On July 21st, 2023, New Bedford Festival Theatre opened its 8-show run of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” bringing a high-energy, fast-paced, broadway style production to the city of New Bedford. At the time of writing, “Joseph” will be 4 performances into its 8-show run. I had the privilege of attending the show on opening night, followed by an after-party at PLAY Arcade right down the street.
I started my night by parking a couple of blocks away from the Zeiterion Theatre, assuring that parking and leaving would be a breeze. First things first, I have to talk about the Theatre itself. The Zeiterion is located right in the heart of downtown NB, and it is definitely showing its age. In a bittersweet turn of events, the Zeiterion is actually shutting down for about a year for a much-needed renovation. Hopefully none of the historic, 100-year old ornate fixtures are leaving. With new seats, updated fabric, updated floors, and much more, the Z will continue to be an escape from reality to experience a musical, concert, or other show.
Back to “Joseph;” I only have one word to say: Amazing. Directed by Elizabeth Bettencourt and choreographed by Brooklyn Toli, the show featured Lawrence Flowers as Joseph, Kelsey Seaman as the Narrator, and Jesse Luttrell as the Pharaoh.
The musical follows the biblical story of Jacob and his 12 sons, with Joseph being his favorite. Jacob gifts Joseph a beautiful technicolor coat, with all different colors and a golden lining. Igniting the jealousy of his brothers, Joseph is sold into slavery at the hands of his brothers. What follows is a zany, sung-through musical about Joseph’s rise to fame in Egypt and subsequent reunion with his family.
To start, I just have to give credit to Lawrence Flowers, who plays Joseph. With most people’s memories of Donny Osmond, Flowers breathes an incredible amount of light, emotion, and humility to Joseph. The role of Joseph has a somewhat blind arrogance, with the character believing his greatness is less than, but Flowers adds a humility to the role. His performance of “Close Every Door” is the emotional crux of the show, and the subsequent high-energy of “Go, Go, Go Joseph” builds a wonderful finale to act one.
Kelsey Seaman’s take on the Narrator, arguably the most “important” part of the show, is another breath of fresh air. From her entrance at the beginning of the show, Seaman takes on a maternal role to the young apprentices, inviting the audience to turn back the years on themselves and join in on her story time. A highlight of her performance is “Jacob and Sons,” where her powerful voice booms over Jacob and his sons.
Jesse Luttrell’s imagining of the Pharoah, an Elvis-like leader, is also memorable. His performance of “Song of the King (Seven Fat Cows)” is a scene-stealer, with the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. Another standout was Carly Caviglia, playing Potiphar’s wife. Also serving as dance captain of the show, her energy and dancing capabilities are something to be admired.
Also, the kids! Known as the “apprentices” in the show, the kids got to star alongside Seaman and helped frame the stage from their collective steps. Acting as one omnipresent entity, their added vocals during “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door” added unparalleled emotion to each scene.
Bettencourt’s direction paired with Toli’s choreography gave every cast member a chance to shine. They say that there are no small parts, only small actors, and this show greatly exemplified that fact.
New Bedford Festival Theatre’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” runs for 4 more shows from July 28th to the 30th at the Zeiterion Theatre. Grab tickets here and experience the magic of “Dreamcoat.”
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