did we go see the same show?
because i think the show is amazing!
i think daniel, joey, and miranda do an awesome job as their roles.
i suggest you go see the show again because you are seriously mistaken if you think that is all the show has to give.

:)

how can you say joey was miscast when he sings so damn well, and all the narrator do is sing? answer me that!

WOW. Brutal, Munro. ;)

Okay, so I saw "Joseph" last weekend, and I have to hope that it tightened up a bit between media night and when I saw it, because I really liked it, and after that review I'm worrying about my taste in theater. :)

I thought that it was a solid show, if not simply for the fact that it was all music-- I couldn't find a weak link amongst the voices, and the pacing was great because there was literally no place to slow down.

The comment that Joey was miscast is an interesting one, because, yes, it was an interesting choice, but really-- where else could they put him? He's not really the character voice needed for the other roles, but they obviously need to feature one of the best voices to come out of that company so... yeah, Narrator. And Miranda was fine. Not my favorite thing I've seen her in, but it wasn't the best music to show off her voice either.

I thought Daniel Rodriguez gave, musically, one of the best performances that I've seen from him. "Close Every Door" progressed beautifully-- both in dynamics and emoting, and if that's a credit to Shannah Estep or Anthony Taylor, kudos to them. If it's just Rodriguez showing that he's maturing as a vocalist, even better.

I have to say... any problems I had with the show would be attributed to Day's direction.

Oh, but one problem I actually had with your review-- I think there's sort of an unspoken rule with your reviews that when it's an actual CMT production, involving "children," you are kinder with your reviews of the performers, and more critical of the "adults" of the production staff. I think this is fair. And when it's an MTF show (and technically then "adult" performers) you can be a bit more critical all around. However, this was an MTF show-- you really can't complain about the use of cigarettes in an "adult" show. (Unless your complaint is that people under 18 were portrayed smoking. In which case, I would ask why you didn't have a similar complaint when GCP did "Grease," or why you wouldn't have a complaint about underage people portraying drunkenness in something like "Beauty and the Beast.")

All in all, I enjoyed "Joseph." Could it be tightened up? Sure. But unless I've suddenly lost my harsh inner critic, it certainly not as bad as you made it out. But maybe media night was really rough.

Just want to clarify that the smoking portion of our production was cut for all of our school show performances.

Judy Stene
Executive Director
Children's Musical Theaterworks
Musical Theaterworks Fresno

I suggest that you see the show again. A lot can and has changed since you saw the final dress rehearsal/Press Preview and the show that opened last Friday. Every audience member that I have had the pleasure of talking with, has loved the show.

I have a teenage son who has taken part in many operas and school musicals, although we don't always agree we both loved last Friday nights Musical Joseph!! In fact everyone I talked to in the audience and since highly recommended it. We all concluded that the actors and the director did a fantastic job!!!! I am also wondering if Mr. Munro saw the same show??????

I'm pro-ciggy for the show. If acting out a particular character calls for a cigarette... so be it!

Also, weird how CMT fans are all over Mr. Munro with kisses of praise when he blows up one of their productions, but once there's a disavowing word... hmmm. Tough job!

Its not that we can't handle criticism, it's that he seems to have seen a completely different show! Maybe it's because he saw the Final Dress Rehearsal and there were still final touches being made. I am not sure I agree with reviewing a Final Dress Rehearsal. Even if it is called Press Preview, it is a rehearsal.

I am curious as to why he choose not to critique the director, Eric Day. After all, it is his vision we see on stage, whether it be good or bad. It is the director's job to set the tone of the show, if he or she is unfocused then the show is too.

I loved the show and only expect it to get better this weekend. The cast has clearly risen to the occasion despite the early complications.

No production is perfect. Constructive criticism/reviews are essential and should be welcomed if there is to be improvement and change. Hopefully, the cast and crew of "Joseph" can adjust, make changes if necessary and be encouraged to keep up the good work, after reading your review.
However, it would be nice to see a positive comment along with your negatives. I hope you can revisit the musical in your mind or see it again, with some positive eyes/ears. I'm sure there were some shining moments, it would be nice to hear about them.
As a community, we need to support local theater. I hope the review doesn't deter people from attending and enjoying MTF's "Joseph". You will attract more patrons with "honey rather than vinegar".

In response to CMT Fan, First off the entire Review is directed at Eric Day. He is ultimatly resposible for the show. But, in defense of Eric, If we were paying attention, Joseph is not the show He was originally prepared to direct. It also isnt the whole cast he originally cast for Jesus Christ Superstar. I appreciate Donald's honesty, even though had I the ability to see the show I'm sure I would have found something to disagree with him about, because thats what we do, disagree with "the idiot critic" (Donald I have never and will never think you are and idiot.) Donald does nothing but support local theatre and I for one am greatful to have as gentle a reviewer as Donald Monroe.

Uggh... It is never easy to read bad reviews and, unfortunately, you are only able to see the show once. I am positive that your review of the show you watched was what you saw. With that said, THE SHOW IS AMAZING! I saw it this past weekend and I, along with the other audience members, laughed and sang along to a truly AMAZING show. I applaud all of those involved as vision and heart are tough to quantify, but show up brightly on the AMAZING technicolor stage. BRAVO!

I have been a fan of CMT since "Annie", its first show. However, the show that Donald saw on media night was the same show that I saw on Sunday afternoon. It was very underenergized. Maybe it was "the end of the first week" fatigue. The dancing was sloppy, no one was together with anyone else, which was especially noticable during the dance break in "Those Canaan Days". I think that just a little more attention to detail would fix this. I really didn't like the musical track that was used and felt that it contributed to the feeling that the singers were not being supported. I also thought is was a little show, as in "Go, Go, Go Joseph". That made it hard for the dancers to keep their choreography together. I am sure the show will improve this week, as shows always do and I hope that CMT has a great second week with it. Go, Go, Go!!

I saw the play on opening night and it was great. I did believe that some the scenes, like those with French and rap interpretations did seem a bit out of place. When I asked someone about them though, they were written in very close to the way they were done, but yes, I do agree the blocking should have been better.

I have not read your column before and therefore cannot comment on previous critiques. Frankly, I may never read your column again; you are much too harsh, unless the rehearsal and opening night were completely 180 degrees.

You made a comment saying how appalling the smoking scene was. Firstly, you obviously have no real consideration for screening anything for children or you would have been much more kind in your review of the children's choir. Honestly, your tone is ridiculously rude and definitely appalling. You must have forgotten what it is like to be a child because I know when I started acting, at 11, I did it to enjoy myself and build confidence. Most children are not in acting to read an entirely negative review. You have probably scarred the majority of children who were in the play and have read this, and hopefully you remember next time children are fragile and if you are going to review them, you should know how to treat that review. A critique aimed at the vocal director of the children's choir would have been much more appropriate. Really, you could have at least said something positive.
If I am not mistaken is it not the job of a critic to give the actors constructive critics and to give the public an accurate description of the play. Well, since your critique was completely destructive (not constructive) and your description is hardly accurate I cannot help but wonder what you are being paid for.
As for the play all of the average people and families who wish to enjoy themselves for a few hours and see an overall very good play should definitely go see Joseph, but by all means if you are a self absorbed critique who obviously has a true lack of ably to see plays in a positive light then maybe this is not the show for you.

ya donald...looks 2 me like u need 2 go c da show again =)

Well I see Donald has become the Simon Cowell of Fresno Theatre. Everyone hangs on his every word. They love him and think him brilliant if he loves your show, but one bad comment and everyone calls him names. Donald obviously knows what he's talking about or every theatre production in town wouldn't be begging him to review their production. Final dress rehearsals are tough, we all know that, so don't invite the theatre critic to your show and especally call it a press preview, if you are not prepared to take some heat for mistakes. As evident by all the comments posted on this blog entry, people obviously care about what Donald has to say and take it to heart. I haven't yet seen the play, but I'm curious now. Anyone familiar with CMT knows they usually do a wonderful job. I would still encourage people to see it. And Donald, you're welcome to review my play, if I'm ever in one!

I simply will not buy into the "it was not the show he was set to direct" theory on Joseph. Like the rest of us involved in theater, Mr. Day has been part of or seen a production of "Joseph" more than a few times over his life. It's a pretty straight forward show. His changes happened before the rehearsal process began, not after.

It is not up to Mr. Munro to attract flies... he simply writes his version of what he saw. If one tends to disagree with him more than not, they should see the show. If one finds that he/she tends to side with Mr. Munro, than he/she may decide to skip this performance.

Oh, and about the smoking. It's all in context. In "Grease" the smoking is part of the feel of the characters. In "Joseph" it was a stunt thrown in. Had GCP done a children's workshop version of "Grease" or had their main selling point of a production been geared towards children it's without a doubt they would have skipped the ciggies.
Highly unfair to 'yabut' about an apple when someone is holding an orange.

"You have probably scarred the majority of children who were in the play and have read this"

Then they are in the wrong game or have a mother or father not doing their jobs. Should we not pass out 'bad' grades for shoddy work? Should we not explain to a child that their behavior is inappropriate in fear of 'scarring' them. I think you have too little faith in children and their ability to adapt and grow based on learning experiences. It's not like Donald pointed a finger at a five year old and yelled "YOU SUCK". LMAO! Really!

I haven't seen Joseph yet (Thursday I'm going), but I completely know first-hand what it's like to have the press show when you don't want 'em.

In '97, Donald showed up at Final Dress for JC Superstar at the Tower and wrote a perfectly fair review. Unfortunately, we weren't ready. By the end of the first weekend, it really was an entirely different show (and I used his review to fix a coupla things that he was right about).

We couldn't get him to come back, either. I wanted him back not so much for a new review, but more to prove to him that the show really was great, and that there really can be a 180 turnaround over the course of a few days.

But Donald's an old pro, and of course he knows this.

But his obligation is to review what he sees when it's presented to him, and to be as journalistically accurate as can be. But his other obligation is to express his own feelings. He clearly isn't tasked with pleasing everyone he writes for, and couldn't possibly anyway.

But claiming that Donald has scarred children for life? Good Golly. He only named names that he has seen perform successfully before, and therefore holds to a high standard. I also have a sense that he holds CMT to a high standard because of their past successes, amazing performances, and willingness to take chances never-seen in other young performer's groups.

CMT is good for kids, period.

And from what I know about Eric Day and Judy, CMT has the ability to guide those children succesfully through the rigors of rehearsal, performance, and sometimes bad reviews. I don't have kids, but if I did, I'd trust them 100% to the care of CMT and Judy Stene.

I also trust 100% that Donald does a fantastic, big-city job of reviewing shows, art, and other works. If I only had his ability of discerning commentary, thinking-before-speaking, and work ethic, I'd be a fantastic reviewer as well.

As it is, I'll just have to wait til Thursday night to support CMT with my few dollars and will write about the show here then!

Donald, thank you for taking the time to come see our production, regardless of how you felt about it, we sincerely appreciate your criticism and your constant support. To the public: everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I do not know why Donald is an exception. Thank you to those who have given positive feedback and I am glad that many other audience members are enjoying our show. Personally, given the challenge we had i think we have really stepped it up and delivered a great production. Hopefully we can just learn from this and continue improving our production (as we already have since the final dress rehearsal).

Donald, I hope none of these comments have scarred you for life.

I think this is a refreshingly honest review, and Donald actually showed a lot of restraint in not being too harsh.
To the people who think this is brutal: you don't know what brutal is.
"Lackluster" is a lot kinder than "awful" or "miserable."

And if the company isn't ready to be reviewed at the dress rehearsal, perhaps they shouldn't invite the press.

In response to katbon: "Donald obviously knows what he's talking about or every theatre production in town wouldn't be begging him to review their production."

Okay, I think that's a bit much. I don't think every company in town is begging for his reviews-- it's just that he's the only one. And yes, he's certainly qualified to be AN opinion in the Fresno theatre scene. But just that-- he's ONE opinion, not THE opinion. :)

If Fresno were a bigger town with mutiple publications, we'd have more than one review to consider. Unfortunately, we're not. So we take what we can get.

I, for one, am very grateful that we have the blogging community that we do-- any kind of forum for dialogue is key in my book.

And to the people who've been asking "who cares what a reviewer thinks?"-- reviews are very important, because it holds the theatre community to a standard of excellence. You don't have to like them, but they do serve the greater good. (And you take a TON of abuse, Munro. We don't always agree, but I can't imagine calling you a bad person for it).

Well it is official.... CMT has now joined the ranks of many other community theater companies in the valley. Everyone knows that eventually what goes up, must come down. It is always nice to be positively reviewed, but not every show can be despite all of the stakeholders and their work to make it so. Like many of you have said, it is ultimately the director's job to organize and motivate not only a group of actors but also the others responsible for the final product, including Mr. Allen and his “drab” lighting design. Perhaps it was a lack of these things that resulted in Donald's less than flattering review. With that said, however, I had the opportunity to see Joseph this weekend and thought that it was incredibly entertaining! The children's choir was an especially nice touch to the show despite what Mr. Munro has said. Anyone who has ever worked with children knows that as prepared as they might be, you never know what you’re going to get. Personally, I thought they were a very sweet extension of the cast and a great way to introduce young children to the theater experience. I look forward to seeing some of them this summer in another production.
Kudos to the cast for creating a fun and entertaining atmosphere and for hanging in after what must have been a very disappointing beginning.

I just want to add my support to what Joey said. As the Assistant Stage Manager for Joseph, it has certainly been a rocky road, if it weren't for the incrediably strong, loyal and talented cast and the professional production and company staff, I don't think this show would have been possible. The production has come along way from Thursday night. Joesph's coat was a little big at first, but with few alterations, it is now a sure fit!

Donald, thank you for your continued support of CMT and the arts in Fresno. Your honesty is truly appreciated. You hold CMT to a high standard because you have seen what we can do. That standard challenges us to grow and learn. Thank You.

As a parent of one of the members of the children's choir let me go on record to say that my child is not scarred by this review. As a matter of fact, she is completely oblivious to the whole thing. She is having a wonderful time and I think this has been a great experience for her. I do have to say that, while I'm not criticizing anyone, the children do know their music, but the director keeps changing and adding to what the children are doing on stage. Every night last week he re-staged something with the children. These kids are bright and adaptable, but they can't be expected to be perfect with things changing every night. Hopefully, once next weekend's shows begin, things will be a little more settled for everyone. By the way, the show itself is great and we can't wait to see it again!

Honestly, this show was not up to CMT standards. While it was "entertaining" it was not great. Also...everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I think it only fair that people respect that. Hopefully the show will get better as time goes on, but from what I saw, I am going to have to agree with Mr. Munro.

in response to cmtfan2, how can you even call youself a cmt fan witht he comments you wrote. wow! maybe you should audition for a show, learn the dances and we'll see how good you are for the preview. i saw it opening night, and i thought it was great. its nice to just sit in the audience and be able to criticze all you want, while to kids up there are performing there hearts out. must be really nice to do that. why dont you just enjoy their hard work and enjoy the performance?

Wow! Look at all these comments. I'm part of the cast and I'm very proud of this show. Having said that, I must admint that the final dress rehearsal was one of our roughest. The show is way, way better than that performance. Come check it out to see for yourself!

Donald responds:

First of all, it's gratifying to see how many comments this review thread has generated. It shows that people are passionate about local theater, and that's a very good thing. People often talk about a "theater community," which I think is true. The Internet makes it easier than ever for that community to interact with each other.

In light of that, I'd like to make just a few points:

1. Many of you have asked if I "saw the same show." That comment is often meant to be jocular, I realize, but for those who are seriously wondering: Yes, I did see the same production of "Joseph" that you did. (I can assure you that I did not wander into the wrong one off the street.) The question does raise an interesting issue, however: A show can vary greatly from one performance to the next. This is especially the case with amateur productions. One of the selling points of professional theater is that it is consistent. (At least you hope so.) That isn't as much the case with less experienced performers. As a reviewer, I don't try to "guess" how a show might change, either for better or worse; all I can do is evaluate what I see.

2. The producer determines when a play is reviewed, not the reviewer. It can be different for every company. On Broadway, for example, shows often run in previews for weeks before opening. (In the case of opening night, that is more of a ceremonial occasion than anything; members of the press have already seen the show, usually the week before, at one of the designated press previews.) In the case of Children's Musical Theaterworks, a tradition has developed that I'm able to attend the final dress rehearsal on Thursday night, which is designated as the press preview. You might ask why CMT doesn't change the arrangement and ask the press not to come until opening night. Or, why not take it a step further and declare the entire first weekend previews? The company certainly has that option, but then a producer has to weigh the advantages and disadvantages. When a play has a short run, it's often considered advantageous to get a review into print (and now online) as soon as possible. Also, it is traditional in the theater community to charge less for preview performances. Then there's the question of scheduling. Like it or not, there is competition for my time; I'm simply not able to see all the local theater in the Valley, much as I'd like to. And local plays often tend to open in clumps. If I had not been able to see "Joseph" until Friday night, it would have conflicted with two other openings in town, Fresno City College's "Living Out" and Fresno State's "Single Black Female, Looking ..." As it happens, I saw "Joseph" on Thursday and didn't post until Monday because I took Friday off. (I can't work seven days a week, alas.) I guess what I'm trying to say is that I just don't show up whenever I want before opening night and say I'm going to review a show; I wait to be invited. I do not remember the particulars of me seeing Stephen's dress rehearsal of "Jesus Christ Superstar" back in 1997 -- whether that was arranged for deadline or other scheduling reasons -- but I want to emphasize that I am not trying to play "gotcha" by showing up at a dress rehearsal without permission.

3. A few thoughts about vocabulary: The term "miscast" is another way of saying, "I just don't think this person was right for the role." It is the director's responsibility to cast a show; therefore, when a critic expresses the view that someone was miscast, it's really much more a criticism of the director, not the performer. (This is, of course, an opinion; other audience members might feel that the performer in question was a perfect fit in terms of voice, age, physical type, etc.) Another term, "underprepared," which I used to describe the children's choir, is likewise a criticism of the direction.

4. Finally: A play is a subjective experience. What you get out of it, and what you think of it, can be a very personal thing. An opinion can't be right or wrong, and everyone is titled to their own. I love getting comments about my reviews, and as far as I'm concerned, anything I write is fair game for your criticism. That's only fair, considering that I get the privilege of being the first to post. That said, I ask that you be civil with me, the cast members, production team and other posters.

Happy theater going!

JC Superstar was my poor decision to have you there on final dress, hoping, as you stated, that the review would appear on opening day and help advance ticket sales.

It is nearly always the producer's choice when a reviewer is to see a show.

Donald, I enjoyed reading your very detailed repsonse to the multitude of comments your review has sparked (I even learned a few things!) Thanks for providing a forum for such good discussion.

This review was exciting to read but a bit disappointing. I cant really insult Donald or yell at him for this review. It was pretty fair. He does his job, I do mine. Being apart of the cast I just one thing to throw out to everyone, if you didnt know, the original show we were to do was supposed to be "Jesus Christ Superstar". If I am correct we were informed that we did not get the rights to the show about 2 1/2 or 3 weeks into rehearsals. Not trying to insult Eric (He is an awesome director and fun to work with) but i dont think we should have even started rehearsals if we didnt have the rights. Even though we didnt have the rights the WHOLE cast had high hopes and felt pretty confident in recieving the rights. When they informed us that we would perform "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" we would have about four weeks to pull it off. Honestly, it was pretty tough being a high school student and having rehearsal every night until ten. But hey thats the Joy of Theater! Im glad to say that now this secong weekend i feel very confident in how we will do. Donald, I am very glad you came to review our show and thought the review was uh . . . pretty fair. Eric and Judy and everyone who is apart of this cast, You are awesome and i have really become close to all of you! This show is one of my favorite. Thanks for reading!

Thank you for posting your response as it shows that you read your own blog and that you care what our "theatre community" has to say. You did not have to do so, but you did, and that is refreshing.

Please let us keep in mind that this production of Joseph is from Muscial Theatreworks Fresno not CMT (although it is an arm of CMT); in other words, while children are involved in the show it is a community theater production with the majority of the roles going to adults (persons over the age of 18) who were chosen after exhaustive auditions.

Not unlike what you see in movies, television, theatre or other mediums, children perform with adults that have adult themes.

And, finally, I would like to thank everyone who performs in front of and in back stage of a live audience. The hard work and dedication that everyone must rise to i.e., 3-4 hour rehearsals five days a week (remember that former NFL running back Emmitt Smith said after performing on "Dancing With The Stars" that is was the hardest he ever worked)and the back stage crew building sets and preparing costumes for many hours after their day jobs is really AMAZING and shows that passion of our "theatre community". You should all be applauded "'cause if it was easy, everybody would do it".

I hope that somebody from the production of Joseph updates this blog and lets us know how this weekends shows went?????
I hope there was good attendence, according to the blog it sounds as though everyone worked really hard!!

Saw it closing night.

Donald's reviewed show is the same show I saw. Disjointed, often with pauses of nothingness waiting for music, Miranda unable to connect, Joey's voice just not for the part (and yet amazing as always.)

A very tired group of children on the steps underused and I never did 'get' the one boy thrown to the side in the beginning that gets to be part of the show. That should have been emphasized 'magic' and is instead tossed aside, barely noticable.

The light design and choreography were equally matched in their drabness (did the front lights even work??), the sound was so-so (probably part of why Daniel might have seemed drab...his microphone was way too quiet).

I've seen the show a gabillion times, and this performance featured one of the more talented casts I've ever seen (THE most talented not-for-profit cast), but they were poorly used and moved about the stage.

Is this S. Eric Day's fault?

Not so much, really. I mean, all criticism falls to the director, but to move the analogy to the sports world, the issue becomes not what Eric Day did, but rather what happened before Eric came along.

Joel Abels raised expectations through the roof as the Bobby Knight of directors. When Bobby quit, his team tanked while expectations stayed really high. The coach's abilities and philosophy really permeate throughout a team, and Abels' edgy daring-ness and high cast expectations and rigorous recruiting of Valley talent built CMT to something they just haven't been able to match much of late.

I talked to many first-time CMT audience members and many first-time "Joseph" watchers, and they loved the show, every bit. They came in with no expectations, and were (naturally) blown away by the innate talents of these amazing performers. The Pharoah-as-Elvis tune was great no matter the show, and earned the stellar applause. "Close Every Door" was touching no matter what the other concerns. Once songs got into themselves ("Those Canaan Days," "Oh No, Not He," and the others), the talent took over and made the show wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable.

It was the missing gears between those moments of pure talent and the exquisite manner of previous direction and performance ("Tommy" the standout) that makes Donald's review both completely correct and possibly unfair.

CMT will live on, and the closing crowd was packed, but let's hope they can find another great coach to bring this team back to the highest levels.

Either way, CMT is a great starting ground for kids, and I look forward to following the careers of these talented performers. It's really amazing how much talent starts in the Central Valley and ends up at the top. There's another Audra, Sharon Leal, Heidi Blickenstaff, etc right there on stage for us now.

I look forward to the next show!

I was a memeber in the production of Jospeh at CMT and I have to say it was a very fun experiance! Jospeh was a wonderful show that only got amazing responses form our audiences.Though we did have our ups and downs (as stated very clearly in Mr. Munroe's review) we put together an amazing show.Which once again brings up the question of what show did donald see?? This past weekend was a very exciting time for the cast, we had our last shows together and performed to our biggest audiences. Now Mr. Munroe's review in my opinion was very harsh and shocking, our cast was very dedicted and talented. Whether you were Joseph or one of the brothers, every person put their heart and soul into putting on an amazing show (trust me i was there). Miranda and Joey who played their narrators were both amazing at their parts, and despite constant criticism Joey was outstanding at his role and sang fantastically,( you cant get much more amazing at singing then Joey)!! And Miranda commanded the stage and sang beautifully (I'd ike to see Donald get on stage and try to styilize music like miranda :) Also many others deserve credit like Daniel who I thought was perfect for Joseph and he acted completely the opposite of bland!! Daniel deserved that role and did an amazing job! We all worked very hard and I believe that in the end CMT will remember this as a great show! And thank you to everyone who helped with the show!! You were all amazing!! :)

My family saw the March 15th Saturday matinee and loved it. The losing rights/switching shows issue shouldn't be used as an excuse, because it is not needed. This show stood on it's on two feet. I would have never known, and am actually quite in awe of how the casting worked out. Thank you to all involved for a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon!

Just FYI for Stephen:
On closing night the front row of lights decided to stop working in the middle of the show. (This is not uncommon because the light board was installed around 1963 just shortly before the company that made it went out of business. Thus it is near impossible to replace a part if it breaks. Believe me we have tried! ) All efforts were made to work around that particular problem for the rest of the show but we weren't always successful.

Thanks for coming to the show!

I was WONDERING!! What a terrible thing to happen, light board op! Way to muster through it using spotlights.

We didn't see "Joseph," but I wanted to add my two cents regarding the losing of rights and a director's responsibility.

We have been through the awful experience of losing rights to a show. Last fall, we planned to stage "Equus." We had a concept, a cast, a soundtrack. We'd had two table reads with the cast. We were ready to move forward when the rights to the show were pulled indefinitely. Needless to say, it was a crushing blow for all of us. Greg and I spent a weekend poring over the DPS and Samuel French catalogs, then read a dozen plays between the two of us. We settled on "Childe Byron," which was a critical and financial success. We lost some actors to other shows and brought in some new artists who we loved working with. Bottom line, instead of bemoaning our situation we sucked it up and did what needed to be done.

As far as a director's responsibility to a production, I have to take Stephen to task for his comment:

"I've seen the show a gabillion times, and this performance featured one of the more talented casts I've ever seen (THE most talented not-for-profit cast), but they were poorly used and moved about the stage.

Is this S. Eric Day's fault?

Not so much, really. I mean, all criticism falls to the director, but to move the analogy to the sports world, the issue becomes not what Eric Day did, but rather what happened before Eric came along."

Come on, Stephen. It's not the director's fault when an show tanks? Please!
If those kids in the "Joseph" cast were poorly used, it is certainly the director's fault. Ultimately, the quality of a show is based on the director's casting choices, concept and leadership. Unless the actors, at the last minute, decide to go rogue and reinvent the show in performance, the show is what was put together in rehearsal. If it doesn't work, then the buck stops with the director. At Ventoux, our actors know this and know that our job is to help them give the best possible performance by having a clear vision, giving them the tools to work with, and setting a positive example as a leader.

I guess what I was trying to say, Ventoux, was that Eric's show, to a first-time viewer, was really really good.

To a longtime fan of CMT, tho, it fell short of what CMT has been doing now for years.

Not knowing what the hoo happened in the deal, I would venture that Eric did the best he could with what he had...and the difference between your situations is this:

Eric lost the one show he applied to direct, and filled in on a show his heart may not have been too involved with. He didn't go through interviews to direct 'Joseph,' but he did.

You guys own your own company, and are therefore attached directly with all your heart to each and every thing you direct/produce, etc. Childe Byron therefore became YOUR choice (second choice, but still your choice), while Eric was sorta crunched into CMT's choice.

Again, I have NO idea what happened, but I'm giving Eric a pass on this one for the above reasons.

But that's just me...

Stephen: There are reasons for everything, but eventually one must draw a line to mark when the reasons become excuses.

I think Joseph marks the end of an era. Joel had a respect for theatre and all it's facets. I think Joseph is a clear sign that cmt/musical theatreworks fresno no longer respects the technical side of it's theatre productions. Beauty and The Beast was a prime example. None of the special effects were executed well by any means. It was as if the production never had a technical rehearsal in which all the elements of the effect (i.e. Lighting, sound, fog) came together. They need one voice that unifies the productions vision. Until the technical portion of the productions is given some thought and rehearsal the productions will continue in their downhill spiral.

Well. I thought I'd be able to make it through all this commentary without speaking-up, but "Concerned"'s remark finally (for lack of a better word) riled me.
Yes, Joel achieved many good productions, but (like Elvis) he has "left the building". What people seemed to forget is the organization that supported his dream is still in place and to suggest this dedicated group of volunteers have no respect for theatre in all it's facets is alittle insulting.
True, the expertise is wanting, and that is why the organization is actively looking for those people that have the skills and knowledge that will keep the quality high.
Also, technical concerns have ALWAYS been problematic at the Memorial Auditorium due to the age of the equipment and electrical systems. Trust me, Joel had his fair share technical SNAFU's.
To sum things up, CMT is continuing it's TRUE mission to give kids (no matter what their social or economic status) the oppurtunity to perform in and explore the realm of musical theatre.
After 11 years of being envolved with CMT I still love this company and have fond memories, but I feel the best is yet to come and I challenge those people (such as Concerned) to join with us to make CMT the best it can be!

I think Joseph is just a new rung on the ladder. I'm sure Joel had is fair share of technical nightmares, but had experience in using smoke and mirrors ( that he knew of in that theater). It takes a while to smoke out all the gremlins in a theater. When a new person steps in those little monsters try the same ol' tricks or even new ones. I think CMT will find it's footing again. Joseph was a hiccup reminder that there are times we're at the mercy of change.

Finally! CMT gets real criticsm it deserves. Thank you SO much for this, Donald.