GARDEN CITY, Utah — JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT; Pickleville Playhouse, Garden City, Utah; directed by Andrea Davis; shows and matinees through Sept. 3, tickets, $17/$12/$30 for dinner & show; www.picklevilleplayhouse.com or 435-946-2918; running time, 90 minutes with one intermission.
If you've never seen "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" on stage, here's a production that will impress you.
If you've seen it before, even a few times, this version of the show is fast-paced enough and done well enough you won't regret seeing it again.
Derek Davis is Joseph and clearly has the acting ability and vocal talent to deserve the part though he's also cast in the alternate production of "Who Shot Juanito Bandito?" and it's easy to think maybe the Davis family has a lock on the casting. (Four members of the Davis family have parts in the shows and Andrea Davis is the producer and director.)
The brothers are a talented bunch with facial expressions and choreography well enough planned that it's easy to forget the stage is a small one. They also deserves kudos for their enthusiasm and renditions as brothers who can't stand their spoiled, younger brother and who go on to take drastic, regrettable measures. They almost steal the show.
The costuming is creative with a gold lame suit for the singing, rocking, pharaoh; a white satin Marilyn Monroe-style dress for the pharaoh's wife; matching outfits for the cheerleaders in "Go, Go, Joseph"; and the critical element for any Joseph show — a beautiful and versatile dreamcoat.
The Ishmaelites appear in bad wigs and drag Joseph off on a scooter while Joseph hangs out in colorful cuffs and a collar and a short skirt. KFC buckets represent the sacks the brothers bring to the pharaoh when they come begging for food.
One of the appealing factors of the "Joseph" show is that every director and cast can make the show its own. In this show, Andrea Davis doesn't miss any opportunities with the buckets, the gifts for Joseph, the fluffy goat and the pharaoh's guards.
But while it's clearly a spiritual spoof, "Joseph" is also a show that demands impressive vocal and acting talent. Not a problem here.
Every actor and actress is spot-on and interesting to watch (with perhaps the exception being Jacob who doesn't really seem to care that his favorite son is casually sold and left for dead).
The choreography is outstanding. The set is fun, the timing quick, the costumes well chosen. In fact, everything about this production is colorful and entertaining.
Just be aware, the songs from this show live on in the brain for the next couple of weeks. There's no escaping it.
Sharon Haddock is a professional writer with 30 years experience, 17 at the Deseret News. Her personal blog is at sharonhaddock.blogspot.com. Email: haddoc@desnews.com