“Go Go Go Joseph.”
The beloved musical “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” has made a stop in Columbus, and will be playing at the Palace Theatre until May 7.
The play follows the biblical story of Joseph, centering around his father Jacob and his 11 brothers. It is revealed that the brothers are jealous of Joseph, whom they feel is Jacob’s favorite. To get rid of him, the sons sell Joseph as a slave and tell their father he has died. While Joseph is in prison in Egypt, he helps interpret a dream the Pharaoh had and saves Egypt, making him royalty.
The play begins with a musical montage. As the play progresses, a chorus featuring young children from the Imaginating Dramatic Company enters the stage. Patrick Cassidy plays Joseph, and is able to sing and dance in a loincloth with good humor.
Todd Dubail plays Pharaoh, and adds an interesting touch by portraying him as the king of rock ‘n’ roll, Elvis Presley. His character is arrogant, but this arrogance adds even more humor to the play.
Amy Adams, an American Idol alum, plays the narrator. Her vocals are powerful in narrating Joseph’s story.
“Joseph” covers music ranging from a variety of genres, including country and western, reggae, Egyptian, Italian and Elvis’ music. This adds a spark to the story, ensuring that nobody will be bored throughout the show.
The play adds different types of dancing, including swing. Another interesting aspect is the actors becoming cheerleaders with elaborate costumes. The costumes go well with the music. Country and western music, Italian music, go go dancing, neon outfits and glittered outfits, used for the finale, all contribute to making “Joseph” more aesthetically pleasing.
Popular songs such as “Any Dream Will Do,” “Close Every Door to Me” and “Go Go Go Joseph,” rock the stage. The music, written by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is unforgettable. The audience left the show singing and it seemed to enjoy this modern twist on an ancient legend.
