Open Site - Arts: Performing Arts: Theatre: Musicals: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

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Description

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat premiered on March 1, 1968 at Colet Court School in London, England. The school’s headmaster had commissioned Andrew Lloyd Webber to create a musical piece for their end-of-term concert. Joseph, in its earliest form at the school, was only fifteen minutes in length. Since then, the musical has expanded to include over twenty musical numbers with a running time of around two hours. The musical came to Broadway on January 24, 1982 and ended its run September 4, 1983.

Joseph is based on the story of Jacob's son Joseph from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. Joseph's eleven brothers decide that they are no longer happy with Joseph being Jacob's favorite son. They sell him to a group of Ishmaelites who then sell him to an Egyptian captain named Potiphar. Potiphar sees that Joseph is a good servant and works hard so he makes him leader of his household. Soon after, Joseph's looks attract the attention of Mrs. Potiphar who tries to seduce him only to be caught by Potiphar. Potiphar blames it on Joseph and throws him into jail. While in his jail cell, he meets a butler and a baker who have been having odd dreams that they cannot interpret. Joseph figures out what the dreams mean for them and tells the butler that the Pharaoh will soon release him from jail. Years later, the Pharaoh has also begun to have odd dreams involving cows and corn. The butler remembers the dream interpretations that Joseph did in jail, and recommends that the Pharaoh explain his dreams to Joseph. He does so, and Joseph tells him that Egypt will soon be struck by famine. After hearing this news, the Pharaoh hires Joseph as his 'number two' and puts him in charge of a rationing service. Not to be left out, Joseph's brothers come to Egypt from Canaan in an effort to get grain and wheat. Joseph recognizes his brothers, but they do not recognize him. He allows them to take some food, but then plants a golden cup in his littlest brother Benjamin's sack. He then accuses Benjamin of stealing his cup, but his brothers convince him otherwise and show that they really love him. After this, Joseph knew his brothers were honest men. He revealed himself to them and they went back to Canaan to get Jacob. He comes to Egypt to great Joseph and the family is once again reunited.

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Cast Requirements

Principal: 17 Principal Men; 1 Narrator (May be Male or Female)
Featured: 1 Featured Woman
Chorus of Men (doubled by Brothers) and Women; Optional Children's Chorus

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Musical Numbers

Act 1
Overture - Orchestra
Prologue - Narrator
Any Dream Will Do - Joseph, Children
Jacob and Sons/Joseph's Coat - Narrator, Brothers, Wives, Children, Jacob, Joseph
Joseph's Dream - Narrator, Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble
Poor, Poor Joseph - Narrator, Brothers, Children
One More Angel In Heaven - Rueben, narrator, Brothers, Wives, Jacob, Children
Potiphar - Children, Narrator, Male Ensemble, Mrs. Potiphar, Potiphar, Joseph
Close Every Door - Joseph, Children
Go, Go, Go Joseph - Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Joseph, Guru, Children

Act 2
Entr'acte - Children
Pharaoh Story - Narrator, Children
Poor, Poor Pharaoh/Song of the King - Narrator, Butler, Pharaoh, Children, Ensemble
Pharaoh's Dream Explained - Joseph, Ensemble, Children
Stone The Crows - Narrator, Pharaoh, Children, Joseph, Female Ensemble
Those Canaan Days - Simeon, Jacob, Brothers, Apache Dancers
The Brothers Came to Egypt/Grovel, Grovel - Narrator, Brothers, Joseph, Female Ensemble, Children
Who's The Thief? - Joseph, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
Benjamin Calypso - Judah, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
Joseph All The Time - Narrator, Joseph, Children, Brothers, Female Ensemble
Jacob in Egypt - Narrator, Jacob, Children, Ensemble
Any Dream Will Do - Joseph, Narrator, Ensemble, Jacob, Children