Pantages Theatre | 6233 Hollywood Blvd,, Los Angeles.Through June 22 | hollywoodpantages.com* * * *
Former American Idol contestants and married couple Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo headline Andrew Lloyd-Weber’s classic and sassy Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Sort of a Jesus Christ Superstar-lite, it centers on Joseph’s rise to being the second most powerful man in Egypt after being sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. While the basic testament of overcoming hardships and realizing your dreams is the theme here, it’s not the most serious of shows. Which is the fun.
Using a narrator (DeGarmo) to tell the anachronistic musical version of this tale, Lloyd-Weber makes the story sort of nutty (“Go, Go, Go Joseph”) without sacrificing emotion (“Close Every Door.”) Young is a studly Joseph and while his voice can be a bit thin at times, he has a contagious energy that draws your eye to him. DeGarmo has the powerful pipes to tackle the part of Narrator and Simeon (Paul Castree) almost steals the show as an Egyptian Elvis. The rest of the cast also brings their A-game including the ensemble of Joseph’s brothers who are clearly having a blast on stage.
The set design is fairly simple giving the affair the feel of a tribe of actors who go from town to town to put on a show. While it’s not the most elaborate of stage shows, it’s extremely enjoyable and you’ll walk out humming the tunes.
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