Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
at Dock Mennonite Academy

Reviewed on November 9, 2017

PJ Williams
Ridley High School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 1

With a talented cast, impressive technical features and a beautifully written story, audience members should "Go, Go, Go …" to see Dock Mennonite Academy's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat!

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical retelling of the biblical stories of Joseph and contains stories from the Book of Genesis. The production professionally premiered in 1970 and, due to its acclaim, has since become one of the most widely produced musicals for high schools and amateur theatres.

Senior Alex Martin led the production portraying Joseph himself. Martin's strong vocal abilities and great commanding stage presence allowed him to truly support the stories being told and carry the production with ease in the audience member's eyes. Martin's powerful rendition of "Close Every Door" at the end of Act 1 left the audience in awe and thinking about it well into the intermission.

Contributing to the performance were the three narrators. The talented female narrating trio was made up of Carlie Coco, Alexa Kennel and Hannah Landis. All three were very entertaining to watch and seemed to never have a dull moment onstage. Their beautiful vocals seamlessly narrated audience members from scene to scene, making the production easy to follow and very fun to watch.

Supporting the production with his portrayal of the Pharaoh was 12th grader Levi Longacre. While not appearing as the Pharaoh until the second act, Longacre took every moment he had onstage and still gave an unforgettable performance, truly channeling the King of Rock and Roll. While singing and dancing, Longacre also impressively managed to play the electric guitar onstage for his entire song, something that can not be an easy task for anyone.

Dock Mennonite Academy's talent did not stop at the stage, the show's technical aspects were almost all student done as well! The production's lighting, designed and executed by Sydney Cardy, truly enhanced the performance and really helped set the mood of certain scenes. Cardy also took on the daunting task of lighting the stage in each color of Joseph's Technicolor Dreamcoat, a task that may have taken a lot of work, but truly paid off. Adding to the beautiful, vibrant lights was Jackson Bell's sound design. Although sometimes a little too quiet to hear over the orchestra, Bell did a great job of making sure everyone onstage could often be heard.

Overall, Dock Mennonite Academy's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was very entertaining to watch and a must-see production for all.

Hannah Oh
Delaware County Christian School
Submitted for publication to Philadelphia Inquirer - 2

Visit the multicolored world of Dock Mennonite Academy and their performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a colorful retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph (Alex Martin) and his journey through trials, family struggles and ultimately learning what it means to forgive. From a Jamaican calypso to a 60s themed groove to a country-western number with choreography to match, the cast took the audience from Joseph's life with eleven jealous older brothers and a father (Seth Kolb ‘16) who couldn't help but pick favorites to his journey ascending from slavery to the right hand of an Elvis-impersonating, Vegas-esque Pharaoh (Levi Longacre). Guided by an ensemble of three Narrators created by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, (Carlie Cocco, Alexa Kennel and Hannah Landis), the music-only show was a creative hit filled with bright lights and talent to match.

Alex Martin as Joseph was naturally a standout in the cast, effortlessly carrying songs of large difficulty and caliber such as "Close Every Door" with stage presence, a strong high tenor range and bits and pieces of necessary comedic relief. Well-suited for the role, he interacted seamlessly with the ensemble and his on-stage brothers.

The Narrators tied together the show as a unified group, guiding the storyline with difficult soprano notes and lyrics. While each member of the Narrator group contributed strongly to the tone, pitch and harmonies, Carlie Cocco was a standout member the group. The brothers were a similarly strong ensemble, dancing in synchronization and easily adapting to acting as less than the twelve standard men of the group - as they say, the show must go on. Other standout performances included Pharaoh (Levi Longacre) for his delightful moment of comedic relief with "Song of The King" and Mrs. Potiphar's (Olivia Messina) brief but memorable dance number, "Potiphar."

The ensemble wore many hats as they transitioned from a large group number with 1960's vibes to the Rock-and-Roll of Pharaoh's song to a number reminiscent of the 1920s with "Potiphar." While there were a few moments where the energy dipped, the ensemble managed to pull together each and every number with a strong finish.

The lighting crew of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat took advantage of the lyrics in "Jacob & Sons / Joseph's Coat" listing off colors of "scarlet and black and ochre and peach and ruby and olive and violet and fawn" and displayed lights of each color, quickly transitioning from one to the next. Much to the audience's delight, the hues added another dimension to a show that transported its viewers into the toe-tapping, colorful world of Dock Mennonite Academy's performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Alex Mackle
Eastern Regional High School
Submitted for publication to Dock Newsroom

Dock Mennonite Academy's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" takes an age-old biblical story and turns it into an amusing romp from Canan all the way to Egypt. With music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, this sung-through musical was first produced in 1968.

The story is based upon the Old Testament story of "the coat of many colors," where Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob, is sold into slavery by his eleven jealous brothers. Joseph, who is known for his prophetic dreams, manages to become vizier to the Pharaoh and make up with his brothers. All of this occurs over various different musical genres.

Alex Martin sets himself apart as the titular character of Joseph, displaying his vocal throughout the production. A particular strong point was Martin's compelling performance of "Close Every Door to Me," which truly displayed his diverse vocal range. Another particularly standout role was the Pharaoh himself, played by Levi Longacre. An Elvis-style role, Longacre provided a comical performance to the audience, meanwhile playing guitar live on stage (or at least appearing to).

Also notable were the narrators. Although this is typically one role, it was effectively split between Carlie Cocco, Alexa Kennel, and Hannah Landis. Despite the change from the usual formula, each narrator generally managed to hold their own during the performance.

Sydney Cardy's lighting was also fairly effective. Experiencing some malfunctions beyond her control, she effectively troubleshooted and managed to overcome the issues. Additionally, narrator Alexa Kennel also took her talents off the stage, where she doubled as the scenic designer for a fairly large backdrop.

"Joseph" gives the audience an upbeat and comical diversion from the issues of day-to-day life, all shown through a bible story that most people know. Dock Mennonite Academy's version of the retelling utilized all of the strengths of the show, while seeming to add in some flare of their own.

Ryan Schaafsma
Delaware County Christian School
Submitted for publication to GPC Website Review 4

In Dock Mennonite Academy's vibrant production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, created by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber and directed by Emily Rittenhouse, a sense of true justice was felt by all in the crowd. Through the deep and emotional story of Joseph, son of Jacob, we see a steady rise to power and prosperity as a result of Joseph's patience, kindness, and humility. In the beginning, Joseph is one of many sons under his father's name, but he is the most adored and cared for of all the sons. To demonstrate his special fondness of Joseph, Jacob presents him with his own multicolor robe that he may show off to all in his sight. Soon, Joseph's brothers are furious with their father's love and protection over him, and they sell their brother into slavery where he is later summoned and brought to Pharaoh, who uses him for his renowned dream interpreting skills. In the end, Joseph forgives his brothers for their wrongdoings and he welcomes them back into his life, just as a humble and heroic protagonist should do.

Joseph(Alex Martin) is the favored son of Jacob, who is given the technicolor robe, braves Potiphar and Pharaoh, and prevails over his brothers cruelty, forgiving them and maintaining his heroic character throughout his entire journey. Martin's brilliant portrayal of the courageous and humble Joseph, was an exceptional display of what true character development looks like. From the emotional singing, to the deep and heartfelt dialogue, to the mastered high notes, each moment of stage time Martin was given, he did not waste.

The narrators(Carlie Cocco, Alexa Kennel, and Hannah Landis) are a passionate trio of singers who explain the life and hardships of Joseph through the use of song. Cocco, Kennel, and Landis' performance as the narrators displayed the level of difficulty it took to describe Joseph's life through only singing. Each scene was executed by these three exceptionally, in a way that the audience was kept entranced throughout the entire show.

Pharaoh(Levi Longacre) is the king who brings Joseph out of prison to interpret his confusing dream. Longacre's dramatic rendition of Pharaoh was brilliantly pieced together and put on as it should have been, with great animation and movement.

Overall, Dock Mennonite wowed the crowd with their show-stopping, radiant, technicolor performance of the well known and widely loved Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.