Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: a review of the libretto
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In the world of the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, God is gone. Completely absent. Neither Andrew Lloyd Webber nor Tim Rice wrote any reference whatsoever to God as we know Him: the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But there is, in fact, a god in this story: it is Man, though he is subject to Fate.
The Prologue presupposes a non-personal guiding force of the story: "We all dream a lot - some are lucky, some are not." Yet the next line continues in the hope that life's goals are contained in Man's thoughts, desires, and will: "But if you think it, want it, dream it, then it's real." The fulfillment of that hope depends on Man: "You are what you feel." And: "Any dream will do."
So the philosophical foundation of the librettist is evident from the beginning. It becomes more evident as the two accounts, the biblical narrative and the librettist's fantasy, are compared and contrasted. For the sake of clarification, the name Joseph will refer to the man in the biblical account, and the name Joe will indicate the musical play's interpretation of him.
The first incident in which the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is noticeably absent is in the statement, found in Jacob and Sons: "Jacob was the founder of a whole new nation / Thanks to the number of the children he had."
Well, no. Nations didn't spring up from just any man in the ancient world who happened to have had many sons. Jacob was the founder of a new nation because God had promised it to his father's father. God promised it, and God did it, so God deserves the "thanks to" and the glory. The libretto could have acknowledged this, but unfortunately, it avoided it altogether.
Joseph gave God credit for the interpretation of dreams. When the butler and the baker attributed their sadness to the dreams they'd had the night before, Joseph replied, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell them to me, please."
Joe, on the other hand, says, "Tell me your dreams my friends / And I will tell you what they show. / Though I cannot guarantee / To get it right, I'll have a go." He has no God in whom to place his confidence. Just himself. At least he understands that he cannot guarantee this thing if it's done in his own strength.
Joe, on the other hand, says, "Tell me your dreams my friends / And I will tell you what they show. / Though I cannot guarantee / To get it right, I'll have a go." He has no God in whom to place his confidence. Just himself. At least he understands that he cannot guarantee this thing if it's done in his own strength.
So the chorus urges him on with the gospel of Man: "Go, go, go Joseph you know what they say / Hang on now Joseph you'll make it some day! / Sha la la Joseph you're doing fine! / You and your dreamcoat ahead of your time!"
So Joe is brought before the pharaoh to interpret his dreams. Another opportunity is missed to glorify God for the interpretation of the dream as Joseph did: "[The interpretation] is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” And later, "God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do."
Joseph recognized that God, in His providence, was executing His decrees. But not Joe. He foretells of the seven years of surplus food, but then, again: "Egypt's luck will change completely overnight."
Of course, the real pharaoh recognized the Spirit of God in Joseph's life, and in answer to his servant's questioning response to the dreams' interpretation, asks, "Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?"
But Joe had to campaign for the privilege, and points to himself as the "...man to lead you through the famine / With a flair for economic planning."
The conclusion of the story, according to Technicolor, is found in Stone the Crow, where, after singing the praises of Joe the Man, it is sung: "Anyone from anywhere can make it / If they get a lucky break."
The real Joseph's perspective was quite different. He understood that he hadn't "made it" from obscurity to celebrity, but that God had guided him through his trials for the purpose of perserving the nation He established through Abraham. There was no "lucky break". It was God's providence.
For this is how Joseph reassures his guilt-troubled brothers: "And God sent me before you to preserve a posterity for you in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and He has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."
To miss the meaning in this biblical account is to completely miss the point of it being recorded and preserved for our benefit. Yet, this musical will entertain people into doing exactly that, because the librettist has done exactly that.
Where it could have directed the audience's attention to the holy God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it substituted a vain philosophy. Where it could have glorified God, it glorified man. Where it could have sharpened the audience's knowlege and understanding of a biblical account, it obscured it.
Yes, the plot does follow the scope of the biblical narrative, albeit irreverently. But for the reasons above, Christians ought to discern that this pop cantata is completely unfaithful to the biblical account on the points that matter the most.
Where it could have directed the audience's attention to the holy God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, it substituted a vain philosophy. Where it could have glorified God, it glorified man. Where it could have sharpened the audience's knowlege and understanding of a biblical account, it obscured it.
Yes, the plot does follow the scope of the biblical narrative, albeit irreverently. But for the reasons above, Christians ought to discern that this pop cantata is completely unfaithful to the biblical account on the points that matter the most.
Technicolor, yes. Amazing? Only in that it holds such appeal for those who love the Word of God.
from Genesis 50:
from Genesis 50:
18 Then his brothers also went and fell down before his face, and they said, “Behold, we are your servants.”
19 Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God? 20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. 21 Now therefore, do not be afraid; I will provide for you and your little ones.” And he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.
posted on Monday, October 20
Comments
• Saturday, November 15
pie auction
Posted by Christine
Hi Pamela,
We met at the fundraiser for Greg Wallace a couple of weeks ago. I am the mom who you were talking to in the back room who was holding a baby or two and had lots of other children running around the place!
My children saw your name on the Teaching the Trivium newsletter and knew who you were! My son bought some jewerly from you and we have your little white dish.
I tried to contact you through your blog but my mozilla foxfire isn't working so this is the best I could do.
If you'd like to contact me, you can reach me at masloske at gmail dot com and we can arrange to send back your dish.
love in Christ,
Christine
