‘Joseph’ opens for three-weekend run at HMT
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Dawn Oesch says that “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is her all-time favorite musical.
She also says that her favorite theater composer is Andrew Lloyd Webber.
She offers her definition of peace as “driving up the Avenue of the Pines to go to Home Made Theater in Saratoga Springs.”
Based on that criteria, for the next three weekends Dawn Oesch is going to be a very contented lady.
On Saturday, the Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which she directed, opens at Home Made Theatre for a three weekend run.
She is estatic. She says she’s been submitting the show to HMT for years without success. “I ask after every rejection, why would you not want to offer an inspiring, fun show to local audiences?”
But though “Joseph” was regularly rejected. Her second choices - “Shrek -the Musical,” “The Addams Family” and “The Drowsy Chaperone” -- have been major hits for HMT.
“I do have a thing for big musicals,” she laughs. Indeed, she is making “Joseph...” even bigger than it was on Broadway. She is using a cast of 57; 22 are youngsters with an age range from 8-14.
She claims to love having so many kids in the show. “They bring fresh eyes to a familiar story and often their observations help us to better define characters and relationships,” she explains.
More important to Oesch is that she insists an underlying theme of the work is especially relevant to young people. “The show says that it is important to have dreams. If you
can dream something, you can make it happen. What a wonderful message for everyone.”
This attitude supports her description of “Joseph...”. as “an uplifting family-friendly show, that has an appeal to all age groups.”
Continuing she says, “It’s a fun-filled production with great energy.” And with a happy laugh she adds “And as the title suggests, it’s amazingly colorful.”
“Joseph...” is an unconventional musical take on the story of Joseph, as found in the Bible. His brothers were jealous of Joseph and when his father gives their younger brother a gift of a coat of many colors, it pushes them over the edge. They sell him into slavery and tell their father that Joseph was killed by wild animals.
Joesph’s gift for interpreting dreams saves Egypt from a famine and he becomes a powerful favorite of the Pharaoh. When his brothers come to Egypt begging for food, they don’t recognize Joseph. He overcomes his hatred over what they did to him and forgives them.
Oesch is convinced the show will do well at the box office. “It’s a great story supported by a wonderful eclectic score that features pop-rock, jazz and calypso. One song is sung by an Elvis-like singer. The dances are great and the costumes are fun. What’s not to like?”
Yes, for sure, Dawn Oesch is in her happy place. That place is with “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the Little Theater on the grounds of SPAC.
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” plays weekends through May 6. For tickets and schedule information, call (518) 587-4427 or log on to HomeMadeTheatre.org.