Review: Joseph Tour

[peach]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 12:28pm

I had the opportunity to see Joseph (tour) this weekend. On a whim, I scored some fabulous seats last minute (I'm guessing perhaps released late or cancellation? They hadn't been available days prior) so I grabbed them.

If you are a fan of Joseph, I'd say this production is definitely worth seeing. It's very high on the camp/kitsch factor (which is one of the things I think makes this show so much fun). The sets, costumes and lighting design were superb. The sound was a bit off balance - there were periods where the orchestra drowned out the singers, but that very well could have been the acoustics of the theatre. Now on to the performance...

Patrick Cassidy - I was expecting not to like him after reading some of the opinions on this board. Overall, I thought he was quite good, actually. His acting is good, and his vocals were very "on" at this particular performance. He does bear this uncomfortiable resemblance to a Ken doll, and he is a little older than one would normally imagine Joseph, but overall, I though he was very good. He is very fit, which I guess is important for a role in which your shirt is off half the time! Then again, my age group has a soft spot for Cassidy boys (we grew up on The Partridge Family and The Hardy Boys - I'm dating myself I know), but I did think his performance was better than average. Actually, I enjoyed it very much.

Amy Adams - was fantastic as The Narrator. Her vocals are very controlled and rich sounding - she has quite a belt (without screaming) and she looks like a "storyteller." I think there is definitely a future in the theatre for this talented young lady.

The female Ensemble was pretty good - some of the performers were better actors/dancers than others. There are a lot of gymnastics from this group - which was fun to watch. Go Go Go Joseph was done in a "cheerleader" type of routine - with the extreme facial expressions, lifts, pops and jumps - very cute.

The brothers really steal the show - they are quite funny and silly. I like the mix of ages, heights, body types, that made up the brothers. Too many productions I've seen, they've been the same height, age, etc. This made it more dynamic. They were especially appealing and funny in Those Canaan Days.

Best numbers - One More Angel..., Those Canaan Days, Jacob & Sons/Joseph's Coat, Potiphar's song (Mrs. Potiphar has the moves!)

The Childrens' Choir - They were cute, they actually sang quite well for very young kids (they were maybe ages 7-9), but they almost seemed "out of place." They looked a little awkward up there - I think a little more "glitz" to their costumes (which basically consisted of black trousers and solid color t-shirts - they all wore different colors) would have helped. Looking at their plainclothes against the techno-trippy, glittery production costumes so common to Joseph seemed a little out of place. Not that I didn't like them, but hey, if you're going to make them a part of a production, make them a part of the production!

Bottom line - if you like Joseph, and can catch this on tour, I think this production is in fine form. Enjoy it!


Updated On: 11/7/05 at 12:28 PM

[zippyjen]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 1:07pm

i saw the show last night. I wasn't that dissapointed but i wasn't awed either. I disagree with you about Patrick Cassidy. I didn't like him at all in the role. However i agree with you about amy adams and the brothers. Parts of the show i was like what the ****? for example the cell phones and the cheerleading. The sound at times was very poor and the sets weren't that great. However i am a fan of the music so i enjoyed the show to some extent.

[peach]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 1:21pm

Zippyjen - I agree. I was not awed, but I enjoyed it. But I've always liked the music form this show.

When I was in Joseph a gazillion years ago - we had no kids chorus (used the female ensemble for their singing). I'm not a grinch, but the kids didn't seem to "fit" in the production. Again, I blame this on their costumes (or lack thereof). They sang well though.

Child of the seventies that I am...I'm standing by my remarks on Patrick Cassidy. I think he gets a bad rap! I like my Cassidys! ha ha. =)

[Jilani]

Posted: 11/7/05 at 1:39pm

I saw Friday night's performance, and I enjoyed it very much. I am pre-disposed to like any production of this show, having been in a middle-school production of it myself way back when.

I agree that Amy Adams was a terrific narrator - she was a pleasure to watch and listen to. Her vocals were great, and she brought a charming quality to the role. I am a big lover of Laurie Beechman's belty vocals on the OBCR, but I enjoyed Amy Adams's different take very much - she didn't belt as often, but that's not a good or bad thing in my opinion.

As for Patrick Cassidy, while I thought he was very appealing and did a good job of acting the role, I must agree with the general consensus that has been posted previously on this board that he is too old for the role, despite being in (scarily) good shape. In addition, maybe he was having an off night, but a lot of his singing was on the flat side. I do think he is generally a talented performer (I saw him as Julian Marsh in 42nd Street on Broadway two summers ago).

The children's chorus was very cute but not great singing-wise.

I agree with everything peach said about the female ensemble and the brothers.

Overall, I do think this production is definitely worth seeing, but there is no reason to pay full price. I got same-day half-price tickets from Bostix, and the seats were great.

[liotte]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 12:08am

I didn't want to start a new thread on this topic, but I just got home from the tour production in Chicago. That may have been one of the worst productions I have ever seen. Amy Adams was out, as were a couple other people. There were only 10 brothers on stage when they were singing about 11 brothers, rather annoying. The narrator (I think her name was Lisa Christine) was good, I didn't like her at first but by the end I enjoyed her singing. Patrick's abs could be seen from the very back of the theater, and he has a good voice. I preferred him in 42nd street though. The rest of the cast was fine.
Just the whole show was cheesy, it was just too over the top, even for Joseph. And I've seen many different productions of this show- singing aside, this one compared to a high school version. Oy.

[MLE]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 1:30am

I saw the tour when it came to Appleton in early October.

I didn't care for Patrick Cassidy as Joseph. Yes, I agree with all previous comments about the abs, but that just didn't make up for his singing.
I thought Amy Adams was fantastic! I had always liked her voice, but I went into the theatre expecting her overall performance to be only mediocre. I was definitely wrong. Her acting was great and she looked the part, too.
The brothers were excellent. I was also a fan of Mrs. Potiphar (Cassidy's wife, and I also spotted her as a dancer in Tango: Maureen in the Rent movie). But I'm always a little bias when it comes to that character, having played her myself. :)

Overall though, I would also recommend this show as worth seeing.
Updated On: 12/4/05 at 01:30 AM

[DirtyRottenGirl]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 4:10am

I saw this tour and I have seen Donny do it three times. That Cassidy guy couldn't compare. I felt embarassed for him because he sang some wrong notes and his acting was definetly a different interpretation of Joseph. Amy Adams was very good unfortunetly I couldn't hear her sometimes which sucked because she was great. The brothers I thought were also good. The set was different but good. I didn't like what they did with the kids. The setup they had before was a lot better. I also thought the pom pom cheerleader crap was stupid and the cell phone thing. What they did before was really nice so I liked the other show better.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 12/4/05 at 10:45am

I'm seeing it next June in LA, looking forward to is.