With "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," Artistic Director Scott Michaels has a hit on his hands at the Wagon Wheel Theatre.
It may be his best show to date as director.
If the rest of the 2009 summer season at the theater can match at least half of the entertainment value audiences experienced opening night Wednesday, it truly will be an unforgettable season. Michaels' direction with "Joseph" is genius.
Several years ago, I saw a production of "Joseph" in Indianapolis. It was so well done, I wasn't sure how the Wagon Wheel could top it for me. But top it they did. Kudos to everyone involved.
Where do I start specifically? There's so much amazing, intricate parts to "Joseph" that make it a MUST SEE. You seriously need to go see it for yourself to have two of the most fantastic hours of your life.
One thing that Michaels did differently with this production than other productions of "Joseph" is to have the narrator (Erica Wilpon) be a teacher/museum guide for a group of students. The students have their own personality and style that audiences easily grasp by the child's attire. What makes that relevant is that the show features various music genres - reggae, western, French, hip hop - reflected in the child's clothing. There's a kid with a shirt that says disco queen, another wearing a shirt of Elvis Presley, a Bob Marley shirt on one kid, etc. - and that kid is on stage when that style of music is being performed on stage.
If I haven't made that clear enough, go see the show. You'll be impressed by what Michaels and costume designer Stephen R. Hollenbeck came up with. Truly original. All the costumes, in fact, are great.
And the children's ensemble does so well in this production. From their acting to their singing, some really talented kids shine in "Joseph." The parents of Andrew Bryan, Jordan Fredericks, Kendra Housel, Sophie Lancaster, Emily Lawson, Nelson Martin, Stone Rager, Jacob Reynolds, Tara Rusinack, Olivia Timmerman, Sydney Trump and Allison Zigon can really be proud of their children's performances.
One of my favorite parts about this production is the many pop culture references. I never in my wildest dreams thought the song "Apple Bottom Jeans" by Flo Rida would be used in this show, but it creatively is used. Then there's a "Donald Trump" Potiphar (Andy Robinson), the Flag of Iwo Jima pose reference, Indiana Jones, Levi (Adrian Aguilar) referencing Twitter and so much more (the only thing it's missing is a Lady GaGa shout-out).
The creativity in this "Joseph" show really has raised the bar for the whole season to come. It really takes a stellar cast to pull a show like this off, and they do. The dancing alone - mind blowing.
As for the performance artists in this remarkable production, I have nothing but praise for them (Calling them just actors or singers or dancers isn't sufficient. They truly earned being called performance artists). If they were off or pulled a Bret Michaels and missed their mark, I couldn't tell.
As Joseph, Brandon Springman was an excellent casting choice. "Joseph" is pretty much a sing-through, and Springman pulls every song off that he sings, from alpha to omega. I was anxious to see if he could meet my expectations for the song "Close Every Door", and he did. It's the most well-known number of the musical, requiring some heart-breaking emotion, and Springman gave the song a good shine last night.
If there's a lead female, it's the narrator. Wilpon looks the part, sings the part and you leave believing she is her character. In her second season at WWT, her performance should secure her return visits for years to come.In the musical, based on the biblical story of Joseph and the coat of many colors, Joseph has 11 other brothers. When the brothers all perform together, it's a harmonious men's chorus.
My personal favorite number of the brothers is "One More Angel in Heaven/Hoedown." Led by multi-talented Aguilar as Levi, it starts out as a sad, country western number. Once Jacob (Andy Robinson) leaves the brothers so he can mourn, the brothers turn it into a hoedown because they're glad Joseph is gone. They make it all look like a fun party that you'd be sorry if you missed it.
Along with Levi, the other stellar brothers include Reuben (Jake Thomas Klinkhammer), Simeon (David Glenwright), Naphtali (Andrew Laudel), Isaachar (Zachary D. McConnell), Asher (Rob Riddle), Dan (Cameron Carter), Zebulon (Jose Sepulveda), Gad (David Lepor), Judah (Ryan Castillo) and the youngest, Benjamin (Lucas Thomas).
Like Aguilar, as these talented guys appear in more shows, audiences will get to know them more and appreciate their many gifts.
But this isn't an all-male show. There's Rachel Macisaac as Mrs. Potiphar, who helps make the number "Potiphar" memorable. And the ensemble includes 10-season veteran Jennifer Dow, Mary Joe Duggan and Ashley Travis. They make numbers like "Stone the Crows" lively and hilarious.
If you've ever seen "Joseph" before, you know that the Pharaoh (John Rapson) is "Elvis." Yeah, Elvis. And Rapson, especially during "Stone the Crows," will make audiences all shook up with his performance.
OK, I could keep praising this production all day. But to really get the gist of it, go see it for yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed. And, if you are, send me a YouTube video message explaining why. Detail specifically what I missed that you caught because I couldn't find a single flaw in the show.
"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is playing at the Wagon Wheel now through June 20. It's fun, energetic, high camp (in a good way, which I love) and was two of the best hours I've spent at the Wagon Wheel.
And you can take the whole family and everyone will enjoy it. Yes, everyone.
