Stage Review: CLO's 'Joseph' an energetic revival
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Pittsburgh CLO's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" runs through June 7 at the Benedum Center.
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Opening the season with a show like "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" can seem ho-hum if you've seen it countless times, in productions from high schools to the pros, like the current Pittsburgh CLO revival.
Now try to remember the first time.
That's what struck me during intermission as I watched two pre-tween girls, all dressed up and tap dancing on the landing of the Benedum Center's red-carpeted steps. They are what the tuneful, enduring Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice pop opera is all about.
It's a perfect first show to inaugurate a new generation of musical theater fans, with a familiar story -- and a Narrator to help you along if its not familiar -- plus a never-ending stream of playful pop-culture references.
If Disney were animating the Biblical story of betrayal and redemption, it might look and sound like this "Joseph." Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Two Broadway veterans, Shoshana Bean as the Narrator and Peter Matthew Smith as Pharaoh, made auspicious CLO debuts, with Bean belting or bantering in song and Smith putting the King in Pharaoh with his showstopper, an Elvis impersonation of the first order, surrounded by adoring Marilyn Monroes.
Reprising the title role from the CLO's 1998 production was David Osmond. He's a winning Joseph with an angelic voice that reminds us of what we missed when illness forced him into an early exit from "American Idol" this year.
The show also is suited to demonstrating the talents of the summer's singing and dancing ensemble members. Stepping out from the group for notable solo shots were three of Joseph's brothers, Gavan Pamer as Reuben, turning cowboy for "One More Angel in Heaven" (yee-hah!); Lee Zarrett as Simeon, sporting a comedic French accent at the "Cafe du Canaan," and Jarran Muse as Judah, channeling Bob Marley for "Benjamin Calypso."
Kids from the Pittsburgh CLO Academy are integrated into the action, earning a few moments in the spotlight throughout the play.
If you're looking for a night when you're required to leave your cynicism at the door, or if there's a youngster in your life who is of age to attend his or her first show, there's much to recommend in Pittsburgh CLO's colorful, energetic "Joseph." And if you've seen it before, just watch the looks on the children's faces.
Where: Pittsburgh CLO at the Benedum Center, Downtown.
When: When: Through June 7. 8 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 2 and 8 p.m. Sat.; and 2 p.m. Sun.
Tickets: $12.50-$70.50; 412-456-6666; www.pittsburghclo.org.
'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat'
Where: Pittsburgh CLO at the Benedum Center, Downtown.
When: Through June 7. 8 p.m. Tues.-Fri.; 2 and 8 p.m. Sat.; and 2 p.m. Sun.
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First Published May 30, 2009 12:00 am
