‘Joseph’ is stellar production

July 25, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By MILAN PAURICH

NEW CASTLE, PA.

I’m not really sure how Michael Cavalier and his dedicated staff at the New Castle Playhouse do it, but their current production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is so extravagantly sumptuous — the set design, costuming and lighting are truly exquisite — that it puts some Broadway shows I’ve seen to shame.

In typical Cavalier fashion, the cast is packed to the gills with talented singers, dancers and actors, all of whom deserve to headline their very own musical extravaganza. Is there a top-secret, New Castle-based training camp for young musical-theater aspirants?

The featherweight “Joseph” has always been one of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s lesser musicals. There’s nary a memorable song in the entire show, and the whole thing feels like a dry run for the team’s superior “Jesus Christ Superstar” that followed two years later.

Of course, you’d never know it from Cavalier’s bravura rendition. Even the hokiest novelty numbers — C&W pastiche “One More Angel in Heaven”/“Hoedown” or the self-explanatory “Benjamin Calypso” — soar to the heavens in this jewel-box production thanks to ensemble members extraordinaire Benjamin Solomon and Jimmy Cochran.

And casting the adorable Mary Ann Mangini (possibly the most gifted ingenue working in tri-state area musical theater) as the show’s singing narrator (every line of the script is sung operetta-style) was a stroke of genius. Mangini is rarely offstage, and her innate warmth and charm — not to mention powerhouse vocal chops — help make Mangini the de facto star of the evening.

“Joseph”’s (biblically based) story is elemental at best. After being gifted with a “coat of many colors” by his father (the ever-reliable Neal Edman, who does double duty as Jacob and Potiphar), Joseph’s jealous brothers — all 11 of them — sell him into slavery. But Joseph quickly rises through the ranks, eventually becoming second-in-command to the almighty Pharaoh (Patrick Erkman doing a rollicking Elvis impersonation that brought down the house). When a devastating famine hits Egypt and Canaan, Joseph marches to the rescue. He even forgives his (now- contrite) brothers and reunites with dear old dad.

Considering the groaning board of talent on display here — 20 featured performers, 10 ensemble players and 13 children who comprise the chorus — it almost feels churlish to single out individual performances.

Besides the terrific work of MVP Mangini, Solomon, Edman, Cochran and Erkman, I also was impressed by New Castle High junior Anthony Humphrey (Naphtali/Baker), Johnny Priano (Simeon) and Mark McConnell Jr. (Gad/Butler).

Kudos also to choreographer Julia Garda and music director Cindy Cotherman. Cotherman and her top-notch orchestra help make “Joseph” sound as good as it looks.

The only real flaw in an otherwise exemplary production is Joseph (Matthew DiBattiste) himself. Besides being a tad mature for the role of Jacob’s youngest son, DiBattiste delivers a vaguely robotic performance that skimps on both personality and heart. DiBattiste hits all the right notes (he’s a wonderful singer) without ever truly convincing you that he understands the lyrics to his song(s). It’s a rare misstep in a show that otherwise does just about everything right.

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” runs through next Sunday at the New Castle Playhouse. For reservations, call 724-654-3437.