Cotton Patch Gospel

|premiere_date={{start date|1981|10|21}}

|premiere_date={{start date|1981|10|21}}

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'''''Cotton Patch Gospel''''' is a musical by [[Tom Key]] and [[Russell Treyz]] with music and lyrics written by [[Harry Chapin]] and produced by Philip M. Getter just after Chapin's death in 1981. It ran [[off-Broadway]] at the [[Lamb's Theatre]] for 193 performances beginning on October 21, 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/cotton_patch_gospel.htm |title=Cotton Patch Gospel - The Guide to Musical Theatre |website=www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref> Based on the book ''[[The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John]]'' by [[Clarence Jordan]], the story retells the life of [[Jesus]] as if in modern day, rural [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Though the setting and the styling of the language greatly differs from the original telling of the Gospels the plot structure and the message of the story stays true to the historical recording in [[The Gospel of Matthew]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/cotton-patch-gospel |title=Cotton Patch Gospel |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>

'''''Cotton Patch Gospel''''' is a musical by [[Tom Key]] and [[Russell Treyz]] with music and lyrics written by [[Harry Chapin]]. The musical was produced by Philip M. Getter just after Chapin's death in 1981. It ran [[off-Broadway]] at the [[Lamb's Theatre]] for 193 performances beginning on October 21, 1981.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com/shows_c/cotton_patch_gospel.htm |title=Cotton Patch Gospel - The Guide to Musical Theatre |website=www.guidetomusicaltheatre.com |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref> Based on the book ''[[The Cotton Patch Version of Matthew and John]]'' by [[Clarence Jordan]], the story retells the life of [[Jesus]] as if in modern day, rural [[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]. Though the setting and the styling of the language greatly differs from the original telling of the Gospels the plot structure and the message of the story stays true to the historical recording in [[The Gospel of Matthew]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/cotton-patch-gospel |title=Cotton Patch Gospel |access-date=2019-12-13}}</ref>

Using a southern reinterpretation of the [[gospel]] story, the musical is often performed in a one-man show format with an accompanying quartet of [[bluegrass music]]ians, although a larger cast can also be used. A video recording of the play was released in 1988 with Tom Key as the leading actor.

Using a southern reinterpretation of the [[gospel]] story, the musical is often performed in a one-man show format with an accompanying quartet of [[bluegrass music]]ians, although a larger cast can also be used. A video recording of the play was released in 1988 with Tom Key as the leading actor.

[[Tom Chapin]] served as musical director. Americana musician [[Jim Lauderdale]] was in the cast as one of "The Cotton Pickers."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Gussow |first=Mel |date=1981-10-22 |title=STAGE: 'COTTON PATCH GOSPEL' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/10/22/theater/stage-cotton-patch-gospel.html |access-date=2025-07-08 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUgZYQbkzZw |title=Omega Productions records COTTON PATCH GOSPEL ACT I |date=2022-02-24 |last=Omega Productions |access-date=2025-07-08 |via=YouTube}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |last=Meece |first=Michael |title=Cotton Patch Gospel |type=Musical |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0140919/ |access-date=2025-07-08 |others=Tom Key, Scott Ainslie, Pete Corum |last2=Treyz |first2=Russell}}</ref>

==Plot==

==Plot==