Maybe it’s Amazing

Joseph is definitely fun

By Katherine Joyce

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at the Ogunquit Playhouse through Sept. 1. Call (207) 646-5511.

JOSEPH AND THE NARRATOR: Ashton Byrum and Gina Valentine are technicolor in Ogunquit.

Today, I grudgingly admit to you that I like Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. In my early days, I saw the show in almost every venue, from my neighborhood church to London’s West End. I have since become less enthusiastic about the value of musicals. So I try to tell myself that it’s nostalgia. The truth is, the show is fun. And if theatre isn’t going to be edgy and transformative, it might as well be fun.

Joseph is to the Bible what Sesame Street is to the alphabet. It’s fun to watch, and you even learn a little something. If you don’t like a segment, there’s something new to focus on every couple of minutes. Don’t like country? A ballad is just around the corner. Don’t like Elvis impersonation? Just wait for the calypso number.

Part of my reluctance to admit enjoying Joseph lies in its questionable portrayal of the moral of the story. Originally a 15-minute cantata performed at a school in London, the story is told to children sitting on stage, emphasizing that their dreams really can come true. However, Joseph’s dream was to have all of his brothers bow down before him, which doesn’t seem a very nice way to illustrate this moral. But hey, it’s from the Bible. This show also has the potential to illustrate the value of forgiveness, but Ogunquit Playhouse’s production doesn’t deliver this lesson in a particularly focused way.

For those of you who haven’t picked up a Bible recently, fear not. Gina Valentine masterfully narrates the story, using her stunning voice to set the stage in song, and then blending into the background as her story comes to life. Valentine lends humor and style to the role of Narrator, and her casual comfort on stage provides the audience with a stable reference point in this crazy cabaret of a musical.

Ashton Byrum plays the arrogant and charming Joseph, favorite son of Jacob. Byrum has a lovely voice, and a good sense of humor, but plays Joseph with a bit more arrogance than charm. Of course, Joseph is pretty arrogant.

His dreams, which symbolize his 11 brothers prostrate before him, make said brothers angry. When Jacob presents favorite son Joseph (and only his favorite son) with a beautiful multicolored coat (and that son struts around proudly), the brothers have had enough. They sell poor Joe into slavery, and, in a tearful cowboy lament, tell Jacob that Joseph died a hero’s death protecting them from a goat. Scott Sussman, as brother Levi, performs this number with great enthusiasm, shedding tears in view of his father while sending the audience a wink and a grin.

Things begin to go badly for the brothers after Joseph is gone. Meanwhile, Joseph has his own share of adventures to deal with after being sold into slavery. If you’re really curious about what happens after that, you can either read it in Genesis, or go see the show.

The Ogunquit show’s more lively. An enormous cast acts out the story in grand pageantry, tossing in campy humor and the occasional sexual innuendo to keep the audience laughing. The costumes lend authenticity to the pageant, and are creatively designed to help the audience keep track of the many characters on stage. This is especially important, as some cast members play multiple roles.

The large cast size makes the choreography seem crowded at the outset, but the cast ultimately deals gracefully with the large number of people on a relatively small stage. The musical numbers are often barely contained chaos due both to the exuberance of the cast and the large choreographic choices. It’s impossible to remain aloof from the catchy tunes and the tireless good humor thanks to the cast’s contagious exuberance. And at the end of each scene, the Narrator steps back into the scene, ties up any loose ends, and smoothly draws the audience along to the next part of the story.

Although funny and entertaining, Joseph has the potential to be more than that. Director Jacques Stewart seems to have led this cast down a very fun, but less meaningful, path. Joseph played as arrogant and haughty gives his brothers reason to hate him, but the audience little reason to root for him. If played as proud rather than arrogant, Joseph could be more sympathetic, helping the audience root for him and be satisfied when his dream comes true, rather than writing it off to pure luck. Also, the sex and violence Joseph confronts are so down-played that there is little authenticity to his overcoming obstacles.

Joseph’s one chance to really tug the audience’s heartstrings in “Close Every Door” was undermined by his holding on to a piece of the set that kept moving. A small point, perhaps, but it drives home that the forgiveness central to the moral of this story is empty because of the lack of depth in the character of Joseph.

Joseph is a fun show that the Ogunquit Playhouse cast clearly enjoys performing. Although I find the moral questionably portrayed, telling kids that their dreams can come true can never be a bad thing. And forgiveness, however empty it may appear, is always a laudable act. In this particular production, with a talented cast singing catchy songs and telling jokes, maybe the moral just isn’t the point.

Katherine Joyce can be reached at ingliskat@aol.com.