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Cast members return for Easy Street musical ‘Dreamcoat’ reunion
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
When Easy Street Productions revives one of its favorite shows, it can turn into an on-stage reunion.
The latest example will be next weekend when the theater troupe mounts “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”
The musical – which will be performed Friday, Saturday and next Sunday at Powers Auditorium – will feature a cast that includes many returning actors reprising their roles from Easy Street’s hit 1994 production with Ballet Western Reserve.
It’s an all-star lineup of biblical proportions.
James McClellan will once again wear the coat of many colors in the title role of Joseph. Maureen Collins and Janeen Williams will again serve as the show’s narrators, with Garland McFarland signing the lyrics for the hearing impaired.
Todd Hancock will be back as the Elvis-inspired Pharaoh of Egypt, along with Eric McClellan as Jacob.
Anita Lin, former artistic director and board president of Ballet Western Reserve, will return to her role as Mrs. Potiphar. She’ll be joined on stage by her real-life husband, Mike Morley, in the role of Mr. Potiphar.
Other Easy Street alumni reprising their roles include Jamie Deeley, Mark DeVicchio, Khaled Tabbara, Brendan Byers, Brendan Boyle, Tony Lape and Andrew Williams as Joseph’s brothers, along with newcomers Josh Boyle, Peter Fernandez and Wil Arim.
Jane Hill and Ron Raubenstraw will return as the motorcycle- riding “hairy Ishmaelites” with Rose Taylor as Jacob’s wife.
The return of so many from the original production mirrors Easy Street’s 2013 revival of “Pump Boys and Dinettes,” which saw every actor from the original production 25 years earlier take back his or her role.
Hancock, who co-founded Easy Street with Collins, sees the similarity between the two productions.
“It is very much like our reunion of ‘Pump Boys’ three years ago,” he said. “We were fortunate that so many of our past cast members wanted to come back from as far away as Texas, Kentucky, Chicago and New York. I think it was because we had so much fun doing these shows over two decades ago. The friendships we forged back then are just as strong today. Doing a reunion show gives us all a good excuse to get together again.”
The return of Anita Lin – who hasn’t performed on a Youngstown stage for about 15 years – and her husband, Morley, was a double bonus for Easy Street.
“The two of them are beloved in this town for not only their tremendous talents on stage, but for the unwavering support they have given every arts organization over the years,” said Hancock.
The couple, who live in New York, have small but significant roles.
“Their roles are great little cameos,” said Hancock. “The show is chock full of brief appearances on stage, and that’s what I love about it. The Potiphars are wealthy Egyptians who buy Joseph when he is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers.”
Ever since it premiered in 1970, “Dreamcoat” – a Tim Rice-Andrew Lloyd Webber collaboration – has been a crowd favorite. It’s based on the story from the biblical Book of Genesis, and is entirely sung, as if an opera.
Musically, it is varied and very catchy.
“The show really has something for everyone,” said Hancock. “It’s got virtually every style of music, including country, rock ’n’ roll, pop, French cabaret and calypso, with some pretty well-written power ballads to boot. It has two of the best in the biz as its authors in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber.”
Hancock said the fast-paced and clever script leaves a lot of room for creativity by the producing company.
“For instance, the show calls for two ‘hairy Ismaelites’ to ride in on a camel. Our camel is a Harley- Davidson.”
Easy Street brought the show back several times after its initial 1994 production, with varying casts, the last being 14 years ago.
“Maureen and I wanted to get everyone back together to do it again,” said Hancock. “When James McClellan agreed to reprise his role of Joseph, the rest of the cosmic tumblers fell into place. Everyone wanted to try and recapture that magic we experienced decades ago. Like Joseph, we are all dreamers at heart.”
The production team also incudes musical director Jeff Sanders conducting the Easy Street Little Big Band.
Choreographer Suzie Taylor has assembled a lineup of dancers that includes Olivia Batton, Reghan Buie, Kaitlyn Fabian, Alyssa Goist, Delaney Harrison, Tarra Joseph, Sidnee Mackie, Erianne Raib-Ptichkin, Tori Taylor, Leslie Tejada and special guest Megan Cleland.