Post by rosemary on Jun 8, 2004 0:36:44 GMT
From Southend Evening Echo 2/6/04:
First Night
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
at the Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road. Westcliff
by Ed Beavan
Audience danced in the aisles
As a child my family and I spent incessant hours crouched around a record player listening to the Joseph soundtrack, so this theatre visit was a trip down memory lane for me.
Pop Idol reject Andrew Derbyshire played the lead role backed by a strong chorus of brothers, who often carried the performance.
The story was narrated by Amanda Claire, which came as something of a surprise to me as I remember this role being played by a man, and at times she didn't convince me as she struggled to hit the high notes.
One of the highlights of the show was the Elvis-inspired Pharaoh played by Lee Mead, who trained at the Whitehall Performing Arts College in Essex.
Another nice touch was the Australian camel which sympathised with Joseph as he was sold off, and the excellent light show which dazzled the audience.
For the finale the crowd were whipped into a frenzy of dancing in the aisles as a medley of the well known tunes, which even prompted a marriage proposal for the lead actor from a star struck fan. Had I not been taking notes I'd have been dancing along too with the rest of the audience!
A special word of praise must be given to the 30 or so children from the Carmel Thomas Youth Singers who sat still on stage for the whole performance in between their occasional singing, which was impeccably carried out.
********************************************
And this piece about Lee Mead from the same paper:
Our Lee is just Amazing
Elvis staged an appearance in an unusual interpretation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Cliffs Pavilion in Westcliff.
Played by Lee Mead, 22, the king stole the show as a hip-swinging Pharaoh with a difference for the touring production of the Biblical story.
Lee, from Eastwood, is a graduate of the Whitehall College of Performing Arts. He said: " I was originally cast as Levi, one of the brothers. Then with three days to go until we opened at the first venue they cast me as Pharaoh.
"They put me on trial for a week, but I pulled it off. I only had three days to learn the part so it was a big challenge for me. But I put myself up for it and it paid off."
First Night
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
at the Cliffs Pavilion, Station Road. Westcliff
by Ed Beavan
Audience danced in the aisles
As a child my family and I spent incessant hours crouched around a record player listening to the Joseph soundtrack, so this theatre visit was a trip down memory lane for me.
Pop Idol reject Andrew Derbyshire played the lead role backed by a strong chorus of brothers, who often carried the performance.
The story was narrated by Amanda Claire, which came as something of a surprise to me as I remember this role being played by a man, and at times she didn't convince me as she struggled to hit the high notes.
One of the highlights of the show was the Elvis-inspired Pharaoh played by Lee Mead, who trained at the Whitehall Performing Arts College in Essex.
Another nice touch was the Australian camel which sympathised with Joseph as he was sold off, and the excellent light show which dazzled the audience.
For the finale the crowd were whipped into a frenzy of dancing in the aisles as a medley of the well known tunes, which even prompted a marriage proposal for the lead actor from a star struck fan. Had I not been taking notes I'd have been dancing along too with the rest of the audience!
A special word of praise must be given to the 30 or so children from the Carmel Thomas Youth Singers who sat still on stage for the whole performance in between their occasional singing, which was impeccably carried out.
********************************************
And this piece about Lee Mead from the same paper:
Our Lee is just Amazing
Elvis staged an appearance in an unusual interpretation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Cliffs Pavilion in Westcliff.
Played by Lee Mead, 22, the king stole the show as a hip-swinging Pharaoh with a difference for the touring production of the Biblical story.
Lee, from Eastwood, is a graduate of the Whitehall College of Performing Arts. He said: " I was originally cast as Levi, one of the brothers. Then with three days to go until we opened at the first venue they cast me as Pharaoh.
"They put me on trial for a week, but I pulled it off. I only had three days to learn the part so it was a big challenge for me. But I put myself up for it and it paid off."
