Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is a musical with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, based on the character of Joseph from the Bible’s Book of Genesis. Joseph is the favorite son of Jacob, and to show the world he loves his son, Jacob buys Joseph a coat of many colors. His jealous brothers sell Joseph to a group of hairy Ishmaelites, who then sell Joseph to and Egyptian noble. Joseph eventually lands in prison where his ability to interpret dreams gets him an audience with Pharaoh. Solving Pharoah’s dreams get Joseph a maximum promotion, becoming Egypt’s second in command. When famine hits Canaan, Joseph’s brothers travel to Egypt in search of food, and meet up with Joseph. Seeing that his brothers don’t recognize Joseph, he tests them to see if they have changed their ways.

This upbeat, family-friendly musical stays true to the Biblical story. It originated as a school project in London, England in 1968. The first professional production was in London, in 1973, and the first production with the musical in it’s current form was in 1974. In 1982 “Joseph” made its Broadway debut, and the show has been enjoyed by millions ever since.