2008 Woodie Awards
'Joseph' musical stopping in Spokane as part of tour
Blair Tellers, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/14/06
Last Updated: 12/26/07
WestCoast Entertainment's 2006-2007 Best of Broadway season is featuring a colorful series of national touring productions.
The scheduled list of productions boasts an exciting line of timeless favorites, including "Hairspray," "Rent," "Aida," "Cats" and "Little Shop of Horrors."
The first show scheduled is "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which will run Nov. 30 through Dec. 3.
"Joseph" originally debuted in 1968, and in 1982 authors Tim Rice ("Aladdin" and "The Lion King") and Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer of "Cats," "Evita" and "Phantom of the Opera") added new numbers and turned the show into a full, two-act production. It has earned eight Tony Award nominations and has played to an estimated 30 million people.
The musical is an adaptation of the story found in the Old Testament, weaving the ancient account of Joseph and his brothers with a versatile array of musical genres, energetic dance and modern humor. The musical score is a vibrant blend of musical styles, ranging from calypso, rock 'n' roll, pop, country-western and French cabaret, all of which are performed with Vegas-esque flair.
Matt O'Brian, a voice and theater graduate of Luther College in Iowa, plays the Pharaoh in this production of "Joseph."
In addition to playing Pharaoh and Levi (one of Joseph's brothers), O'Brian is also an assistant company manager and assistant stage manager for the show. O'Brian auditioned specifically for the role of the pharaoh and explained that, contrary to the original story, the Pharaoh in "Joseph" isn't as severely tempered as the one in the Bible.
"This show doesn't actually have a villain," said O'Brian. "Pharaoh's actually something of a protagonist. In this play, it's the Pharaoh who takes Joseph out of prison and makes him second-in-command."
The Pharaoh in "Joseph" mimics Elvis. O'Brian sports a jumpsuit and in the true fashion of the King, a signature black pompadour.
O'Brian commented on the suit, which sports an extremely plunging neckline.
The scheduled list of productions boasts an exciting line of timeless favorites, including "Hairspray," "Rent," "Aida," "Cats" and "Little Shop of Horrors."
The first show scheduled is "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" which will run Nov. 30 through Dec. 3.
"Joseph" originally debuted in 1968, and in 1982 authors Tim Rice ("Aladdin" and "The Lion King") and Andrew Lloyd Webber (composer of "Cats," "Evita" and "Phantom of the Opera") added new numbers and turned the show into a full, two-act production. It has earned eight Tony Award nominations and has played to an estimated 30 million people.
The musical is an adaptation of the story found in the Old Testament, weaving the ancient account of Joseph and his brothers with a versatile array of musical genres, energetic dance and modern humor. The musical score is a vibrant blend of musical styles, ranging from calypso, rock 'n' roll, pop, country-western and French cabaret, all of which are performed with Vegas-esque flair.
Matt O'Brian, a voice and theater graduate of Luther College in Iowa, plays the Pharaoh in this production of "Joseph."
In addition to playing Pharaoh and Levi (one of Joseph's brothers), O'Brian is also an assistant company manager and assistant stage manager for the show. O'Brian auditioned specifically for the role of the pharaoh and explained that, contrary to the original story, the Pharaoh in "Joseph" isn't as severely tempered as the one in the Bible.
"This show doesn't actually have a villain," said O'Brian. "Pharaoh's actually something of a protagonist. In this play, it's the Pharaoh who takes Joseph out of prison and makes him second-in-command."
The Pharaoh in "Joseph" mimics Elvis. O'Brian sports a jumpsuit and in the true fashion of the King, a signature black pompadour.
O'Brian commented on the suit, which sports an extremely plunging neckline.
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