PERFORMANCES AND PRESENTATIONS

Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
At Wharton Center

-- reviewed by Courtney Bowerman

Religion was in the entertainment spotlight this past weekend.  First the controversial Da Vinci Code came to the big screen, and now Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is at Wharton Center.  However, Joseph is a more upbeat tale that is sure to please the whole family with its humor and catchy tunes.

The Broadway rock opera is based on a passage from the Bible.  It chronicles the travels of Joseph, played by Patrick Cassidy (David’s half-brother), who is sold into slavery by his jealous older brothers.  After a series of misadventures, he becomes the number two man of the Pharaoh of Egypt when his clairvoyant dreams save the people from a famine. 

In spite of the familiar story, this version is not the same tale you may have heard in Sunday School.  The neon lights, colorful costumes, sneakers, and cell phone/camera props modernize the settings of ancient Egypt and Canaan. The music is definitely the highlight of the show; throughout the show, the style varies from rock and roll, country, and calypso.  Songs such as “One More Anger in Heaven”, “Go, Go, Go Joseph” are sure to stay in your head for hours, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 

The cast participates enthusiastically, adding a lot of humor to the mix.  Cassidy rose to the occasion in the title role.  His renditions of “Close Every Door” and “Any Dream Will Do” are as good as Donny Osmond’s (one of the many Josephs that came before him).  Yet Ernest Marchain arguably stole the show as the Elvis-impersonating Pharaoh.  His “Song of the King” was one of the biggest numbers in the whole show.  The MSU Children’s Choir also displayed a lot of talent as an ensemble.  Interestingly enough, the only two boys in the choir were Cassidy’s children, who travel with the show.

Before the show’s arrival, Amy Adams from American Idol fame was supposed to star as the narrator.  As it turned out, Adams was on medical leave, so Natalie Hill took her place.  This turned out to be more than consolation, because Hill has a strong, lovely voice.  However, fans can always buy the new cast soundtrack at the Wharton Center to hear the version with Adams.

The show ends with a flashy finale that may give the impression that Webber has converted the Bible story into a gaudy, materialistic musical.  Still, you have to admit that it is more entertaining simply hearing it being read from the Bible.  Joseph is simply a delightful, colorful rock opera for all ages (and perhaps all religions) to enjoy.