Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

It may seem like a "just for kids" kind of show but I watch this one over and over again.

I can't say anything negative about Donny Osmond. His vocal power and his acting ability will just take you away. I've never been a fan of his work (except for one 'cause I must say he also did a great job as Shang's singing voice in Mulan) and even after watching this I still didn't go out and buy his album, but I really have to say I was so impressed with his performance here. These are my thoughts about Donny Osmond: he does a really incredible job when he sings songs for a role because he really adds passion to it(as you can also see in Mulan) but I'm not convinced when he just sings songs for an album.

Marie Friedman did a swell job as the narrator. Though she sometimes has trouble reaching her high notes, she has a powerful voice. She and Donny suit each other well. The other Narrators I've heard had tiny but irritating voices.

The over-all production was really cartoon-y, but it was great! It's a show that the whole family can watch. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it.

This was much better than I thought it might be, and I give it a high grade in a number of areas, beginning with production. This looked good, sounded good and simply was good! For some reason, I didn't expect much from Donny Osmond. I guess the Osmond is a lot more talented than people give them credit for, and I won't make that mistake again. I'd say the same for Joan Collins, who I could not picture in a "biblical film," but she did just fine. Then again, she played the villainous "Potiphar," so it wasn't like she was playing against type!

Normally I wouldn't care for something that was akin to an opera (all the lyrics being sung) and would skeptical about any Hollywood did regarding the Bible (figuring it would be distorted) but - once again - I was surprised. The story stayed true to the Bible and the presentation was so well done - and so incredibly colorful on this DVD - that is was a very satisfying and entertaining adaptation..

What most people who liked this DVD would cite the acting, the singing, the songs and/or the story as what impressed them most but, to me, it was the brilliant, stunning color in this play. Besides being a classic Old Testament story, this is a real visual treat.

I was very impressed about how everything flowed in this production. I have to admit I was very skeptical about how film captures biblical stories, and if you've had the misfortune of seeing NBC's atrocious waste of time "Noah's Ark", it's not hard to be skeptical. However, I was VERY impressed with not only the main principals (Donny Osmond, Maria Friedman) but also with the supporting cast. Any production that can make A-list stars like Lord Richard Attenborough, Joan Collins, and Ian MacNiece take such small roles you know has to be good. I was particularly impressed by the brothers. Among the best of the group were Simeon, Benjamin, Ruben and Judah. I wanted to not like them because, after all, they are the bad guys. But they made me laugh more than anything else, which I believe was the whole point. A splendid variety of music and choreography make this one a keeper. (P.S. My absolute favorite character was Pharoh played by Richard Torti. "Pharoh is in the building!"... classic!

This is one of the best musicals on video that I have found. Unlike some film versions of Broadway greats (such as the Fantasticks), the producers of this film maintained, as far as I know, the lyrics and music from the stage show, and presented it in an enhanced theatrical manner. The frame story and visible stage lights kept a live feel to the film, and many live-theatre conventions made this a joy for a theatre buff to watch.

I felt that the kids were a wonderful addition. Their voices (especially in Any Dream Will Do) provided a chillingly beautiful dimension to the sound, which was, without exception, superb. The narrator was great, and, I must say, just the sort of teacher I would have like to have had in grade school. The frame story tied the show to its roots as a childrens' production, which helped. The film works on several levels, as a kids show, and as an adult show, for those who care to consider the issues at hand.

The sets were fabulous, especially the transformation of Potifer's house and the jail cell by the addition of colors in the walls and floor. Stunning.

The formatting, too, must recieve a mention. A full-fledged DVD release with extra features, full widescreen, and immaculate sound were very welcome indeed.

Nicely done on the whole.

This filmed version of the popular stage play stars Donny Osmond, who is very funny in the role that made him even more adored than he was as youngest of the singing Osmond Brothers. Cleverly filmed as a classroom presentation with the students as the chorus, the biblically based story of attempted fratricide and the importance of hope and forgiveness is told entirely in music, with Maria Friedman as the narrator and Joan Collins as the greedy wife of of the Potiphar, captain of the Egyptian palace guard. This is not the benign show it might appear to be at first, and it mixes up time and cultural references in dreamlike fashion. This Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Weber creation is not aimed at the wee ones; children are probably ready to see it about the time they are ready to learn how much violence and sex there really is in the Bible.