"JOSEPH" AND HIS MULTI-COLORED COAT ON VIEW IN HARTFORD

Being the  favorite son is not all that great if you are one of twelve brothers and sibling rivalry and the green eyed goddess named jealousy are evident in every interaction of the family.  You might even find yourself cast into a pit or sold off to a caravan bound for Egypt, especially if your name is Joseph, a special son of Israel. You may find that your father Jacob is powerless to protect you from the machinations of your brothers,  if you incite their anger by boasting of dreams where your superiority is evident.  When Jacob gives Joseph a beautiful rainbow-hued coat of glorious colors, Joseph's fate is sealed.

This wonderful story from the Bible will be brought to magnificent life at the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts when Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's great family musical "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" comes to Hartford from Tuesday, October 14 to Sunday, October 19.  This show, believe it or not, was penned by the pair while they were still teenagers and it has thrilled millions with its unique story of jealousy, envy and redemption. Initially, in the summer of 1967, Lloyd Webber was asked to write a "pop cantata" for a school concert at Easter time. Who culd have predicted the glorious road that request would take.

Follow the clan as Joseph travels from the ancient land of Canaan to the mysterious environs of Egypt, traveling to the musically diverse genres from calypso and country western to rock and roll, and even ballads with a distinctly French flair. Husband and wife team Diane De Garmo and Ace Young will star, with De Garmo as the engaging Narrator who tells the tale and Young as the charming but betrayed Joseph who is sold into exile. His adventures take him to the household of Potipher (William Thomas Evans), whose wife causes Joseph further troubles, landing him in jail.  While imprisoned, Joseph is asked to interpret the dreams of a baker and a butler.  His skills as a revealor of nighttime thoughts lead him to be summoned by the mighty head ruler of the land, the Pharaoh, who wants Joseph to tell him what his dreams foretell.

Joseph, due to his talents for organization, helps the Pharaoh (Ryan Williams) stave off a famine that has the power to devastate the land. In his position as the Number 2 man in command, Joseph ultimately has the satisfaction of witnessing his brothers bow down to him as he had predicted, even though they do not recognize him.  Andy Blankenbuehler does double duty as the director and choreographer of this infectious feast for the eyes and ears.  Songs like "Any Dream Will Do," "Close Every Door" and "Those Canaan Days" are simply wonderful.

For tickets ($21-80), call the Bushnell, 166 Capitol Avenue, Hartford at 860-987-5900 or online at www.bushnell.org.  Performances are Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Friday at 8 p.m, Saturday at 2 p.m and 8 p.m and Sunday at 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Follow the journey of Joseph, Jacob's favored son, who is singled out for greatness but endures many trials before his true fate is realized.