Day: December 10, 2016

Theater review: ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’

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‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ is playing this month at the Woodlawn Theatre.  Photo courtesy of the Woodlawn Theatre, used with permission. 

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ opened last weekend at the Woodlawn Theatre and runs until December 23.  It is based on the “coat of many colors” biblical story of Joseph and is completely sung through with limited spoken dialogue.  Joseph was his father’s favorite and that made his 11 brothers jealous and they vowed to get rid of him.  Instead of killing him they sell him as a slave to traveling merchants who take him to Egypt.  Eventually he rises to power and ends up helping and forgiving his brothers despite what they did to him.

The story begins with the introduction of the brothers and their obvious dislike for Joseph for being their father’s favorite, especially after his father gives him a coat of many colors during “Joseph’s Coat.”  This disdain grows as Joseph tells them of his dreams which suggest that in the future they will bow down to him.  Travis Eades does an outstanding job of bringing the character of Joseph to life and his vocals are strong, especially during his poignant solo on “Close Every Door.”  The brothers work well together as a group and play off each other’s strengths during group performances like “One More Angel in Heaven,” “Those Canaan Days” and “Benjamin Calypso.”  The scene stealer of Act II is Trey Hoadley, who plays Pharaoh and gives an “Elvis-like” performance on “Song of the King.”  He even goes down to the audience and gives one of his scarves away while the audience cheers him on.   “Joseph Megamix” wraps up the night as the cast, now dressed in colorful tie-dye outfits, performs a medley of the night’s songs as they dance with the audience and file past them to the lobby.

Overall “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor” is filled with humor, catchy musical numbers and universal themes of family and forgiveness. The cast is big and sometimes the stage looks crowded but the family friendly story line makes it a must see for the season. Show times are Friday and Saturday at 7:30p.m. and Sunday at 3p.m.  Additional show dates are on Wednesday December 21 and Thursday December 22 at 7:30p.m.  Tickets are available online or by calling the box office at (210) 267-8388.

Theater review: ‘Jersey Boys’ at the Majestic Theatre

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‘Jersey Boys’ is playing at the Majestic Theatre until Sunday December 11. Courtesy photo, used with permission. 

There is plenty to do in town this chilly weekend but for anyone looking for something to do indoors there are still four more chances to catch ‘Jersey Boys’ at the Majestic Theatre. ‘Jersey Boys’ is the story of Frankie Valli, Bob Gaudio, Tommy De Vito and Nick Massi, known collectively as Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons. It is the true story of a group of blue collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks who became one of the biggest American pop music groups of all time.

After a successful opening night on Tuesday, ‘Jersey Boys’ is still going strong playing to an older crowd who undoubtedly remembers Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons during the highlight of their careers. The show starts with a French rendition of December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night) and gives way to Tommy DeVito, played by Matthew Dailey, who shows up, introduces himself and begins to narrate the story of the band. Throughout the show they each take turns narrating from his point of view. This is an excellent way of bringing the audience into the story and thereby making it more personal. Show highlights include their first hit “Sherry” and “My Eyes Adored You” which Frankie Valli, played by Miguel Jarquin-Moreland, sings to his wife. While Act One is the story of the band’s inception, Act Two is a highlight reel of their best hits. Judging by the audience’s reaction during “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” this was the audience favorite performance of the night. It is a must see for die hard fans.

‘Jersey Boys’ is now playing at the Majestic Theatre. Upcoming show times are 2p.m. and 8p.m. Saturday and 2p.m. and 7:30p.m. on Sunday. Ticket prices begin at $30 and orders for groups of ten or more can be made by calling (210) 226-5967. Single ticket orders must be done in person at the box office. Disclaimer: contains adult language.