The retelling of the biblical story of Joseph came alive in beautiful colors on the stage of the Haugh Performing Arts Center on Sunday.
The stage was lit in radiant colors, and the cast performed in beautiful, bold and bright dresses.
The stage props and the visuals also made the story’s historical setting realistic.
Fifty-five years after its original production, the cast members of Citrus Singers took the adaptation of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” to a new, exciting level.
The production was directed and staged by the dean of Visual and Performing Arts, John Vaughn, musical director, Douglas Austin and Choreographer, Renee Liskey.
Narrators Jaleene Serenity, Brooklyn Vizcarra and Molly Billman opened the play with a prologue alongside a Children’s Ensemble, who performed with the cast in different scenes.
Keeley Millikenis, the founder of Centre Stage Monrovia, a nonprofit organization, directed the Children’s Ensemble.
The narrators sang songs that echoed varying emotions, from energetic to soulful to somber.
The cast wowed the audience with powerful vocals, dances and precise actions. Each special number garnered cheers and applause.
The performance was also witty.
Wearing sunglasses and a golden set of “pajamas,” the character, Pharaoh, played by Christopher Walker, put laughter and smiles on the faces of the audience as he sang “Song of the King.”
The musical rendition of “Those Canaan Days” by Lorenzo Flores, played by Simeon, was also amusing, as he and his brothers argued over who gets to eat a bug.
Marcel Almirantearena, who played Joseph, also gave an emotive rendition of “Close Every Door.”
The Haugh was packed. The majority of the audience were seniors.
Sherry Nagle and Sharon Mcgehee have been season ticket holders since 1997. They described the play as “exceptional.”
“We’ve seen this play many times, and I think this is one of the finest performances we’ve seen,” Mcgehee said. “It was very creative. There were lots of different aspects to it that we hadn’t seen before.”
The duo said the graphics were enhanced, which set the show apart from the ones they had seen.
Sarah Fisher, a Citrus College music major, gushed about her dad, John Fisher, for playing Jacob and Potiphar in the play.
Sarah said her dad had always wanted to perform but never did a musical. She was proud of him for putting himself out there.
The play was divided into two acts, each 40 minutes long.
It was a brilliant production filled with effortless singing.
“10 out of 10,” an audience member said as she exited the building.
The play ended with a “megamix” of some of the musical numbers and was greeted with a standing ovation from the audience.
It was nothing short of a masterpiece.
