Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

I have not seen the stage performance, but the video production was a REAL TREAT. Full of energy, color, and talent, I have treated myself to this pleasure MANY times already. Donny Osmond seemed an odd choice until I saw his talent, then I too was convinced that no one else could have done any better. Maria Freidman was absolutly charming in the role as the narrator. Each of the brothers made a standout performance and the "King of Egypt" Pharo was iceing on the cake. The music is catchy and full of emotion. My personal favorite was "Close Every Door." Donny sings it with such passion, it really spoke to my heart. This video will be a favorite among my collection, I just hope nobody asks to borrow it.

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.

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!

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.

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.