Local Community Theatre Company Presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

Pleasant Valley Productions, a community theatre company based in West Orange, announces its production of the classic musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s adaptation of the well-known Biblical tale will be presented at Roosevelt Middle School in West Orange.  Performances will be Saturday, February 9 and 16 at 7PM, Sunday, February 10 and 17 at 2PM and President’s Day, Monday, February 18 at 11AM and 3PM.  The show is directed by West Orange’s Camille Vecchio-DiLorenzo, with music direction by Ilene Greenbaum and choreography by Cindy Jung McArthur.  The cast of 40 performers, including a children’s chorus, features West Orange residents Alanur Akarsu, Austin Bartola, Niara Boykin, Laurie Delinois, Sofi Ehrlich, Lauren Karu, Laura Landrieu, Calogera McCormick, Massimo McCormick, Niccolo McCormick, Aliyah Vanterpool.

For more than 30 years, this joyful, family-friendly musical has been giving audiences a new appreciation of the story of Jacob’s favorite son.  Joseph, a boy blessed with the ability to interpret dreams, is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and taken to Egypt.  He endures a series of trials and triumphs, from being thrown into jail to becoming Pharaoh’s second in command.  Years later, Joseph’s brothers arrive in Egypt, starving and in need of help.  Not recognizing their brother, they beg Joseph for assistance; eventually he reveals his identity and grants them all they desire.   The story is told entirely in song, spanning musical styles from rock ‘n’ roll and country-western to calypso, pop, and more.

Pleasant Valley Productions was formed last year by theatre colleagues, Camille Vecchio-DiLorenzo, Ilene Greenbaum, and Howie Tilkin.  The company’s mission is to create a professional theatre experience for local area performers, audience members, students and volunteers while providing a broad range of musical theatre works.  After presenting their inaugural production, the critically acclaimed Songs for a New World last March at the Pleasantdale Presbyterian Church, they have continued to grow their company’s presence in the community by offering free concerts at the West Orange Public Library as well as an after-school musical theatre enrichment program at Roosevelt Middle School.  The ten-week workshop enabled 7th and 8th graders to experience the world of live theatre from auditions through rehearsals and culminated in a performance for family and friends in December.   The partnership with the West Orange schools is an integral part of the company's arts education mission and dedication to engaging students in theatre, both on stage and off.  In addition to future theatrical events, PVP plans to continue and expand its arts education program and free concert series.

Performances of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be held at Roosevelt Middle School, located at 36 Gilbert Place, West Orange, NJ 07052.  For tickets, please visit www.PleasantValleyProductions.org or call 1-800-838-3006.