Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Lyrics by Tim Rice Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber
Directed by Aaron Baker
“Sha la la, Joseph, you’re doing fine! You and your dreamcoat, ahead of your time!” One of the most enduring shows of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a reimagining of the Biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, eleven brothers and the coat of many colors.
Told entirely through song with the help of a main character Narrator, the musical follows preferred son Joseph. After being sold into slavery by his brothers, he ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar, but ends up in jail after refusing the amorous advances of Potiphar’s wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled, Elvis-inspired, Pharaoh. Joseph’s solution to Egypt’s famine elevates him to Pharaoh’s right-hand man and reunites him with his family.
The magical musical is full of catchy songs in a variety of styles, from a parody of French ballads (“Those Canaan Days”), to country-western (“One More Angel in Heaven”) and calypso (“Benjamin Calypso”), along with the unforgettable classics “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door.” Appropriate for all audiences and groups, Joseph is performed hundreds of times a year by schools across North America, the U.K. and around the world.
HISTORY
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was first written by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber at the request of a friend of Andrew's father, Colet Court School choirmaster Alan Doggett, for the school's 1968 end of term concert.
The children's concert proved so successful that the piece, originally 15 minutes long, continued to expand until it became a full-length professional musical. The first amateur production in America was in May 1970 at the College of the Immaculate Conception in Douglastown, New York.
Professionally, Joseph premiered at Scotland’s Edinburgh Festival in 1972, and transferred to the West End’s Albery Theatre the following year. The Broadway opening, with the late Laurie Beechman as the first female to take the Narrator role, was in 1982 and garnered six Tony nods, including Best Musical. The title role has been played by a succession of stars, including Gary Bond, Donny Osmond, Patrick Cassidy and Jason Donovan.
It has been staged numerous times in the decades since; a new production recently toured the U.S., directed and choreographed by Hamilton Tony winner Andy Blankenbuehler. A 2019 summer revival at the London Palladium was a smash hit and returned to the venue in 2021.
ACCOLADES
Nominee: Seven 1982 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Book and Original Score
Nominee: Three 1982 Drama Desk Awards, including Outstanding Musical
Nominee: 1992 Olivier Award, Best Musical Revival
AUDIENCE: All ages
RUNTIME: approximately 2 hours
Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of The Really Useful Group. www.concordtheatricals.com
Discription from Concord Theatricals
