‘Joseph’ entertaining for its enthusiasm

Rainbow Company's take on "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" plays a lot differently with a cast of (mostly) children. As half the world must know, the early Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical is about the adventures of a young Biblical prophet whose father, Jacob, favors him over his 11 other sons. That makes things tough on Joseph, whose brothers plot to kill him. By the end, though, Joseph and his brothers make peace, and everyone is happy and singing.

The score is a sometimes amusing pastiche, from hoedown to calypso to Elvis. Watching kids who look to be their early and mid-teens portraying the angry brothers is a hoot.

This is a show that's likely more valuable as an educational experience for the actors than a quality entertainment for audience members. I enjoyed myself for the children's enthusiasm, but the script is really beyond the capabilities of this huge cast.

In the title role, Timothy Heidorn has an easygoing charm but doesn't yet have the voice or presence for such a demanding role. The real curiosity is why the adult Andrea Shepherd was given the pivotal character of the singing narrator. Shepherd has a pleasant vocal mid-range, but doesn't command a stage. Yet, she's supposed to be the rock of the production.

There are some surprises along the way. Joseph O'Neill makes for an outrageously campy wealthy Egyptian. Stefan Martin brings a lot of heat as his Elvis-inspired Pharaoh. And as daddy Jacob, David Torres really seems like a respected patriarch.

Director/choreographer Karen McKenney takes advantage of the children's exuberance with an exhilarating first-act closure and second-act finale. Kris Van Riper substitutes a "regular" set with a series of clever roll-on constructions and props. Jody Caley's lights give the story a Biblical feel. And Gail M. Lehtinen's costumes -- with the exception of the matronly frock for the narrator -- get a lot of mileage out of bursts of color mixed with neutral tones.

It's also a pleasure to hear a musical backed by Joseph L. Cottone's 11-member orchestra. Live music is getting to be a rare commodity in community theater.

Anthony Del Valle can be reached at DelValle@aol.com. You can write him c/o Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125.