by Emma DiNapoli
The HHS drama department, which performs to perennially sold-out audiences, is producing Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this February. The musical, based on the story of Joseph from the Bible’s book of Genesis, is remarkable in its almost complete absence of dialogue.
“There isn’t really any spoken dialogue throughout the entire play,” stage manager Zach McDonnell said. “If you tune out during a song, you don’t really know what’s going on.”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoatbegins as a dream in which the basic premise is introduced—Joseph’s brothers are jealous of his coat, a symbol of their father’s obvious preferential treatment. To prevent Joseph from ruling them, his brothers sell Joseph as a slave. Throughout the musical, we watch Joseph rise through the ranks in the Egyptian labor world, from a slave to head of the household, and we ride a rollercoaster of emotions as his fortunes by turns fall and then rise, eventually coming to a happy conclusion.
“The storyline can be a little confusing at times because it goes back and forth between characters,” senior Justin Goldberger said. Goldberger stars in this year’s musical as Joseph, following a role as Barnaby in last year’s Hello Dolly.
“[The most difficult part for me] is trying to distinguish from Barnaby from last year and Joseph from this year,” Goldberger said. “They’re completely different characters.”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat draws from a variety of musical genres and dancing styles, differentiating it from previous musical the drama department has put on.
“It [the musical] dips its toe in everything, from country-esque songs to Jamaican songs to rap, so there’s something for everyone,” senior Allison Monroe said. As one of the eleven brothers’ wives, Monroe is a primary dancer tested by this year’s ratcheted-up choreography.
“There feels like there’s a lot more for everyone to do this year, like a lot more singing and dancing,” Monroe said. “There are a lot of really good dancers!”
Prior to staging the show, concerns had been raised about the Biblical themes of the show. However, cast members say the show is not inappropriately religious.
“It’s not overtly Biblical,” Monroe said. “You can really appreciate the show for the diversity of the music and quality of the performances.”
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