Jacob!.. Jacob and Sons!

This evening, like a complete genius, I went and saw Joseph and the Dreamcoat at the Adelphi theater. I just wanted to give my impressions, since the rest of the day was pretty typical. I went and saw the "Great Mosque".. which ended up just being a crappy building. Then I went and got my stipend and eventually returned to eat and run. Today it began to rain right as I began running so I was drenched by the end. Although, it was one of the few times where I returned to the flat and I was wet, but not with sweat. Charming, eh? Alright, let's get down to Josephy and his jacket.

I first need to mention that due to my participation in Joseph in high school, there was absolutely no way that I could dislike this musical. It is so steeped in nostalgia (yes, nostalgia from a whopping... jeez almost 7 years.. gross) that it was a guarantee that I was going to enjoy it. I was watching it and comparing it to what our group had done. For that reason, this review is just plain bias. Now that I've destroyed my credibility, we can begin the review. Smooth...

Despite my bias, I am under the opinion that no group/company can make Joseph horrible or even mediocre. The musical is just written in such a way that it is always fun and moving. For me, the most boring part is "Close Every Door" and I don't hate that song by any means. The musical is just all around fun and the songs are catchy. However, I will admit that the musical as a whole does not demand much from its actors and actresses. I think the three emotions that you need to master are happy, mad, and silly sad. It's not that deep, but that's fine. It doesn't have to be. It has to be fun and it wins at that.

I had just a few problems. One was during the second act: the narrator changed into a dress that was sparkly and it was reflecting random bits of light around (like you do with your watch during class on a sunny day). It wasn't awful, just a bit distracting. The only other issue I had was that sometimes the actors would do really silly things that were so obnoxious that they would deter from what was actually happening. For example, when Joseph was accusing the brothers of being spies, one of the brothers is eating the piece of chicken that the narrator threw out like ten minutes earlier. It was good for a laugh, but the mood of the scene didn't support the action. It just took away from what was happening. This was hardly a deal breaker, but it's something that I noticed.

Finally, I just want to say that the pit band and narrator stole the show. They were both amazing. Joseph (the actor) was fine, but he didn't hold a candle to the narrator.

In the end, I really enjoyed the play (clearly). Here's the deal: Joseph is not the most engaging and deep story I've ever experienced. Frankly, I don't want it to be any more than just a fun experience. When the old women leaving the theater are singing the songs from the show into the streets, you know something was done correctly. End.