Everybody remembers when Donny Osmond came to town.
It was in the mid-1990s when the iconic superstar donned his costume to play the title role in Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
His performance was so sensational that three versions of the musical theatre act were produced in the region over the next few years. After that, “everybody was a little Joseph-ed out,” said Port Coquitlam’s Chad Matchette, owner and artistic director of the Lindbjerg Academy of the Performing Arts in Coquitlam.
Three years ago, Matchette — along with fellow Tri-City residents Patti Volk, Melissa Assalone and Brent Hughes — formed Align Entertainment.
Its first two shows — Shrek: The Musical and The Addams Family — both clinched Ovation Awards and, this year, Align will start a new tradition: showcasing two large-scale musicals per season.
In February, it will host The Little Mermaid but, starting next Friday, it begin its Joseph run.
Matchette said enough time has passed since the last Joseph show in Metro Vancouver.
“There have been a lot of graduates who have never done it,” he said. “There are kids who have never seen it…. The Donny Osmond impact was great but we haven’t seen it for at least seven years locally and it’s such a crowd favourite.”
Matchette’s own wife, Erin, is appearing as Mrs. Potihar as well as fellow Tri-City actors Mark Turpin, Aaron Stewart, Joanna Kovats, Jillian Perkins and Jenna Testani.
Turpin’s wife, Melissa, is choreographing again while Hughes, the music teacher at Dr. Charles Best secondary in Coquitlam, is bowing out; Kevin Michael Cripps will take his place as conductor of the full live orchestra.
Directed by Chad Matchette, the sung-through story centres around Joseph, his 11 brothers and his coat of many colours, as described in the Book of Genesis in the Bible.
Stuart Barkley takes on the lead character while Katie-Rose Connors is the narrator. And Terry Fox secondary grad Justin Lapena plays the Pharaoh.
Matchette said Align hopes to expand further in the future with a third — but smaller — production over its season. That way, “we can keep our name out there and it’s easier to keep the momentum rolling,” he said.
Asked about the additional work load for his cast and crew, Matchette responded, “It’s strenuous but this is what we all love to do. We want to have live shows suitable for the entire family and keep the kids interested in theatre. We are building our grassroots.”
• Tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are $39/$27, or $25 on Thrifty Thursdays. The school matinee on Nov. 18 at noon is $15. The show run is from Nov. 4 to 19 at the Michael J. Fox Theatre (7373 MacPherson Ave., Burnaby). Visit alignentertainment.ca.
@jcleughTC
