NTID Theatre History: Joseph and the Amazing Techicolor Dreamcoat: January 1976

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was the first production of its kind in the United States during the mid-1970s. NTID’s Experimental Educational Theatre chose to perform all of the popular songs using sign mime, making the production accessible to Deaf audiences.

British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyricist Tim Rice—who first gained acclaim for Jesus Christ Superstar—originally created Joseph as a fifteen-minute musical piece for their school choir at Colet Court School in London.

An expanded version of Joseph was released in the United States in November 1975, with special permission from Novello & Co. This cantata, presented with sign mime for Deaf audiences, was introduced to the American public as a groundbreaking inclusive theatrical experience.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" is a musical based on the biblical story of Joseph, Jacob's favored son, who is sold into slavery by his jealous brothers and eventually rises to a powerful position in Egypt by using his ability to interpret dreams, ultimately reconciling with his family after they unknowingly come to him for help during a famine; the story is told with a variety of musical styles, including country, calypso, and pop, highlighting Joseph's colorful "coat of many colors" gifted by his father as a symbol of favoritism.