Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Starring: Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman Director: David Mallet Original UK Premiere: 1999 Dvd Release: 6th December, 1999 Number Of Discs: 1 Format: PAL, Region 2 Encoding

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Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first musical theatre show written by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice. Based on the story of Joseph from the Bible, this light hearted show was first presented as a cantata at the Colet Court School in London on March 1, 1968 & lasted only fifteen minutes. Due to its instant success, Rice & Webber decided to release a small album of the show in 1969, which had been extended. The album didnt do well until Webber & Rice released their second musical album, Jesus Christ Superstar, an immediate hit. Joseph & the. was finally produced at a professional level in 1972 by Frank Dunlop & its success transferred it to bigger theatres & wider audiences. It was finally produced on Broadway on January 27, 1982 at the Royale Theatre where it remained for 747 performances. It has also been made into a video, starring Donny Osmond in 1999.

Following the successful video release of Cats comes another Andrew Lloyd Webber blockbuster musical, Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, & its a savvy choice. It hasnt been represented on film before, its short enough to present without cuts & it has the star-power of former teen icon Donny Osmond, who played over 1,800 performances across North America. Rather than record a live performance, Cats director David Mallet conceived Joseph as a film, though one that is based strongly on co-director Steven Pimlotts 1991 London revival & relies more on camerawork than venturing beyond its stagelike sets.

Lloyd Webbers first project with lyricist Tim Rice was originally written in 1968 as a school cantata; accordingly, this film uses a framing sequence of a school recital, with an audience of clapping, singing kids & members of the faculty playing the roles. The Old Testament tale of Joseph & his coat of many colours gets a splashy, vigorous treatment with an energetic cast, Las Vegas-style glitz & catchy, eclectic songs, including Any Dream Will Do, Close Every Door, the peppy Go, Go, Go Joseph & various bits of country, calypso & Elvis. Osmond is perfect in the title role, with a strong voice & winning persona, while London stage veteran Maria Friedman performs well in the central role of the narrator. Richard Attenborough appears as Jacob, & Joan Collins makes a brief, non-singing cameo.

Joseph certainly isnt revolutionary musical theatre, but if you view it as a kids show, its a silly good time . Parents should note, however, that this production might warrant a little discretion due to one suggestive scene & some risqu&ecute; costumes.

Donald Clark Donny Osmond is a singer, ex- teen idol, talk show host, actor & record producer. Born to parents Olive & George Osmond. Donny was half of the brother-sister singing act Donny & Marie. He is the brother of Alan, Jay, Jimmy, Merrill, Wayne, Marie, Tom & Virl Osmond. The two oldest children, Tom & Virl, were hearing-impaired; Alan, Jay, Merrill, Wayne & Donny were members of the popular singing group The Osmond Brothers. Donny became a teen idol in the early 1970s when he broke away from his older brothers to become a solo act. In the mid 70s, Donny was paired up with his younger sister, Marie. The duo recorded several albums together before & while starring in their own television variety series, Donny & Marie which aired on ABC from 1976 - 1979. When Donny & Marie ended, Donny tried to reinvent himself as a solo artist. Donny spent several years as a performer before returning to the US charts with the song Soldier of Love & its followup Sacred Emotion. Donny also found success on the Broadway stage when he starred in Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

Editors Choice: Donny Osmond, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, View DVDology

Maria Friedman is a musical theatre actress who has worked on both the Broadway & West End stages as well as television. // Maria was born in Switzerland & educated in Germany. She comes from a family who are mostly connected with the performing arts; her sister Sonia is a successful musical theatre producer, currently producing The Woman in White on Broadway, in which Maria is starring. She has two sons, Toby & Alfie. Maria has performed in many productions, details of some are below. Most recently, she originated the role of Marian Halcobme in Andrew Lloyd Webber s latest musical The Woman in White in the West End & has been playing the same role on Broadway since the previews for the transfer in October 2005. As previews for the show started, she was diagnosed with breast cancer & left the show to have surgery to have the lump removed. Less than a week after the surgery she returned to the stage for the previews & performed on the official opening night. She said she would begin radiation treatment for the cancer in December 2005.

Editors Choice: Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, View DVDology

David Mallet was a Scottish dramatist. He was educated at the University of Edinburgh & went to London in 1723 to work as a private tutor. There he became friendly with Alexander Pope, James Thomson & other literary figures. William & Margaret, adapted from a traditional ballad. In 1740, he collaborated with Thomson on a masque, Alfred, which was the vehicle for Rule Britannia. His other plays & poetry, popular at the time, are largely forgotten, but he was a significant enough figure to be chosen by Henry St John, Viscount Bolingbroke as his literary executor. Bolingbrokes writings were edited & published by Mallet in 1754. Posters Of Janet Jackson

Editors Choice: Burn The Floor, David Gilmour, Cats, Cirque Du Soleil, Janet Jackson, Our Favourite Things, Charlotte Church, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, View DVDology

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