Nothing says heart-warming, feel-good holiday fare like conspiring with your brothers to kill one of your siblings in a fit of jealousy and, when that fails, selling him into slavery.
But, hey, it’s the Bible, right? So things are naturally going to work out fine, especially when it’s the basis for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” which comes to town Dec. 29-Jan. 3 at Merriam Theater.
Written by lyricist Tim Rice and composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, theater legends, the production tells the biblical story of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son, using a nonstop parade of pop, country and rock songs and colorful and psychedelic staging and costumes.
The titular character is his father’s obvious favorite and destined for greatness, earning him the jealousy and ire of his 11 other brothers, who successfully plot to get him out of the picture and tell his father he’s been killed. Joseph ends up a slave for an Egyptian millionaire but rises through the ranks to become one of his servants, only later to run afoul of his master and get thrown into jail, where his talents to interpret dreams are discovered and eventually gain him the attention and favor of the Pharaoh.
The show first debuted in the late 1960s and has gone on to become one of the most enduring productions of all time.
Out actor Marc Ciemiewicz, who plays both the roles of Joseph’s father Jacob and Potiphar, the millionaire who owns Joseph, said the show continues to be a favorite more than 40 years after it started.
“It’s year-round for this show,” Ciemiewicz said of its popularity. “Absolutely. It deals with issues of family and forgiveness and the hopes that there will always be something more and better in life.”
You have to have a special capacity for forgiveness to get over 11 of your siblings ganging up to attempt to kill you and successfully selling you into slavery in a far-away land. Really. Even Dr. Phil would have some problems sorting through those issues.
But since this is based on biblical text, those brothers get their due comeuppance and later woefully regret the error of their ways.
Marc Ciemiewicz
Ciemiewicz said Joseph’s brothers aren’t necessarily portrayed as evil in the show.
“They are not always seen as the bad guys,” he said. “They are seen as comic relief as well. You end up feeling for them because everybody who has siblings has seen some sort of favoritism that quite often happens and we can all relate to that. I think therefore the brothers themselves are more easily and readily seen in the general public eye as somebody that they can relate to more so than ‘the bad guys’ per se.”
Ciemiewicz added that Joseph’s father, who spends most of the show grieving the supposed loss of his favorite son, isn’t exactly blameless in the sibling conflicts that led to Joseph being betrayed.
“Jacob, I wouldn’t say he’s one-dimensional. But he definitely shows his favoritism to Joseph. I wouldn’t say he’s complex. I would say Potiphar, the other role that I play, is a little more complex, even though it’s just one song. We see more of a flippancy and a demonstrative aspect to Potiphar. He’s lovable and laughable and at any second can turn to something dark and scary. A few weeks ago I was doing an interview and someone said, ‘So you’re kind of like the Donald Trump as Potiphar?’ I said, ‘Yep, that’s exactly it!’”
OK, duly noted. If Potiphar runs for Pharaoh, don’t vote for him.
Ciemiewicz has been in a number of different productions of “Dreamcoat” over the course of his career said he likes the show for one important reason.
“This is my fifth production of ‘Joseph’ that I have been in and the best thing about it is that it’s short,” he said. “But it’s fast-paced and the style of every song is different. And so you never get complacent with the music. Everything keeps going, and because of the fast action of the show, it’s just a blast to do.”
He added that his past history with “Dreamcoat” productions doesn’t make him an automatic cast member for future productions of the show.
“I think I just really happen to fall into it,” he said. “It also shows that this show can be done in so many different ways and so many different times and has so much longevity. So many theaters continue to produce the show numerous times and that says a lot for the show itself. It’s more a good-time musical to go and see. Yes it’s based on religious text, but there is nothing overtly religious about the show and that’s one of the things that does appeal to a wide audience for this. There’s no Bible-thumping towards it. It’s all about love and life and forgiveness. And with it being all sung, it never stops. I wouldn’t call it an opera or an operetta. With the styling of the show — and it being written by Andrew Lloyd Weber — we can say ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is a rock opera but it’s a musical, just like this is a musical.”
With the holidays in full swing and people spending a lot of time with their families this time of year, and the potential for stress, drama and tensions that can sometimes come with that, Ciemiewicz said there is probably no better time of the year for a show with the message that “Joseph” has.
“The biggest thing they can take away from the show is the need for forgiveness and the desire to realize that family itself pretty much trumps everything else,” he said. “Keep your family close because you never know what’s going to happen and that is probably the best message you can take from it.”
Broadway Philadelphia presents “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” Dec. 29-Jan. 3 at Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad St. For more information or tickets, call 215-893-1999 or visit www.josephthemusical.com.