Review: Bright & Upbeat JOSEPH is a Treat at SKYLIGHT

A coat of many colors, a musical of many genres—Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is nonstop fun at Skylight Music Theatre. If you’re familiar with the Donny Osmond cast recording released in 1992, bias is to be expected. Between Donny and the Narrator, Janet Metz, it’s a duo that’s tough to top. But this Skylight production, directed by Michael Unger, succeeds in putting the cast recording out of mind for the show’s duration. 

Joseph is entirely sung-through and clocks in at one hour and thirty minutes, including intermission. I imagine it’s a lot like running a musical theater marathon for the cast and crew. The hits come fast and furious, thanks to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The team at Skylight keeps up the energy, nine-minute Megamix finale and all. 

New to Joseph? The story comes straight from the Old Testament and features at least eight genres of music in its tight runtime. It’s about the biblical Joseph, son of Jacob, whose jealous brothers sell him into slavery. Joseph is the golden boy, their father’s favorite, and has prophetic dreams to boot. He’s gotta go. The musical follows Joseph’s journey from trials to triumph—and his scheming brothers’ comeuppance and coming back together. The tone is upbeat, the tunes catchy, and the styles of music? Everything from country-western to calypso to go-go. 

The cast is fantastic, particularly when they’re all together tearing it up on stage. But the show starts small with the Narrator (Laura Paruzynski) kicking things off with Joseph (Mason Hanizeski). Paruzynski brings poise and playful charm to the part, and her powerful upper register is spot-on. Hanizeski is a great fit as Joseph and stirringly delivers the show’s only ballad, “Close Every Door.” 

A real standout is Alex Campea in not one but three roles: Jacob, Potiphar, and Pharoah. From wailing father to uptight aristocrat to gyrating King, Campea deftly does it all. Who else does it all? A giant cast of 11 brothers (three played by women) plus an ensemble and young ensemble. When everyone is on stage—belting one out together—it doesn’t get any better than that. These are big songs, and this Skylight cast does them ample justice.

Some of the best? “Those Canaan Days” (led by Jake Horstmeier), “Benjamin Calypso” (led by Shawn Holmes), and “One More Angel in Heaven” (led by Jesse Weinberg). That last one also features a heel-clickin’ dance break, which brings me to another “best” in this Joseph: fantastic choreography by Stephanie Staszak. Athletic dancing and fun, funny moves are a highlight of the whole experience, and the variety of styles is a treat.

The youth performers ensemble is yet another highlight. It’s clear that Skylight prioritizes these young performers, as the kids get the spotlight to start Act Two with a medley of songs from Act One. It’s a delightful interlude and the kids sound fab. While this isn’t a holiday show in the traditional sense, it has the markings of what folks want this time of year: huge grins, hearty laughs, big dance numbers, and loads of enthusiasm. All that, plus a reminder to keep on dreaming.

Photo Credit: Mark Frohna