annbronson's Full Review: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Let me start by saying that I am no Donny Osmond fan. While I was excited to find out that they were releasing a video of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, it was tempered by disappointment upon finding out that he was the star. The man's got a couple of strikes against him. Number one, he is Donny Osmond. Two, he is just too old for this role. As set forth in the musical, Joseph seems like a young man in his early 20's, not a 42 year old. It's not stated anywhere, but there is something about the character of Joseph that benefits from a more youthful performer.
Having said this, and if you ask me again tomorrow, I might well deny having admitted it, Osmond is not doing a bad job in this video. In fact, there are moments I almost like him, like when he says, "I don't think so," to Joan Collins. If you can get past the fact he is Donny Osmond, which is really difficult, you could actually enjoy some of the things he is doing.
Maria Friedman, as The Narrator, fares less well with me. This could be due to the fact that I have played the role myself, and in stereotypical soprano fashion, am inherently jealous of other women playing roles in which I have some proprietary interest. Knowing that dirty little secret about me, you may wish to take what I say next with a grain of salt. Vocally, Friedman's doing well, but I find her portrayal of the character too smug and mean to really enjoy what she is doing. I would have vastly preferred that Linzi Hateley (title character of the infamous musical version of Carrie) reprise her role as the London cast Narrator. Friedman is a bigger name in England, from what I have been told, and therefore was chosen over Hately.
What do I like about this video? Joseph's brothers for one thing. Taken as a group, they are appropriately goofy and great fun, a bit like The Pirates of Penzance at times. They look like they are enjoying doing this, though that could also be said of most of the performers. Gerry McIntyre who plays Judah is especially engaging. Look for him in the background: he is always having a joyous reaction to whatever is happening. Vocally, he could be a little stronger in his big solo number ("Benjamin Calypso"), but he moves well and has a wonderfully infectious smile. He demonstrates some Tim Curryesque comic moments; he could be a fun Frank N. Furter in The Rocky Horror Show.
Nick Holmes as Benjamin doesn't get to do much, but I like him. He is very pretty (I mean this in a good way) and pleasantly vulnerable as the youngest son. Jeff Blumenkrantz (Simeon) does a nice job of selling "Those Canaan Days," a thankless pseudo-French song that is perhaps the weakest part of the score. It benefits from the addition of an Apache dance in it. I've always enjoyed this dance form, but haven't seen one in years. Dancers Michael Small (Zebulun) Amanda Courtney-Davies pull off one of the most spectacular and beautiful lifts that I have ever seen. The colors and lighting are also striking in this song.
The wittiest casting choice is Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar. She is great! Keep in mind that this is praise from someone who will watch the end of The Land of the Pharaohs just for the joy of watching Collins' character be entombed alive in a pyramid. However, she is perfect in this. She looks fabulous, which really is about 95% or more of what she needs to do in this two-minute cameo. She has the glamour of a golden age movie star, and the evilness that she has been honing her entire career. Collins is also sufficiently severe as the elderly music mistress at the very start of the video.
The gorgeous, art deco Potiphar scene is the very best part of the entire video. Based musically and design-wise in the 1920's, it is lush, stylized, and nicely performed. Ian McNeice is an enjoyably interesting Potiphar. I love the white streaks in his hair. Parents be somewhat warned though: the costuming is rather suggestive in this scene. The women, Collins included, appear to be bare-breasted. They are actually very well covered in flesh colored leotards, but due to the cut and trimming of the costumes, it gives the illusion of decadence. This shouldn't be a big deal, but a few might find it objectionable.
Much of the rest of the video never really quite does it for me. "Song of the King" should be a showstopper, and although it is fun, Robert Torti's performance as Pharaoh does not reach the heights that it is supposed to. I am not sure why they did not hire an actual Elvis impersonator. Surely there are some fine ones out there who would have been thrilled to do this video. I like much of the choreography done in profile though, and the blue suede shoes on the chorus are amusing.
Richard Attenborough, as Jacob, doesn't get to do anything. The part might have been better played by an actor with more presence, no offense to Attenborough. Brian Blessed comes to mind; he is just such a huge, bigger than life performer.
Reading this review, you might come to the conclusion that I don't like this video. That would be wrong. There is much that doesn't live up to my vision of how Joseph should be staged and performed, but there are also some very delightful things about it. The score is fun, and many of the performers are engaging. It is also nice that they give a nod to Joseph's school cantata beginnings; we start out in an elementary school assembly. Once we've moved into the world of the musical, all the teachers end up being drawn in as characters.
One drawback to the video is the editing. It can be sloppy and sometimes busy to the point of being manic. Then there is the suggestive costuming. I think it looks great, but some could find it objectionable. There are also two places that characters can be seen smoking; Collins as Mrs. Potiphar, and Simeon in "Those Canaan Days." It is done for specific effect, but again, a few might find this troublesome in a video that they might get for children.
I think children will love this video. If you get it for them, be prepared for the fact that you may find yourself sitting through it daily. And the songs are impossible to shake once they get in your head.
It's the rags to riches story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. And it's a special edition that belongs in every theater lover's collection.More at HotMovieSale.com
For the first time ever Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's fun-filled musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has been specially filmed ...More at NBC Universal
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