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It was a story that was familiar to all, told in
an unforgettable way. Incorporating cowboys (and
girls), a little disco-fever, some sock-hop, a
bit of calypso, and yes, even Elvis, the musical
told the Old Testament story of Joseph and his
11 jealous brothers. Joseph’s brothers
were fed up with him and sold him into slavery.
“He was taken from being everything, stripped of
his coat, honor and esteem, reduced to nothing
and thrown in jail,” said Scott Hunter, who took
on the title role as Joseph. Through a
chain of events, using his gift of interpreting
dreams, Joseph became Pharaoh’s right hand man.
When his brothers came to Egypt in search for
food, they were all reunited. Instead of seeking
revenge, “he decided he was going to grow up,
stop being a child, and be a king,” said Hunter
This was not your traditional musical. It
was lively and energetic throughout. All
the numbers incorporated choreographed dance and
each had a different style. “It’s not
conventional theatrical dance,” said John Gray,
co-choreographer, who also played the role of
Dan. With everything from moonwalk to
his-hop, Gray comments, “You don’t just see that
in musical theater, so that’s why I did it.”
“These kids were doing more complicated moves
than their bodies knew they could handle. They
amazed themselves. They amazed me, “ adds
Carbaugh.
The production was in the works for three
months. Shane Fuller, an instructor in drama at
Lee, designed the set with Jonathan Wills
serving as his assistant and technical director.
Brenda Fuller provided the cast with their
wardrobe, as the production’s costumer.
Siema (Bailey) Swartzel ’83 teamed up with
Carbaugh as the musical director for the second
time. They worked together on last year’s
production of “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.”
This production of Joseph was a little different
from the Broadway show because Carbaugh added
parts for the ladies. In the Broadway production
there is only one female role --- the narrator.
Some observers say the voices of the females in
very number really added to the music.
Leading the cast was Hunter, a senior public
relations major from Cincinnati. Hunter also
served as assistant director. Rounding out
the cast were Wesley McKenzie, Sara LaMagna,
Kris Battle, Kendra Stacey, Brian Smith, Heidi
R. Peterson, Nathan Smith, Kjerstein O’Learly,
Steve Henson, Cori Lee Keller, Gabriel Bishop,
Celeste Brown, Derek Robertson, Cynthia Lowa,
John Cray, Sarah Field, Adam Swalley, Meghan
Hamilton, Brandon Chatfield, Kim Wills, Mike
Baisden and Jennifer Bennett.
Why did Carbaugh choose “Joseph for this
semester’s production? “I wanted something I
knew would draw a crowd, something everyone
would love. Sometimes people don’t like
musicals because they are old-fashioned,
overdone or outdated,” Carbaugh said.
“This musical is anything but old-fashioned – it
was something everyone of all ages loved. It is
a story of betrayal, forgiveness, and
redemption, told with a whole lot of fun.” |
