  Street, not too bad
• Nina on What to Wear
  Casual
• Major theater fan on Where to Eat
  Wine available pre-show and intermission, and you can bring it into the theater with you!

Goldstar Member Reviews

Darva

The four members of our party enjoyed different aspects of the show in varying degrees. The preacher had a good time, and enjoyed re-writing parts of it at dinner after the show. The guitar player loved the instrumental ensemble -- and they were really good. The singers enjoyed the whole show. One terrific voice, two nice voices, and the storyteller was captivating. The venue is small and there are no bad seats, but it's general admission, so come early and choose your own. It was a fun way to spend the evening with family -- especially if you are a fan of bluegrass. Inside jokes about the story of Christ will probably be missed if you're not at least a bit familiar with the Bible story.

Written on Jan 05 2010

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Goldstar Member

I agree with earlier reviews in that this makes the most sense when you know Matthews bible stories. The lead actor is amazing....Worth the ticket to just see him. The entire event is wonderfully enjoyable. The onstage four member bluegrass band is quite fun. The vocal trio had some weak moments in terms of the songs not all being in their vocal "sweet spot"....but the music is beautiful....touching....Loved it!

Written on Nov 25 2009

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Robert G.

We really enjoyed this show. You do have to know the story of Jesus to get the humor of it.
The live bluegrass music was great. One actor does all the parts and he is fabulous, a real pro.

Written on Nov 30 2009

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Goldstar Member

Very well performed and wish I had a reason, but it didn't grab me. We left at the intermission.

Written on Nov 23 2009

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More Information About Cotton Patch Gospel

Website

http://www.custommade.org/season0910/cottonpatch.php

Description

Music and lyrics by Harry Chapin
Book by Tom Key and Russel Treyz
Directed by Marilyn Langbehn
Musical directed by Rona Siddiqqui
Starring Edward Hightower with Katie Kimball, Erika Richardson and Rona Siddiqui

Harry Chapin’s Cotton Patch Gospel:
A Bluegrass, Progressive Holiday Musical

Just in time for the holidays, Custom Made proudly brings Harry Chapin’s (Taxi, Cat’s in the Cradle) Cotton Patch Gospel to the Next Stage (attached to the historic Trinity Church).  Cotton Patch is a progressive and musically joyous look at the Jesus story through a very modern lens. Using 26 songs, one amazing actor, three gorgeous singers, and a bluegrass band, “Cotton Patch Gospel” is for everyone who wonders if the peace and love promised by the gospels is still possible in our modern world..

Cotton Patch Gospel premiered at the Lamb's Theater in New York City on October 21, 1981. Written by Tom Key and Russell Treyz, and with music and lyrics by Harry Chapin, Cotton Patch Gospel adapted Clarence Jordan's "Cotton Patch" versions of the gospels of Matthew and John for the stage. Though less widely known than the other gospel musicals of its era (Godspell and Jesus Christ, Superstar), Cotton Patch Gospel is an underappreciated gem of musical theater.

Between 1968 and 1973, Dr. Clarence Jordan, a Southern Baptist minister, published four books where he translated the New Testament into colloquial Southern language. These "Cotton Patch" versions were brought to the attention of Tom Key, an Atlanta actor and playwright, when he was contemplating a play that would transplant the story of Jesus into the mid-20th century American South. In “Cotton Patch” Jesus Davidson was born in the town of Gainesville, Georgia, and was laid in an apple crate. He was baptized in the Chattahoochee River, he preached to a crowd of thousands on Stone Mountain, and he met his end in Atlanta. In between, he encounters followers, cynics, and an institutionalized, conservative Church that rejects his simple message of love and human compassion.

With Jordan's versions as his source material, Key, together with Russell Treyz, wrote the book for the stage play. The music for the production was written and composed by the legendary Harry Chapin, in what would eventually prove to be his final musical work. In all, Chapin produced 26 songs for the show, many of them in a bluegrass style befitting the play's setting. Chapin finished his contribution in June 1981, and was unexpectedly killed in an automobile accident on July 16, 1981.

Custom Made produced Chapin’s song-cycle “Lies and Legends” earlier this decade, and is thrilled to be showcasing again one of the greatest artists of the late 20th century, who left us far too early.

About the Ticket Supplier: Custom Made Theatre Co.

The Custom Made Theatre Co. is an award-winning San Francisco-based not-for-profit theatre dedicated to ensemble-based, socially relevant productions. Custom Made is the managing company of the Gough Street Playhouse, where they present a five play season, along with numerous readings, workshops and classes. In 2010, Custom Made received seven Bay Area Theatre Critic's Circle nominations, including Best Production for A Delicate Balance and Best Musical for Cotton Patch Gospel. Most recently, Custom Made produced the Bay Area Premiere of Adam Rapp's Red Light Winter and the sold-out hit rethinking of The Diary of Anne Frank.