Jealousy over a spectacular coat is the touchstone for conflict when the musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” comes to Kelsey Theater on Friday, July 10. Presented by the Yardley Players, performances continue weekends through Sunday, July 19. A reception with the cast and crew follows the opening night performance on July 10.##M:[more]##
Cast members include Meera Mohan of Plainsboro as a narrator; Michael Kaish of West Windsor, Ethan Levy of Plainsboro, and Dan Slothower of Plainsboro as brothers, and Melissa Leshchanka of Somerset, WW-P High School, Class of 1999, portrays one of the wives and a featured dancer. Featured dancers also include Mollie Rubinstein of West Windsor and Amy Slothower of Plainsboro. Children’s chorus members include Kavya Pochiraju of West Windsor, Robin Slothower of Plainsboro, and Stephen Szemis of West Windsor.
Mollie Rubinstein, 13, is a rising eighth grade student at Community Middle School. A New Jersey native, she began taking dance lessons when she was two years old. A student at the Dance Corner, she has performed in many productions with the West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company.
“I came to love the stage in my first performance of ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ with the West Windsor Plainsboro Dance Company at the age of five,” she says. “After that show, I promised myself that some day I would be Dorothy (although Clara in the ‘Nutcracker’ wouldn’t be bad).”
Her theater studies began with Kelsey Theater’s Play Shops. This is her third summer attending the Peddie School Summer Theater Camp. She takes voice lessons with Steve Schnurman and has been taking guitar lessons for seven years.
She was a newsboy in her first theater production of “Gypsy” with the Mighty Oak Players in 2006. Rubinstein was also a featured dancer in Yardley Players’ “Oliver” last summer. Active in performing arts at Community, she was in both “Cheaper by the Dozen” and “Cinderella.”
The Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice musical is based on the Biblical story of Joseph from the book of Genesis. Jacob has 12 sons; his favorite is clearly Joseph, whom he presents with a brilliant, multi-colored coat. The gift sparks jealousy among the other brothers, who decide to sell Joseph as a slave. The show ends with a happy family reunion.
Originating in London, the show, first performed in America in 1970, moved to Broadway in 1972. This recent version from the United Kingdom has added to and enhanced the original score.
“I am so glad to once again have the opportunity to perform with the Yardley Players this summer,” says Rubinstein. “I am having the time of my life with the show — it is really amazing. I hope to keep doing shows forever.” — Lynn Miller
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Kelsey Theater, Mercer County Community College, 1200 Old Trenton Road. Friday, July 10 to Sunday, July 19. Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical presented by Yardley Players. Reception with cast and crew follows performance. $16. 609-570-3333. www.kelseytheatre.net.
