Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Review)

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Review) Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat at MC, August 3-9
Reviewed by Joe Blenkle/Sacramento Stage & Theatre

JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT starring Eric Kunze and Mary Gordon Murray, is Music Circus' fourth offering of the season. JOSEPH plays under the tent, Aug. 3-9, 1998.

Eric Kunze as Joseph and Philip Anthony as The Pharaoh in a scene from Sacramento Music Circus' production of JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT.

    Useful things, programs are! Not only do they tell you who is in the show, they make great fans - that's fans as in the waving kind.
    Patrons of opening night of the Sacramento Music Circus' fourth production of the year JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT were making full use of their programs as the Sacramento heat soared into the 100s and the temperature in the tent - according to one journalist armed with a thermometer - hovered in the 90s.
    It's all part of the fun of theatre under the tent and summer in Sacramento, however. No one complains too much, they just enjoy the show.
    And JOSEPH was a very enjoyable show. Having never seen this Andrew Lloyd Webber musical before, I was pleasantly surprised at its humor, song and dance.
    JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is a whimsical tale based on one of the stories from THE BOOK (that's the Bible, in case you didn't guess), and it's told in a fashion that will both amuse and educate.
    The story pretty much sticks to the Biblical telling of Joseph and the coat of many colors he was given by his father. Joseph's 11 brothers become jealous of all the attention he gets and sell him into slavery and then convince their father that he is dead.
    In Egypt, Joseph eventually rises to the role of The Pharaoh's second in command after The Pharaoh (Philip Anthony) learns that Joseph can tell the future by listening to people's dreams.
    Joseph eventually gets the upper hand on his brothers when they come begging for food, but in the end everything is resolved and they, of course, live happily ever after.
    The musical opens in modern times with a young child named Joe (Christopher Carlson). His mother (Mary Gordon Murray) insists that his name is Joseph (you know how moms are). She is trying to put him to sleep and begins telling him the story of the other Joseph, a man who can read dreams. He eventually drifts off and has his own dreams, beginning by the Biblical Joseph (Eric Kunze) rising out of his bed.
    JOSEPH then turns into a mish-mash of modern and Biblical, as the young Joseph's dreams are filled with everything from Superman and Batman to the Biblical Joseph's brothers dancing and singing to Country-Westernish, Caribbean and French tunes.

CAST:   Father - Dink O'Neal
  Mother/Narrator - Mary Gordon
    Murray
  Little Joe - Christopher Carlson
  Joseph - Eric Kunze
  Jacob - Dink O'Neal
  Reuben - K.C. Gussler
  Simeon - Richard Bulda
  Levi - Matt Loehr
  Napthali - Deven May
  Isaacher - Christopher Coyne
  Asher - Glenn Shiroma
  Dan - Romar De Claro
  Zebulun - Orlando Alexander
  Gad - Kevin Hawke
  Judah - Christian Bohm
  Benjamin - Danny Bergold
  Wives - Melissa Rain Anderson,
    Kate Levering, Carolyn Ockert,
    Shannon Pritchard, Valerie Jane
    Smith, Erin Swanson
  Jacob's Wife - Melissa Rain
    Anderson
  Potiphar - Dink O'Neal
  Potiphar's Wife - Palmer Davis
  Butler - Christopher Coyne
  Pharaoh - Philip Anthony
  Slaves - C.J. Bunyan, Anthony
    Clarke, Brian Escamilla, Victor
    Sampson
  Waitress - Kate Levering

Philip Anthony rocked as The Pharaoh in Music Circus' JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT which plays under the tent Aug. 3-9.

    The cast is seen cleaning the stage with dustbusters, Potiphar (Dink O'Neal) runs his kingdom on a laptop computer, and Egypt's plentiful crops are carried in Raley's shopping bags.
    Of course, one of the real showstoppers is The Pharaoh telling Joseph of his dreams - as Elvis, complete with white jumpsuit.
    JOSEPH was last seen at the Music Circus in 1991. Hopefully it will make a return visit soon. Eric Kunze, who played Jesus in the Music Circus' 1996 JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR, was fantastic as Joseph. He not only sounds good, but looks good too (ask any of the ladies in the audience). Kunze starred on Broadway as Marius in LES MISERABLES, Chris in MISS SAIGON, and Joe Hardy in DAMN YANKEES, a role he reprised in last year's Music Circus production. He also played the Wolf/Prince in Sacramento's Broadway Series production of INTO THE WOODS in 1997. Kunze will return to the tent Aug. 24-30 when he plays Lt. Cable in SOUTH PACIFIC.
    Mary Gordon Murray also did a fine job in her second appearance of the year. She was last seen in PAJAMA GAME, which played under the tent July 20-26. Murray played the dual role of young Joseph's mother and The Narrator, who followed the characters through much of their craziness on stage. The Tony-nominated actress also appeared opposite Kunze in last year's DAMN YANKEES - as the Devil!
    JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT continues under the Music Circus tent through Sunday, Aug. 9 and is followed by BRIGADOON, Aug. 10-16.
    Performances are at 8 p.m. through Saturday and 7:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are priced at $22 to $40 depending on time and seat location and are on sale at the Music Circus box office, 1419 H Street or by phone at (916) 557-1999. Tickets may also be purchased at all BASS Ticket outlets (916) 923-BASS.

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