Can someone please tell me a brief summary of Joseph and the Amazing... and if it is a good show to be in it. My school is putting this musical in the spring and I still haven't decide if i want to audition. so if anyone can help me, thanks.
It is based on the story on the bible about Joseph and his coat of many colors in Genesis. Basically Joseph is one of Jacobs 12 sons (the 12 tribes of Isreal) and is his dads favorite. Jacob gives him the coat and it makes his brothers hate him with jealousy. Joseph has prophetic dreams about someday ruling over them which makes them angrier. They trick him and sell him into slavery and tell Jacob that he is dead. He is the slave of Potiphar, an Egyptian, and is seduced by Potiphars wife, which gets imprisoned when Potiphar walks in on them. The pharaoh is having bad dreams and finds out that Joseph can interpret them. He tells the Pharaoh that they mean there will be 7 years of feast and 7 years of famine. The pharaoh is grateful and Joseph eventually becomes very powerful in Egypt. His brothers are left hungry by the famine and come to Egypt to try to get food. They have no idea that they are begging Joseph for it. He gives them food and then frames one of his brothers by planting a golden cup in his bag. The brothers beg him to be merciful and that is when Joseph tells them who he is. His father comes and yada yada everyone is happy.
The story is told (well, sung) by a female narrator which would be an awesome role if you can get it. I like Joseph very much, you should try to get some of the songs on iTunes. There was a DVD made too, so you may be able to find some clips on youtube.
Excrutiating show. Each of the songs is a "Pastiche" of some pop form- Elvis, Country, French. I'd call it unendurable but people seem to like it. The original wasn't too bad- at least it moved quickly- but the current version is bloated with extended songs and a pointless mega-mix curtain call where they basically sing the entire show again.
There are official photos, audio and video files of the latest version on the JOSEPH the musical site for the current London production. Check there.
There are also some photos of various non-professional productions on the RUG Website under PUT ON A SHOW. Your group can also advertise there. http://www.reallyuseful.com/
I was in Joseph many years ago. It was ALOT of fun! You should definitely audition.
So, that was the Drowsy Chaperone. Oh, I love it so much. I know it's not a perfect show...but it does what a musical is supposed to do. It takes you to another world, and it gives you a little tune to carry with you in your head for when you're feeling blue. Ya know?
It's a very short musical as there is no book, just a series of songs. The show proper lasts about 1 hour but they expand it by adding disco-styled reprises as an extended finale, adn soem productions open with the closing songs - Any Dream Will do - to further pad the running time. The score is upbeat and fun with a number of anachronistic contemporary (50s/60s) references. Schools and community groups love it because it is relatively cheap to produce and seems to draw crowds - like flies.
Cast albums are NOT "soundtracks." Live theatre does not use a "soundtrack." If it did, it wouldn't be live theatre!
I host a weekly one-hour radio program featuring cast album selections as well as songs by cabaret, jazz and theatre artists. The program, FRONT ROW CENTRE is heard Sundays 9 to 10 am and also Saturdays from 8 to 9 am (eastern times) on www.proudfm.com
An hour is a little short. Our show was about an hour and a half with the extended versions of all the songs including the Any Dream Will Do prologue, the hoedown, the "Journey to Egypt" song, the tango or apache dance and the megamix. That's pretty much the "standard" production these days as far as I know. Or at least that's how it was presented in our music books. And I love "King of My Heart"! Does anyone know the alternate lyrics that I assume the Narrator must sing to transition into that song?
when I saw the show it was 2 and a half hours but that was with the overture and entre act alot of theatres omit those.its such a fun show. Updated On: 1/3/08 at 09:01 PM
JOSEPH is always an intensely popular show with high schools, and I honestly think it's a show better suited to high schools than Broadway. Audition--you will have a great time. Broadway Blog: In Celebration of Wicked