CORNWALL, Ontario – With just over a month until opening night, rehearsals for Seaway Valley Theatre Company’s production of Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat are now in full swing.
The musical, which follows the Biblical saga of Joseph and his coat of many colours are sure to have every toe tapping with its wide catalogue of musical genres, ranging from pop and rock and roll to country and western.
“It all starts out at a preliminary look at the book,” said director, Brenda Quesnel. “In this case, it was just a vocal book. There was no staging or anything like that involved. We basically had carte blanche to tell this story the way we wanted to.”
With the help of producers and designer, Leslie Ellam, Quesnel’s vision began to take shape. “We eventually came up with a plan and had the auditions,” said Quesnel. “You always go in pretty blind – you’re never sure if you’re going to get all the people you need.”
This year’s winter production not only allowed for more creative liberties, but also more flexibility in terms of casting. “The musicals we’ve done in the past have been very specific as far as casting goes,” said Quesnel. “There are certain people who have been dying to get back onstage, and this is a vehicle where you can use everybody; men, women, kids – and there’s a place for them in the show.”
As the cast ramps up for opening night, Quesnel says that now is the time that trivial details can start to add up. “It’s all fun and games until we get closer to production time,” said Quesnel. “Now, we’re getting to the juicy part of it where we get to expand on what we’ve done in the blocking and pick up on all the funny stuff, the dramatic stuff, and keep moving forward with that.”
“We have some very seasoned actors, we have some new people, we have people who’ve been away from the theatre for a while,” said Quesnel. “It’s just a way of doing community theatre with a professional attitude.”
Tickets are available for purchase through the United Way/Centraide Stormont-Dundas & Glengarry, by phone at 613-932-2051, or through SVTC’s new ticketing website.
