By Jonathan MartinezBridge Staff Writer
On Oct. 16, the music of British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber came to Laredo, as the TAMIU and Laredo Community College Opera Workshops-their first ever collaboration-performed Webber’s and British lyricist Tim Rice’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat at LCC’s Guadalupe and Lilia Martinez Fine Arts Center. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat was first performed in 1968 as a 15-minute pop cantata for elementary students in London. The musical is structured around a pair of narrators who tell the biblical story of Joseph and the Coat of Many Colors from the book of Genesis. Their audience is a group of children whom they encourage to keep dreaming. From 20s vaudeville to 90s club music to an Elvis-inspired Pharaoh, the popular and family-friendly production features a wide-range of 20th century music, dances, costumes, and visualsDr. Joseph Crabtree, director of the show and Chair of LCC’s performing arts department, shared his thoughts about the task of putting together Webber and Rice’s musical.”It’s huge! You have to coordinate all the vocals, music, lights, and actors until it all makes sense,” he said. TAMIU junior Josué Perez, who played the part of Judah, also related his feelings about the effort put into the production.”It takes a lot of time. We’ve been practicing since August,” said Perez. While the adult cast of the show was mainly comprised of TAMIU and LCC students, a children’s chorus involving students from local elementary, middle, and high schools was also featured. “Several local music teachers and committed parents have been instrumental in their work with the children on their music,” said TAMIU Instructor of Voice, Choir, and Opera and Co-director, Dana Crabtree. “I loved being one of the Narrators,” said Ana Uribe, a TAMIU music major and featured performer. “I got to work with the chorus, and I love working with kids.”The opening night of the musical was a welcome treat for members of the audience. “The 60s [go-go] scene was my favorite. The collaboration between the music and vocals was amazing,” said TAMIU sophomore Arnold Zimmerman.”I really liked the end; it brought everything to a close very sweetly,” said Joshua Goldberg.The audience’s appreciation didn’t go unnoticed. “It was awesome-[the audience’s response]. For so long, we were just on a stage rehearsing, but it’s something we can learn from when performing in front of an audience,” said TAMIU senior Music major, Joseph Holland. The production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor® Dreamcoat could prove to be helpful in advancing the theater scene in Laredo.”The [theatre] community has grown. There are now two to three theater groups in town. We need more quality shows-quality as far as writing is concerned. It would be nice to have more plays…deeper stuff like Tennessee Williams,” said local actor Rafael Orduña.”There isn’t a lot like this going on in the area. It gives [the community] a sense of something to experience [that] is beyond Laredo,” said Holland. The first joint venture between the two Laredo schools proved successful. When asked if any future collaborations are scheduled, Dana Crabtree said that while nothing is in the works, the possibility of another joint production isn’t out of the question.