Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first musical theatre show written by the team of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.
Based on the story of Joseph from the Bible, this light hearted show was first presented as a cantata at the Colet Court School in London on March 1, 1968 and lasted only fifteen minutes. Due to its instant success, Rice and Webber decided to release a small album of the show in 1969, which had been extended. The album didn't do well until Webber and Rice released their second musical album, Jesus Christ Superstar, an immediate hit. Joseph and the... was finally produced at a professional level in 1972 by Frank Dunlop and its success transferred it to bigger theatres and wider audiences. It was finally produced on Broadway on January 27, 1982 at the Royale Theatre where it remained for 747 performances.
It has also been made into a video, starring Donny Osmond and Richard Attenborough in 1999.
The songs in the show are:
- "Prologue"
- "Any Dream Will Do"
- "Jacob & Sons / Joseph's Coat"
- "Joseph's Dreams"
- "Poor, Poor Joseph"
- "One More Angel In Heaven"
- "Potiphar"
- "Close Every Door"
- "Go, Go, Go Joseph"
- "Pharaoh Story"
- "Poor, Poor Pharaoh"
- "Song of the King (Seven Fat Cows)"
- "Pharaoh's Dreams Explained"
- "Stone the Crows"
- "Those Canaan Days"
- "The Brothers Come To Egypt / Grovel, Grovel"
- "Who's the Thief"
- "Benjamin Calypso"
- "Joseph All the Time"
- "Jacob in Egypt"
- "Finale: Any Dream Will Do / Give Me My Colored Coat"
Notable in the composition of the music is the variety of styles used by Webber, including a parody of French ballads ("Those Canaan Days") and an Elvis-inspired rock and roll number ("Song of the King.")