"Joseph" Delights Sold-Out Audiences

This year's diocesan musical ministry had a fantastic production week at the end of May. The five scheduled performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat were sold out ten days before opening night, and so the production team opened up the dress rehearsal to a further delighted audience.

In all, over 800 people came to see the story of Joseph, played by Cameron Gutjahr, and his brothers brought to life by the narrator, played by Claire Rice. She helps to engage others in the telling of the story, including a chorus of fifteen children. As director Rev. Andrew Halladay wrote in his notes for the program, the intention of the production was to speak to a contemporary Anglican church audience:

"We have imagined these characters as a young female priest and members of the Sunday School. Perhaps the whole show can be seen as a gigantic Godly Play lesson!"

Joseph was a big production: 45 cast members were supported by a large backstage production, technical and costume team. Although primarily co-produced by St. Mary's, Kerrisdale and the Diocesan Youth Movement, the Joseph community spans almost a dozen parishes and has played a key role in connecting people of all ages across the Lower Mainland. Behind the week long run of the show has been a six month ministry of rehearsing, designing, building and exploring the theme of forging authentic connections between generations. Joseph is almost entirely comprised of songs, and Rev. David Taylor led a unique band which reflected the theme of bringing different groups in the life of church together by having the familiar score played by both a band and the St. Mary's church organ!

This is the second year of this increasingly successful ministry, and the team is already looking ahead to next year's production. The intention is for the productions to move around the diocese and for a new parish to co-produce each show with the support of a growing core cast and crew community. Based on the feedback received so far from Joseph audience members, the production team is looking forward to a whole new set of participants bringing their gifts and talents to share!

Images: Top and homepage, centre left,  Cameron Gutjahr as Joseph and right,  Claire Rice as Narrator surrounded by the cast. Middle right, Cameron Gutjahr as Joseph holding member of the Children’s Chorus, Leah Mckinney. Lower left,  Gavin LeClaire as Pharoah.

PHOTOS: Alice Ko