Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Joe’s coat is hecka cool. It’s a mega-colored coat, given to Joe by his ’rents ’cause he’s their fave. His jealous bros become haters and pimp him to slave traders. Joe eventually gets props from the Pharaoh ’cause he can crystal-ball dreams. (Phew! It’s exhausting trying to be hip!)Joe, of course, is Joseph of the Old Testament, with a coat of many colors. Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice modernized his story in their quirky Broadway musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Its many musical styles include Broadway, pop, country, calypso and rock ’n’ roll—all presented in a campy, Las Vegas-style show, complete with swirling spotlights, a fog machine, go-go dancers and Elvis.
Joseph doesn’t take itself seriously, which is its strength. Thankfully, neither does this Runaway Stage Productions show. The costumes and dance numbers are crazy fun, the props are visually funny, and the talented cast obviously is having a blast. Runaway does what it does best: It gives young emerging actors, singers and dancers a chance to shine. Most of the 33 performers are junior-high, high-school and college students. Together, they make up an enthusiastic, energy-filled cast of many talents.
As Joseph, Jacob Montoya has great stage presence and a good voice, though his Joe is oddly sexed-up (to the delight of girls in the audience). And David Lack is a hoot as the Elvis-like Pharaoh. The show’s only glitch is a combination of vocals and sound system that make the lyrics hard to understand.
If you want to see the Joe show, you’d better hurry. There are only three more productions—one on Friday night and two on Saturday.
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