CSEE High School students rehearsing for Godspell
Students at the Charter School of Educational Excellence (CSEE) will perform the high school’s first musical—Godspell—on May 3 and 4.
Godspell is a rock-based musical by Stephen Schwartz, who tells a story about the formation of a group that continues the teachings of Jesus Christ after he is gone.
“Godspell is a play about coming together and creating a community, which a high school like the CSEE that is up-and-coming needs,” said 11th-grader Tamidola Junaid, 16. “Godspell has a joyful and important message.”
The musical was originally structured as a series of parables, primarily based on the Gospel of Matthew, interspersed with music mostly set to lyrics from traditional hymns, with the passion of Christ appearing briefly near the end. The CSEE has modified the musical for a high school stage using a diverse cast and production team from multiple faiths, philosophies, and walks of life.
Barbara Egiziaco, 16, a junior, saw the movie and fell in love with it. She hopes that the show elevates the public’s respect for charter schools.
“I feel like sometimes we get a little bit of a bad rep,” said Egiziaco. “We have a nice community here and I want to expand the ways that our city’s community can interact with us.”
The students will perform Godspell on the school’s new stage, which became operational in 2023. The new stage includes 600 seats, state-of-the-art audio-visual capacities, and a large projection screen.
The school’s leadership built the stage to teach students valuable staging and rigging skills that they can use in the many media production studios that are opening in Yonkers. Tickets for the performances are on sale now.
