Customer Reviews

Joseph & The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat (OCR)

5 star:		(38)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was very familiar with this CD when I bought it - I had actually been in several productions of "Joseph" before. So I was surprised to find how interesting and different it was from our version. I thought the singers were phenomenal and the Narrator, especially, was absolutely fabulous. Everyone in the cast had perfect diction and each song had its own personality. I recommend this CD very highly.

I have had the amazing oportunity to be involved in a production of Joseph and it can't be beat! This revival that originated in the early 90's is one of Lloyd Webber's best. It's amazing musical score and its catchy tunes are hard to surpass. Michael Damian is one of the best Joseph's I have ever heard, and this production's Narrorator is truly a treat. If you ever have the opportunity to see this amazing show I encourage you to GO GO GO to Joseph. This CD is a fabulous tribute to a great show, and a must have for all Joseph fans!

I've watched the video (outstanding!) and I've listened to the Canadian cast recording (excellent!) and now I've heard the L.A. cast recording and when I first started listening to it, Kelli Rabke just blew me away with her excellent and powerful voice as the narrator. WOW!...I was thinking, this is going to be an excellent CD. THen, Michael Damian started singing and my ears almost started hurting from his terrible recording on Joseph's Part. Don't get me wrong, I've never seen him perform on stage (maybe he's a good actor!) but his voice is just terrible. He has the ability to sing the part but it just sounds fake and emotionless. It sounds more like sustained talking rather than singing and it just ruined the whole thing for me. I was rather dissappointed because Kelli Rabke does an awesome job, Robert Torti is perfect as Pharoah and all the other voices are excellent (even the Butler & Baker!) but whenever Michael Damian sings it makes me almost cover my ears and it distracts from the rest of the cast. Donny Osmond is the best Joseph in my opinion. If only there was only a recording with Donny Osmond as Joseph & Kelli Rabke as the Narrator then there would be the perfect recording. I only recommend this recording if you like the powerful Narrator part of the musical. If you rather have the stronger Joseph vocals then buy the CANADIAN CAST RECORDING. But if you want a combination of "the Perfect cast" then just buy the video tape or DVD version where Maria Friedman as the narrator also does an oustanding job and Donny Osmond shows his strong vocals and much emotion in his acting interpritation as Joseph.

Of all the three revival soundtracks of JOSEPH I have heard, I find that this might be considered the weakest. The cast is not really strong, but the choral backings are. I don't really like Michael Damian's portrayal of the eponymous title character. He seems to breathe on pitch, and not give character to the notes he sings. Also, Kelli Rabke's Narrator, though youthful, gives me the impression that she is belting out her lines, without injecting the necessary feeling. Robert Torti as the Elvisesque Pharaoh is good here, but the video does better justice to his portrayal. Yet despite the negative things about this performance, I find that the brothers are better, and so are Clifford Davis, who portrays Jacob and Potiphar, the Baker and Butler. Overall, I find that my primary recommendation always lies with the London revival cast recording, with Jason Donovan. It is a flawless performance, and the cast is stronger there. I would advise you to think carefully about which version of JOSEPH you want to buy before buying one.

Having been in 3 productions of this musical and having seen countless others, I feel that there are interpretations of it that work splendidly and some that don't. This production is fabulous. Almost perfect, if a little over-blown in the spectacle department. The one weak link is Michael Damian. He doesn't really sing, he just sort of breathes on pitch. If you into this show for its portrayal of Joseph, get the Canadian cast with Donny Osmond--a suberb characterization. If on the other hand, you like the narrator's part, get this CD because Kelli Rabke can't be beat.

I have seen the DVD version of this play with Donnie Osmond in the lead as JOSEPH, and while he did a good job, Michael Damian outshines his vocal performance by far. I think his voice fits this role quite well and I am still enjoying this version of the soundtrack, 12 years later. I received the cd as a Christmas gift in 1993, and I have almost wore it out because I enjoy it so much. Now, my 7 yr old son loves the music just as much as I do. I have added this wonderful musical on my IPOD player. Also, I think that Kellie Rabke, who portrays the NARRATOR, has a phenominal voice. I like her much better than the young lady who is in the DVD with Donnie Osmond. Even though I like to watch it better than listening to it, I find that the vocal performances of the cast do not reflect those of the cd. I would reccommend this cast album for anyone who has already seen or plans to see this play. I am finally going to see it live when it comes to my city in February 2006. Needless to say, I am very excited to see it and I can only hope for vocals as strong as those in this cast.

I recently saw a production of Joseph at high school in my area, and I was blown away. The production was outstanding, but I was equally amazed at the music genius of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. The very next day, I ran out and purchased this album (along with the movie of the production of Joseph, starring Donny Osmond). Upon listening to it, I was blown out of the water again. Kelli Rabke is amazing, Robert Torti outstanding. Michael Damian is a little weak, I will have to say, but it really is not that much of a low-point.

This album is an amazing reproduction of the show. If you could just replace Michael Damian with Donny Osmond, it would be perfect, because in the movie, Osmond's singing skills were outstanding. This album is a must have, even with Michael Damian. Kelli Rabke makes this album a must-have.

By the way, I highly recommend the movie as well. At times it was a little corny, but then again, isn't Broadway a little corny as well?

I don't know if there is such a word as "unhateable," but this recording is definately just that. I own four recordings of "Joseph" and this is the only one that never once drives me up the wall. At first, I didn't care for Michael Damian because his voice was so whispery, and I thought he over acted durring "Grovel Grovel," and "Who's the Thief." But back then I was compairing him to more powerful Josephs such as Bill Hutton and Donny Osmond, and I hadn't seen the latter perform those songs in the video. Now, Michael's still not my favorite Joseph, but I can accept him. Kelli Rabke is my favorite narrator. I would give anything to sing like her. Everyone else is extremely good. I think Potiphar, who's name I can't remember's so called "mighty roar" is pathetic, but his performance is fine. Robert Torti is not as funny as some other Pharaohs, but he does the Elvis voice perfectly.And Marc Kudisch's rendition of "One More Angel in Heaven" is my all time favorite. I liked him best even before I found out that he played Conrad in the remake of "Bye Bye Birdie," another musical that I am a fan of. All four of the recordings I own are good, and I don't have a favorite. But if I did, this would probably be it.

There is not much difference in this Los Angeles cast recording compared to other "Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" CDs, except for the vocal characterization of Joseph played by Michael Damian in this recording. Damian gives a little lackluster of a performance vis-a-vis the Joseph of Donnie Osmond or Jason Donovan. But this recording is a worthy addition to your collection.

This version of Joseph is the best. The voices are beautiful! My family saw Joseph three times and we found this particular version to be better than the other ones that are available.