Product: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 3.0
Any "Joseph" will do
As many of my fellow "Joseph-philes" have stated, this production could be better, but some "Joseph" is better than none whatsoever. I'm just glad to have it in my possession as it is one of my top three favorite musicals. I had never seen Donny Osmond in the title role and I think he did a great job. He's made a successful transition from his purple socks to Joseph's loincloth. Still, Sam Harris would have been my choice -- he can cut loose like no one else, and I couldn't help but feel that Donny was holding something back at times. I'm neutral on the narrator, although she and the children started to grate on my nerves after a while. And I'm glad that Robert Torti is back to his lip-curling antics as the Pharaoh. But where's the "Joseph Megamix"? And why was it necessary to edit down so many of the songs? It's a musical, for crying out loud! And I don't get the rationale behind casting Joan Collins as Mrs. Potiphar as she really did nothing to add to the production. I guess they just wanted a "name" and she needed the work. Don't get me wrong -- the video is OK, and I know that I'll watch it over and over for a "Joseph" fix. I just have to adjust to the fact that no video is going to be comparable to the actual stage production I just wish Sir Andrew Lloyd Weber and company had been more committed to keeping the integrity of the show.