‘Joseph’ a rocking success

In the nearly 40 years that have passed since composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice collaborated on “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” I have managed to avoid every production. Community, amateur, professional, American, English or South African – I missed them all. And that’s a mighty task considering that the biblical rock opera has several hundred productions mounted each year in this country alone.

A national touring “Joseph” arrived for two performances Saturday at the Maine Center for the Arts in Orono, and I can now count myself among the initiated. The production was splashy, with wild light shows (think 1980s rock concert), bubble-gum costumes (cheerleaders in fluorescent hot pinks and lime greens) and nutty characterizations (an Elvis-like Pharoah). The spunky choreography featured the athleticism and funkability of the cast. The leads were up for the challenges of Webber’s music, which demands a deep musical belt and a rocker’s all-out scream.

Yet it’s no mistake that the chorus sometimes sounded like little girls. This musical was written as a 20-minute pop cantata for teenagers. And even as the original 1982 Broadway production ran for nearly 800 performances, “Joseph” has been the bedrock of high-school theater departments.

The story is about the favoritism Jacob showers on one of his 12 sons, but the show is not particularly religious. It’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” lite. Webber wrote “Joseph” first, but it didn’t really take off until after “JCS” hit the big time. “Joseph” is a lot more fun than “JCS,” and the music flexes Webber’s muscles in a variety of genres – rock, country-and-western, ragtime, disco, calypso and French folk ballad. The MCA performance was very Las Vegas. Very “American Idol.” And fun.

Director Dallett Norris stopped short of turning the piece into schlock, accomplishable in part because of the focus and talents of the cast. The tunes are the syrupy type you can’t get out of your head for days, but music director Michael Duff elevated both the singers and the live electric band to an admirable level. The men’s numbers were the strongest. The women did the most impressive dancing. You could tell the entire team was having a blast – and that counts for a lot in live theater.

Speaking of counting a lot: The MCA has a new digital sound system that has greatly improved the accessibility and enjoyment of loud performances such as “Joseph.” It’s a hopeful sign for large, raucous shows, the type that get audience members clapping their hands and leaping to their feet. If either of Saturday’s performances were first-times for other theatergoers – for “Joseph” or for live, professional performing arts – then it was a Technicolor day for everyone.