POULSBO — The North Kitsap High Drama Club is not holding back any of the flash, pizzazz or color in its first summer production ever.
Beginning Thursday and continuing today and Saturday, the troupe presents its rendition of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at the North Kitsap Auditorium.
“I chose this show because it’s a family show, and it’s a great show for kids,” director Randy Powell said. “I think from the minute it starts to the minute it ends, (audiences) are going to enjoy it.”
With school out of session for the summer, Powell has brought in parents, alumni and students from local elementary and middle schools to fill out the 58-person cast. He hopes to continue that trend in the future, offering parent and community participation in at least one show per year.
“It’s kind of a family show for family folks. We have brothers, sisters, the whole works,” Powell said.
Two families in the cast have more than five members in the show. Chandra Orme, who plays the narrator, is joined by all seven of her children onstage. The musical has a long history in the Orme family. Two of Orme’s sisters have played the narrator and three of her brothers have acted in other parts in various renditions of the play.
“It’s a family tradition,” Orme said. “My children know the entire score by heart.”
Playing the title role of Joseph is Cameron Walsworth, who will be a senior at North Kitsap High next fall. Although it’s his first production at North, Walsworth is not new to the stage. He moved to Poulsbo less than two years ago from Yokosuka, Japan, where his parents were stationed in the military, and brought with him a talented voice and years of acting experience. Walsworth jumped at the chance to act in “Joseph” as soon as he heard it was slated for production.
“This is actually my favorite musical of all time,” he said.
Walsworth’s Technicolor Dreamcoat is so full of lavish, vibrant hues that audience members might expect to see a pot of gold at its base.
“I think they’ll definitely enjoy the colors,” Walsworth said. “We emphasized on Technicolor.”
Powell spared nothing on the elaborate costumes, but because of the show’s emphasis on dance and movement, he kept the scenery to a minimum. The challenge is to transport audiences back to the ancient Middle East, then to a 1960s dance club without too many props or sets, he said.
But the biggest hurdle to clear may be the show’s ability to fill seats. It’s not just student actors who go on vacation during the summer. Powell said pre-sales went well earlier this week, but whether tickets continue to be in demand through the weekend remains to be seen. If the show is a success, Powell hopes to make summer musicals a tradition.
“The key is, the show has to break even,” Powell said. “If that’s the case, we’re already set to do ‘Music Man’ next year.”
See the show:
Show times are 7 p.m. July 8-10, with a 2 p.m. matinee July 10. All performances will be at the North Kitsap Auditorium in Poulsbo. Tickets are available at the door, from cast members or online at www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, email NKHSDrama@aol.com.
