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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (film)

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Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
Directed by
Written byTim Rice
Michael Walsh
Screenplay byMichael Walsh
Produced byAndrew Lloyd Webber
Andy Picheta
Nigel Wright
Austin Shaw
StarringDonny Osmond
Maria Friedman
Richard Attenborough
Joan Collins
CinematographyNicholas D. Knowland
Music byTim Rice (lyrics)
Andrew Lloyd Webber (music)
Production
companies
Distributed byUniversal Pictures (UK) Limited
Release date
  • November 26, 1999 (1999-11-26)
Running time
1 hour 16 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a 1999 British musical comedy-drama film. It is an adaptation of the 1972 Andrew Lloyd Webber musical of the same name. It is a sung-through musical film on PolyGram Visual Programming Home Entertainment.

Plot

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Further information: Plot of the musical

The film depicts Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat being performed to a primary school assembly hall, where the children become the chorus of the musical while the teachers and staff become its characters.

The audience are introduced to Jacob and his twelve sons. Jacob favours his second-youngest Joseph, which he shows by giving him a coat of many colours. The jealousy of Joseph's brothers is only fulfilled by Joseph's interpretation of his own dreams that he is destined to rule over them. They try to kill Joseph, but decide to sell him into slavery instead. They smear his coat in goat's blood and tell Jacob that Joseph is dead. Meanwhile, Joseph is purchased by millionaire Potiphar in Egypt. As he rises through the ranks, Mrs. Potiphar takes a liking to Joseph. After Joseph refuses her advances, she has Joseph charged with rape and imprisoned. In prison, Joseph interprets the dreams of two fellow prisoners, both former servants to the Pharaoh.

Pharaoh himself has been having some confusing dreams. Upon hearing about Joseph, Pharaoh calls him to interpret his dreams, which Joseph interprets as seven plentiful years followed by seven years of famine. Impressed, Pharaoh puts Joseph in charge of planning for the famine, and he rises to Vizier of Egypt. Back in Canaan, Joseph's family are suffering in the famine, and his brothers begin to regret their actions. They travel to Egypt and beg Joseph for supplies, not recognising him. He tests them by setting up the youngest, Benjamin, to accuse him of theft, and the brothers beg Joseph to let him go. Seeing their change of heart, Joseph reveals his identity, and is joyously reunited with his family.

Cast

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Musical numbers

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Act One

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  1. "Prologue" – Narrator
  2. "Any Dream Will Do" – Joseph, Children
  3. "Jacob and Sons/Joseph's Coat" – Joseph, Narrator, Jacob, Brothers, Wives, Children
  4. "Joseph's Dreams" – Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Female Ensemble
  5. "Poor, Poor Joseph" – Narrator, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
  6. "One More Angel in Heaven" – Reuben, Jacob, Reuben's Wife, Brothers, Wives
  7. "Potiphar" – Joseph, Narrator, Potiphar, Mrs. Potiphar, Male Ensemble, Children
  8. "Close Every Door" – Joseph, Ensemble Children
  9. "Go, Go, Go Joseph" – Joseph, Narrator, Butler, Baker, Ensemble, Children

Act Two

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  1. "Pharaoh Story" – Narrator, Ensemble, Children
  2. "Poor, Poor Pharaoh" – Joseph, Narrator, Pharaoh, Butler, Ensemble
  3. "Song of the King" – Pharaoh, Ensemble, Children
  4. "Pharaoh's Dreams Explained" – Joseph, Ensemble, Children
  5. "Stone the Crows" – Joseph, Narrator, Pharaoh, Female Ensemble
  6. "Those Canaan Days" – Simeon, Jacob, Brothers
  7. "The Brothers Come To Egypt/Grovel, Grovel" – Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
  8. "Who's the Thief?" – Joseph, Narrator, Brothers, Female Ensemble, Children
  9. "Benjamin Calypso" – Judah, Brothers (but Benjamin), Female Ensemble
  10. "Joseph All the Time" – Joseph, Narrator, Female Ensemble, Children
  11. "Jacob in Egypt" – Ensemble
  12. "Any Dream Will Do (Reprise)/Give Me My Coloured Coat" – Joseph, Narrator, Ensemble, Children
  13. "Joseph Megamix" – Full Company

Release

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The film was originally shot as a feature film, but ended up being released directly to video.[1] It was shot over three weeks in July/August 1999 on three sound stages at Pinewood Studios in London. The release of the film was advertised by a brief series of sing-along performances that Osmond starred in as a Fathom Event.[2] The film was released by PolyGram.[3] In the United States, the film was shown as an episode of PBS' Great Performances.

Reception

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Reviews of the film were generally positive."[4] The film has been described by PBS as being a "lively interpretation."[5] Michael Dequina, online film critic for "TheMovieReport.com", described the film as a "sweet, candy-colored confection for the entire family."[6]

References

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  1. ^ Mark Deming (2013). "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1999)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-12-25. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  2. ^ "Donny Osmond and 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' coming to movie theaters (video)". M Live. 2 March 2012. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  3. ^ "Lloyd Webber catalog repackaged for video". Billboard. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  4. ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  5. ^ "Introduction". PBS. 5 April 2000. Retrieved 2013-10-30.
  6. ^ "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". TheMovieReport. Retrieved 2013-11-10.
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