Rosebud’s latest production, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, and is an enthralling modern take on the classic tale of Joseph, filled with laughter and joy for the whole family to experience. This production was originally on stage at Rosebud twelve years ago and they rekindled it for Rosebud’s thirty-fifth anniversary. The production called for a cast and crew of about fifty-five people made up of thirty locals, seven current students of Rosebud School of the Arts, nine alumni, and nine guest artists. The charisma and energy expressed by the cast was strong enough to bring the whole audience together merely a few minutes into the show. Though a trailer park may not be where you first expect to see these biblical characters, it brings a refreshing modernized take that can be enjoyed despite knowing the classical story or not.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical with songs from nearly every genre out there. Under the guidance of Bill Hamm, the show’s music director, the actors put on an unforgettable musical performance that the audience will find itself humming along to weeks later. These musically ingenious pieces were only made better with the spot-on choreography created by Deanne Bertsch. The sheer talent that these actors and actresses brought to the stage was absolutely amazing, they took the music to a whole new level leaving the audience speechless on a few accounts. While each and every song brought a new and different version of incredible, the musical number to look forward to would be ” Go Go Go Joseph” this song alone took you through probably three genres and tones keeping the lengthy song exciting and unpredictable. The other song to keep an eye out for would be “Pharaoh’s Dream” the choreography and overall tone will keep you laughing until your stomach hurts. This performance also included a live band that can be seen on stage and often interacts with the characters. The live band adds even more to the power and sound emanating off the stage.
The characters in this production all have vastly different personalities, goals, and motives. This makes it so that the show never has a dull moment and will make you smile until your cheeks hurt. The contrast between the characters in even the first few scenes is very clear, and the show gives you a character to root for right away, making the events that follow in the performance that much better. The actors who portray these characters truly bring the story to life making it hard to tell that they are merely acting in a show. The audience seemed in awe of their abilities and talents, the way that they portrayed these characters were spot on, and the emotions they used for the play to a T. With the immense amount of talent demonstrated by everyone involved, and the unpredictability of it, this two-hour performance seemed to fly by in no time
This performance, as all stage shows, would never be the marvel it is without those backstage who help bring it all together. The artistic direction by Morris Ertman is what brought about the modernized version you can see today. The changes made created many hilarious moments, in ways you would not have expected. It is almost an entirely different show than the one Rosebud put on 12 years ago, yet in some ways the same. Ertman’s vision and guidance helped to inspire others behind stage. The wonderful musical numbers can be accredited to the work done by music director Bill Hamm, and choreographer Deanna Bertsch. Hamm’s guidance along with the experience of the actors bring about beautiful and powerful singing in every song. Bertsch’s choreography matches and adds to the variety of genres of music played in the show. Sometimes simple and elegant, and sometimes hilariously creative. Scenic artist Cheryl Daugherty and lighting director T. Erin Gruber both did amazing work that meshed together to create a gorgeous stage full of wonder. It’s not often a production’s lighting stands out, but in this case it truly did. Spot on timing, colours, and varying ways of lighting the stage helps to show off the beautiful work done by Daugherty in painting this set. Many more people did fantastic work to bring this show together, but the best and most efficient way to learn of them, is to go see Joseph.
Overall Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a happy, well rounded production that can be enjoyed by everyone. With the variety of music, the interesting characters, and the fantastic supporting cast, you’ll find yourself enjoying it to the end. The best way to find out about this spectacular production would be to go and watch it yourself. The shows are on from June 1 to September 1, 2018, and you will be able to find the tickets at https://www.rosebudtheatre.com/shows.
