by erin thursby scopes1925@msn.com
What: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
When: October 17th -22nd
Where: Times Union Center for the Performing Arts
Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be visiting Jacksonville from October 17th through the 22nd. Tickets can be purchased by calling (904) 632-3373 or at www.artistseries.fccj.org. EU recently caught up with Adam Ryan Tackett, the actor who plays the lead role of Joseph to quiz him about the show, as well as his life as an actor.
EU: What is it about playing a dreamer that you like?
Packett: I think it’s important that [people]… see dreams come true. The show really has a positive message to it.
EU: What do you do before a show to prepare?
Packett: I kind of get into my show mode. I think from an outsider’s standpoint, I get pretty quiet. I get really focused …I focus on going through the show in my head.
EU: What do you find challenging about the role?
Packett: Just to tell the story and find the truth in it—that’s what it’s all about for me… It’s so fun, colorful, with great chorography and great music…so over the top with musical theater, but you do have to remember that there’s a grounding story… I think it’s important to make that clear and bring through the real message of the story.
EU: What was the audition process like?
Packett: I went to a dancer audition for Joseph and I got called back. They gave me Joseph’s music and that was it…Then they called me and offered me the role.
EU: Can you tell us about your previous performance experiences?
Packett: I studied theatre in college at Shenandoah Conservatory in Virginia. Got my BFA in musical theatre, then…I worked in for Disney in Tokyo, Japan for a year. I did a brief stint on the national tour of Singin’ In the Rain, which I left for Cats…Summer stock, cruise lines, theme parks—you name it, I did it.
EU: What was your experience like in Japan?
Packett: We had our own studio apartments. I rode my bike to the train station and I shopped in the Japanese grocery store. I bought many things that I thought were something else till I got the hang of it…It was a great experience, I loved it.
EU: What’s your favorite food to eat on tour?
Packett: I usually pick up fruit wherever I can and I carry a jar of peanut butter with me, because you can always live on peanut butter…I’m not a very picky eater. I like Thai and sushi…
EU: Can you tell me anything about the costumes for the show?
Packett: Well, they’re very colorful. My Dreamcoat is just really fun and it’s very heavy. There’s… different motifs that [the show]…goes through. Of course there’s the Egyptian stuff and some things have, like, a modern flair. So there’s a big variety, lots of color…
EU: Who have you enjoyed working with in the show and why?
Packett: We’re only two weeks into the run, but I have to say: the cast has great energy…I’d have to say the whole cast. I’ve had a positive experience so far.
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