Dreams can drive us to do amazing things. But Joseph’s dreams are making his eleven brothers a bit jealous. Perhaps Joseph really is being a bit “tactless and also rather dim” as he describes his dreams that depict his brothers’ eleven small stalks of corn bowing down to Joseph’s one large stalk of corn. Next thing the poor, stunned Joseph knows, he’s being sold off to slavery in Egypt where things look bleak for the dreamer (after all, he doesn’t speak Egyptian very well). But the narrator tries to compel Joseph and us to take heart. As she puts it, “we’ve read the book, and you come out on top.” That book being Genesis, and the narration being part of the fun and whimsical musical retelling of the story of Joseph and his coat of many colors from this early collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

The Production:

For this big production of Joseph, C. Hook incorporates students from throughout San Diego’s East County from fourth to twelfth grade, three of whom act in tandem as “The Narrator.” Laura Erath, Miki Holmes, and Sara Remmes combine for great harmonies and good personality as they tell the story of the dreamer, mostly delivered off to the side of the main action where Joseph’s journey from riches to rags to riches to forgiveness takes place.

Zack Alper does a nice job as the happily oblivious Joseph surrounded by eleven not-so-happy brothers. This production does many of the usual solos as chorus numbers by the brothers, and they do well as a team of bullies who become a team of amusingly desperate grovelers.

A couple standout scenes include Potiphar’s number as the narrators and ensemble of secretaries in gold Egyptian wigs sing and dance out the number that has Joseph getting into a very different kind of trouble with Potiphar’s Wife (Crystal Sleeper). And Luke Martschinske leads a lively and fun Pharaoh’s Dream scene as Joseph quickly works his way up the ladder with Pharaoh Elvis (and his adoring Egyptian female fans).

Director Mark Arapostathis’s production is set against professional sets and lighting, with a few little fun surprises along the way including a dancing camel gleefully spitting into the audience and Joseph getting upset over someone stealing his “precious Starbucks cup,” no doubt causing some dreamers in the audience to have nightmares.

Rob Hopper
rob@nationalyouththeatre.com
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Executive Director
National Youth Arts

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