SMITHFIELD — I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not a big fan of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
I realize that statement is practically heretical coming from any Utahn (even a transplant like me) given the show’s long association with Donny Osmond.
I’ve always felt, however, that if you’re going to listen to Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber adding a soundtrack to the Bible, why not go whole hog and stage Joseph’s bigger (and better) brother – Jesus Christ Superstar?
But I’m not averse to a local performing arts group trying to sell Joseph … to me and the Four Seasons Theatre company did just that on their opening night on Oct. 7.
As expected, the Four Seasons staging of Joseph … is a stylistic extravaganza, borrowing musical numbers from multiple genres, including a country-western hoe-down, a parody of a depressing French ballad and an oddly-placed confessional set to a calypso beat.
Wisely recognizing Joseph … for the fluff it is, Four Season director Melinda Richards delivers a production that is heavily laden with glitz and glamour.
The set design for Joseph is normally minimalist, but the folks at Lineset Design have gone the other way this time. The show opens on a modern museum setting, with three walls that cleverly rotate to deposit ancient Biblical characters on the stage. It’s a neat, inventive gimmick.
The costuming for this production is equally extravagant, with lavish attire designed by Kody Rash taken from every time period from the Good Book to modern workout clothes. The wonder is that the cast actually has time backstage to make all the wild costume changes.
Joseph … is, of course, a campy retelling of the Biblical story from the Book of Genesis set to music.
An actor familiar to local audiences, Tanner Doyle, is cast in the title role. His lyrical tenor voice blends beautifully with those of Sarah Huff and Baylie Hendry, who are sharing the normally solo role of the Narrator in this production.
According to the Bible, after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph ingratiates himself to Egypt’s troubled Pharaoh.
In most productions, the Pharoah is a larger-than-life figure who resembles Elvis Presley, but here Kaden Bundy delivers a more understated characterization.
Rice and Webber obviously wrote and scored Joseph … as a choral review and the male, female and children’s ensembles rightly share the spotlight in this Four Seasons production.
The male chorus is comprised of Joseph’s 11 brothers and their highpoints are the country-western song “One More Angel” celebrating Joseph’s alleged death and the mournful French ballad “Those Canaan Days.”
The roles of Joseph’s brothers are well played by Jake Peterson, James Jenkins, Ammon Jensen, Mead Hansen, Todd Hollingworth, Grant Fuller, Aaron Lacey and Andrew Withers, Ben Hall, Joshua Hunsaker and Germain Costa.
The brothers’ wives – and the female chorus – are played by Amber Larsen, Meaghan Cottom, Maddie Moe, Kyra James, Annaliese Resendes, Patrice Weatherstone, Olivia Huff, Jessica Christensen, Oakley Roper, Brighton Walker and Jenn Schmidt.
The children’s ensemble includes Jaxson Everton, Nixon Thedell, Nathan Shields, Boston Peterson, Mazin Porter, Phippin Tingey, William Rowe, Derek Geddes, Abigail Geddes, Brooklyn Peterson, Ivy Lacey, Lucy Cottam, Molly Cottam, Hannah Hough, Sophia Rowe and Lucy Brown.
The choreography developed by the dance team of Holden Matthews, Amber Freestone, Katie Packard and Melisa Jensen was dazzling throughout the production, particularly during a hot tango performed by Jessica Christensen and Grant Fuller as an interlude in “Those Canaan Days.”
All performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will continue through Monday, Oct. 14 in the Auditorium at Sky View High School.
Sky View High School is located at 520 South, 250 East in Smithfield.