by J.E.Ballantyne, Jr.
It is hard to find anyone who has not seen the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at some point or an- other. It is a staple of high school and community theaters as well as having been produced on television and on tour.
It is based on the Biblical story of Joseph, in the Book of Genesis, and his coat of many colors. With different musical genres mixed in throughout the show and very little, if any dialog, the show is a comical and energetic treatment of the familiar story.
Millennial Theatre Company’s production of “Joseph” opened Friday night at the Youngstown Playhouse to an almost full house. From the very beginning when the curtain goes up, this production is visually stunning. More about that a little later.
The show is piloted by three narrators; Colleen Chance, Holly Marshall and Kate DeL. These three powerfully voiced ladies guide the audience through every nook and cranny of the story as each one is given their chance to shine in a solo somewhere during the show. All three women are dynamite and they provide a strong backbone for the show as a whole.
In the role of Joseph is Samuel Darrin, Darrin fits the role to a “T” and has a strong voice to go with it. His acting and stage presence are second to none as he navigates Joseph through the maze of obstacles he encounters due to the jealousy of his 11 brothers. His rapport with the audience is unmistakable along with his energy and apparent zeal for performing. He is a winner.
Darrin has many fine vocal moments in the show but the ones that stand out the most are “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door.” The balance between actors and music is good; everyone can be heard over the tinny music.
His father, Jacob, played by Playhouse standard bearer Terry Shears, was so well played that it took me a few minutes to recognize Shears in the role. Not that he isn’t always a good character actor, but because this role was a little different
for him. With costume and full beard makeup, he actually resembles another Play- house stalwart from the past, Richard Kepley. But, as usual, Shears was in top form and gave a humorous and convincing performance.
Joseph’s brothers are an integral part of the story and the show. Here is where things deteriorate a bit. Notice I said brothers. Technically we only had eight brothers with the other three being played by women. Unfortunately, it was obvious that these were not male actors – to the point that I had a problem buying the brothers as a group. I understand the old community theater problem of finding enough men. Whether this was intentional or due to not being able to find male actors, I don’t know, but it put a dent in the production from my perspective.
To make things worse, these same ladies showed up in the dance ensemble as females.
A similar but even more glaring problem was in the miscasting of the role of Pharaoh. This role provides one of the high moments in most “Joseph” productions as Pharaoh does a show stopping number (“Song of the King”) as Elvis – the song is appropriately titled. It is one of the things this show is known for and that everyone looks forward to. In this production, the scene was a dud. Played by Mikayla Moore, Pharaoh became a female character without the Elvis trappings. Miss Moore has a good voice, but it just didn’t work. The scene lacked the zip that it should have had. The saving grace was the backup dancers.
On the other hand, however, the role of Potiphar is given an interesting and humorous twist that worked quite well. I won’t go into detail, because it’s better if you just experience it.
The show sports a strong dance ensemble and vocal ensemble. Both meet the challenges of the production with high energy and a first-rate professional look. Woven into many scenes are a group of 14 young kids who show up in the first scene and are a hit immediately. Each time they returned they just got better.
It is on the technical side that this show really soars. From the first scene, when the curtain rises, the stage is engulfed in a star-lit drop with matching pieces right and left, making a breathtaking sight on stage. And from there it only gets better. Lighting design by Joe Asente is Broadway quality every inch of the way with bright colors and fast lighting changes. The set, also by Asente, is vibrant and big in every sense of the word. Costumes by Daniel Chiaberta are dynamic, again with color and glitz. Choreographer Danielle Mentzer has done a masterful job with lively, fast-paced, and energetic choreography.
I would say without hesitation that this is the best tech show that the Millennial has ever done and they have done some big ones in the past. They went all out on tech for this one.
Musically, the show is a winner for the most part. Strong voices propel the songs against weak accompaniment and despite those flaws mentioned earlier, the “brothers” are vocally strong in numbers like “Jacob and Sons,” “Poor, Poor Joseph,” and “Those Canaan Days.” The kids mentioned earlier are a great addition musically and are well rehearsed and confident in all musical numbers.
Don’t get me wrong, Asente has put together a good show here that people will enjoy. I wouldn’t say it equals some of Millennial’s other productions, but it was still good overall. If you are looking for a fun evening of light entertainment with no hard message you have to figure out, get down to the Playhouse and enjoy.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will continue July 12, 18 and 19 at 7:30 p.m. and July 13 and 20 at 2:30 p.m.
Pictured at top: The cast of Millennial Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” includes Holly Marshall, Samuel Darrin, Colleen Chance and Kate DeL.