Joseph and His Lovely Outerwear

"I closed my eyes, drew back the curtain, to see for certain, what I thought I knew/Far far away, someone was weeping, as the world was sleeping/ any dream will do."--Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

If you follow your dream, who knows, it may come true--this is the message that director Scott Arsenault's adaptation of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat so energetically and dramatically portrays.

Rice and Webber have based this artistically and visually stimulating musical on Chapters 37-50 of Genesis in the Bible. They trace the life of Joseph, the favorite and youngest of Jacob's 12 sons.

Because he is their father's favorite son, ominous circumstances (the attempted fratricide by his brothers) surround Joseph; his brothers, still driven by jealousy, end up selling him as a slave to a rich Egyptian. A further mixture of tragi-comic events culminate in Joseph's condemnation to a jail cell. From there, the story spirals into an exciting spin and eventually Joseph finds himself in the Pharaoh's service.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor dreamcoat dir. Scott Arsenault at the Kirkland JCR Through April 11

"Humbled and hungry," his brothers turn to Egypt, where Joseph's clairvoyant skills have saved its people from drought. They meet with Joseph, but he cautiously tests them for remnants of the malice that they had shown him in the past. This encounter leads to a truly magnificent finale, wherein Joseph sings "any dream will do" and a long last reunites with his father, Jacob.

Webber and Rice's musical rendition of this biblical story is remarkable. From a French-sounding "Those Canaan days, we used to know, where have ze gone, where did ze go." to the rhythmic calypso of "Oh no, not he, how you cahn acuze heem eez a meestarie, save him, take me, Benjaameen is straighter than the tall palm tree"--the music thrills. There are even flavors of Elvis and country music in some of these numbers.

Headed by musical director Clara J. Ohr. the musical ensemble supports the wonderful talents that color the stage, despite its occasional dissonances. The caliber of vocal talent complements and even outshines the original score. Greg Schaffer as Joseph, Bonnie Graves as the narrator and Liz Cotter as Simeon/Potiphar's wife delivered noteworthy performances. They make their stage presences strongly felt, their voices are truly fluid and the they add greatly to the multi-talented cast.

The most impressive aspect of this play, however, is not the music, but the production. Executive producer Lori N. Durr and director Scott Arsenault provide the play with the dramatic energy and fervor that complement it musical prowess. Little things like giving the play a contemporary feel to enhance its comic impact by using devices like a Where's Joseph instead of Where's Waldo book. The dramatic impact of the final scene relies on its seemingly effortless creation of a golden chariot. It substitutes people for the animals and parts of the chariot, glitter paper for the reins and a golden umbrella for the wheel--a fascinating achievement.

Set designed by Sarah Semerjian exude a mysterious air through the screen-like image they create and serve the purpose of the play beautifully. The lights, by Jonathan Hill are coordinated with the music and provide a visually appealing effect. The choreography, although a little repetitive, uses the stage space well when it includes some novel moves. Vocal director Menekse Gencer effectively combines the voices, but some disharmony does taint the overall outcome.

A wonderful cast of actors, each of whom establishes his or her individual presence on stage, makes this production a wonderful experience.

For all those of you have seen this play elsewhere, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Kirkland House deserves a second view. And for first-time viewers, get ready to take a brand-new, contemporary look at the Bible's story of Joseph.