Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at USNA is a Multi-color Wonder

The lovely set and the uber-talented orchestra at the Naval Academy

Way, way back, many decades ago, I fell in love with a weird little musical called Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. I'm not entirely sure how it happened. I don't even remember actually seeing it, until long after I had memorized the cast album. But there I was, singing these great (and strange) tunes at the top of my lungs most every day. I did finally see it a few years later, though I have no recollection of where I was. It was somewhere in Maryland and it was most definitely a community theatre production. What I do remember is taking my friend Jen with me. She is an English teacher, but not a lover of theatre, and she was convinced that this musical was going to have some redeeming quality. As if the presence of an underlying thematic quality would make the show somehow better. Other than the theme of destiny - which is inherent in the story, not just the musical - she realized what I had long-since assumed. Musicals don't have to be deep or though-provoking to be fun and fabulous. 

Joseph - full of all of its strange quirks and styles of music - is just that; fun. And from what I can tell, that's the whole point. For that I'm supremely thankful that it exists, because at the time it was written, and in the years since, fun is definitely needed every once in a while to keep our minds away from the dark and depressing. In other words, tell me you can listen to "Benjamin Calypso" without tapping your foot and getting into that island spirit.

However, it's been many decades since that time when I hummed "Any Dream will Do" consistently throughout my day, and in that time I haven't seen Joseph once on stage. That is until I took in the joyous and creative production at the Naval Academy this past weekend. Once again, I was transported back to ancient Egypt and once again I found myself knowing every single word of every single song. It's weird how that works. Sometimes I can't remember what I had for dinner last night, but give me the music to "Jacob and Sons" and I'm set! 

The production led by Joseph and the Narrator was incredibly fun. This was my first show at the Academy, and I was astounded by the sheer size of the production. The costumes and set were impressively designed. I'd say the many, many outfits that transformed the men from 12 brothers, to 12 Frenchmen, to 12 Calypso singers, to a variety of others were definitely a highlight. The Midshipmen seemed to revel in all the colors and designs, as they are all too accustomed to the plain white, black or tan Naval uniforms. 

Then of course, there was the set, which was an Egyptian pyramid that helpfully assisted in the fantastic choreography. The stairs up to the pyramid allowed the cast to run, and jump and dance their way in all sorts of directions which contributed to the movement and the excitement of the piece. Added to the set, the designers also included a few "animals" in the mix. Not real animals mind you, just impressive replicas that I won't spoil in case you're planning to see this incredible show this weekend. Just know that these gags got the biggest laughs of the evening, and those laughs were well-deserved.

Also impressive, was the cast of singers and dancers in the cast. How can I say this delicately? I have a great deal of respect for the Navy and what the Midshipmen have planned for their lives, but I really wasn't expecting much from a school that is most focused on academics and physical fitness. I'm happy to say I have never been more wrong. By means of the show's design, there are plenty of numbers that allow even minor characters to shine. This cast of characters took those moments to heart, and positively nailed their performances. Added to this cast, there were also a few children providing back-up vocals allowing the narrator someone - beside the audience - to talk to, which they seemed to enjoy greatly.

That's the thing with this show. Most everyone I saw in the audience, from the kids seeing it for the first time, to the parents that had seen it dozens of times, to the Admiral sitting front and center in full dress uniform, had enormous smiles on their faces the moment the curtain came up. Joseph has always done that to people, young and old. And this fantastic production was no different.

Word of Warning - My only issue of the evening was the signage at the Academy. If you do not have government ID, you will need to park off base, which is not the big issue. The issue is finding Mahan Hall once you're finally on base. It's not the easiest place to find, and I didn't see its name on a single sign all evening. Don't let that get in the way of you seeing the show, just allow for time, and look out for helpful Midshipmen to point you in the right direction (which is what we did.)