Remember Joe? The second to youngest of 12 brothers, who captured his father's heart and got a cool jacket to show for it? Joe's brothers became jealous, betrayed him, and took their revenge upon him, along with his new jacket. Joe rises above his situation, is noticed by the big boss, finds himself second in command over everything, and preserves his family line. This story has it all: Love, generosity, dreams, jealousy, treachery, revenge, loyalty, flirting, deceit, despair, more dreams, hope, prophecy, wisdom, leadership, grovelling, compassion, and reunion.
I don't want to give away the plot, but that's a good brief summary; It's remained a popular story for thousands of years.
If you have been following our
family web site, then you know that this is one of our favorite Bible stories. Tonight, we were again privileged to enjoy this story in
musical form at a performance of
Andrew Lloyd Weber's Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, performed by the
Bakersfield Music Theater.
After the performance, we had the opportunity to go backstage to meet the cast. The girls had their pictures taken with Joseph (Jason D. McClain) and Pharaoh (Kevin Trueblood). Both were delighted to meet the four girls and were kind enough to pose for photos. Emily and Kelly wore the Technicolor Dream Coats that Mommy made for Amy and Wendy when they were little.
I have seen this musical many times across North America from Toronto to California; however, this particular performance had the most energetic choreography that we have ever seen in a production of Joseph. Our family had a hard time staying still in our seats when the brothers celebrated their dastardly deed and when Isaachar (Frank Sierra) led us in the "Benjamin Calypso."
Find this interesting? You can read the real story on-line:
Joseph's Dreams -
Joseph and Potiphar's Wife -
Interpreting Dreams The Rise to Power -
Joseph’s Brothers take a Trip -
Return of the Brothers The Final Test -
The Reconciliation -
The Relocation -
Wise Administration
Amy and Wendy with daddy as Joseph
Many years ago, our family became acquainted with the musical
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat by Andrew Lloyd Weber. Mommy and daddy first saw
Joseph at the Pantages theatre and enjoyed it so much that they took us to see it as soon as we were potty trained and old enough to sit still long enough to watch it. Mommy made us Technicolor dreamcoats of our own to wear to the theatre. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed watching the orchestra in the pit below the stage. Afterwards, we were invited back-stage to meet Joseph and the cast. Since then, we have become Joseph groupies. Mommy and daddy have taken us to see many performances of this wonderful production across the country.
At one point, we went to see this production at the San Gabriel Civic Auditorium. The actress who played the narrator recognized us from another production which we had previously attended at a different theatre. During performance she sang directly to us as we sat in the front row. It was a lot of fun. After the performance, she took us back to meet the cast. At one performance at Pepperdine University, daddy was even invited back-stage to try on the coat of many colors.
Now, we have passed our coats on to our younger sisters, Emily and Kelly. The tradition continues....
For those you who may be unfamiliar with the story or the musical, it is a truly delightful story for all ages.
Here are some photos we have taken at some of the many different performances we have seen!
Daddy was invited to try on the Technicolor dreamcoat
Here we are with Joseph at Pepperdine University
Here we are. Can you tell us apart?
Joseph invited us back stage in Thousand Oaks
Here we are with our narrator friend, Janine Benson
Here we are with Joseph at the Glendale Centre Theatre
Here we are with Joseph in San Gabriel
Emily and Kelly meet Joseph for the first time
Kelly & Emily meet Joseph at the Bakersfield Music Theater
Amy & Wendy pose with Pharoah at the Bakersfield Music Theater
Emily, Kelly, Jospeph, Amy and Wendy
Tonight we attended a children's theater production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" in Bakersfield, California. We have seen this show in several different venues, from small intimate theaters to very large productions. Tonight's production was special, as it was Emily and Kelly's first theatrical experience, and first introduction to our favorite musical. Amy and Wendy passed down their Joseph coats to their little sisters, and the thrill of seeing the show was special to all. Oh, it was about 102 degrees - inside the theater.
Emily and Kelly meet Joseph for the first time
Kelly & Emily meet Joseph at the Bakersfield Music Theater
Amy & Wendy pose with Pharoah at the Bakersfield Music Theater
Emily, Kelly, Jospeph, Amy and Wendy
