Review of Joseph

Last night Dan and I saw the Pittsburgh Musical Theater's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. We enjoyed the upbeat, energetic, fast-paced show. I was thrilled to see that there was a live orchestra/band. The lighting, music, and actors were tight. They used the same set for the whole show, with creative uses in different scenes. The stairs lit up in multiple colors, and the track lighting around the stairs added energy. The narrator had a pleasant voice. Joseph and Pharoah (Elvis) had good voices too, but sometimes their deep voices were hard to hear over the music.

I question the director's judgment in the scene with Joseph and Potiphar's wife. Anyone who is familiar with the story of Joseph knows what this part is about. What happens in that scene is crucial to the overall story, so it can't be removed. But it could have been handled in a way so as to be more suggestive than actually showing certain things. The scene showed Potiphar's wife's 'interactions' with many men, and then her attempts to attract Joseph. Potiphar's wife's dominatrix-type costume was shocking to say the least, and the movements, etc., were far too over the top for a show that should be fairly family-friendly. I would not recommend taking children to this version of the show.

I applaud the modern twists the PMT gave to this show (some pop music and a Hannah Montana reference), and we enjoyed the many laugh-out-loud moments. It's too bad the show had to be tainted by one questionable scene. Overall, I would give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Anyway, it was a great night out without the boys! If you haven't been downtown to see a show lately, check out the cultural district schedule. The prices for shows are very reasonable if you're willing to sit in the gallery, and you can park for a mere $5.00.