From coat to cast, CBU's 'Joseph' bursts with color and creativity

Riverside, Calif. (April 7, 2026) — California Baptist University’s theatre production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” will deliver a visually dynamic, high-energy experience when it opens April 10 to seven sold-out performances. 

The show, with lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, is a musical retelling of the biblical story of Joseph. The production relies on visual storytelling and teamwork to engage the audience from start to finish.  

A big part of that energy comes from the ensemble. Charles Martinez, a theatre senior who plays Joseph, said the performance needs the whole team to be successful rather than one person or role.  

“What makes the show is the ensemble cast,” Martinez sad. “The spectacle of it and how awesome they are at telling the story.” 

That large-scale performance is supported by the technical team working behind the scenes.  

“Nothing could happen without the spectacular talent of our designers and our technical team,” he said. 

Lighting and set design play a key role in keeping the show moving and making the scene changes seamless. Cutter Rolfs, a mechanical engineering junior who plays Pharaoh, said the LED projections help keep everything flowing.  

“It gives us very versatile scene changes,” Rolfs said. 

Using advanced LED technology to transform the stage also gives students a professional-level experience, said Michael Ring, theatre technical director. The panels are made into LED walls on stage, expanding what the creative team can do. 

“It’s visually striking. You have this giant TV screen that you can do anything with,” Ring said. 

Costumes are another central part of the show’s look, starting with the most famous piece, Joseph’s coat.

The decision to build the coat came from a desire to create something unique. Elizabeth Shorts, the costume designer, explained that rentals just didn’t work.  

“We looked at several options to rent but didn’t see anything we wanted. The director wanted something fun with the coat to have the colors jump off, so we decided to have ribbons on it,” Shorts said.  

Beyond the coat, costumes help the audience follow the show’s different musical styles. For example, Potiphar and his wife’s clothes have an art deco look and the song has a 1920s vibe.  

Aliya Beaupain, a theatre and creative writing senior, said the wardrobe choices are a key part of the storytelling.  

“They do a really good job differentiating the songs by what costumes are in them,” said Beaupain, who plays Mrs. Potiphar. 

These design elements also affect the performers. Rolfs said interacting with the set and costumes adds energy to the performance.  

“It’s so much more fun when you have things to interact with. When the actors have fun, the audience has fun,” he said. 

With the combined work of the ensemble, the designers and the technical team, CBU’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” offers a vibrant, collaborative theatre production that truly brings the story to life. The teamwork across all parts of the show is what makes it successful.  

“It is all of us together as one organism. It’s about the whole,” Beaupain said.