Civic Theatre puts on 'Dreamcoat'
Production marks realization of goal for director
Tuesday, January 6, 2005
BY JENN MCKEE
News Arts Writer
As much as your sibling might have annoyed you, you probably never actually sold him or
her into slavery. However, in the Ann Arbor Civic Theatre's newest musical production -
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor
Dreamcoat" - 11 jealous brothers do precisely that to the title character.
For as the biblical story hints, Joseph is the arrogant apple of father Jacob's eye. But
when he suddenly finds himself enslaved (and then imprisoned) in Egypt, he must rely on
his power to interpret dreams to gain power and status in a foreign land. And later, when
his brothers appear before the Pharoah, desperate for help, they don't recognize Joseph,
leaving him free to decide whether to punish or forgive them.
"I have wanted to do this show ever since I saw the professional touring company 10
years ago," said director Wendy Sielaff. "I love the different styles of music
in it, and that it's family oriented."
Without a doubt, the eclectic score is one of the show's trademarks, with songs ranging
from country to rock 'n' roll to calypso. For Sielaff, "Canaan Days" - a
wistful, Parisian paean to nostalgia - is a highlight in the A2CT production. "It
will blow you away," she said. "One of my biggest worries from the start is that
we wouldn't do justice to 'Canaan Days,' but we've got such a strong male chorus. They've
just done an outstanding job with it."
According to Rey Arcena, who plays Joseph, another highlight in the score is the dramatic,
powerful tune "Close Every Door," which Joseph sings at his lowest moment.
"It's a turning point," said Arcena. "He has to quit here or move on, so
it's an emotional, tense part of the show. ... It's certainly the most emotionally charged
for me."
"If I were to interpret ('Close Every Door'), it's almost like a prayer - a humble
prayer," said Amanda Brown, who plays the show's narrator. "It's the moment
where (Joseph) is giving himself over to God."
Though the musical is based on a biblical story, Arcena appreciates the way Lloyd Webber
injected a contemporary sense of humor and humanity into the tale.
"Whenever you're working with a biblical story, it's something that's been told so
many times ...we tend to take everything as it's supposed to be," he said. "But
all these people were human, and many of them weren't the most moral of beings. The
brothers' dislike, (Joseph's) arrogance - that's the human element of the story. They love
each other, but like all families, they fight."
The actors and crew, of course, were tested by the show's broad scope. With a cast of 26
adults and 28 children, rehearsals could occasionally threaten to become chaotic, but
Sielaff, with the help of musical director Debbie Thomas and choreographer Tawna Dabney,
wrangled actors young and old with impressive efficiency. "The size of the cast is
daunting," she said. "It's tough to figure out how to manipulate 60 people on a
stage."
Apparently, however, Sielaff's enthusiasm helped carry the day. "She's a lot of fun,
and so passionate about the show," said Brown.
In terms of acting, Arceno has found Joseph's character to be a handful. "You're on
this emotional roller coaster, going from the ultimate in happiness to the lowest of low
points," he said. "It's a challenge, in an hour and forty minutes, to play and
go through a bunch of different emotions quite rapidly."
Brown's character, meanwhile, isn't your typical narrator. "She takes part in
different aspects of the show but changes independent of the show, too, so I could
individualize her," she said. "That allowed me to have more control over her
character rather than fitting her into a pre-fabricated idea."
With a cast spanning a broad range of ages and backgrounds, and performance dates coming
on the very heels of the holidays, "Joseph" has come to have specific meaning
for Sielaff: "At this time of year, I like to say that it's about family, being with
family, and the intense love that's there."