|
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Broadway-San Diego  Dreamers of all ages can enjoy this Andrew Lloyd Webber
classic. The story is about a dreamer named Joseph who received a “Technicolor
Dreamcoat” from father Jacob, much to the bitterness of his eleven brothers. A
rivalry exasperated when Joseph tells those brothers of his prophetic dreams
depicting the eleven bowing down to him. A situation that gets the dreamer sold
off to Egypt as a slave where he will become a central figure in the Book of
Genesis.
This bright, humorous, and eventually heartwarming musical is now passing through town at the Civic Theatre, headlined by Patrick Cassidy as Joseph and former American Idol contestant Amy Adams as the Narrator. Patrick has a good sense for the show’s comedy, playing up the naivety of young Joseph who shows off his coat and seems oblivious as to the potential problems of telling his eleven brothers about his self-important dreams. Amy has a strong voice for the difficult-to-sing Narrator role and has some clever moments, though there’s a lot of potential in the part for additional humor that is currently being missed. The spirited cast keeps the energy high. They include Patrick’s wife Melissa Hurley Cassidy as the highly sensual Mrs. Potiphar who ensnares her husband in a heap of trouble. Todd DuBail gets the crowd All Shook Up with his impersonation of the King of Egypt/King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. The ensemble of Joseph’s brothers and their wives shine in the show’s many different styles of musical numbers that include the country-western One More Angel in Heaven where they convince Jacob that Joseph has been killed in a fierce battle with a goat (rather than sold to the Ishmaelites), the nostalgic singing of Those Canaan Days in a wistful French-inspired scene complete with berets, and as they try to protect their youngest brother Benjamin in the banana-filled Benjamin Calypso. Throughout it all, the Narrator is teaching a group of children the importance of being a dreamer. Those children are led by the Cassidy sons Cole and Jack, and for this local production include a dozen kids from San Diego’s own youth theatre community. In a great touch, they stay seated on the sidelines like students in an auditorium, singing the chorus parts and participating with some quickly learned choreography. Local director Becky Cherlin Baird directs the talented bunch of local actors. Overall Director Dallett Norris’s production is a fun, visually dazzling, crowd-pleasing show for the entire family.Performs June 13-18, 2006.
~ Cast ~
Joseph: Patrick Cassidy |