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?Joseph? opens Sunday

The musical presentation, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” opens Sunday, Oct. 28, in the Performing Arts Center at Waupaca High School, for a run of four public performances.

Sunday’s performance begins at 2:30 p.m. This year’s other dates are 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30; Thursday, Nov. 1; and Saturday, Nov. 3.

Tickets are $8, with senior citizen discounts – $4 tickets – in effect for Sunday’s matinee and Tuesday evening’s performance

All ticket sales are final, and tickets should be picked up at the high school guidance office prior to the evening’s performance.

Those people unable to pick them up can do so 45 minutes prior to curtain time.

The public is encouraged to call the high school office at 258-4131, ex. 1001, as soon as possible to reserve seats with Lenora Abrams. Director Dan Wolfgram said there are still seats left for every performance with the best seats available on Tuesday and Thursday.

The cast list for this year is: Narrator: Sarah Bauer and Karah Wolfgram; Joseph: Sawyer Olson; Jacob: Caleb Kiesow; Joseph’s Brothers: Caleb Abrahamson, Isaac Baumgart, Ben Olson, Luke Harger, Isaac Barden, Nick Jungers, Andrew Reis, James Camann, Jeff Servey, Stenson Faldet and Lalo Rojas; Wives: Emma Kelley, Hannah Piencikowski, Christie Shaw, Emma Schmidt, Rochelle Neuman, Molly Guyer, Haley Johnson, Emily Spindt, McKenna Plunkett, Baily Wanty, Kika Udoni and Becca Reeves; Potiphar: Bryce Phillips; Mrs. Potiphar: Becca Reeves; Butler: Bryce Neidert; Baker: Anthony Olmeda; and Pharaoh: Luke Harger.

The past week has been one filled with excitement as more than 200 students put the finishing touches on what promises to be an exciting musical presentation.

This year’s leads and co-leads are still growing in their characters after weeks of rehearsals.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: is an Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, with lyrics by Tim Rice.

The story is based on the “coat of many colors” story of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis.

This was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly.

“Joseph” was first presented as a 15-minute pop cantata at Colet Court School in London in 1968 and was recorded as a concept album in 1969. After the success of the next Lloyd Webber and Rice piece, “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph” received stage productions, beginning in 1970, and expanded recordings in opened on Broadway in 1982.

The show has little spoken dialogue; it is completely sung-through.

The magic of the theater and the run of this year’s show could not have come to life if it were not for the work of the leads, co-leads, pit band, dancers, chorus, artists, stage and make-up crew and usher crew, said Wolfgram.

No other single event in the high school combines and utilizes the talents of so many departments and members of the student body, he said. The various and important crews have been under the direction of some key people.

This year’s production staff includes Anne Justmann as assistant director, choreographer and costume director; Wanda Eikenbary as accompanist; Mark Kryshak as pit band director; Monica Reeves as make-up director; Lee Schultz in charge of set design/painting and creative set consultation; David Larson in charge of set construction; Patsy Servey, Julie Austin, Suzy Faulks, Ronda Neidert and Jacky Spindt, assisting with costume construction; Lenora Abrams as business manager; and Wolfgram as musical director/producer.

“I simply cannot express how fortunate I am to be able to work with so many talented and dedicated people. The students have certainly benefited, and our audiences will see the enormous amount of effort put forth by this production staff,” he said.

Wolfgram said, “This show represents Waupaca High School taking on a new challenge in the realm of musical theater. This show is unlike any other I have produced in that the entire show is sung. There is very little dialog.

“It is, therefore, very important for the narrator, leads and chorus to be able to convey the story through the sung lyric. The pit orchestra is also a very important piece in the puzzle. They never rest throughout the entire show.

“This year, I am especially impressed with the set work for the second half of the show. The audience will be fascinated with the product Art Director Lee Schultz has created.

“The amount of time and effort that Anne Justmann has put in to making this show as close to the Broadway version is nothing short of remarkable. The costumes and props are fantastic.

“Another aspect of the show that our audiences of all ages will appreciate is the wide variety of music genres and styles that are present. The show features, country and western, disco, 20’s style nightclub music, rock and roll, calypso, French cabaret, hip-hop, ballads and the styles traditional with musical theater. It is a fun, fast-paced and humorous depiction of the life of Joesph based off of the story in the Old Testament.”

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