 |
| Andrew Lloyd Weber & Tim Rice. |
Music by Andrew Lloyd Weber, Lyrics by Tim Rice
Directed by John R. Leffert
Review by Rachel White
Entire contents are copyright ©
2013 Rachel White. All rights reserved.
This was my first time seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, though I’ve heard
the music many times on countless Andrew Lloyd Webbers CDs and recognized most
of the songs. If you’re not
familiar, it’s a comical opera based on the biblical story of Joseph and his "coat of many colors." It satirizes
the story in many ways but is a family-friendly musical. CenterStage’s current production plays
up the comical aspect of the musical, and nothing stays too serious for too
long.
The show opens with a chorus of children on stage
dressed in bright pastel T-shirts, the children of Israel. Immediately, you know this isn’t going
to be a realistic retelling of the story. As they sing, Joseph solemnly enters the crowd singing "Any Dream Will Do," the theme song of the
piece and one of the more earnest songs of the play. He stops to gently touch a child’s face or bestow a benevolent look. It’s
a little schmaltzy, but called for.
As the story goes, Joseph is a dreamer, literally,
and the favorite son of his father. He is doing quite well until his dad gives him that coat of many colors – and his life changes. His jealous brothers
sell him into slavery, and all those dramatic biblical-sized problems descend
upon him.
Robbie Lewis as Joseph is a calm and confident
performer with a solid voice. He might not be a knock out exactly, but he does
the job. And there is enough tenderness in him to get the songs across,
particularly in numbers like "Close Every
Door," which requires a certain haunted quality.
Other notable performers include Tyler
Johnson-Campin, whose "Benjamin Calypso"
was absolutely infectious. I had to Google the lyrics because I couldn’t get
them out of my head. This kid had a ton of energy and really stood out among
the ensemble members.
Brian Bowles was also good as the Pharaoh, an Elvis-like celebrity who makes women faint with a mere glance. My big problem with this scene (and with
a few of the songs) was that some of the lyrics were hard to understand. For an opera, that’s really important,
because information gets missed. It
took me a while to figure out what the pharaoh was talking about. Part of this may have been due to the
accent. Bowles' Elvis impersonation, however, was pretty good and certainly
committed.
The costumes are modern, with an ancient Egyptian
twist, which fits in well with the style of the play. The Pharaoh’s headdress is Egyptian-like but sequined in the vein
of an Elvis impersonator. Overall, the effect of the costumes was to unite the players and support the dreamlike
world of the play.
There is, of course, a great deal of smiling and
dancing in this show. The dancing, though not complexly choreographed, was well executed by the ensemble, all of
whom were deeply enthusiastic.
This production is absolutely well done with a
talented group of performers who, even if they don’t blow you out of the water,
will make you crack a smile. Oh,
and the kids were very sweet and expressive and added a great deal of life to
the work.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
February 21-March 3
February 21-March 3
CenterStage
The Jewish Community
Center
3600 Dutchman’s Lane
Louisville, Kentucky
40205
(502) 459-0660
No comments:
Post a Comment