A technicolour dream come true

By Simon Forbes

Pharao (Rick McCann) shows us how they rock n roll in Egypt in Merlin Lives production of Joseph & the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat now playing at IPAC

JOSEPH and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat burst onto the IPAC stage in Wollongong on Saturday night, in front of a packed house, in an opening night spectacular display of music, light, sound and local talent, delivering to the audience, one of the most slick and professional stage musical performances seen in the Illawarra for a long time.

The brainchild of Adam Loughlin and Crosbi Stevens of the Wollongong-based Merlin Live theatre group, this production of the popular Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is of a standard usually associated with Broadway and Londons West End and should leave no audience member disappointed.

The sets are simple yet extremely effective, with my favourite being the spectacular Pharaohs Palace. Lighting is edgy and dramatic, enhanced by very effective use of smoke machines to create some very special effects.

Simon Greer delivers an outstanding performance in the lead role of Joseph, showing the strength and versatility of both his singing and acting talent, while another local, Jessica Garraway in the role of the Narrator, uses her stage presence and strong singing voice to link the scenes and lead the audience through Josephs story.

Josephs 11 brothers, played by Mike Hart, Nathaniel Gomes, Adam Fischer, Jack Michell, Rohan Herring, Rick McCann, Daniel Condon, Rhys Wilson, Michael Hodgetts, Brendan Tynan-Davey and Ryan Baker keep the audience amused with their antics while performing everything from reggae to Maurice Chevalier-like musical numbers.

Rick McCann (one of the brothers), also plays the role of Pharao and has everybody toe-tapping as he demonstrates vocally how we rock and roll in Egypt, in pure Elvis style.

A review of this show would not be complete without acknowledging the 80-plus supporting cast, aged from 6 to 60 and all drawn from the amazing talent pool in the Illawarra, whose combined voices, stage volume and beautiful harmonies add visual and musical depth to the overall production.

All in all, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat is a must-see for anyone who enjoys stage musicals, singing and live theatre and provides a rare opportunity for audiences to see the show performed the way that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice always intended.

Taking into account some opening night jitters and the inevitable technical glitches that occur in such a complex staging venture, I would give Saturday nights opening night performance 4 1/2 stars out 5. Im certain that as everyone settles into the groove, it will easily reach a 5.

But be quick, the season finishes on Saturday January 27, and you dont want to miss this one. Tickets are a steal, I think, at only $35 ($25 concession) and bookings can be made through IPAC either by calling 4226 3366 or online at www.ipac.org.au