Patrick Cassidy Falls Short in Traveling Production of Joseph

Having to live, and perform, in the shoes of someone as notable as Donny Osmond in an equally notable role, is no doubt a daunting task. The role of Joseph in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat demands an actor who can demand attention on stage with a bold presence and command the ears of everyone listening with a powerful voice. Unfortunately, Patrick Cassidy did not fulfill these shoes and expectations set before him.

Opposite him, the Narrator, played by American Idol's own Amy Adams much conversely played an excellent role. Her voice was powerful, her presence demanding and she looked absolutely stunning on stage. Each note she carried perfectly even when the music seemed a touch out of her power range of singing. Every note was carefully and accurately hit and help for its duration.

On the opposite was Cassidy who lead into every note, ramping into sometimes an even off-pitch version of the note. He never held the pitch for very long without oscillating the note flat and sharp never once giving much care to vibrato or traditional methods of note extension. More often than not, the children's choir plucked from

Kalamazoo's own local pool was more accurately on pitch than Cassidy.

The overall production of the musical was very spectacular in nature. The dancing and choreography was what one would expect from a traveling show- good, but not as good as the original standing production. The costuming was hit or miss throughout the show. Joseph's coat is supposed to be a multi-colored and exciting coat that is looked upon with envy by any who see it. Instead, it looked more like a hyper-color Crayola drawing born from the 80's.

It was hard to look at and even harder to believe it was a much sought after coat. Even worse was the ultra-color music video complete with wigs of lime green and hot pink and matching outfits. As if that wasn't enough- strobe lights accompanied this seizure-inducing performance.

Along with Adams was an amazing cast of male chorus which made up Joseph's brothers. These men were always on key and performed Benjamin Calypso and Canaan Days with absolute perfection. The acting on their part was marginal and sometimes a little overdone, however that was easily overlooked as the show is good for children and overacting can be entertaining. However, the excellent vocal performance from these men was stellar.

As expected, the music was exciting and toe-tapping- the orchestra was fantastic and performed without a hitch. If you've never had the opportunity to see the musical it is a great one to take children to as a transition musical from children's theater to adult theater. The music runs the gamut with genres and the plot is easily understandable and entertaining for all ages.

3.5 out of 5.