‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ @ Dallas Theater Center
Photos by Karen Almond
—Martha Heimberg
“Any Dream Will Do” to kick off the spectacular 75 minutes of dance-energized, tune-filled fun that is Dallas Theater Center’s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, onstage at the Wyly Theatre through July 13. Joseph (the charismatic Zachary J. Willis) struts, sings, charms and brings a packed house to their feet, clapping and singing along in a happy mashup of an OMG family reunion and a get-down-on-your-knees worship service. Theater lives—and gets downright rowdy at the extended curtain call.
This eternally youthful fifty-year old musical, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, was conceived when they were in their teens, and (after many modifications) premiered in London’s West End in 1973. The two boyz’ gently satiric take on the Old Testament story of Joseph became the framework for songs of several genres and opens the stage to a cultural range of dance moves from ritual ring dances to honky-tonk and hip-hop. Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, and Cats were still ahead for Sir Andrew, but the playfulness and poignancy of these mega-hits is already evident in this earlier work.
Or course, community theaters, high schools and professional companies globally have performed this popular family-friendly show over and over. Kids get it, adults enjoy the singers, and dancers (and dance lovers) have a field day with the varied styles of the numbers.
Tiffany Nichole Greene directs a beautifully diverse cast of 30-plus actors, including many formidable DTC resident artists in lead roles, and a chorus of polished child actors joining in the songs—and filling the stage with controlled exuberance—in the big ensemble numbers.
When his father Jacob give favorite son Joseph a grand multi-color coat, his eleven jealous brothers sell him into slavery in Egypt (over-reacting much?), where he becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man. Why? Because he interprets dreams so perfectly and saves the nation of Egypt a lot of grief. Joseph has some adventures in Egypt, but when his hungry brothers come begging for help (there’s a famine in the home country), Joseph lets them grovel awhile.
But then…. This is a show that telegraph’s love and forgiveness—and a happy ending, with a reprise of Joseph’s upbeat favorite song.
Liz Mikel brings her deep mezzo voice and commanding stage presence to the roles of both Jacob (Joseph’s dad) and Pharaoh, and her boss scenes with Willis’ plucky, enterprising Joseph got appreciative chuckles from everyone on opening night.
Tiffany Solano is a compelling narrator, outfitted in a sequined gown and rolling out each scene in a strong soprano voice. All eleven brothers bring star power and a special twist to their characters, performing together and in short, comic takeouts throughout the show. And the ensemble of lively kids is great fun to watch.
Ahmad Simmons’ choreography raises the rafters with precise, thrillingly athletic ensemble work. When the bad brothers sell Joseph to Potiphar (sneering, comically villainous Christion Dior Draper) they lock arms in happy hoe-down fashion to “One More Angel in Heaven,” voices tangy and bouncing like honky-tonk regulars. When things get tough at home, the brothers sing a nostalgic chanteuse song in a bad French accent about the good old days, smoking cigarettes and raising aloft a dark-haired woman holding a baguette. These pumped-up brothers stomp through a Jewish folk dance, walk like an Egyptian, or rock out—depending on the song (and apparently, the whimsy of Webber and Rice. Musical director and keyboardist Cody Dry directs the five-member band with strong rhythms and variety, swiftly shifting from a calypso beat to the romp and stomp of a country square dance.
Leah Mazur’s set design is a series of tall, honey-colored wooden screens, beautifully carved with Islam-inspired geometrical shapes and arched doorways. Martha Carter’s lighting design moves across the screens, creating lovely patterns and shadows on the scrims of the wide proscenium stage at the Wyly.
Cole McCarty’s magnificent, richly-textured costumes are anchored with flowing, neutral-toned robes and pantaloons for the dancing ensemble, setting off the vivid colors of Joseph’s flamboyant coat. I loved the several perfectly coiffed afros and intricately braided wigs. Many costume shifts include a bright red fez for the brothers or a glittering black headdress for Pharaoh. Carter’s lighting design sweeps across the dancers, shifting the mood from the sunny yellows of celebration to the blues and greens of anger and jealousy.
The show ran 90 minutes long on opening night, and that included a 15-minute intermission, during which I admired the lobby crowd—folks in bright shirts and pants and dresses inspired by Joseph’s amazing technicolor garb. Like everybody else, I couldn’t wait to get back to my seat and see that Dreamcoat deliver his dream.
WHEN: June 13-July 13, 2025
WHERE: Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, 2400 Flora Street (Dallas Arts District)
WEB: dallastheatercenter.org
