Phoenix Theatre's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
(out of 
)Mark S.P. Turvin
(home office) (602) 912-0117
I can be reached for comment via e-mail at: mspt@goldfishpublishers.com
(out of )Last season, a "revamped" production of Rice and Webber's first show together, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat toured through town. That show was loud, brash and long, and took what was essentially an eighty minute show, and turned it into a one hundred and sixty minute marathon, leaving the audience out-of-breath and hungering for the basics. The producers of that monstrosity could have learned a lot from Phoenix Theatre's current production, which generally remains true to the standard version of the text, but when talented Musical Director Jerry Wayne Harkey added orchestrations and vocals, they worked seamlessly into the show.
Rice and Webber's original concept for the show was to tell the story of Jacob's son Joseph, the dream interpreter who goes from rags to riches in the court of the Pharaoh Ramses, using a pastiche of musical styles for each song, from Country/Western to Twenties flapper, with some Rock, French and Jewish inspirations thrown in for good measure. It's a very cute show, and when produced with recognition of the fact that this is no Les Mis, it becomes a very enjoyable evening of theatre.
And Phoenix Theatre has done just that, and included a talented cast, interesting visuals and amazing choral and dance sequences in the process. The wonderful chorus, chock full of actors who could be leads in any other productions, work together in sync and seem to be having as much fun as the audience all the while. It is the ensemble that ensures this production will be one of the best that Phoenix Theatre has done in years.
The only slight disappointments, and they're minor quibbles at best, are with the two leads. Curt Dale Clark is a good Joseph, but not a standout. He has a good voice, moves well, and looks the part, but lacks some of the stage presence that would catapult him to the fore of this talented group. Meanwhile, Jenee Wright's portrayal of the narrator is musically impressive, but her presence and interaction seem forced and hesitant. It's unclear, since she's rarely directly involved with the cast, why she ever appears onstage at all. This problem has roots back to the script itself, so it's not surprising that she is unable to overcome it.
After these minor problems, the show itself shines as brightly as a supernova. Director/Choreographer Marc Robin has collected some of the brightest talent from Phoenix and Chicago stages, and raised them to a remarkable level vocally and in movement. Mr. Harkey's musical extensions allow the cast to show off their dancing prowess, and Mr. Robin's choreography follows the myriad of musical styles perfectly, incorporating a sequence straight from the current musical Stomp which adds yet another wonderful element to the production. He also includes three talented dancers in a female ensemble which do some of the work originally slated for the narrator.
It's tough to point out standouts in the talented cast, since all solos were equally well performed and enjoyable, though Mark Stoddard's hilarious turn as a Pharaoh who's a real "King", Hal Adams' "lil bit country" Levi and Beau Heckman's enjoyable Isaacher-as-played-by-Maurice-Chevalier are examples of how great an evening Phoenix Theatre offers.
Thom Gilseth's cartoonish Scenic Design and Kyle Lemoi's frenetic lighting are welcome visual elements to the show, and Elizabeth Ihlenfeld's costumes complement the joy of the show. There were some problems with Robin Coate's sound design which begged the question, might it have been better to have gone completely with wireless mikes for the leads rather than malfunctioning body mikes? Even this slight problem, though, did little to hamper the joyous proceedings.
As Phoenix Theatre has transformed itself from popular community
theatre to well-funded professional theatre, it has endured some
growing pains along the way. It's nice to see that despite its
professionalism and funds, they are still able to put on a simple
show with spectacular results.
Production Details:
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Tim Rice
and Andrew Lloyd Webber
Phoenix Theatre, Phoenix
254-2151
September 19th-October 12th, 1997