Bangalore, Jul 31: Theatre aficionados of the city will be offered yet another round of treat by celebrated Mangalorean theatre personality Leila Alvares and her troupe with repeat shows of the popular English play 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat' in Chowdaiah Memorial Hall here at 7-15 pm on four consecutive days from Friday, August 3 to Monday August 6. The shows are being held for charity projects of C.A.U.S.E. (Cooperation of the Arts for the Underprivileged in Society and the Environment).

File pic of a previous performance

The play features Jude Lazaro as Joseph, Prem Koshy as Pharaoh and Debra Pais as the Narrator and the play is directed by Leila Alvares herself.

While the music is directed by Michael D'Souza, choreography is looked after by Pravin Roberts and Lucien Charanghat, assisted by John Fernandes, Lionel De Nazareth and Premila Menezes.

Artwork is by Pravin Roberts, costumes by Asha Fernandez, sound and lights by Reynolds and the radio partner is Radio Indigo.

Tickets of value Rs 300, Rs 200 and Rs 100 are now available at  Supermarket (Brigade Rd), Fab India (Indiranagar and  Koramangala) and Rendezvous (Mosque Rd, Fraser Town)

A show will be organized in Mangalore also on August 11, 2007. Details will be made available on this portal.

Synopsis of the play:

A hilarious spoof on the original biblical story of Joseph and his meteoric rise to fame in Pharaoh’s court in ancient Egypt despite his 11 brothers' evil plan to get rid of him, 'Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat' is a pure musical with no dialogue. It contains songs of every genre from rock 'n' roll to country to rap and is filled with vibrant dances and costumes and is a sure fire family entertainer.

The cast that successfully staged the musicals musicals including Crescendo, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Grease, Frankenstein, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, Sound of Music and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers to overflowing houses is back again.

The CAUSE foundation (under the aegis of Leila Alvares), celebrating 10 years of musical history, is back with their annual production. This time Leila is reviving the much-loved musical Joseph and His Amazing Technic coloured Dreamcoat, which was her very first full scale musical in Bangalore over ten years ago.

With a slew of successful shows under her belt, Leila and her ensemble of 35 cast members will be setting the Chowdaiah Hall stage ablaze with colour and sound to the tune of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit rock opera Joseph and His Amazing Technic coloured Dreamcoat  with its music, lyrics and energy.

As the cast becomes biblical characters transporting the audience back to the days of Canaan, they will meet poor Joseph, whose eleven jealous brothers sold him into slavery.

Created by the dynamic duo of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice, Jospeh was originally written as a fifteen-minute popcantata in 1968. It was not produced as a rock opera on Broadway until 1982. Many well-known celebrities, such as Patrick Cassidy and Donnie Osmond, have played the leading role of Joseph, one of the most endearing characters in Broadway history.

The musical is based on the biblical story of Jacob (played by Arvind Kastury) and his twelve sons. The sons become jealous of Jacob’s favourite son, Joseph, and sell him into slavery. After being unjustly imprisoned, Joseph is miraculously  rescued from jail by the Pharaoh (played by Prem Koshy), who asks Joseph to interpret his mysterious dreams. Because of his uncanny predictions, Joseph becomes Pharaoh’s right hand man.

During the famine that Joseph had predicted, Joseph’s family is forced to come to Egypt to ask for food. The brothers are shocked when Joseph reveals his identity as a leader in Egypt. The show ends with Joseph forgiving his brothers and they all live happily ever after, proving that dreams do come true.

Leila’s cast known for its high energy and talent will be singing in harmony through the entire show while performing intricate dance sequences accompanied by her band of musicians who will be performing live.

Leading the cast as the spunky young dreamer is Jude Lazaro who exudes an engaging naiveté making him a very likeable Joseph. The narrator, Deborah Mathias who played the same role ten years ago, is down from Barbados for a repeat performance.

About the CAUSE Foundation

The CAUSE Foundation was launched with the primary objective of promoting local amateur talent through various art ventures including musicals, drama, exhibitions etc. Any proceeds from these ventures, after all expenses, were given to local fledgeling (begun by single individuals) but worthy charities including animal welfare organizations as part of its environmental strategy.

The brain behind the cause and the show, Leila Alvares

The president of the Foundation, Leila Alvares, has in the past, written and directed plays for private organizations, conducted choirs and directed major musicals including Crescendo, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat, Grease, Frankenstein, Fiddler on the Roof, My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, Sound of Music and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.

The proceeds from any activities of the CAUSE Foundation are divided in the following manner:

50% - To a deserving (fledgling) charity identified by CAUSE
30% - Towards the CAUSE Corpus Fund to initiate future shows and promote its objectives
20% - To treat stray animals as part of our environmental strategy

To date, the Foundation has donated financially and in kind to the following charities:

WARDS (Rehabilitation centre for the mentally backward poor)
Prashanth Nivas (Destitute home for battered women and children)
Infant Jesus Charity Home (Secular Orphanage for street children)
CUPA (Animal welfare organization)
Devarajeevanahalli (School for destitute street children)
SEON Ashram (Destitute home for mentally disabled persons)
Morning Star (Orphanage for disabled and normal street children)
White Doves (Destitute home for disabled and normal persons)
Prem Chaaya (Animal welfare organization)
Baljyothi ( Home for destitute children)
Animal Care Trust (Animal welfare organization)