Jason Donovan will take on the role of the Pharaoh when he returns to the London Palladium for the eagerly-anticipated new production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat this summer.
The star who famously gave a career-changing performance as Joseph at the Palladium in the 1990s, will take to the stage opposite the new, as yet unnamed, Joseph from 27 June 2019.
Commenting on his return to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s version of biblical Egypt, Donovan said: “You never know the measure of a moment until it becomes a memory, and what a moment that was for me. Joseph was a ground breaker in 1991, and what a blast it will be to be back on the prestigious Palladium stage and be part of it all again with a brand-new cast in this re-imagined 2019 production. I’m looking forward to breathing new life into Pharaoh and I’m so relieved he doesn’t wear a loin cloth!”
Following his Olivier-nominated portrayal of Joseph, Donovan has gone on to star in The Rocky Horror Show; Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Priscilla Queen of the Desert; Annie Get Your Gun; The Sound of Music; and Million Dollar Quartet. Donovan will also make his debut as producer later this year as co-producer of a new touring production of Priscilla.
Presented by Qdos Entertainment’s managing director, Michael Harrison and the Really Useful Group, Lloyd Webber and Rice’s first major musical will be re-imagined for the modern audience and the London Palladium stage in a production which will play a strictly limited 11-week season at the prestigious venue.
Donovan joins BAFTA and Olivier Award-winning Sheridan Smith as the second big name signing for the production. The star of Funny Girl and Legally Blonde has been tempted back into the West End to play an enhanced version of The Narrator in the production which will be directed by School of Rock’s Laurence Connor.
Connor, whose credits also include the recent London productions of Chess and Miss Saigon and the international arena tour of Jesus Christ Superstar, will head a new creative team which includes leading Broadway choreographer Jo Ann M Hunter (School of Rock, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever). The creatives will also include award-winning set and costume designer Morgan Large, lighting designer Ben Cracknell and sound designer Gareth Owen.
Released as a concept album in 1969, the much-loved stage version of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat began its first West End run in 1972.
Based on the biblical story of Joseph and the Pharaoh, the multi-award-winning show which began life as a school concert has been performed hundreds of thousands of times. One of the world’s favourite family musicals, Joseph has enjoyed multiple runs in the West End and on Broadway, international number one tours, and productions in over 80 countries as far afield as Austria and Zimbabwe and from Israel to Peru.
Featuring songs including ‘Any Dream Will Do’ and ‘Close Every Door To Me’, that have gone on to become pop and musical theatre standards, the show’s starring role has become one of the most sought after in musical theatre. Jason Donovan, Joe McElderry, Lee Mead, Donny Osmond and Phillip Schofield are among the stars who have previously donned Joseph’s colourful coat.
Angela Thomas
Tickets for Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat are available HERE.
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