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Stage

'Dreamcoat' is colorful, not amazing

By MARTY CLEAR
Published April 19, 2006

TAMPA -- Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was largely ignored when it debuted in 1968. Most people discovered it only after composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice hit the big time a couple of years later with Jesus Christ Superstar.

The frequent touring productions over the past few decades -- including the current one, which is holding court at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center through Sunday -- demonstrate amply why the show was a flop at first, but also why it now enjoys success.

Written before Sir Andrew's music became so pompous and indulgent, it's tuneful and fun, unabashedly lightweight and frivolous, with an entertaining hodgepodge of music styles from calypso to country. In some ways it's an old-fashioned musical comedy, a welcome respite to pseudo-operatic melodramas of more recent years.

But, as it was written before Rice really learned his craft, it's also an endless barrage of embarrassingly awkward lyrics, from "Poor Joseph, sold to be a slave. Situation's grave, yeah, sold to be a slave" to "We will starve if we stay around here, but in Egypt they've food going spare."

Perhaps the biggest drawback, though, is that it's a fairly inconsequential story that takes up a few pages in Genesis, stretched out two hours with filler and mind-numbing repetition.

Patrick Cassidy (brother of Shaun, half-brother of David, ) has the title role here, and he's quite good. His voice is more than a little reminiscent of his half-brother (that's a compliment) and has enough stage presence to help carry the show.

The biggest role is really the Narrator, who pops up awkwardly throughout to provide transitions between scenes. It's a large but bland role, and Natalie Hill, who's in the role for several weeks, including the entire Tampa run, simply doesn't have enough magnetism to give it the lust it desperately needs. She has a pretty voice but little stage presence.

An attractive, talented and energetic chorus makes up for a lot of the show's weaknesses, as does a really fine pit orchestra and gorgeous lighting.

But much of the set would be more at home at a junior prom than a big-ticket Broadway musical.

All in all, this version is Joseph is technically colorful but far short of amazing.

[Last modified April 19, 2006, 01:57:07]