Sample Movie Review On Theater Review

On April the 19, 2014, I saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colorado. It was a dramatic musical wherein the cast gave there all to the performance. Everything came together in a culmination of brilliance in an effort to put on a truly extraordinary play. Aside from a few glitches, the play was fantastic.
The actors used the original script. The playwright was Tim Rice. Rice also acted as the lyricist for the musical numbers. The composer was the famed Andrew Lloyd Webber. The genres were multiple, listed as a musical, a comedy, and a religious epic. It was a representational and presentational play set in biblical times. The plot did hold my attention. Though I am not enthralled by biblical plot lines, the “Technicolor” aspect was brought to life through the set, as well as the actors’ acting. There was not anything particularly confusing about the play. Though the dream coat is metaphorical, the play flows well and explains it properly. The characters were all well drawn, charismatic, and interesting to watch. Joseph, of course is the protagonist. He is a dream interpreter and through a series of unfortunate events, becomes the dream interpreter for the Egyptian Pharaoh. He predicts famine, gaining him a seat of power. The play is about him discovering what he wants. Reuniting with his family ends up being the central conflict. The music was good. Sometimes it was fun and exciting, and other times it was somber. It supported the story.
The director of this production was Keith Flemming. He made the play very clear. He gave the actors excellent direction and made sure everybody was very concise, sticking to the original story. The pacing of the songs was sometimes faster than was appropriate during sadder moments. However, all other elements of the production were coordinated well. The choreography was fun and exciting though sometimes got in the way of the singing.
The actors were believable, performing as an ensemble cast. They projected and enunciated well, except for when they danced too much and were short of breath. I found Steven Galleon’s performance as Joseph particularly effective. Brandon Guerrmo’s performance as his father was equally stunning. They both used their vocalizations to show their character’s feelings. John Little’s performance as the Pharaoh was ineffective. He was meek and too quiet to be believable.
The designer was Alicia Moreno. The sets were designed appropriately. They conveyed information about the time and place of the play. They were not always realistic, hence the title of the play. Sometimes the set represented dreams. Many neon colors dominated the design. This made the set fun and exciting.
Jonathan Ashton was the costume designer. He made the costumes realistic, but also dreamlike. He focused on what was appropriate for the scene, the time, and the character. Color was used to represent reality and dreams. They were also used to represent social status. They helped understand Joseph’s rise and fall through the social ladder. The costumes coordinated well with each set change.
Ashton was also in charge of lighting design. The lighting was used to also convey the difference between reality and dreams, as well as excitement and sadness. Several bulbs went out during the second act, which affected the audience’s mood shortly. Other than that, everything was fine. Neon colors dominated the set primarily. The lighting tended to be non-realistic, sticking with the Technicolor theme. The audience was able to see adequately unless the lighting changes were made quickly, which did happen frequently. Despite this, the lighting coordinated well with the set, costumes, and acting.
In conclusion, despite the few hiccups, and the poor acting upon the pharaoh’s part, the play was brilliant. All elements stuck to the Technicolor theme. At times this made visibility difficult and sometimes made the audience wonder if they had something slipped into their drink. Overall, though, the play was entertaining and fun, with only occasional biblical undertones. It was a wonderful experience that I would recommend to anybody.