After nearly a year of preparation, Charlotte Christian School is proud to present its production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which opens on Thursday, March 31 and runs through Saturday, April 2 in the Alkire Auditorium on the school’s campus. The show runs approximately 80 minutes, has an intermission and is appropriate for all ages. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for students and children. Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, one of the most enduring musicals of all time, tells the old testament story of Joseph, his jealous brothers, and the coat of many colors. Set at a sleep-away camp, Charlotte Christian’s upcoming production ditches the Bible robes and breathes new life into this timeless classic. The show has everything from country-western line dances and disco moves to s’mores and campfire sing-a-longs.
Director and choreographer Claire Hilton is joined by a dynamic creative team including assistant director and stage manager Stewart Emery and music directors Elisa Dennehy, Brittany Zacarias and Eric Simpson. Under their leadership, the cast of nearly 90 students in grades 4 through 12 have prepared a high energy performance packed with song and dance.
Director Claire Hilton and two cast members share more about their experience telling this timeless story through the art of theatre.
Claire Hilton, Director of Theatre
What a joy it is to welcome audiences to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat after just under a year of preparation! While rehearsals didn’t begin until January, our production team has diligently been working behind the scenes for months bouncing new ideas off the wall, preparing rehearsal calendars, navigating pandemic pivots…and figuring out how on earth we would fit more than 90 people onto our stage comfortably! It can get overwhelming at times; wondering if all of the pieces will come together.
But in those moments of uncertainty, we remember our “why.” We wanted to do an all-school musical to cultivate mentorship and community amongst our divisions. And we have seen the fruits of that prayerful desire! My heart leaps when I see our lower schoolers cheer and hug our upper school cast members in the halls at Charlotte Christian School. Our group of “brothers” onstage have become a cross-divisional family offstage. It is a blessing as a director to see “community” realized in the form of encouraging words to one another, inside jokes and assistance in learning new songs and dances. And what a FUN community it is too!
So, while you watch students portray Joseph’s dysfunctional family onstage, know that our cast family offstage is one rooted in deep love for one another.
Emma Huff, Grade 6
Emma Huff
My favorite part of performing on stage is dancing. Dancing is not my strong suit, but I’ve learned a lot in this production. I really enjoy dancing with my friends and being able to grow and have fun alongside them. We all try to be creative with our movements and challenge ourselves to give everything we have.
My biggest challenge in this process has been adjusting to my character’s attitude. I play one of Joseph’s brothers, and they can be really mean. This has forced me to grow as an actor, and I have learned so much for this role.
What I love about this musical is the humor, and I hope the audience will love it too. Some of the songs make everybody laugh, and we try to keep straight faces while singing hilarious lyrics. While it’s really funny, it still displays this Bible story in an incredibly creative way. I think the audience will learn something about Joseph. A lot of people only know about his beautiful coat, but he also had to go through a lot of tragedy.
Jayden Stall, Grade 10
Jayden Stall
The biggest challenge for me in this process has definitely been the choreography. I’m not the biggest dancer so it’s been tricky to retain all of the moves for every song. That being said, my favorite part about performing on stage is getting to see all the hard work pay off. My favorite moment is definitely when we all get to push Joseph in the pit. It always makes me laugh because I have siblings, and I can relate to how annoyed the brothers get with Joseph.
It’s been absolutely wonderful to work with a cast that includes so many different grade levels. It brings a new level of energy and excitement to rehearsals, and it’s so much fun to be around each and every one of them. I think the audience will love the diversity of every song. Every dance we do is very different from the last. So the audience will never be bored or tired throughout the whole show. There’s something new in every song!
