Musical reinterprets Joseph s story ’
Few could have foreseen that what started out as a 15-minute pop cantata in 1968 would one day become a super hit spanning over five decades.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a collaboration between lyricist Tim Rice and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, was one of their biggest successes.
Initially performed at the Haymarket Theatre in Leicester between 1974 and 1978, the show would move to the Royale Theatre on Broadway for a phenomenal 747 performances from January 27, 1982 to September 4, 1983.
Joseph was nominated for multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Original Score during those years.
The accolades continued when Australian actor Jason Donovan played the lead in its 1991 restaging at the London Palladium and received the 1992 Laurence Olivier Award for set design.
The cast album of the production was the UK number 1 album for two weeks in September 1991 and the single, 'Any Dream Will Do ’, was the number 1 UK single for two weeks in June/July 1991.
These accomplishments are unsurprising as Lloyd Webber chose to use an eclectic range of musical styles including French ballad parodies, Elvis-themed rock 'n roll, western music, calypso, jazz, 1920's Charleston and 1970's go-go when composing the music for Joseph making for an unforgettable sing-a-long experience.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat reconceptualises the Biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, his eleven brothers and his coat of many colours, through songs and limited dialogue.
Copyright owner, the Really Useful Group, says Joseph has been staged by more than 20,000 schools and amateur theatre groups up till 2008.
Now, thanks to the EL Guild Theatre, Wela Kapela Productions and Algoa FM by arrangement with Dalro (Pty) Ltd, East Londoners can watch this engaging classic family musical for themselves.
Narrating the production will be Kerry Hiles while Sonwa Sakuba performs the lead role. The production team comprises Amanda Bothma, Nathan Johannisen, Kay Mosiane and Nicole Windell.
The show is set to run from December 15 to December 23. Limited tickets are available from Computicket.
The show promises to be all that we have come to expect from our local talent.
● Two lucky GO! & Express readers stand to win a set of double tickets to the show on December 16. Visit www.goexpress.co.za and click on the Events/Competitions tab to enter. TheGuild Theatre adheres to Covid-19 guidelines, so bring your mask.