Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Drawn from the book of Genesis, the musical follows Joseph, the favorite of his father Jacob's twelve sons, whose gift of a colorful coat provokes his brothers' jealousy. The brothers sell Joseph into slavery and tell Jacob he is dead, and Joseph is taken to Egypt, where he serves in the household of Potiphar before being falsely imprisoned after rejecting the advances of Potiphar's wife.

In prison, Joseph's talent for interpreting dreams comes to the attention of the Pharaoh, who is troubled by visions of feast and famine. Joseph's correct interpretation, predicting seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, wins him the post of Pharaoh's second-in-command, in charge of preparing Egypt for the lean years. When famine eventually drives his brothers to Egypt seeking food, Joseph tests and ultimately forgives them, reuniting the family.

The music and the makers

Andrew Lloyd Webber composed the music and Tim Rice wrote the lyrics, beginning the show in 1968 as a fifteen-minute pop cantata for the choir of Colet Court, a London school, before expanding it over several years into a full stage musical. The show is sung-through, and its score is a deliberate pastiche, borrowing from a wide range of musical styles rather than settling on one consistent sound.

Individual numbers parody calypso, French ballad, country western, and rock and roll, including an Elvis-style number for the Pharaoh, while the Narrator guides the audience through the story in direct address. Signature songs include Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door, and Go, Go, Go Joseph, which range from tender ballad to full-company celebration.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Broadway

The Broadway production began off-Broadway at the Entermedia Theatre, where it opened November 18, 1981, and ran through January 24, 1982, directed by Tony Tanner. It transferred to Broadway's Royale Theatre just days later, opening January 27, 1982, with Bill Hutton as Joseph and Laurie Beechman as the Narrator, and ran through September 4, 1983, for 747 performances.

The Broadway production earned seven Tony nominations, including best musical and best original score, but won none. A revival directed by Steven Pimlott, who had staged the 1991 London Palladium production, opened at the Minskoff Theatre on November 10, 1993, with Michael Damian as Joseph and Kelli Rabke as the Narrator, and ran for 231 performances without receiving a Tony nomination. Donny Osmond, who played Joseph in the 1992 Toronto production, on tour, and in the 1999 direct-to-video film, never played the role on Broadway.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: frequently asked questions