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The "danc-ical' tells the biblical story of Joseph's slavery in Egypt.
By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published June 21, 2002
LECANTO -- The biblical musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be performed June 27-30 at Curtis Peterson Auditorium.
Dreamcoat tells the story of a Canaanite named Joseph. He's one of 12 sons and his father's favorite. While his brothers had to dress in rags, Joseph had a special coat of many colors.
His brothers succumb to a jealous rage and decide to murder Joseph. However, their plan goes awry, and Joseph is sold into slavery at the last minute. To complete the deception, their brothers stain his coat with goat's blood to make it look as though he met with a violent death.
Joseph also has the ability to interpret dreams. This serves him well with his Egyptian masters, and the Pharaoh eventually appoints him minister of agriculture. All this sets up a showdown between Joseph and his brothers when a famine strikes.
The play has lots of music. It's been called a mini rock opera, and the songs include rock and roll, calypso and standard Broadway music. It also has lots of dance numbers.
"It's a "dance-ical'," said director Judy Poplawski. "There's no lines, it's all songs, one song to another. Lots of mime and slapstick."
Community theater fans may remember Poplawski as the original director of Playhouse 19 Community Theater. She's assisted in Dreamcoat by Margaret Williams, musical director; Donna Olsen, accompanist; and Drew Sherman, drummer.
Playing the part of the Narrator is Merry Ellen Williams. She sings practically the entire story. Alan Jefferson is Joseph. Other actors are John Chesnovitch as Jacob; Wayne Todd as Ruben; Daniel Lugo as Levi; Will Eschen as Isacar; Angelo Arcadipane as Asher and also as the Pharaoh; Robbie Bradley as Dan; Michael Yerman as Zebulon; Tim Jefferson as Gad; Devon Bowman as Benjamin; Alex Yerman as Judah; Charlie Pitch as Simian; and Michael Pitch as Nepthali.
Tickets are $15. On Thursday, any community group with 25 children ages 6 to 16 can buy a block of tickets for halfprice. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday and June 28 and 29, and 2 p.m. June 30.