The Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colors comes to vibrant life in this delightful musical parable. Joseph, his fathers favorite son, is a boy blessed with prophetic dreams. When he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt, Joseph endures a series of adventures in which his spirit and humanity are continually challenged. He is purchased by Potiphar where thwarting advances from Potiphars wife lands him in jail. When news of Josephs gift to interpret dreams reaches the Pharaoh (wryly and riotously depicted as Elvis), Joseph is well on his way to becoming second in command. Eventually his brothers, having suffered greatly, unknowingly find themselves groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed but no longer recognize. After testing their integrity, Joseph reveals himself leading to a heartfelt reconciliation of the sons of Israel. Set to an engaging cornucopia of musical styles, from country-western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock-n-roll, this Old Testament tale emerges both timely and timeless.
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is a perky, tuneful music taking as its inspiration the Biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, and his eleven brothers (from three other mothers besides his own). It calls for a largely youth/young adult cast, and that’s exactly what ACT1 has given it. The energy of youth also infects the adults in the cast, giving the show an overall sparkle and glow.
As almost always at ACT1, the costumes are excellent. Designers Suzanne Thornett and Anne Voller have given the 22-member cast multiple costumes each, often themed to the various musical styles of the songs. Joseph is not the only colorfully garbed individual in the cast; in fact, were it not for his coats and accessories, he’d be the drabbest person onstage in a Christ-like white linen shift.
Set design (Rich Vandever with assistant Chris Cookson), set painting (Bob Marinich), prop/puppet design (Savannah Cookson, Tierra Ferra, Debby Wachsman, Bob Cookson), and sound/light design (Murray Mann) all impress. The staging is clever, making full use of the stage, and Megan Wartell’s choreography is inventive, energetic, and perfectly suited to the talents of the cast, which boasts several fine dancers.
This is a short show, so pacing is not as essential as it would be in a longer, more serious show. Nevertheless, director Melody Cookson and music director Holly Quigley keep the show moving at all times. It’s a delight to see each new moment of this production.
The cast includes five females among the twelve "sons" of Jacob. All except Jennifer Hartshorn look passably male in their costumes, makeup, and demeanor, and don’t try to draw undue attention to themselves. The actual males in the band of brothers are as highly talented a group of young men as one might wish. All get a chance to shine. The females in the cast (especially Savannah Cookson, with her strong soprano and violin skills) add a lot of verve and variety to the show, and the female "brothers" also get their shots at performing in their own gender.
The two starring roles are Joseph (Bobby Cookson) and the narrator (Kim Wacker). Mr. Cookson is all one could wish for in his role, with a strong baritone voice and an apple-cheeked, boyish face to compliment his winning acting. He interacts very well with Ms. Wacker, who is dressed throughout in a 1960’s-style stewardess outfit with an "I Dream of Jeannie" scarf. She seems to have been the only member of the cast with a personal microphone (other than Pharaoh’s handheld mike as Elvis). The directorial emphasis on choral phantasmagoria leaves her somewhat as the odd man out, but she acquits herself well as an outsider-type character.