Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s hugely popular musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat hits the Centre In The Square stage for one night only next week for the first time in eight years.
Joseph, the favoured son of Jacob, is sold into slavery by his 11 brothers who are jealous of their father’s preference of him and his famous coat. Based on the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis, Joseph is able to interpret dreams and knows that he will lead over his brothers.
“It’s a really great musical and Broadway performance that is really fantastic and ideal for a lot of age groups,” says Aleta Wilson of the centre’s marketing team.
“It’s important for us being a community venue to bring entertainment that’s really great for a lot of different age groups and for people to experience entertainment and experience shows as a family or just with different age groups. It’s a really big production, and a really well-known production.”
As the slave of Egyptian millionaire Potiphar, Joseph is jailed after Potiphar walks in on his wife making advances on Joseph, which Joseph refuses, but Potiphar doesn’t believe him. While in jail he interprets the dreams of his cellmates and then is brought to the Pharaoh to interpret his as well. He becomes the second most powerful man in Egypt, while his brothers suffer through the famine. They eventually come face to face with Joseph again, showing a new state of selflessness.
You’ll have to see the show to find out what becomes of Joseph and his 11 brothers, but you can be sure there’s a happy ending in this family friendly musical.
Wilson says they’re excited to have the full Broadway musical production of the show on their stage again, as the show tours the United States and Canada, with a cast of top-shelf performers.
Tickets have been selling well, especially with people buying them as Christmas gifts since the show appeals to young and old.
“It’s a really good feel-good performance that’s really world class,” Wilson said.
The show includes all the familiar tunes like Go, Go, Go Joseph, Close Every Door, and Any Dream Will Do. And of course, Joseph will be adorned in his multi-coloured coat.
“It really just has that feel-good aura to it. It’s happy, it’s not traditional slow music. It’s fast, it’s upbeat, it’s family and love,” Wilson said.
First premiered in 1970, the show has been performed all over the world, and a film adaptation was made in 1999. Elton John acquired the film rights to produce an animated version in 2014.
Webber and Rice originally created the musical for children to perform and has now been performed by more than 20,000 schools and theatre groups, according to Webber’s media group, Really Useful Group.
“I hope people experience this show with family or loved ones or that they have a really good experience of performance and live arts and that Centre in the Square is a venue that people can come to and make memories,” Wilson said.
“We’re really excited to have it and it’s great to have it back after eight years and we hope people come out and celebrate the story of Joseph.”
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat hits the stage at the Centre In The Square for one night only on Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Tickets range from $50-$85 and are available by calling 519-578-1570 or online at www.centreinthesquare.com.
