Some theatre should require a warning label...
And this touring group of "Joseph" most certainly did need a warning label, a bright, neon pink, strobe flashing, garishly overdone, unprofessional, warning label.
Theater review: 'Joseph' mercilessly entertaining
Rohan Preston, Star Tribune
September 15, 2005 JOSEPH0915
Yes, Rohan, I do agree that it was merciless, but definitely NOT entertaining.
From a dramaturge's perspective, the musical is historically, culturally and chronologically wrong, what with a mishmash soundtrack of calypso, show tunes and rock and roll providing an aural backdrop for cartwheeling gymnasts, an Elvis impersonator and rootin' tootin' cowboy dancing.
And by Calypso, he means, "we're going to take the only non-white individual in the show and make him sing a calypso song." Yay for race relations!
But accuracy, or lack thereof, will not get in the way of this fluffy (fluffy?! you're only going to give it a fluffy?!) piece of musical entertainment. Even with opening-night sound glitches and the languid turn of star Patrick Cassidy, who seems to be performing by rote, "Joseph" provides some hieroglyphic fun.
Not to mention that the lead performed the entire show half naked, seemingly for the audience's "benefit." I'm still convinced that he did that to take attention away from his hair, or lack thereof, which looked like he was a recent victim of nuclear fallout. And if "musical entertainment" can be defined as "Viva Las Gay-gas meets a bad acid trip" then yes, musical entertainment it was. Oh, and don't forget, Mr. Cassidy's desire to direct the entire show with his penis and his hands firmly placed on his hips for emphasis.
"Joseph" is a perennial that continues to draw people to the theaters, and you can see why. Although clearly a spoof, the irreverence of the Andrew Lloyd Webber-Tim Rice musical never goes out of bounds as it tells the story of Joseph, favored son of Jacob, who is sold into Egyptian slavery by his 11 jealous brothers, only to gain status and power by his ability to read dreams.
Um, excuse me, Mr. Theatre critic? What are your boundaries if this show was not "out of bounds." You must have a personal space the size of Montana, because that certainly was "out of bounds" to me! And just a side note, I think the hypnotic strobe lights, pink and green neon costumes and wigs, and the trans inducing pelvic gyrations are the reason the show continues to "draw" people. Thus the need for a large, flashing, warning label.
When drought and famine strike the lands, he is prepared in Egypt. His brothers back home are starving. They come to beg ("Grovel Grovel") but barely recognize Joseph, (like I said, because he was the recent victim of nuclear fallout and he's naked) now ruling Egypt.
I have seen a lot of productions of "Joseph," including the giddy and glitzy one headlined by Donny Osmond. It is always the same; I go in coolly but leave smiling.
I can see that if this is the only theatre production you've ever seen, that this would be fascinating and entertaining, but for those of us who now have Wicked as the standard by which we measure all musical (and non-musical for that matter) theatre, this is definitely a 70's flashback that needs to be returned to the 70's and never be heard from again.
The version that opened Tuesday in Minneapolis has pop and crackle often undermined by an annoying little scratch.
A good sound mix was one thing they didn't have down pat in biblical times, and it showed, or sounded Tuesday, messing up the singing narration of sweet-voiced "American Idol" Amy Adams. (The only saving grace in the entire show.)
Cassidy does not have the same level of energy that he had during his last outing here in 1999. And surprisingly, while most men add girth with age, he seems to have gotten smaller overall, although he continues to have well-defined pecs. (maybe he really did have some sort of nuclear accident)
But the show does not have to rely on its headliner. All those young performers around him, including some super-bouncy gymnasts, plus the various elements in the show give it stylish energy. I mean, who can stay detached when Joseph's brothers do a rootin' tootin' yee-hawing cowboy dance?
As Kelly and I discussed extensively on our drive home, stop trying to be a great theatre review, all those young performers should have all been replaced by trannies, gaudy it up to the nines, give it a wink and a tickle, and be the no-holds-barred gay extravaganza you were toying with.
A "smash-up" is what they would call it in pop music (and on the rush-hour expressway), taking from everything we know to create something that's familiar and strange at the same time. Some people might call that pandering; to me, it's just "Joseph."
Rohan Preston is at rpreston@startribune.com.
""Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat""