Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat back in Bengaluru, courtesy Kevin Oliver

Music and passion are always in fashion — add a touch of couture to the proceedings and you are bound to have a stunner. Kevin Oliver had staged Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat 30 years ago in Bengaluru when he was a music teacher at Frank Anthony Public School. Now, he is bringing it back bigger and better than ever before.

“I’ve always wanted to bring out my version of this musical. There’s nothing more challenging than taking a piece that has been so overused and transforming it completely,” says Kevin.

Well, the upcoming musical has certainly piqued interest with news of its 100-strong, all-male choir (“Potiphar’s wife is the only female part,” adds Kevin) and its spectacular dreamcoat doing the rounds.

Written by Andrew Lloyd Webber with lyrics by Tim Rice, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was first produced as a musical in 1972, and went on to become one of the most popular pieces to be staged, adapted and reimagined.

Back to the beginning

“Bangalore”, as Kevin remembers it, “used to be a city of music and art” and he was quite active on its cultural scene. “I studied under Savitha Yates (a popular theatre personality in Bengaluru during the ‘80s) who advised me to try every genre of theatre, before going into musicals.” The training has held him in good stead.

And train he did. Apart from music, which he was always passionate about, Kevin combined his background of theatre and dance with choreography and fashion. Soon, Dubai came calling and though he was heading a music school there and staging productions, it was also where he got a chance to hone his fashion skills.

“I’ve worked with some amazing designers there such as Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton, dressing the likes of Hugh Jackman, Rihanna, Lady Gaga and Andreas Bocelli, among others,” says Kevin. However, he adds, “One of the most ambitious and beautiful things I created was a 1,000-strong, girls choir which went viral for their performance of AR Rahman’s Vande Mataram.”

Home again

Kevin says despite being away from Bengaluru, he always felt the need to give back to the community that gave him his start. “I roped in Oum Pradutt, a former student of mine, and this collaboration fell into place.”

“I had left Bengaluru 35 years ago and wasn’t sure if singers of today would even want to be a part of this musical, but I had to try. Then, at the audition as many as 450 people turned up and though they were all wonderful, I had to choose 100 for the cast.”

“We’ve got a range of voices — from a bass to a countertenor — literally every sound you can get with singers aged between 16 and 60.”

A cast member from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Apart from having an all-male cast, Kevin’s Joseph stands out for having with nine narrators, instead of a single female voice as in the original. And of course, the dreamcoat which has generated quite a buzz.

“Two of my friends from Dubai, who’ve done amazing work in the field of fashion, lent me garments that suited the characters. The dreamcoat, designed by Michael Cinco and Furne One Amato, weighs over 21 kilograms. It is made with different fabrics and covered with Swarovski crystals. It’s like a chandelier on a guy’s back.”

Kevin says he is doubtful whether the likes of Broadway or West End have done something as elaborate and fashion conscious as his reimagining of Joseph. “I’m hoping people love it as much as I do,” he says, even as he admits the creation is what his mind’s eye had conjured up as Joseph’s coat of many colours,

Full circle

And Oum Pradutt, the former student Kevin roped in? As a schoolboy in Frank Anthony’s, he played a part in Catch, a musical Kevin had presented. “I had no idea about musicals at the time, but auditioned all the same. Kevin thought I was a better dancer than a singer,” laughs Oum.

Kevin Oliver and Oum Pradutt (right)
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

As part of the main cast, Oum performed in a string of shows in Mumbai too, and was again cast as a dancer in Joseph when it was produced, travelling with the troupe wherever they performed. “It was an incredible experience to gain such an exposure at that age, and at a time when engineering and medicine were considered the only avenues for a career.”

Apart from the thrill of the spotlight, Oum says the experience gave him a chance to observe Kevin and his style of working at close quarters. “He would not only look at the costumes, makeup, music and choreography personally, but also be involved in areas such as prompts, props, light and design. It was amazing to see what happened on stage and behind the scenes. That stayed with me for the longest time.”

Scene from a previous staging of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Oum went on to found Phase I in 1995, blending his corporate expertise with his passion for the creative arts and entertainment. “I credit the existence of my company, now in its 30th year to Kevin’s musicals, so I was truly glad of the chance to collaborate with him on Joseph.”

“We both saw this as a chance to give back to this city,” says Oum, adding that though there are a lot of events taking place in Bengaluru, musicals are quite rare.

Going by his own lived experience, Oum and Phase I are ensuring school children will get a chance to witness the magic of a musical with discounted tickets. “In other parts of the world, schools send their students to such events, providing them with experiential learning rather a textbook one. We are also bringing students from the Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS) to watch the show for free,” he says, adding theirs is a cause close to his heart.

“Growing up, I did not have such resources and if it were not for the exposure I gained at school, I would not be where I am today. Hopefully, these children too will be excited and inspired and pursue something amazing one day.”

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be staged at Good Shepherd Auditorium on July 17, 18 and 19. Tickets from ₹999 on bookmyshow.