Marriott Theatre sews up inclusive, diverse ‘Dreamcoat’
It’s been 14 years since Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire last staged “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” That’s practically two whole generations of kids who might have missed out on composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and librettist Tim Rice’s glitzy showbiz take on the Old Testament tale of the charismatic dreamer Joseph and his jealous brothers.
Director and choreographer Amber Mak creatively remedies this situation with a dazzlingly diverse and inclusive production that fills the entire Marriott Theatre with rainbow color, energy and joy. Mak also frames her peppy production with a thoughtful and poignant storytelling device.
The show starts as two parents indulge their daughter with one last bedtime story. The child (alternately played by Avelyn Lena Choi and Lena Soszynski) then dreams up the rest of the show as her powerhouse-voiced parents embody the musical’s leading roles of Joseph (Devin DeSantis) and the Narrator (Kaitlyn Davis).
Trailing and echoing her mother, the child sees her father in the harrowing tale of a wronged man who uses his talents to rise from unjust slavery to a position of power and forgiveness. By the end, the child has been so inspired that she incorporates Joseph’s story into her own life.
You can buy into Mak’s smart interpretation that stresses how generations should pass down empowering stories to the next. Or, you can just check your brain at the door and let all of Lloyd Webber’s catchy pastiche tunes and Rice’s veddy British lyrics wash over you in one rousing biblical pageant production number after another.
Mak eschews previous templates of “Joseph” by reimagining select scenes. For example, the Act I finale, “Go, Go, Go Joseph,” is now a cheer squad rally rather than a 1960s TV variety show. The whole “Potiphar” sequence now plays like a “what-if” idea of late choreographer Bob Fosse staging an elegant 1920s sex farce.
Mak has also been very equitable in her casting, transforming Joseph’s 11 “brothers” into “siblings,” as several women have taken up those roles. The African American roots of rock ’n’ roll are also emphasized as Lorenzo Rush Jr. plays the Egyptian Pharaoh with plenty of crowd-pleasing vocal and dance flourishes that bring to mind Little Richard alongside the character’s usual default setting as Elvis Presley.
Each ensemble member gets to shine, especially those with eclectic music solos. I was also very impressed by George Keating in the dual roles Potiphar and the father Jacob — especially the latter since he initially fooled me into thinking he was Chicago actor Ross Lehman. Keating’s vocal inflections and comic timing are so reminiscent and spot-on.
In terms of production values, all the senses are colorfully oversaturated with the impressive work of set designer Jeffrey D. Kmiec, costume designer Theresa Ham and lighting designer Jesse Klug. The one drawback is Michael Daly’s sound design, since several lyrics sometimes get swallowed up in the amplified mix amid music director Ryan T. Nelson’s stirring orchestrations.
If your kids haven’t been exposed to “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” before, you can’t go wrong with Marriott’s reinterpreted and all-embracing new staging. You can be dazzled by all the sparkly surfaces, but, more importantly, Mak infuses the whole show with inclusion, love and heart.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” — 4 stars
