<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Palatino;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:Times;
mso-hansi-font-family:Times;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Céspedes’
choreography makes Beck’s JOSEPH special</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Roy Berko</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">(Member,
American Theatre Critics Association)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">--THE TIMES
NEWSPAPERS--</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black">Lorain County
Times--Westlaker Times--Lakewood News Times--Olmsted-Fairview Times</span></i><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Palatino;color:black"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">--<a href="http://COOLCLEVELAND.COM">COOLCLEVELAND.COM</a>—</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The format
for JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, a version of which is now on
stage at Beck Center, makes the show unique.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>In contrast to almost all musicals, the show has no
script.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>There is music by Andrew
Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, but no spoken format for dialogue, no
hints on how to stage the piece.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Therefore, each production is dependent upon the creativity of the
show’s stagers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Usually,
since the show is so filled with potential great dance opportunities, the
burden falls on the choreographer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>And, in most cases, the dance conceivers take their cues from the sounds
of the music and produce appropriate moves.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Every once in a while a show is blessed with a super
creative and talented choreographer and the production explodes into a
cacophony of visual moving bodies in dynamic movements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is the case with Beck’s JOSEPH.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Beck’s JOSEPH
is better than almost any production I’ve seen.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Why is this production special?<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>MARTIN CÉSPEDES!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Yes, Céspedes, one of the area’s best choreographers, has outdone
himself in this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He threw out
all of his previous visions and created new ones.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>The young kids of the chorus, explode with precision and
glee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The older teens and adults
have a ball doing synchronized and dynamic moves.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>There’s calypso, rock ‘n roll, western, serpent dance, the
dip, and the twist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even the
action curtain call rocks!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">They are
helped by bright, ever changing lighting effects created by Trad Burns, who has
also envisioned a pleasing set.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Musical
Director Larry Goodpaster has reinterpreted some of the music to make the sounds
fresh.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Allison Garrigan’s costumes
work well, especially the visually beautiful coat of many colors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The sound is
problematic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Squealing mikes and
levels which are set so high that the voices are over-amplified, squelching words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The lack of balance makes for
uncomfortable moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is not
a rock concert, it is a musical in which the words to the songs must be heard. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Matthew Ryan
Thompson is “Joseph right!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His
rock ‘n roll voice adds an up-to-date sound to songs, his phrasing patterns
create meaning to the words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He’s
a floppy haired bleached blonde charmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>His rendition of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Close Every Door </i>had
a beautiful plaintive sound.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Josh Rhett
Noble, he of swiveling hips and the Elvis smirk and snarl, is point on as the
Pharaoh, stopping the show with his <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Song
of the King</i>.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">Tricia Tanguy
has a big and trained singing voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">
</span>Unfortunately, there are times when she sings words rather than
meanings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She needs to go over the
words and figure out what they are saying and adjust her interpretations
accordingly.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">The show has
proved to be a holiday success for the theatre.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Audiences have flocked to Lakewood every time the show is
reprised.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And, it has been
reprised there a great number of times, since their production “way, way back
many centuries ago” when Rob Gibb lit up the stage as the lead in the show.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:6.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:
none;text-autospace:none"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">CAPSULE JUDGEMENT: Beck’s JOSEPH AND
THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT is a delight.<span style="mso-spacerun:
yes"> </span>Go, Go Joseph!</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-size:13.0pt;font-family:Palatino;mso-bidi-font-family:
Helvetica"></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black">JOSEPH is
scheduled to run through December 31 at Beck Center for the Arts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For tickets and information on the
possibility of the run being extended, call 216-521-2540.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:Palatino;color:black"> </span></p>