 |
| Danny Bertaux stars as Joseph |
HCST annually produces a classic Broadway musical to
enthrall audiences during the warm summers. The 2025 installment is the 4th
time HCST is producing Joseph. This high-tempo, high-octane production
is jaw-dropping on so many levels.
A well-staged, brilliantly orchestrated, meticulously
choreographed spectacle is performed by a talented and enthusiastic cast. HCST brings Joseph and his coat of many colors to
life in a compact whirlwind of memorable, tuneful songs and a story that takes
the audience on a journey from the sins of jealousy and revenge to the virtues
of forgiveness and reconciliation.
"A well-staged, brilliantly orchestrated, meticulously choreographed spectacle..."
Tom Sankey, the director of the production, is marking his 40th year with the theatre company. In describing Joseph, Mr. Sankey says, “It’s a story about dreams, resilience, and the power of forgiveness—timeless themes that resonate now more than ever.”
Mr. Sankey’s light touch and precise direction enables the large
cast including 49 elementary and middle schoolers among the 130 total cast and
crew to thoroughly enjoy themselves on stage. That joy is clearly evident in
every song, movement and dance step. The
performers had a lot of fun, which easily rubs off to the audience sharing in
that delight.
With such a large cast, performers not only packed the stage
but at times used the auditorium’s interior ramps and aisles as well as the
area in front of the stage. And they did so flawlessly and efficiently, thus
expanding the spectacle.
 |
| Nathan Moe as Pharaoh |
Some of the catchy numbers from the Rice-Lloyd Webber team
include “Joseph’s Dreams,” “One More Angel,” “Close Every Door,” “Go, Go, Go
Joseph,” “Pharaoh’s Story,” “Those Canaan Days,” and my favorite “Any Dream
Will Do.”
The music styles are diverse with pop, rock, country-western
and even a little calypso thrown into the mix. Kassi Serafini’s astounding and
ambitious choreography allowed the dancers to demonstrate a wide array of moves
during the production numbers while singing up a storm.
The familiar plot, a retelling of the biblical story, described
mostly through song, centers on Joseph, the favored son of Jacob who had
bestowed upon him a coat of many colors. His eleven brothers were jealous and
sold Joseph into slavery while telling their father he had in fact, died.
Joseph winds up working for the mega-rich Potiphar, but Mrs.
Potiphar tries to seduce him and, of course, he gets caught as one does. Joseph is sent to prison where it is
discovered that he has the uncanny ability for interpreting dreams and
predicting the future.
The show features two narrators Naomi Abankwah and Heather
Reed, possessing excellent soprano vocals, who spin the tale guiding the
audience through song. Libby Burgess and Emily Saitta assume the roles on alternate dates.
Well cast as the title character is charismatic Danny
Bertaux. Energetic throughout and having
a wonderful time with the part, Mr. Bertaux, who performs in most of the songs,
demonstrates strong vocal skills and is particularly solid in such numbers as
“Joseph’s Dreams” and “Any Dream Will Do.” His rendition of “Close Every Door”—a
challenging number to be sure—is one of the showstoppers. Mr. Bertaux, portraying
the newly imprisoned Joseph, delivers the emotional song with passion and
strength. His pitch-perfect tenor voice is Broadway-caliber.
Chris Wilhelm plays the role of Potiphar to the hilt. His brawny
voice is on display in the aptly named song “Potiphar.” Julie Dauber, as the seductress Mrs. Potiphar
on the evening this show was reviewed also performs well in that number. Olivia
Dibble plays the role on alternate performances.
Nathan Moe romps through his role as Pharaoh, the Elvis look/act alike. He runs through a series of Elvis-like antics and cockiness with swagger and performs well with Mr. Bertaux, The Children and Egyptians in “Song of the King.”
Other notable performances are turned in by Rebecca Stryker
as Baker and Bill Pond as Butler who were cell mates of Joseph. Todd Hochkeppel
does a fine job as Jacob, the father of the 12 sons, displaying the range of
emotions as the story evolved.
All the actors playing the brothers are excellent. They sing
and dance extremely well and provide much of the drama. While they largely
perform as a unit, they each demonstrate their own personality and identity
contributing to the charm. Kudos to Justin Moe, Jacob Kempic, Jacob VanderVat,
John White, Jed Silverman, Luke Pinsky, Kevin Nolan, Andrew Garcia, Timothy
Moon, Henry Maeshiro and Michael Gbadamoshi.
Allison Ciborowski’s operatic vocals are on display in the
wonderful production number “One More Angel.”
All the people playing the Israelites and Egyptians as well
as the youngsters in the Children’s Chorus are terrific, contributing mightily
to the success of the production. The
kids are great.
Douglas Thomas designed the simple but functional set. A
great touch is having the children’s chorus seated in two bleacher sections on
stage.
Kathy Bondura, the Costume Director, and her team created sensational
and colorful period costumes giving the show the look of professionalism not
often seen in community theatre. The remainder of the creative team including
the outstanding orchestra round out a brilliant production.
Joseph and the Amazing
Color Dreamcoat boasts a terrific catalog of songs, superb performances,
and visually pleasing costumes and set pieces.
It’s an energetic family-friendly show that because of its fast pace and
relatively short length should keep the youngsters interested while learning
about the power of dreams.
Everyone involved should take a bow because this is
community theatre at its best. And enjoy
the curtain call’s show within the show. Bravo to a job well done and worthy of
the raucous standing ovation the show received on opening night.
Running time. One hour and 45 minutes with an intermission.
JOSEPH Show Dates & Times:
8 Performances Only!
June 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, & 28 at 7 p.m.
June 22 & 28 at 2 p.m.
Venue: Marriotts Ridge High School
Tickets: Tickets available at the door or online here.
Proceeds from this year’s production will benefit local charities. A gala
to celebrate the company’s golden anniversary will be held on November 6, 2025, at the Ten Oaks Ballroom.
THE FULL CAST AND CREW ARE SHOWN BELOW.
No comments:
Post a Comment