The DVHS drama program proudly presents a comedic musical that will take their audience to ancient times on the nights of Feb. 19-22.

We return back to the age of pharaohs and kings where the sun blazes hot and the rivers run long. For this year’s musical, the drama program brings “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” to a beautiful theater near you.

With all the success of past musical performances of “Beauty and the Beast”, “Little Shop of Horrors” and last year’s performance of “Aida”, Mr. Vega decided to bring forth another comedic tale through song and dance — this time near the Nile river.

The story takes place during biblical times in Egypt, in which Joseph, the protagonist of the plot,  played by Kyle Punsol, has the ability to interpret dreams.

His 11 brothers, upon realization of this ability, become jealous of him and attempt to sell him into slavery to get rid of him.

The Pharaoh, however, discovers the worth and talents that Joseph possesses and helps him rise to great power. In the end, Joseph becomes a hero and helps both the nation and his family, at which point he forgives his siblings’ past grievances.

The cast members of the show are working constantly to refine their acting skills, even in between rehearsals and during lunch when they play improv games in the Performing Arts room.

“It’s coming along really well,” Vega commented in regards to the progress of the show. “We almost finished blocking all of it. Half the dances have been learned, all the music’s been rehearsed, so we’re actually moving along pretty well. Costumes are almost set,” he added. “And we’re just basically perfecting it for the next two weeks.”

Vega explained that the casting process was a little different this time, since so many people tried out.  However, it’s still the biggest cast to date, with 38 members.

A Dougherty drama performance generally takes eight weeks to produce before the shows are presented in the theater.

For this musical specifically, Vega said that because of Winter Break in the middle of the rehearsal weeks, a extra week is needed so the performers can “catch up what’s become rusty over that time of not going over it.”

Returning faces known and loved from past performances make their familiar reappearance alongside new faces in the show. Jasmine Reyes and Sania Karir, two of the many performers at Dougherty who are recognizable onstage, both play as the narrators of this intricate tale.

Mr. Vega said he wanted to direct this musical because “it’s a fun show that uses a bunch of different styles of music … it’s kind of eclectic in that sense. It’s a comedy, has a large cast [and] it features a number of strong vocal parts, so I thought it was a great show to give a lot of students an opportunity to show off their talents.”

Unlike past musicals at DVHS, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” is a completely sung-through musical. Past musicals are what one would call “book musicals”, in which the storytelling plot is presented and occasionally the actors burst into song.

This musical, conducted in a fashion in which the songs tell the story, is comparable to performances such as the renowned “Les Misérables” and “Phantom of the Opera”.

Tickets for this amazing show will be $10 for students and $15 for adults, but two weeks prior to the performance there will be an in-school ticket sale by cast members, so students can snag some tickets for a discounted cost of $7 instead.

Be prepared for amazing nights of song, dance and laughter that you won’t soon forget on Feb. 19-21 at 7 p.m. and Feb. 22 at 2 p.m.

Mr. Vega asks everyone  to “come see a musical in which everybody can see a character potentially similar to themselves. Here, you can see reggae, country, classical, rock and roll and pop all in one show!”