Now, don't jump to conclusions: there were some great moments in this production of Joseph. "One More Angel in Heaven" was strong, and "Those Canaan Days" was an extended, fun showcase for the performers. A friend I ran into loved the "Benjamin Calypso." And the dancing was energetic, athletic, and tight.
But the tone for the night was set by the lame reliance on desert scenes projected on scrims to establish locale (because, for me, one of the most exciting parts of live theater is seeing how creatively the set itself will convey information, and these projections were as disappointing as an action movie shot in front of a green screen), and then cemented when the Narrator skipped "Any Dream Will Do" (the song whose reprise brings the entire production full circle) and plowed right into "Jacob and Sons."
I was surprised at how universally dismayed the audience was by the choice of white costumes for " Go, Go, Go Joseph," but even if you'd never SEEN the production before, this just FELT wrong. The go-go style music simply begs for colorful costumes.
The cast was serviceable but young. This was especially apparent in Joseph's scene with Pharaoh. If we're to believe that "When Pharaoh's around, then you get down on the ground," we need a Pharaoh who doesn't look like he should be carded.
This "Joseph" knew that we already knew the songs, and knew that we were here for the songs, and knew that it could get by on the cheap with the rest.