Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Theatre Review

Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann

By: Shari Archinoff

Do you remember the first musical you ever saw? I do. Vividly. It was 1993 and my parents took my sister and I to see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, starring Donny Osmond (ok, technically we saw his understudy, but to be honest I think my mom was a lot more excited about Donny Osmond than I was). The point is, that day 30 years ago sparked a love of musical theatre that I’ve carried with me my whole life. And I know I’m not the only one who had that experience.

If you’re not familiar with the story of Joseph and his fancy coat, let’s start there. This story is taken from the Bible (what Jewish people call the Torah and what Christians refer to as the Old Testament), an idea likely sparked by Andrew Lloyd Webber’s previous success with Jesus Christ, Superstar. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat tells the story of a young man named Joseph who lived in ancient Canaan with his father Jacob and his 11 brothers. It chronicles his unlikely rise to prominence thanks to his uncanny ability to interpret dreams; something he actually predicted in his dreams during his youth. The story of Joseph and his brothers has been told for thousands of years - and the musical itself has been around since the 1970s - but somehow this story remains timeless.

One of the things that I’ve always loved about Joseph is how its narrative structure pays homage to the ancient tradition of storytelling. The show starts with a Narrator gathering a group of children together to tell them a story, while the rest of those reenact the story itself. During my time at the University of Toronto, we studied the Bible in one of my English literature classes - not from a religious perspective, but from a historical one. We talked about how all of the stories contained in that book would likely have been passed down verbally from generation to generation, possibly for hundreds of years before they were ever written down. It’s actually kind of mind-blowing to think that we could be sitting in a theatre in 2022, watching a campy musical about a story that has been told since before the beginning of recorded human history. By including this narrative device about a storyteller, Joseph honours not just the story itself, but also the act of keeping history alive by telling stories.

In fact, I’d say the real star of the show is not the titular Joseph, played in this production by the talented Jac Yarrow, but actually the role of the Narrator. The Narrator is onstage almost the whole time, and without a strong actor in the role, the show would fall flat. Thankfully, this production’s Narrator, Vanessa Fisher, manages to keep her gleeful energy intact from beginning to end. One thing I noticed that was different from previous productions is that the Narrator and the children actually take part in the story itself by taking on some of the minor roles normally played by separate actors - to hilarious effect! Another standout in this cast is Tosh Wanogho-Maud who gives a superstar performance as Pharoah.

If I had to describe Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in one word, it would be joyful. This show is fun! I have to admit that I normally get a little restless during long theatre productions, but the time just flew by for me! There’s a reason Andrew Lloyd Webber is a master at what he does, and his mastery of musical theatre is on full display here. Joseph is a musical that loves being a musical. The show dances between musical genres in ways you would never expect. There are the big, fun traditional musical theatre numbers - complete with big, fun dance sequences - as well as a soulful ballad that brings the house down, but there’s also a country and western number, a French lament and even an Elvis Presley inspired showstopper! At the end of the show to wrap it all up, there’s the Joseph Megamix - a medley of all of the numbers where the audience is encouraged to get up and dance, something you’ll likely want to do throughout the entire production.

If you’re looking for something fun to do this winter, I highly recommend heading to the Princess of Wales theatre to check out Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. While there are a few darker moments in the story, they’re infused with enough humour to make this a completely family-friendly experience. Just be warned - if you take your kids to see this show, they may end up leaving with a lifelong passion for musical theatre, and you’ll all end up with at least one song stuck in your head.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat plays at the Princess of Wales Theatre (300 King Street West) until February 18, 2023. Tickets are available for purchase online at: Mirvish.com: Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat