Yesterday, Jason Donovan appeared on ITV’s This Morning to talk about returning to the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the London Palladium, more than twenty five years after he played the role of ‘Joseph’ at the same theatre.
This time around however he is playing the role of ‘Pharaoh’, alongside Sheridan Smith as the Narrator and recent graduate Jac Yarrow in the lead role of Joseph. The show is running now until 8 September 2019.
When presenter Holly Willoughby asked the question “what as it like going back (because Andrew Lloyd Webber called you to say would you be interested). Was there a part of you that thought “is it right to go back and do that” as it was such a huge part of your life?” Jason responded “I think there is an incredible sentimental moment to be had, you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory and all those kids who went to Joseph are now mums and they want their kids to see the show as well so I could see the value in that. But a 51 year old saying ‘I look handsome, I look smart I am a walking work of art’ didn’t quite ring with me, and the loin cloth …”
Presenter Philip Schofield (who has also played the role of Joseph many moons ago in the show) picked up on this and sounding surprised asked “did he ask you to do Joseph at first?”
Jason said “he did initially. We sat around and had a chat about it and I sang and the voice is a bit different these days so I think we came to the right conclusion.”
Told entirely through song with the help of the NarratorJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat follows the story of Jacob’s favourite son Joseph and his eleven brothers. After being sold into slavery by the brothers, he ingratiates himself with Egyptian noble Potiphar, but ends up in jail after refusing the advances of Potiphar’s wife. While imprisoned, Joseph discovers his ability to interpret dreams, and he soon finds himself in front of the mighty but troubled showman, the Pharaoh. As Joseph strives to resolve Egypt’s famine, he becomes Pharaoh’s right-hand man and eventually reunites with his family.
Do you think Jason Donovan would have made a good Joseph in this new production? Or do you think he was right to let a youngster take the role and instead take on another part?
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