I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: December 27, 2014] Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Sarah and her mom love Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  So when I saw that it was playing at the State Theatre for $7/ticket (as part of the Plays in the Park program) I decided to get tickets for all five of us (why not subject the kids to musicals as well?).

I knew the music a little from Sarah playing it, but I didn’t know it that well.  I always thought it was very funny that someone made a huge production out of what is a rather short Bible story.  But it’s a good story and one that I remember from my religion classes, so it seemed like a good afternoon of fun.

And it was.  This was the company’s 20th production of the show (who knew?).  And many of the people had been with the show for many many years.  So it was like a well-oiled machine.

The only thing that we all agreed we didn’t like so much was Joseph (Michael Ferlita). Not that he was bad, but that he was a bass.  And Joseph isn’t a bass.  It was weird, and at times hard to understand–it came across as more operatic than musical-y.  The rest of the performers were very good (as was the orchestra).  I was also delighted that the many of the men were kind of chunky–something you don’t often see on stage.

Katie Riley played the narrator.  She was a lot of fun–occasionally sounding a bit off–like she was trying too hard, perhaps, but really she was a delight.

I realized pretty quickly that there are virtually no roles for women in this show (or in the Bible, really), so it was good to see how many women were used in the show, playing a wide variety of roles.

The performance is quite campy, which I guess is the point.  I knew some of the songs were funny (actually many of them are funny as they move the plot along) but I had no idea the stage show would go so far with it.  There’s a country number (they all wore cowboy hats) and an Elvis number (which was a bit overdone, but I guess that’s the point too) and lots of other genres with appropriate costumes.  The “Flight to Egypt” set was done like an airport with some funny signs on placards.

The set was simple but was used wonderfully.  I especially enjoyed the way it opened with a curtain that was at times opaque and at times see-through, revealing slowly what was behind it.

The main set up was a giant pyramidal staircase.  The best moment was when the brothers with their shepherd crooks walked up and down the stairs in a circular pattern.  It was a striking image with the revolving crooks.

The finale was really fun, where they reprised some songs and let Joseph really display his coat.

It was clear that the cast had a great time, and that made it all the more fun.  Oh and the orchestra was great, too.

This performance made me want to see a professional production of the musical.  And, I rather think that’s what community theater is all about–giving you a taste of something for a low price so you can decide if you want to see it again for more money.