'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' returns to the Civic Center after 15-year break

Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma is bringing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat back to the Civic Center Music Hall for the first time in 15 years, with performances beginning Tuesday night.

The production includes more than 100 performers and over 250 costumes. Michael Baron, producing artistic director at the Lyric Theatre, said they began preparing the show more than a year ago, with set construction and costume work ongoing for several months.

The musical tells the biblical story of Joseph, his father Jacob, and his brothers. Each number in the show is presented in a different musical style, including country-western, Elvis, and Caribbean, and each show runs approximately 90 minutes.

Forty minutes before each performance, local religious leaders are scheduled to hold discussions about the story of Joseph and its context.

The lead role is played by Ardmore native and Oklahoma Christian University graduate Jay Antonio Rodriguez, who recently toured in a Broadway production. Rodriguez said regional theater offers an opportunity to bring live performances to audiences' hometowns.

"The directors really get to experiment and they know their community," Rodriguez said. "They know what the community is going to like, and what they're going to love."

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is part of Lyric Theatre’s summer season. Tickets are available online at Lyric Theatre of Oklahoma's official website.