THEATRE UNDER THE STARS
Presents
The Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera in association with
DreamTeam Enterprises, Ltd.,
Nicholas Howey, Dallett Norris, Thomas J. Lyon, and Stephen B. Kane Production of
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
JOSEPH
And The
AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT
Lyrics by TIM RICE
Music by ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER
Theatre Under the Stars
www.tuts.com
Tickets 800-678-5440
Brown Theater / Wortham Center
Featuring
DAVID OSMOND as Joseph
JODI BENSON as The Narrator
and THE OSMOND BROTHERS 2ND GENERATION
With
ERIC A. MARTSOLF as The Pharaoh
RAY BENSON as Reuben
and ERIC JON MAHLUM as Jacob / Potiphar
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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is based on chapters from the Book of
Genesis ("Prologue", "Any Dream Will Do"). The story begins in the land of Canaan with Jacob,
who is blessed with twelve sons ("Jacob and Sons"). His favorite is Joseph, and he decides to give
his preferred son the gift of a magnificent "coat of many colors" ("Joseph's Coat"). Joseph's
brothers are none too pleased with this arrangement. They resent the way in which Jacob dotes on
Joseph, and their anger against him grows.
The final straw comes when Joseph relays his dream to his brothers, his dreams tell him that he is to
become a gerat man and be far more successful than any of them ("Joseph's Dreams"). They
decide something needs to be done about Joseph, and determine that killing him would solve their
problems.
While out in the fields, the brothers grab their young sibling, tear off his splendid coat, and are
about to throw him into a pit when a band of Ishmaelite traders passes by on their way to Egypt.
The brothers sell Joseph to them as a slave ("Poor, Poor Joseph") and return to their father with the
bloodied coat (a goat was sacrificed for the cause) to tell him the sad news of Joseph's "death"
(One More Angel in Heaven").
In Egypt, the Ishmaelites sell Joseph to Potiphar, who is one of the Pharaoh's officials. He is quickly
promoted, until Potiphar's wife decides she has more than just a passing interest in the boy
("Potiphar"). Unfortunately, when she tried to have her way with him and he refuses, Mrs. Potiphar
claims she was seduced and has Joseph thrown in jail ("Close Every Door").
ERIC A. MARTSOLF as The Pharaoh
Joseph makes a name for himself in jail as the man who can interpret dreams. He successfully
predicts the meaning of the dreams of two cellmates - the Pharaoh's butler and baker ("Go, Go, Go
Joseph"). So when the Elvis-like Pharaoh ("Pharaoh Story") has a couple of dreams that no one
can figure out, he calls on Joseph - at the suggestion of his trusty butler - to decipher them ("Poor,
Poor Pharaoh"). The Pharaoh describes his frightening dreams of seven thin cows eating seven fat
cows and of seven tattered ears of corn eating seven healthy ears of corn ("Song of the King"). He
implores Joseph to tel him what they mean. Joseph explains to the King that seven years of bumper
crops would be followed by seven years of famine ("Pharaoh's Dream Explained"), and that he
should find a man to lead Egypt through the difficult time ahead.
The Pharaoh makes Joseph his right hand man ("Stone the Crows"), and Egypt survives the famine
thanks to Joseph's forethought and planning. However, back in Canaan, Joseph's family is
struggling during these hard times ("Those Canaan Days"). The brothers travel in search of food
("The Brothers Come to Egypt") and wind up begging Joseph for rations ("Grovel, Grovel"),
although they don't realize he is their brother. Joseph recognizes them, however, and decides to put
them to a test. He hides a gold cup in the sack of food given to Benjamin, the youngest brother,
and then accuses the brothers of stealing ("Who's the Thief"). When the cup is found in Benjamin's
bag, the other brothers take the blame ("Benjamin Calypso"), and beg Joseph not to punish
Benjamin. Joseph, touched by his brothers' honesty and caring, reveals to them who he is ("Joseph
All the Time"). Now reunited, the brothers send for their father ("Jacob in Egypt"). The family lives
on to prosper and grow ("Finale: Any Dream Will Do / Give Me My Colored Coat").
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Dare to dream with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, TUTS' summer musical
at the Brown Theater of Wortham Center. David Osmond stars as Joseph and the rest of the Osmond 2nd Generation are featured as Joseph's brothers
for 16 high-energy performances June 30 - July 12. Photo credit: Marty Sohl.
WWW.OSMOND.COM
DAVID OSMOND and THE OSMOND 2ND GENERATION: THE INTERVIEWS
Crowds of girls scream at the Osmonds, all brothers who sing, dance and harmonize their way
around the globe. Flashback from the 70's? No. While the name is familiar, this time it is the
Second Generation showing the same dedication to performing and family entertainment as their
father did before them.
David Osmond (Joseph) and The Osmond 2nd Generation, all sons of 70's pop superstar Allan
Osmond of the Osmond Brothers, are as personable as they are talented. The brothers, David,
Michael, Nathan, Doug, Scott and Jon, range in age from 14 to 22 and are already seasoned
performers with 13 years of entertaining under their belts. All six are Eagle Scouts and shout "family
values"!
In the mid 1980's the four oldest brothers kicked off their careers by singing barbershop-style
numbers together and soon were headlining on their own at venues like Disneyland and major state
fairs, as well as on "The Bob Hope Christmas Show". To perfect their act, they added
choreography, piano, drums, saxophone and guitar and mastered acapella, Top 40, ballads and
rock.
By 1990 they released a self-titled album and began a whirlwind tour of the U.S. and Canada,
performing more than 300 shows and participating in a 70-city mall tour. The Brothers rang in New
Year's 1991 with the New Kids on the Block on "Dance Party USA". That year they also opened
for NKOTB in London during their "No More Games" tour and added Germany, Ireland,
Scotland, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong to their tour schedule. Throughout the world they drove
girls into hysteria.
Their single "Second Generation" from their second album of the same name hit the charts in
Europe, Asia and North America, making the Osmond family the first in history with eleven
hit-charting members. This second album showcased the brothers' song-writing abilities and
highlighted their musical versatility.
In 1992, the 2nd G joined the Osmond Brothers (their father and uncles) for five years of
twice-daily shows at the Osmond Family Theater in Branson, Missouri. The theater
proved to be a perfect venue to highlight the 2nd G's variety of talent. During their five-year run,
they continued to record and perform for foreign audiences as well. They recently took time off to
return to Japan to record "Countdown Japan", an album of covers originally released in English but
performed by the 2nd G in Japanese. While at the Osmond Family Theater, the 2nd G expanded to
include brothers Scott and Jon and also periodically showcased up-and-coming brothers Alex and
Tyler.
In the summer of 1997, David, Doug and Scott headlined as Joseph, Reuben and Gad in JOSEPH
AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT at Kingsbury Hall in Salt Lake
City. Their critically acclaimed performance caught the eye of Livent, Inc. who offered David the
opportunity to star as Joseph for a number of shows and to be his Uncle Donny's understudy
during his run as Joseph in Salt Lake City January 15th to February 28th (later extended to March
7th). Meanwhile, in Branson in 1977, the 2nd G won the Branson All American Young Artist of the
Year Award for the 3rd year in a row and were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
These multi-talented, highly professional young men already have a strong fan base, a worldwide
fan club, and a web site (http://www.osmond.com/2ndg/). They will definitely be fixtures on the
entertainment scene for many years to come!
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Jodi Benson as the Narrator (Photo credit: Joan Marcus)
Interview with JODI BENSON
Narrator for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
July 1, 1998
by Theresa Hyde
theresa@houstontheatre.com
Jodi Benson has received worldwide recognition and critical acclaim as the voice of Ariel in the
Academy Award winning Walt Disney animated feature film The Little Mermaid as well as
the spirited voice of Weebo in Disney's live action feature Flubber co-starring Robin Williams.
For Warner Brothers, she created the title voice of Thumbelina, an animated feature with songs by
Barry Manilow.
Ms. Benson received a Tony award nomination for Best Actress in a Musical and a Helen
Hayes Award nomination for creating the starring role of Polly Baker in the Tony Award winning
Broadway Gershwin musical Crazy for You.
A native of Rockford, Illinois, Ms. Benson made her Broadway debut in Kenny Ortega's Marilyn:
An American Fable. Other Broadway credits include: creating the starring role of Doria Hudson in
the Howard Ashman / Marvin Hamlisch musical Smile, Welcome to the Club. Internationally, Ms.
Benson had the honor of sharing the stage with her husband Ray Benson in the European premiere
of Gershwin's My One and Only, starring as Miss Edythe Herbert.
In Los Angeles, the actress starred as Flora in Flora the Red Menace at the Pasadena Playhouse,
Ado Annie in Oklahoma! at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady at the Alex
Theatre in Glendale, and Florence Vassey in Chess at the Long Beach Civic Light Opera, for
which she won the Dramalogue Award for Best Actress.
Theresa: Tell us about the part that you're playing......
Jodi: I play the narrator, I tell the story in song and I'm onstage the rest of the time, just explaining
to the audience what's going on.
Theresa: Why did you choose to become a part of this play?
Jodi: My husband and I are just gonna be, you know, having some fun for the summer. Basically it
was just a nice opportunity to work in the summer together.
Theresa: You speak so softly. I guess they give you a big microphone so everybody can hear you.
Jodi: (laughs) I got a big voice onstage.
Theresa: You sure do (laughing). This is just your interview voice, very soft?
Jodi: Just quiet, before the show. Save the energy. (laughing)
Theresa: Tell us about your past background.......
Jodi: Well, in a nutshell, I've been doing Broadway for about 18 years. I've been with Walt Disney
for 12 years doing feature animation, Little Mermaid, Hercules, Lady and The Tramp. I've done 6
or 7 Broadway shows, international and national tours, got about 12 albums.
Theresa: Wow, 12 albums.....
Jodi: I guess I've got about 12 different CD's out. Yeah, I've been in the business a long time, have
had a lot of neat experiences.
Theresa: Who are your most favorite stage actors?
Jodi: I enjoy working with my husband, he's in the show, we work together a lot. Gosh, I've
worked with a lot of really amazing people. Robin Williams is quite amazing.
Theresa: What would you like to say to the Houston-theatre going audience?
Jodi: It's great to be here in Houston, to work with TUTS. We'll have a good time. I think the show
will go over well, it's a real family show.
