"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" at Alhambra High School

"The story of a boy whose dream came true...and it could be you."

Alhambra High School Drama Club invites the community to be part of the audience at their spring musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat debuting at the AHS Performing Arts Building at 150 E Street in Martinez on Wednesday, April 30 at 7 p.m. Additional performances will be held Thursday, May 1 and Friday, May 2 at 7 p.m. with a final matinee Saturday, May 3, at 2 p.m. Tickets are available now on GoFan.

Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, Joseph… is a joyous retelling of the biblical saga centered on the titular favorite son, played by Junior Ethan Basa, whose devoted father gifts him a spectacular, kaleidoscopic “coat of many colors.” As Joseph is already blessed with charisma and vivid prophetic dreams, the magnificent coat is the final straw for his eleven jealous brothers who scheme to get rid of him for good. Their plan kicks off a chain of unexpected events following Joseph across the desert to the gilded pyramids of Egypt where his penchant for dream interpretation helps him reach impossible new heights. Senior Dahlia Guidos stars as the Narrator who sings the audience through the story in the style of a pop vaudevillian showcase backed by a colorfully-clad chorus and live orchestra.

Debuting in the 1970s to audience delight, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is credited with reinventing the modern musical and is best known for weaving together a tapestry of diverse musical genres spanning country, jazz, calypso, rock n’ roll, go go, and more. The songbook includes musical theater standards (“Any Dream Will Do”), dance numbers (“Go, Go, Go Joseph”), and catchy signature pop pieces (“Joseph’s Coat”, “Song of the King”). Playful costumes and whimsical sets create a dreamscape of music, laughter, and vibrant colors with plenty of pop culture references infused along the way. The upbeat and fast-paced show conveys themes of brotherly love, forgiveness, and hope.

Joseph’s devious but bumbling brothers are played by Charlotte Allen, Maliyah Aranzamendez, Waylen Dodds, Megan Kelley, Mars Kersey, Kenneth Ko, Mariano Kozera, Calina Montero, Soph Pogorzelski, Emma Scott, and Samantha Yasaki. Supporting roles feature Brody Moran as Pharaoh, Aidan Rose as Jacob, Ben Scott as Potiphar, Tesslynn Ferra as Mrs. Potiphar, Ben Williams as the Butler, and Annabella Boyce as the Baker. Rounding out the cast and Joseph’s large extended family are the wives played by Soraya Chavez-Monteiro, Livi DeShasier, Chloe Lamm, Valeria Gonzalez-Sandoval, Lillian Padilla, and Daylana Shorter with Derek Dyken, Hydi Hamilton, Mya Moore, Lev Narducci, Eliot Olson, Jillian Richards, Sebastian Rincon, Salem Simpson, and Eliza Ugot as members of the ensemble chorus. Angelina Harris is the production’s dance captain and appears as a featured dancer.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is directed and produced by Mr. Gerry Wiener. The musical will be the longtime AHS teacher’s final directorial effort at the school before his retirement at the close of the 2024-25 school term. Mrs. Sara Stafford is technical director and musical director with choreography by Mrs. Brittany Watson and costume design by Ms. Sara Bragg. Performing the instrumental music under the direction of Mrs. Stafford are student musicians Isabel Bour, Danny Dominguez, Liam Evans, Violet Harrington, Austin Loker, Maruel Millena, Myron Millena, Tati Orellana, Naomi Rivera, Gauri Sagar, Chloe Stovall, Aimee Truong, and Kaiya Yasaki with AHS alumnus Conor Topasna and guest musician Monte Bairos. Technical crew includes students Izzy Hopkins, Makayla Kite, Mak Lusk, Jasmine Nicolas, Ivy Oh, Erin O’Hara, Landon Poston, Della Ross, B Rubio, and Daphne Yasaki. In all, nearly 100 Alhambra High School students are involved in the production.

Productions of the AHS Drama Club are made possible in part by the nonprofit Alhambra High School Arts Foundation. Lead sponsors at the time of publishing are C&J Fencing, Martinez Early Childhood Center, Martinez Music Mafia, Sara & Michael Bragg, the Bubna-Coombs Family, the Kelley Family, and Laura & Jose Yasul. The foundation encourages local businesses and individuals to sponsor or donate to support production costs for this and future shows at Alhambra High School at givebutter.com/sponsorahsdrama or contact alhambradramaboosters@gmail.com.