#1
Posted: 8/4/13 at 6:35pm
Just got home from seeing Clay Aiken in the Ogunquit Playhouse production of Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. "Hit or miss" is the best way I can think of to describe it. What's good is very good, and what's not is... well.
The overall production quality is fantastic. The sets, costumes, lighting and choreography are bright, colorful and fun, as they should be. As far as visual appeal, the show definitely lived up to expectations. The ensemble cast was also very strong. Save for the absence of Dan Levine as Naphtali, I liked this ensemble every bit as much as the one in the North Shore Music Theatre production in 2010. Their comedic timing was perfect, the singing and dancing were highly entertaining, and overall they were one of the show's two high points.
The lowest point of the show, for me, was Keala Settle as the narrator. While she is a talented singer, she was far too over-the-top. That character is supposed to be a school teacher, not some Aretha Franklin wannabe. Any time she was not the center of attention, she'd be engaging in some kind of behavior that drew your attention away from where it was supposed to be. She came across as though she was trying WAY too hard, and coming from a Tony-nominated actress, I was disappointed. Her performance was far too overstated and came across as obnoxious throughout most of the show.
Clay Aiken's portrayal of Joseph was more or less what I expected it to be. Vocally, I was actually less impressed than I expected to be. I've seen Clay in concert twice in the past, and this was underwhelming compared to those shows. His vocal high point was during "Close Every Door To Me," although even that paled in comparison to other actors I've seen play the role.
My biggest problem with Clay's performance was that it was very much on the surface. I spent the entire show thinking of him as Clay Aiken, not as Joseph. There was no obvious emotional connection and while Clay went through the motions just fine, with only one minor glitch when one shackle fell off directly after the end of "Close Every Door," there was just something missing. I never felt like he believed what he was performing. Sometimes, he came across as though he was almost bored. He spent much of "Close Every Door" looking down at the floor, which destroyed any chance for audience connection. During the group numbers, while everyone else was dancing and laughing and appearing to have a good time, Clay was often standing awkwardly in the middle of the group and looking like he wasn't quite sure what to do. At first that had a certain charm, but it got old quickly. Also, there was the matter of his vocals. They were not what I have come to expect. Quite often, he went into this weird falsetto that was just not well suited to him at all. More than once, it sounded quite strained, and had he gone even a full octave lower, it would have been more enjoyable. Clay sounds best in full voice at mid-range, and this show has plenty of opportunity to utilize that... and it didn't.
The show's saving grace was Matthew Ragas as the Pharaoh. Of every production I've seen, both in person and on video, his was the best performance by far that I have ever seen of that character. His vocals were spot on, the dancing and stage presence were fantastic, and he completely stole the show every time he stepped onstage. What little stage time he had made the trip well worthwhile.
Overall, this wasn't the worst show I've ever seen. But it certainly wasn't the best, either. There was plenty of potential, but with different leads, it would have been a much more enjoyable and much less awkward show.
The overall production quality is fantastic. The sets, costumes, lighting and choreography are bright, colorful and fun, as they should be. As far as visual appeal, the show definitely lived up to expectations. The ensemble cast was also very strong. Save for the absence of Dan Levine as Naphtali, I liked this ensemble every bit as much as the one in the North Shore Music Theatre production in 2010. Their comedic timing was perfect, the singing and dancing were highly entertaining, and overall they were one of the show's two high points.
The lowest point of the show, for me, was Keala Settle as the narrator. While she is a talented singer, she was far too over-the-top. That character is supposed to be a school teacher, not some Aretha Franklin wannabe. Any time she was not the center of attention, she'd be engaging in some kind of behavior that drew your attention away from where it was supposed to be. She came across as though she was trying WAY too hard, and coming from a Tony-nominated actress, I was disappointed. Her performance was far too overstated and came across as obnoxious throughout most of the show.
Clay Aiken's portrayal of Joseph was more or less what I expected it to be. Vocally, I was actually less impressed than I expected to be. I've seen Clay in concert twice in the past, and this was underwhelming compared to those shows. His vocal high point was during "Close Every Door To Me," although even that paled in comparison to other actors I've seen play the role.
My biggest problem with Clay's performance was that it was very much on the surface. I spent the entire show thinking of him as Clay Aiken, not as Joseph. There was no obvious emotional connection and while Clay went through the motions just fine, with only one minor glitch when one shackle fell off directly after the end of "Close Every Door," there was just something missing. I never felt like he believed what he was performing. Sometimes, he came across as though he was almost bored. He spent much of "Close Every Door" looking down at the floor, which destroyed any chance for audience connection. During the group numbers, while everyone else was dancing and laughing and appearing to have a good time, Clay was often standing awkwardly in the middle of the group and looking like he wasn't quite sure what to do. At first that had a certain charm, but it got old quickly. Also, there was the matter of his vocals. They were not what I have come to expect. Quite often, he went into this weird falsetto that was just not well suited to him at all. More than once, it sounded quite strained, and had he gone even a full octave lower, it would have been more enjoyable. Clay sounds best in full voice at mid-range, and this show has plenty of opportunity to utilize that... and it didn't.
The show's saving grace was Matthew Ragas as the Pharaoh. Of every production I've seen, both in person and on video, his was the best performance by far that I have ever seen of that character. His vocals were spot on, the dancing and stage presence were fantastic, and he completely stole the show every time he stepped onstage. What little stage time he had made the trip well worthwhile.
Overall, this wasn't the worst show I've ever seen. But it certainly wasn't the best, either. There was plenty of potential, but with different leads, it would have been a much more enjoyable and much less awkward show.
Updated On: 8/4/13 at 06:35 PM
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