“Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre -- June 26 through July 6.
Thursday, June 26, through Sunday, July 6
Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, 311 Riverview Drive, Clinton IA
A beloved biblical musical boasting seven Tony Award nominations and a chart-topping U.K. single in “Any Dream Will Do,” the Broadway smash Joseph & the Amazing Technical Dreamcoat enjoys a June 26 through July 6 run at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre, this theatrical classic the first-ever publicly staged work by the legendary stage team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
In their Joseph musical, the title character – the favorite son of Jacob – is blessed with vivid dreams that foretell the future, and that greatly anger his tribe of siblings. Sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, Joseph endures a series of adventures that challenge him to his core. Initially, he finds himself belonging to the tyrant Potiphar, whose wife makes advances toward Joseph that ultimately land him behind bars. However, news of the jailed man’s ability to interpret dreams sparks the interest of the hilariously Elvis-like Pharaoh, and soon thereafter, Joseph is out of jail and well on his way to second-in-command. Eventually, Joseph’s brothers find themselves unknowingly groveling at the feet of the brother they betrayed, and in the truly timeless Old Testament tale of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, composer Webber and lyricist Rice deliver an exhilarating musical sensation boasting a multitude of musical genres that span from country-Western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and rock and roll.
Joseph was first presented as a 15-minute "pop cantata" at Colet Court School in London in 1968, and was published by Novello and recorded in an expanded form by Decca Records in 1969. After the success of the next Lloyd Webber and Rice piece, Jesus Christ Superstar, Joseph received amateur stage productions in the U.S. beginning in 1970, and the first American release of the album was in 1971. The musical had its professional premiere, in a 35-minute presentation, at the Haymarket ice rink during the Edinburgh International Festival in 1972. It was part two of Bible One, a Young Vic Theatre Company production presented by the National Theatre of Great Britain. While still undergoing various modifications and expansions, the musical was produced in the West End in 1973. In 1974, its full modern format was performed at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester and was also recorded that year. The musical was finally mounted on Broadway in 1982, and several major revivals, national tours, and a 1999 direct-to-video film starring Donny Osmond followed.
At the helm of the Showboat's Joseph is Jenna Shoppe, the director of last season's Rock of Ages and choreographer of the recent run of The Addams Family, who serves as both director and choreographer. Dylan Renart portrays the musical's title character, which Grace Avery joins him as the show's Narrator. Returning to the Showboat stage are Ryan Scoble, taking on the dual roles of Reuben and Potiphar, and Kait Auburn, who recently concluded her run as Morticia Addams. Adding a special community touch, this production will also feature a children’s choir made up of talented young performers from the Clinton area, whose voices will bring an extra layer of warmth and joy to this already heart-filled show, highlighting the theatre’s commitment to engaging and nurturing local talent.
Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs at the Clinton Area Showboat Theatre from June 26 through July 6, with performances Thursdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. (no show on the Fourth of July) and Sundays and Wednesday at 3 p.m. Admission is $22-30, and more information and tickets are available by calling (563)242-6760 and visiting ClintonShowboat.org.
