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Regional Reviews: Phoenix Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Also see Gil's reviews of Shifting Gears, The King and I, You Say Tomato, I Say Shut Up!, Nana's Naughty Knickers
The family friendly musical is based on the Old Testament bible story of Joseph, a dreamer who has a beautiful coat his father Jacob gave him which makes his eleven brothers jealous. Since Joseph is Jacob's favorite son, the brothers decide to sell Jacob, to not only get rid of him, but as a way to hope to make his dream of ruling over them not come true. The musical features a score with a wide range of musical styles from pop to country and two ballads, "Close Every Door" and "Any Dream Will Do," that are exceptional in their succinctness. It also creatively includes a Narrator who comments on and even participates in the story, and ends up being a lesson about jealousy and forgiveness that anyone can relate to. For the tour, married couple Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo play Joseph and the Narrator. They are both alumni of "American Idol" and have some professional theatrical credits as well. While each has an impressive stage presence, their vocals are on the weak side, which is a bit of a shock considering they are both known for their powerhouse "Idol" performances. Part of that might be due to the sound design of this tour, though other performers in the cast don't seem to have any issues with their vocals. Still, the charm they both exude and the excitement they bring to the roles almost make up for their small and somewhat quiet vocals. In the supporting cast, Ryan Williams as the Pharaoh whom Joseph ends up helping and Paul Castree as Joseph's brother Simeon make the most of their solo songs. A separate comment is necessary for understudy Thaddeus Pearson who played the role of Reuben for possibly his first time in this production, at the performance I attended. Local native Brian Golub, who hadn't previously missed a performance, was suffering with laryngitis last week and it appears it got the best of him. While it's a shame that Golub missed the first performance of the run in his home town, Pearson was so good as Reuben that you'd never guess it was possibly his first time playing the role. Director/choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler provides a fresh take on the story, starting the show off with Joseph in bed with his dreams projected on a screen overhead. His choreography and staging are lively and fun, though he can't do much for a story that has minimal character development and emotional depth. Fortunately, the infectious melodies and charm of the cast overcome most of the shortcomings of the piece. However, even with all of the loud and large production numbers, the highlight of the show is a soulful, quiet reprise of the show's prologue toward the end of the show, sung just by Young and DeGarmo that may have been added just for the two of them. Beowulf Boritt's set design is creative with the use of only a few small step set pieces, some moving flats and large flowing pieces of fabric, and colorful and lively projections and inventive videos by Daniel Brodie that seamlessly move us from one location to the next. The lighting by Howell Binkley is rock star concert loud and colorful, and the combination of the sets, projections, and lighting create some dazzling stage pictures. However, Jennifer Caprio's costumes are on the drab side, especially Joseph's robe, which is hardly what I'd call "Technicolor." With plenty of humor, spirited performances and creative production values, the tour of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a fun, infectious production. While the story is still as thin as can be, there are some lessons you will take away along with several melodies you'll be humming for days. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs through January 18th, 2015, at ASU Gammage located at 1200 S. Forest Avenue in Tempe. Tickets can be purchased at www.asugammage.com or by calling 480 965-3434. For more information on the tour, visit http://www.josephthemusical.com/ustour. Directed and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler Cast:
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