REVIEW: JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT Is Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Lighthearted Interpretation Of The Old Testament Tale.

Thursday 16th February 2023, 7pm, Capitol Theatre Sydney

Laurence Connor's (Director) 2019 London Palladium production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT comes to Sydney to share the bright bible story with a new generation. 55 years after a 19-year-old Andrew Lloyd Webber and 22-year-old Tim Rice were commissioned by the music teacher of Colet Court School to create a Pop Cantata, the original 15 minute work has expanded become a multi award nominated work that maintains popularity for its varied music stylings and comic telling of the story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis.

For those unfamiliar with the bible verse, the story is of Joseph, the second youngest son of Jacob, a farmer who, of his twelve sons, favored one above the rest, resulting in an increasing jealousy amongst the offspring when Joseph is given a colorful coat. Added to the tension are Joseph's prophetic dreams that don't sit well with the brothers so a plan is created to remove the source of their angst. The plan doesn't exactly turn out as the brothers hoped and JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT shares the ultimate outcome.

Laurence Connor's new interpretation of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT maintains the premise that the Narrator (Paulini) is telling a group of children the bible tale but he opts to double more roles than earlier professional productions. He utilizes things like comically fake beards and additional garments to allow Paulini to split between the narrator's storytelling and the characters of Joseph's father Jacob and the reason for Joseph's downfall, Potiphar's wife. He incorporates modern elements into the work, supported by Morgan Large's costume design which sees the children in streetwear and the adults make changes to their initially "traditional" stylings to incorporate elements that reflect the diverse musical styles from cowboy boots for the "Hoedown" following One More Angel In Heaven, to the French inspired Those Canaan Days. While Lloyd Webber and Rice's base material is inherently comic, Connor leans into this even more with the absurdity of child cast supplementing the line ups of Jacob's sons and their wives with three of the child actors representing brothers that are older than Joseph, the lead role presented by Euan Fistrovic Doidge. Morgan Large's touring set design allows for JoAnn M. Hunter's big choreography numbers to fill the stage while having amusing "Easter egg" elements and comical workarounds for concepts including a hilarious pair of Camels.

The highlight of the evening is Trevor Ashley as Pharaoh as he infuses the right balance of camp as he understands the comedy that runs through the work and ensures that nothing about the work is taken seriously. He has a strong vocal that evokes an Elvis rock and roll sound while still ensuring that he 'owns' the work and puts his own signature on the performance. He also has the innate understanding of physical comedy and timing of delivery to ensure that the power of Song Of The King lands perfectly.

As Joseph, Euan Fistrovic Doidge delivers the 'golden child' with a suitable conceit and arrogance of knowing he is Jacob's favorite while having an element of ignorance. His vocals are clear, and his rendition of Close Every Door has the requisite level of pleading while Any Dream Will Do is a light and hopeful piece. It is interesting to see Doidge push Joseph into a character so smug and insensitive that he actually becomes somewhat unlikable throughout which is an interesting angle to take the character. Paulini's Narrator is engaging in her body language and choreography but while vocally the music is strong with some brilliant top notes the breath control throughout the work indicates that she's not really suited to musical theatre stylings as obvious breaths are taken mid phrase regularly.

This work relies on the Ensemble to make it work and the adult and children's ensembles deliver wonderful energy and strong vocals throughout. They have a versatility to shift between musical and dance styles while also ensuring that each role has unique characteristics with nuanced reactions and interactions. The choice to present children in adult roles helps connect the work to the multitude of school and amateur productions that have been performed around the world, further engaging younger audiences.

Laurence Connor's interpretation of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is a lighthearted evening of entertainment with high production values and lots of color and movement. Whether you have memories of previous professional or amateur productions or simply the soundtrack, this is an easy escape from the real world for an hour or two.

https://josephthemusical.com.au/

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