a musical with • mean1ng For Dr. David Burks' final year as president at Harding, Chair of the Department of Theatre and musical director Robin Miller and Producer ofTheatre Cindee Stockstill wanted to put on a show that would hold a special place in the president's heart. They decided to direct Burks' favorite musical, "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." The play was based on the biblical account of Joseph whose brothers, out of jealousy, sold him into slavery. Joseph was taken to Egypt and, through many ups and downs, led the Egyptians to prosperity while climbing the political ranks. He eventually reunited with his family, proving God's faithfulness. Senior Benji Holder, who played Joseph's brother Zebulun, believed "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream coat" was the perfect choice for the Homecoming musical. "I think 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' was a good choice for several reasons," Holder said. "For one, it is a very high-energy, upbeat show, which made for a very entertaining time for all in the audience. Secondly, it is a show about a story from the Bible, which made us as performers able to share a good message of God's providence with the public." According to members of the cast, one of the best parts of the process of putting on the musical was the relationships formed during practices and rehearsals. Holder said the 12 brother ensemble formed particularly close relationships during the production process, which sharpened their onstage performance. Junior Victoria Wisely, who played the narrator, agreed that the experience was a special time to get to know other people passionate about communicating through the medium of theater. "Working with the cast [was my favorite part]," Wisely said. "We had such a talented group of people. We spent a lot of rehearsal time with Joseph'~ brothers. Those guys are hilarious, and it was hard to keep a straight face most of the time." Senior Nate White, who played Joseph, said he appreciated the increased biblical knowledge he gained while participating in the musical. "[I enjoyed] the personal growth I experienced as a musician and as a performer," White said. "The production team really motivated us to work hard on an individual basis to better understand our characters, both who they were in the Bible and how we could portray them in the show. Thus, through the process I was able to grow exponentially as a performer." This musical had many positive aspects ranging from the relationships built during practices to the colorful performance that entertained and instructed the audience, but the most important aspect of the musical, according to Wisely, was how the cast and crew honored God by their performance. "From this production sprang incredible, lasting relationships, which then produced conversations that have been so salty and full of grace," Wisely said. "We were able to s~:lt Christian examples for the children cast that worked with us, and I think we all got to see Christ at work in the message of the show." Corey Stumne "My favorite part of playing Joseph was finding the human flaws and growth of an iconic biblical character," senior Nate White said. "Having Dr. Burks in the musical was a memorable moment for the audience, and it was special because this was his last year. It added a little piece of Harding to a classic account." 22 I Student Life
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