"JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT," Pickleville Playhouse, Garden City (Bear Lake), through Sept. 1 (435-946-2918 or www.picklevilleplayhouse.com). Running time: 88 minutes (one intermission).
GARDEN CITY — For many Utahns, Bear Lake is synonymous with summer fun. There is plenty of sun and sand and opportunties to do things not remotely associated with work.
But it might be time to find a new synonym for fun. Try the Pickleville Playhouse.
Fun was the operative word as the 2006 summer season opened with "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in the likable log-cabin theater on Bear Lake's southwest corner. The setting itself, the initial stage being built in 1977, drips with ambience, and the audience is often a bit loud and rowdy. Yeah, having fun.
Pickleville'se production of "Joseph" had suprisingly few of the glitches that sometimes plague summer-theater efforts. The dry ice performed perfectly, the lighting was top-drawer, spotlights hit their intended targets all night long, and the performers were easy to hear and enjoy. Even the scenic backdrops, painted especially for this production and setting, helped to elevate the activity well above expectations.
Joseph, played by T.J. Davis, was downright, well, Osmond-esque. Davis' voice was soft, yet solid and true. He dominated the stage when he was supposed to and his smile was both infectious and hard to miss. It was also hard to miss how much fun he was having in the role.
And his sense of fun rubbed off on the entire cast. There was not a stiff smile, a muffed dance step or a serious bone in the body of the entire production.
David Ebert, playing Jacob, looked the part of the elder herdsman, though he was a bit hard to hear. Megan Walker, playing the Narrator, chased a few high notes. For just a few brief moments early on, the recorded soundtrack was too loud. But such little negatives were surrounded and swallowed up by the familiar story and songs, with just enough homespun ham to keep it fun without ever getting corny.
Davis' renditions of "Any Dream Will Do" and "Give Me My Colored Coat" were right on target and full of heart. Even an extended and well-received curtain call, designed to show off the talents of the 20-or-so Pickleville Players, was energetic. And fun.
"Joseph" is the perfect end to a day of swimsuits and sunburns — a new kind of summer fun at Bear Lake.
E-mail: jay@statesman.serv.usu.edu