In celebration of CCES’s 60th Anniversary, the school decided to put on a production of one of the most unique musicals of all time. Godspell will run from November 1st-3rd, and Michael McGrady plays the starring role. Let’s take a look at a typical day in the life of Jesus! 

6:00 – Wake-up. 

Michael Mc Grady’s morning starts off like anyone else’s – with breakfast. “I’ll usually have an egg salad sandwich,” he says, laughing. “I know it’s weird, but it’s good.” He lives 15 minutes away – lucky him – and he gets to school around 7:45. 

8:10 – Classes start. 

I actually didn’t know that Michael was a math whiz until now. “It’s very logical and straightforward,” he says. ‘It just is what it is, and I like that.” He also takes History and  Government due to his love of politics. When I ask him which class is his worst, he thinks for a moment and eventually admits that English is his hardest, but he enjoys hearing everyone’s opinions during discussions. Of course, choir is one of the best parts of the day. 

3:10 – E period. 

As a senior, Michael has a lot on his plate; academics, senior thesis, and college apps take up most of his time. I ask him about his senior thesis, and he replies that he’s writing about  – get ready for it – cooking. More on that later. Currently, he is working on 4 college applications, 2 of them being Winthrop University and USC. Apparently, he wants to go into the hospitality industry. “I’m a people person,” he says. “I like making other people happy.” 

3:45 – Godspell. 

I was just itching to ask this question, as I am in Godspell as well, but I wanted to know more about Michael’s side of playing Jesus. “It’s really fun, but also pretty hard, in a way. I mean, you can’t just flip a switch and say, ‘Okay, I’m Jesus now.’ It’s… very weird.” His approach to acting is basically playing teacher, with ‘Judas’ asking questions on the disciples’ behalf and Jesus answering. He elaborates on the relationship between him and ‘Judas’ – Issac Kornaros- and says that they play off of each other extremely well. “I couldn’t ask for a better Judas to work with. It’s really easy to bounce off of his energy, if that makes sense.” Speaking of energy, Michael gave some insight into Mr. Grady’s directing style. “It’s definitely not what I’m used to. Mr. Halverson was a lot more instructive, but Mr. Grady kind of lets us play with our characters, which I like.” 

6:00 – Hobbies 

In regards to his senior thesis, Michael told me that cooking is actually a hobby of his. “When I was seven, my grandpa taught me how to scramble eggs, and it just..clicked for me. Cooking’s kind of my thing now.” His favorite dish is pasta aoli et olio (have fun pronouncing that. Say it ten times fast. I dare you.) It’s a spaghetti dish with and olive oil-base sauce, and it’s apparently delicious. When he’s not finishing homework or acting out parables from the book of Matthew, you can find him skateboarding or playing guitar; he’s self-taught.