'Joseph' coming to Prairie Lakes Theater
From the musical genius of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice comes the Old Testament tale of Joseph and his 11 brothers.
A favored child, Joseph's dreams take him from lowly slave to ruler of Egypt. Along the way, he encounters imprisoned members of the royal court, the Elvis-like Pharaoh, and a chance to show his brothers forgiveness.
Performances by Spotlight Youth Theater Northwest Cook of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" run Thursday, Oct. 27, to Sunday, Nov. 6, at Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker St., Des Plaines.
Family is a key theme, both on stage and off. Jason Schmidt plays Joseph, and his sister, Amanda Schmidt, is the show's assistant choreographer.
"I love watching Jason perform," says Amanda. "He's so good at it. It brings me so much joy to see him on stage. I feel it's a passion we have in common, and it makes it more meaningful when we do a show together and get to work on it together."
"She always supports me in what I am doing," says Jason. "She is good at letting me know when I need to fix something in a positive way."
Jason and Amanda have both been a part of the Spotlight theater community for many years, and both say that they have made some of their best friends and greatest memories there.
Parent volunteers of students in the show make a great deal of the production come to life - costumes, tech, refreshments, green room, house.
Elizabeth Giromini is the production coordinator. "I always say I got involved with this because my daughter loved to perform. But the truth is I immediately made so many friends, it became an extended family for us," she said.
Forgiveness is a key element to Joseph's story. "I love that it is the telling of a Bible story in a fun and joyous way that people can relate to," says Giromini.
"It is our mom's favorite musical," says Amanda, "so it is especially meaningful to me to do this with (Jason)."
Jason agrees. "It is such a powerful show. The vocals are so good. I think no matter where you come from you are going to have a good time watching it."
To purchase tickets or for more information, call (847) 516-2298 or visit www.spotlight.org. Tickets are $9-$12 presale, $2 more at the door. Group, child and senior prices available.