Three reviews from different perspectives by Peter Westall, Grade 7 Grade Level Lead -

Early in their careers (in the late 1970’s), a very young Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber put together a musical. This musical had catchy, popular songs; was very opera-like with no spoken dialogue; and contained songs that made references to numerous musical genres.

It is amazing that so many years later in 2015, the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is still popular, relevant and highly entertaining. One of many eye-catching scenes devised and assembled by Ms. Shanhong Hughes, Middle School Musical Director was of seventh grader Toby Ireson, who had the dream role as Joseph, whirling around his eleven “brothers” in a coat of many colours….”scarlet, black, ochre, peach, ruby and olive…”

But Joseph’s glory was somewhat short lived as, alas, sibling jealousy prevailed in the plot, and Joseph’s death was simulated with the dismembering of a wooden goat on stage and the departure of Joseph by camel to far-away lands, and into the household of Potiphar, a wealthy merchant played by Nayonika Van Witzenburg. The conniving Potifer’s wife, played by Elodie Yeo, let her desire get the better of her and she was soon plotting Joseph’s downfall. Poor Potiphar. Even though he was depicted as "having few cares [as] he was one of Egypt’s millionaires”, his wife proved too much trouble for Joseph, and Joseph ended up in jail. The jail scene provided an opportunity to showcase our students' singing skills, the overall “musicality” of the production, and the talent of our talented dance ensemble, an eager group of dancers choreographed by Ms. Sandra Stipic.

Any musical production that involves coaching classes (who have to learn songs and study a number of main roles), making props, and building stage sets is a monumental task. In Joseph, costumes were also a huge expectation and commitment. Members of our parent community, Mayra M Robles, Nancy Sanez, Jackie Blain, Ghaddra Wiegand, Neyled Rondon, Carmen Lo and Neela Kalewere, provided their skills, expertise and time, to dress all of the cast. Off stage there were teams of students painting backdrops, selling tickets, applying makeup to actors, and helping in so many ways to assemble the dream: a highly successful Middle School musical production.

From the MS Musical Director - Shanhong Hughes, Middle School Music Teacher

Thinking back on the journey, it was such a long road. We had over 200 students audition for Joseph, but only 32 students were chosen as the final Musical cast. The difficulty was not finding the best talent, there were so many talented students in CIS, the difficulty was in having to say 'no' to those who were very close to getting parts.

Our chosen cast was excellent, however, and all of them worked very hard and gave a big commitment to be there weekly for two terms, as well as the main show times. I am more than proud to say 'well done' to each and every student involved in the MS Musical. They each contributed to an outstanding performance, building skills in music, and sharing them so professionally. Both evenings were played to a full house, and a lot of fun was had by all.

Student Perspective - Reet Lath, Grade 6 Student, Dancer

It was amazing being up on stage and having the whole audience clap for you. It gives you the feeling that you've done something great, and that you can accomplish anything your heart desires. The Grade 5 choir was absolutely magnificent in Joseph, adding depth to the already beautiful singing of the brothers and cast members. The narrators looked stunning in their dresses, their voices echoing around the captivated audience. “Pharaoh” was super talented, and was singing her part splendidly. The brothers, of course, were amazing as always, their hatred for Joseph resonating through the entire hall. The dancers amazed the audience with their choreographed dance moves and their shimmery outfits, and, Joseph, the lead, was not surprisingly the star of the show. He surprised everyone with his enchanting voice and shocked the audience with the twisted storyline. All in all, I would say it was a huge success!

Taking part in such a show was a mind-opening experience that really expanded my horizons. It was not only fun, it was entertaining, educating, and to put it quite simply: mind-blowing.

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