BWW Reviews: JOSEPH Rocks Candlelight Pavilion

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat/lyrics by Tim Rice/ music by Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber/directed & choreographed by Alison Hooper/Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre/through August 9

Considered Andrew Lloyd Webber's first official musical in the late 60s, in spite of the fact that it really took off after Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has within itself a miraculous power to entertain and inspire...especially the young among us who dare to dream. Now onstage at the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theatre in Claremont, with a totally contemporary and fresh perspective, this Joseph under the direction of choreographer Alison Hooper really leaps off the stage and rocks the entire house...and the audience was composed of mainly seniors, which has a lot to say about dreaming...it's never to late to follow your dreams.

Narrator (Alyssa Grant) sings the story of Joseph (Caleb Shaw), who goes on quite a journey of self-discovery. Director Hooper has worked arduously to make the piece totally contemporary and accessible, by adding the gizmos of technology to the fore. We are most assuredly in 2015 and then quite suddenly transplanted, no...zapped back to a biblical time when Joseph and his father Jacob (Jason Marquez) and his 11 brothers lived their raucously dysfunctional life. Yes, families were dysfunctional even in biblical times, so the journey backwards does not seem out of sync; in fact, it makes sense, as Reuben (Robert Johnson), Simeon (Matt Dunn), Judah (James Joseph) and Benjamin (Jarred Barnard), jealous of Joseph and his superior treatment by Jacob, cast him out, feigning his death. Joseph has always had a special power of being able to see into the future, an attribute that gives him the power to overcome obstacles and eventual luck, as he encounters betrayal by Potiphar (also Marquez) and unexpected help from Pharaoh (Marquez again). The entire story is overseen by the narrator, who, as if from another time and place, like a grande pupeteer, manipulates the eclectic character mix, putting them through through their dreamlike paces.

This is a classic rock opera with no spoken dialogue, so the music has to carry the story, and that it does with styles that are amazingly varied from pop to rock (Elvis) to French (a la Jacques Brel) to calypso to disco. To keep the flow and move the plot vibrantly forward takes some pretty expert staging...so bring on the wonderful talent of Hooper. Her choreography for "Go, Go, Go Joseph" and particularly "Those Canaan Days" is nirvana, with the rhythmical ensemble in literally nonstop motion.

Within this true ensemble piece, of course, leading actors have their moments in the spotlight. Grant is fantastic as the narrator with a powerfully gifted singing voice and just the right amount of detachment. Shaw has super energy and looks quite ordinary, making Joseph an Everyman. Marquez is a knockout as Pharaoh with his perfect Elvis impersonation, which kept the audience of mostly seniors riveted and rocking in their seats. Marquez is equally at home as Jacob and Potiphar, and all the actors playing the brothers are sheer delight, as they sing and dance their way to oblivion. Let's not forget the deliciously colorful costuming from Jenny Wentworth!

There is a happy ending, to be sure, joyously bringing all members of the family back together in harmony, as if the ties had never been severed. Go, go, go see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat unbelievably enhanced by the unique display of visual splendor, which at the core owes everything to the skill of Alison Hooper and a splendid cast.

As always the food and service at Candlelight are impeccable and there are delightful drinks for only $6 that accompany the show like The Dreamer and a delicious Pharaoh's Sangria.

www.candlelightpavilion.com

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