The lights, the music, the dancing, the SAB? Broadway takes over U.Va as the First Year Players put on their fall production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."
"I chose to do this show because [Joseph] is a non-stop, action packed show with great music and dancing," said director Ben Lovell. "It's a showstopper all the way through."
The musical tells the biblical story of Joseph, but not like your typical Sunday sermon. "Joseph" is a rock-opera: there is no spoken dialogue, just singing. It is this singing and music that sets "Joseph" apart from other musicals.
"There are a lot of different genres of music in this show," said pit orchestra director Whitney Jones. "It's a big mélange of stuff!"
This "mélange" includes country music, jazz, calypso, rock, ballads, and even music from the slums of Paris. And where would a musical be without dancing? The diverse music is reflected in the very diverse choreography.
"For every stylized song, there is stylized dancing," said choreographer Cara Sinclair. "There is everything ranging from lyrical and ballet to tap and a fifties number."
For those of you whose ancient biblical history is a little rusty, here is the synopsis of the show. Jacob lives in the land of Canaan with his wives and his twelve sons. Of the twelve sons, Joseph is Jacob's favorite. He gives him a beautiful multi-colored coat. There is another thing that sets Joseph apart from his brothers; he has a series of dreams that all end with his brothers bowing down to him. Joseph's brothers detested him because he was the favorite son and because he was having these dreams.
So they take Joseph out into the desert and sell him into slavery. His brothers take his jacket, smear it with blood, and tell Jacob that a beast killed his favorite son. In a series of events, he becomes a slave and is eventually sent to prison. It is during this time that Joseph realizes he has the power to interpret dreams.
While Joseph is in prison, Pharaoh has a series of bizarre dreams which no one can interpret. He learns of Joseph and summons him. Joseph is able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams and as a result, becomes Pharaoh's number two man. This leads to a climactic ending that reunites Joseph and his brothers.
Before the singing and dancing could take place, the cast and crew of "Joseph" had to endure long hours and scrupulous work. "We've all spent over one hundred hours working on the show," said Lovell.
With just over a month to put together the show, no time could be spared for rehearsals. FYP member Jen Jaynes said, "Rehearsals are lot of work. We would practice for four hours at night, Monday through Friday." The time schedule wasn't the only crazy aspect of rehearsal. "I would describe our rehearsals as nomadic," said Jaynes. "We had to find a lot of strange places to practice."
The set also posed a challenge to the FYP crew. Said Tech member Sarah Morgan, "building the set is tough because we don't have a lot of money or a lot of materials to work with."
The exotic props that the show calls for aren't any easier. Prop crew member Jonathan Green said, "We spent about three weeks trying to make a life size camel that spits. I think we ended up going through five plans before we got it."
It's when everything comes together that the real magic happens. "All the cast members bring something different and interesting to the show," said Lovell. "We like to add our own flare to the show to make it unique."
The end result of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is just as the title says; amazing. The set, singing, music, lights, and dancing all come together beautifully to create an hour long spectacle. Noteworthy performances include Scott Harrison (Joseph), Laura Cannon and Carly Brown (Narrators). All three of these first year performers have incredible voices that are commanding throughout the entire show.
The show stealing moment, though, comes at the beginning of the second act where the audience will see the Pharaoh in a whole new light. This moment stands out in the show because of the outstanding performance given by Will Gatlin (Pharaoh).
So why should everyone come see the show? "You get to see men dance!" said FYP member Danny Dean.
The show is definitely worth seeing. "After putting so many hours of hard work, it's awesome to watch the talent of the cast, tech, and pit," said Lovell. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is sure to be a crowd pleaser as it is able to reach out to a broad spectrum of audience members. FYP member Jackie Beilhart said, "If the audience has half as much fun as we had doing this show, it promises to be a wonderful night!" "Joseph" is playing at the Student Activities Building November 13-16. Tickets are available on the lawn and at the door.
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