Marriott Theatre’s ‘Joseph’ Is A Technicolor Wonder

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a fun, musical retelling of the story of Joseph and his 11 brothers. The new production at the Marriott Theatre is absolutely spectacular, so don’t wait to purchase tickets!

When you first hear the title of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, lots of thoughts might go through your mind – stories you may have learned as a child, songs that you’ve heard over the years, or the wig that Donny Osmond wore in the movie to name just a few. But once you see the new production at Marriott Theatre, everything is going to change.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a show that is based on the story of Joseph in the Old Testament, but much more fun, much glitzier, and much more musical. With beautifully catchy songs like, “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door,” some of this will sound familiar.

As a woman and her husband are putting their child to bed one night, she asks for one more story. Being the kind mom that she is, the woman tells the story of Joseph (played by the dad), and how his 11 brothers were jealous of him after his father, Jacob, gifted him a bright, multi-colored coat.

In return for Joseph being conceited (and with the gift of interpreting dreams, telling them that their dreams indicated that he was far more important than them), they sold their brother into slavery, doused his coat in animal blood, and told their father he had died. Over time, Joseph climbs the ranks of Egyptian royalty as a seer and advisor, ultimately being someone his brothers come to for help, not knowing that he is actually their brother.

This production of Joseph is uplifting and charming with rich music that fills the soul and voices that gave me chills multiple times. As you know, that is a barometer for me, and numerous chills are an excellent sign.

It is extremely difficult to highlight cast members in this production, as so many voices and actors impacted the performance in fun and nuanced ways. Kaitlyn Davis as the Narrator (breathtaking vocals), Devin DeSantis as Joseph (a lush performance), and Lorenzo Rush Jr. as Pharaoh (a huge presence and hilarious) carried the story beautifully and Avelyn Lena Choi (the child) was engaged and had a lovely voice. But honestly, the entire ensemble was magnificent. So many voices with so much personality and talent, I could go on and on.

One of the things that shocked me was how fast the show felt. Everything moves quickly in the best of ways and you are having so much fun that it is suddenly intermission. The show is billed at 2 full hours, but I think it was a bit less. That said, I was truly sad when it was over. I didn’t want it to end and I’m not sure the actors did either. They were having such a good time, it was absolutely fantastic.

As a bonus and in conjunction with this production, Marriott is also offering a pop-up restaurant called Joseph’s Dream Grill at Three Embers. With food like Joseph’s Beef Shawarma (served with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and tahini) and “Fit for a King” raisin cake dessert, you can get into the Joseph groove and have a delicious meal before the show.

I tried the falafel and my daughter had some of Pharaoh’s Memphis Style BBQ pizza. She loved the pizza and said that the vegetables on top were refreshing and the pizza had a fantastic smoky flavor. My falafel had a uniquely smooth texture in the middle (sometimes falafel is grainy, but not this one!) and crispy outside with tons of flavor. We were both really happy and the restaurant is in the same building as the show, so it’s extremely easy to do dinner and a musical right there.

This production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is electric and soul-nourishing in a way that you don’t get all that often these days. I highly recommend that you buy your tickets now because this show is going to sell out!

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat runs for approximately 2 hours including one 15-minute intermission. This show is rated for all ages.

Marriott Theatre: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is playing at Marriott Theatre through 3/30/2025. Tickets can be purchased through the Marriott Theatre website or by calling (847) 634-0200. Marriott Theatre is located at 10 Marriott Drive in Lincolnshire, IL.