Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

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.

I must say how I was very surprised at how good this show actually was. I have seen it many times on the stage so thought that the video would not be very good at all. However, I was really pleased with the entire thing. The characters were just as good as on the stage and Donny Osmond fitted the part perfectly, another thing I was adamant about at first being a strong Jason Donovan supporter!! Donny did a good job. As for the special guest Joan Collins, I only wished she toured with the stage show! She was good at the small part she played and it was a shock to see her there. Fantastic. It was also very good at how they made the show so that it was like a school production type of thing. Great idea that worked well in my opinion. It is a must-see for any musical fan and a definite must have for a Donny fan. He is gorgeous in it!

This musical provides everything. I have been a fan of the music of Joseph for many years but I never saw it on stage. As soon as I saw that this production was being made I was very wary of televising a theatrical show but boy was I wrong. The special effects, colors, sound and quality of this production are amazing.

This is the retelling of the biblical story of Joseph and tries a variety of musical numbers, from the Elvis Pharaoh, to the Calypso Judah and the French brothers. All these numbers are in amazing colors.

This really is worth a look, entertaining and very re-watchable!

Those hoping to see a direct translation of the stage show might be slightly dissapointed. It has lost some of it's wit and charm, but has replaced them with an exuberance reminisant of the old time film musicals, where everyone looked as if they were having the time of their lives. This is what shines through mostly about this video. The feeling that the people involved knew they wanted it to be special, and they have succeded.

They have opened the show up slightly, with the opening set in a school and all the main cast as the teachers. They've added some rather snazzy special effects which on this occassion don't overwhelm the whole film, but help to draw the viewer into the world which they create. There are some wonderful cameos from a few familiar faces and the largely unknown cast of Brothers and Wives shine, with a few stand out performances from some of them. One of the girls reminds me of a young Joyce Grenfell.

Then we have our Two principals Donny Osmond and Maria Friedman. There were a few raised eyebrows when it was announced that Donny would be playing the lead role, but all misgivings are swept away as he makes the part all his very own, with a mixture of playful charm and vitality. Maria Friedman is a screen star in the making, with a charisma that makes her seem a natural for the screen. She has been wowing audiences in the West End for sometime now, but I'm sure that soon Tinseltown will take her and make her the star she should be.

There is very little wrong with this production and I'm sure that it will have been in many peoples Christmas stocking. So while it may not be a gem, you can safely say it is a rough diamond, which in many cases shines much brighter.

Nearly thirty years ago, the church choir I was a member of staged an entertainment evening, the first half of which was a 45-minute 'sung story' called Joseph and His Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. Nearly thirty years on, and I have a chance to show my own children what a wondrous musical this was and continues to be.

I also have to confess that, when I first heard of this release, I was one of those people who went 'Donny Osmond???!!??'. Again, this was coloured by memories of 30-odd years of knowing him as a 70's teenybopper, but I have to admit that I was very pleasently surprised by his performance here. The years he spent playing Joseph on stage show in his performance, and it also made me forget Jason Donovan or Philip Schofield in the part.

The film succeeds both by acknowledging the most recent stage productions, and returning to its roots. It was originally written as a school stage show, and the prologue in the assembly hall returns to it to the original setting. Having the teachers (and yes, I took a double take on Joan Collins on the piano) go on to be the singers and actors grounds the film, and the opening up of the stage setting is done without ever letting you forget it was a stage show.

The support cast are all good - it's especially satisfying to see the likes of Richard Attenborough and Christopher Biggins doing musicals again after nearly 30 years as well. Joan Collins has a whale of a time as Mrs Potiphar, and Pharaoh gets down and rocks with the best of them. Maria Freidman as the narrator shows her vocal range to perfection - currently she is the main attraction in the stage show of Witches of Eastwick.

All in all, good family fun, and worth watching with your kids.