Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1982 Original Broadway Cast)

Principal cast includes: Laurie Beechman (Narrator); Bill Hutton (Joseph); Gordon Stanley (Jacob); Tom Carder (Pharoah). Recorded at The Power Station, New York in February, 1982. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has the distinction of being the only musical that starred Michael Damian, Donny Osmond, and Andy Gibb. Aside from attracting former heartthrobs, the musical stands as being one of the most approachable musicals based on religious materials. A rather straightforward telling of the tale of Joseph, the favorite son of Jacob (also known as "Israel"), Joseph the musical has catchy songs and colorful characters (not to mention their costumes), making it a favorite of parents who want to take their children to a Broadway show. For anyone who`s read the Bible, the story is predictable, although author Tim Rice has taken several liberties with the Good Book. Highlights in the score include "Close Every Door," "Go Go Joseph," "One More Angel in Heaven," and "Any Dream Will Do." For some, Andrew Lloyd Webber`s music might be a bit too saccharine, but on a whole the show is fun, buoyant, and energetic. ~ Sarah Erlewine Track Listing: # DISC 1 1. You Are What You Feel / Jacob And Sons 2. Joseph`s Coat (The Coat of Many Colors) 3. Joseph`s Dreams 4. Poor Poor Joseph 5. One More Angel 6. Potiphar 7. Close Every Door 8. Go Go Joseph 9. Pharaoh Story 10. Poor, Poor Pharaoh / Song Of The King 11. Pharaoh`s Dream Explained 12. Stone the Crows 13. Those Canaan Days / The Brothers Come To Egypt / Grovel, Grovel 14. Who`s the Thief? 15. Benjamin Calypso / Joseph All The Time 16. Jacob In Egypt / Any Dream Will Do Album Information Release Date: 01/29/1991 Type: Performer Genre: Soundtracks Label: Chrysalis Records Producer: Tim Rice; Roger Watson Catalog Number: 21387 Original Release Year: 1982 # of Discs: 1 SPARS Coding: AAD Studio/Live: Studio Mono/Stereo: Stereo

It's well known that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice cut their teeth on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat before shifting to the New Testament and hitting the big time with Jesus Christ Superstar. And thanks to the box-office clout of Lloyd Webber, as well as the rather sparse supply of new tuneful musicals, this charming little show has reached audiences far beyond the schoolchildren it was intended for. The score shows off Rice's clever lyrics and Lloyd Webber's wide eclectic tastes, with his takes on country, calypso, French café music, Rudy Vallee, and Elvis. The show also includes some simply very fine songs, including "You Are What You Feel/Jacob and Sons," "Close Every Door," and the peppy "Go Go Joseph." Leading the 1982 Broadway cast is the enormously appealing Laurie Beechman in the role of the narrator. Joseph has been subsequently revived in bigger, bolder incarnations starring Donny Osmond and then Sam Harris, presumably to justify a big ticket price for what at heart remains a small-scale show--proof that you don't always get what you pay for. --David Horiuchi