Amazing Joseph

A LONG TIME AGO, when even the brightest among us were cruising in our Big Wheels, Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote a musical that was fun. They had not yet developed the bombastic politics accompanied by loud orchestration of an Evita, or the overproduced, overscored musical juggernaut style of a Cats. Instead, they wrote Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a play designed to be performed at junior high schools, and be enjoyed by all. Despite its biblical story, Joseph bears little resemblence to his big brother Jesus Christ, Superstar, except for the scene in Superstar when the wacky Herod taunts Christ.

That this is the Kirkland House fall musical speaks in itself for the play's quality. Known for several years as Harvard's autumn Hasty Pudding connection, Kirkland has gained a reputation for putting on very light, humorous, and enormously entertaining productions. To those who claim that such musicals are a relic from high school, Kirkland may prominently display its track record of success.

The plot is basically faithful to a the Bible story (see the last bit of Genesis for the paperback version). Joseph is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers, and is taken to Egypt, where, in the the first known Horatio Alger story, he rises to the top and ends up saving his now repentant brothers. Mark Meredith as Joseph has a superb voice and just enough of the pretty boy look about him to make his putting on sunglasses look like a scene from Risky Business. The one petty fault with his performance is that he looks too much the dreamer even for Joseph, with his eyes and facial expression always off in the distance somewhere, and never with the audience or his fellows.

Similarly, Katherine Robin as the Narrator has a solid voice and a solid stage prescence, but always seems to be leaning just a little to far forward. She is also burdened with the more syrupy lyrics, which she manages to make bearable. Strictly minor annoyances, but annoyances none the less.

Joseph is primarily a chorus show, however, and the play's chorus responds and steals the production. Joseph's brothers (played by both male and female actors) tell their stories to a wide variety of music. The audience never knows what to expect next. They tell their father of Joseph's demise in the form of a country-western ballad and protest the innocence of Benjamin to a Carribean beat. The absolute show stopper, however, is definitely "Those Canaan Days," performed with outrageous "Fronch" accents in the style of outdoor cafe singers during the fin-de-siecle. If for nothing else, people have to see Joseph for these great ensemble numbers.

Some brief characters also of note are Potiphar and his wife (can you say Zak Klobucher and Lesley Blumenthal) played with a hilarious level of aristocracy, and the bopping Elvis imitation of Pharoah, played by director Ty Warren. There are few folks around direct a great show and do a good Elvis too.

Choreography never sags, and the dancers form very nice looking tableaus in their cavorting about stage. The timing could be a little sharper, but action is much more important--at least to the public eye. The audience remains hooked because the musical and moving action never stops.

Two ways to judge a successful show are that it turns people away at the door and that it leaves the audience wanting more. Joseph won't have any problem with the first, so get to Kirkland early if you want tickets, particularly for the 8:00 shows. Joseph also left the audience wanting more, which was actually somewhat upsetting, since the show, without intermission, was an hour and a quarter tops. The only thing wrong with Joseph then, is that there isn't more of him.