Redbank Valley will be having their own take on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat on Saturday March 25th at 7:30 P.M., and the final performance will be on Sunday March 26th at 3:00 P.M. The musical will take place in the RVHS auditorium. Admission is $7 for adults, and $2 for students.

According to www.josephthemusical.com, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat  is one of the most popular musicals in the world. The musical was originally in 1967 by Andrew Lloyd Webber for St. Paul’s Junior School in England to use at their Easter end-of-term concert. Although, it wasn’t originally written as a musical- it was written as a “pop cantata”.

The very first performance of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat was on March 1, 1968 at the Old Assembly Hall, Colet Court, Hammersmith. The school orchestra accompanied the performance, which lasted only 15 minutes. The musical was successful and continued to be performed for many years to come.

The story is based on the Biblical story of Joseph. The story has a narrator who encourages children to dream. Then, the narrator tells a story about Joseph, who is a dreamer. Joseph has many brothers who become jealous of his colorful coat. Joseph’s dreams reveal that he will rule over his brothers. The brothers then do whatever they can to prevent Joseph’s dreams from coming true.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is performed professionally and by schools. The most recent professional tour was in 2016 in the United Kingdom. The musical was performed on Broadway from January 1982-September 1983, with 747 performances.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been nominated for many awards between 1982 and 2004. Those nominations include: Tony Awards, Drama Desk Awards, and Laurence Oliver Awards. In 1992, the musical won the Laurence Oliver Award for Best Set Designer.

The Bark interviewed this year’s lead actor, Ethan Reichard.

Q:  What was your reaction when you saw your name on the cast list for Joseph?  

A:  “Hey, Mom, look at this!”

Q:  How did you feel about receiving the lead role?

A:  I feel pretty shocked, but God has put me here for a reason.

Q:  What has been the most rewarding part of being in this production?

A:  Being apart of something or a  group of people and working with them.

Q:  What has been the most challenging aspect of this lead role?  

A:  Singing and practicing…

Q:  What scene or song are you enjoying the most at this point in rehearsal?

A:  The scene where I am a pharoh and I get to yell at people a lot; that’s fun.

Q:  You are a sophomore.   Will there be more musicals in your future?  

A:  Yes I’d like to do more.

Q:  What  roles have you had in  previous productions?

A:  Guy with the Blue Tarp and skits in Bible Club.

Q:  Why should Redbank students and teachers attend this production?

A:  It will be very entertaining and they might would like to join someday.

The Cast List 

Ethan Reichard – Joseph

Ryan Moore – Jacob & Potiphar

Colin Sheffer – Pharoah & Gad

Corra Morgan – Mrs. Potiphar

Aiden Reichard – Reuben

Matthew Green – Benjamin

Daniel Landers – Issachar

Riley Robson – Levi

Brandon Shaffer – Judah

Tristan Keller – Simeon

Kasey Watkins – Naphtali

Cole Wolbert – Asher

Bryce Morgan – Zebulun

Zoe Calhoun – Dan & Butler

Addison Minich – Cook & Wife

Carly Over, Alena Keller, Cassie Westover – The Narrators

The Wives/Ishamlites – Marley Best, Abby Crawford, Alaina Hook, Austin Kirkpatrick, Abby Kusluch, Elisabeth Hook, Rylee Bish,