Devon Theater: Small cast puts on big and bright production of ‘Joseph’ 2
Matthew Morley Rusk as the title character in the Devon Theater's production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, running Nov. 12 to Dec. 13, 2009. Photo credit Kim Reilly, Devon Theater.
Updated 11/16/09 @ 7:04 p.m.: ‘Joseph’ will run as scheduled, but, as NEast Philly reported, the Devon has canceled the rest of its inaugural season.
Liz Filios didn’t miss a note when she took a step too quickly and had to shift her balance to keep from tripping in the second act.
That momentary misplaced footing may have been the only thing that went wrong for cast and crew of the Devon Theater‘s production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Thursday evening during their opening night. Joseph is the second of a five-show inaugural season for the Devon.
The 14-member stage force, wh0 filled more than 40 roles in the bright and big musical that crisscrosses genres, won quick engagement from the crowd of some 350. That quick and light production comes despite losing Artistic Director Michael Pickering, who resigned unexpectedly last month just as rehearsals for ‘Joseph’ were beginning.
Before the performance, Pickering’s replacement, an ambitious 24-year-old star named Kim Reilly, who was already on staff in a marketing role that she is dually fulfilling now, addressed the crowd. Then she let her Philadelphia directorial debut fly.
