Prologue
-- You Are What You Feel
NARRATOR:
Some
folks dream of the wonders they'll do Before their time on this
planet is through Some just don't have anything planned They hide
their hopes and their heads in the sand Now I don't say who is
wrong, who is right But if by chance you are here for the night
Then all I need is an hour or two To tell the tale of a dreamer
like you
We all
dream a lot -- some are lucky, some are not But if you think it,
want it, dream it, then it's real You are what you feel
But
all that I say can be told another way In the story of a boy
whose dreams came true And he could be you
Jacob
and Sons
NARRATOR:
Way
way back many centuries ago, not long after the Bible began Jacob
lived in the land of Canaan, a fine example of a family man
Jacob, Jacob and sons, depended on farming to earn their keep
Jacob, Jacob and sons, spent all of their days in the fields with
sheep
Jacob
was the founder of a whole new nation, Thanks to the number of
children he'd had He was also known as Israel but most of the
time His sons and his wives used to call him dad Jacob, Jacob and
sons, men of the soil, of the sheaf and crook Jacob, Jacob and
sons, a remarkable family in anyone's book
Reuben
was the eldest of the children of Israel, With Simeon and Levi
the next in line Napthali and Isaachar with Asher and Dan,
Zebulun and Gad took the total to nine Jacob, Jacob and sons,
Benjamin and Judah, which leaves only one Jacob, Jacob and sons,
Joseph -- Jacob's favorite son
Jacob,
Jacob and sons
Joseph's
Coat (The Coat of Many Colors)
JACOB:
Joseph's
mother, she was quite my favorite wife I never really loved
another all my life And Joseph was my joy because He reminded me
of her
BROTHERS:
Yechh!!
NARRATOR:
Through
young Joseph, Jacob lived his youth again Loved him, praised him,
gave him all he could, but then It made the rest feel second best
And even if they were --
BROTHERS:
Being
told were also-rans Does not make us Joseph fans
NARRATOR:
But
where they have really missed the boat is
BROTHERS:
We're
great guys but no-one seems to notice Joseph's charm and winning
smiles Fail to slay us in the aisles
NARRATOR:
And
their father couldn't see the danger He could not imagine any
danger He just saw in Joseph all his dreams come true
Jacob
wanted to show the world he loved his son To make it clear that
Joseph was the special one So Jacob bought his son a coat A
multi-colored coat to wear
BROTHERS:
Joseph's
coat was elegant, the cut was fine The tasteful style was the
ultimate in good design And this is why it caught the eye A king
would stop and stare
JOSEPH:
When I
got to try it on I knew my sheepskin days were gone
NARRATOR:
Such a
dazzling coat of many colors
BROTHERS:
How he
loved his coat of many colors In a class above the rest It even
went well with his vest
NARRATOR:
Such a
stunning coat of many colors How he loved his coat of many colors
It was red and yellow and green and brown and blue
Joseph's
brothers weren't too pleased with what they saw
BROTHERS:
We had
never liked him all that much before And now this coat Has got
our goat We feel life is unfair
NARRATOR:
And
when Joseph graced the scene His brothers turned a shade of green
His astounding clothing took the biscuit
BROTHERS:
Quite
the smoothest person in the district
JOSEPH:
I look
handsome, I look smart I am a walking work of art Such a dazzling
coat of many colors How I love my coat of many colors
NARRATOR
& ALL:
It was
red and yellow and green and brown And scarlet and black and
ochre and peach And ruby and olive and violet and fawn And lilac
and gold and chocolate and mauve And cream and crimson and silver
and rose And azure and lemon and russet and grey And purple and
white and pink and orange And red and yellow and green and brown
and blue
Joseph's
Dreams
NARRATOR:
Joseph's
coat annoyed his brothers
BROTHERS:
But
what makes us mad Are the things that Joseph tells us of the
dreams he's often had
JOSEPH:
I
dreamed that in the fields one day, the corn gave me a sign Your
eleven sheaves of corn all turned and bowed to mine My sheaf was
quite a sight to see, a golden sheaf and tall Yours were green
and second-rate and really rather small
BROTHERS:
This
is not the kind of thing we brothers like to hear It seems to us
that Joseph and his dreams should disappear
JOSEPH:
I
dreamed I saw eleven stars, the sun and moon and sky Bowing down
before my star, it made me wonder why Could it be that I was born
for higher things than you? A post in someone's government, a
ministry or two?
BROTHERS:
The
dreams of our dear brother are the decade's biggest yawn His talk
of stars and golden sheaves is just a load of corn Not only is he
tactless but he's also rather dim For there's eleven of us and
there's only one of him
The
dreams of course will not come true That is, we think they won't
come true That is, we hope they won't come true What if he's
right all along?
The
dreams are more than crystal clear, the writing on the wall Means
that Joseph some day soon will rise above us all The accuracy of
the dreams we brothers do not know But one thing we are sure
about -- the dreamer has to go!
Poor
Poor Joseph
NARRATOR:
Next
day, far from home, the brothers planned the repulsive crime
BROTHERS:
Let us
grab him now, do him in, while we've got the time
NARRATOR:
This
they did and made the most of it Tore his coat and flung him in a
pit
BROTHERS:
Let us
leave him here, all alone, and he's bound to die
NARRATOR:
When
some Ishmaelites, a hairy crew, came riding by In a flash the
brothers changed their plan
BROTHERS:
We
need cash! Let's sell him if we can
CHORUS
OF WEEPING MAIDENS:
Poor
poor Joseph, what'cha gonna do? Things look bad for you, hey,
what'cha gonna do?
BROTHERS:
Could
you use a slave, you hairy bunch of Ishmaelites? Young, strong,
well-behaved, going cheap and he reads and writes
NARRATOR:
In a
trice the dirty deed was done Silver coins for Jacob's favorite
son Then the Ishmaelites galloped off with a slave in tow Off to
JOSEPH:
And I
don't speak Egyptian very well
NARRATOR:
Joseph's
brothers tore his precious multi-colored coat Having ripped it
up, they next attacked a passing goat Soon the wretched creature
was no more They dipped his coat in blood and guts and gore
Oh now
brothers, how low can you stoop? You make a sorry group, hey, how
low can you stoop? Poor poor Joseph, sold to be a slave
Situation's grave, hey, sold to be a slave
One
More Angel in Heaven
BROTHERS
(Levi sings lead):
Father,
we've something to tell you, a story of our time A tragic but
inspiring tale of manhood in its prime You know you had a dozen
sons -- well now that's not quite true But feel no sorrow, do not
grieve, he would not want you to
There's
one more angel in Heaven There's one more star in the sky Joseph
we'll never forget you It's tough but we're gonna get my There's
one less place at our table There's one more tear in my eye But
Joseph the things that you stood for Like -- er, truth and light
never die
When I
think of his last great battle A lump comes to my throat It takes
a man who knows not fear To wrestle with a goat His blood-stained
coat is tribute to his final sacrifice His body may be past its
peak but his soul's in paradise
There's
one less place at our table There's one more tear in my eye But
Joseph the things that you stood for Like truth and light never
die Carve his name with pride and courage Let no tear be shed If
he had not laid down his life we all would now be dead
There's
one more angel in Heaven There's one more star in the sky Joseph
we'll never forget you It's tough but we're gonna get my
Potiphar
POTIPHAR:
Potiphar
had very few cares I was one of
Potiphar
had made a huge pile Owned a large percentage of the Nile Meant
that I could really live in style and I did
Joseph
was an unimportant slave who found he liked his master
Consequently worked much harder, even with devotion Potiphar
could see that Joseph was a cut above the average Made him leader
of the household, maximum promotion Potiphar was cool and so fine
But his wife would never toe the line It's all there in chapter
thirty-nine Of Genesis
She
was beautiful but evil Saw a lot of men against his will He would
have to tell her that she still Was his
Joseph's
looks and handsome figure had attracted her attention Every
morning she would beckon
POTIPHAR'S
WIFE:
Come
and lie with me love
POTIPHAR:
Joseph
wanted to resist her, till one day she proved too eager Joseph
cried in vain
JOSEPH:
Please
stop! I don't believe in free love
POTIPHAR:
Potiphar
was counting shekels in his den below the bedroom When he heard a
mighty rumpus clattering above him Suddenly he knew his riches
couldn't buy him what he wanted Gold would never make him happy
if she didn't love him
NARRATOR:
Letting
out a mighty roar Potiphar burst through the door
POTIPHAR:
Joseph,
I'll see you rot in jail The things you have done are beyond the
pale
CHORUS
OF WEEPING MAIDENS:
Poor
poor Joseph, locked up in a cell Things ain't going well, hey,
locked up in a cell
Close
Every Door
JOSEPH:
Close
every door to me, hide all the world from me Bar all the windows
and shut out the light Do what you want with me, hate me and
laugh at me Darken my daytime and torture my night
If my
life were important I would ask will I live or die But I know the
answers lie far from this world Close every door to me, keep
those I love from me Children of Israel are never alone For I
know I shall find my own peace of mind For I have been promised a
land of my own
Just
give me a number instead of my name Forget all about me and let
me decay I do not matter, I'm only one person Destroy me
completely then throw me away
If my
life were important I would ask will I live or die But I know the
answers lie far from this world Close every door to me, keep
those I love from me Children of Israel are never alone For we
know we shall find our own peace of mind For we have been
promised a land of our own
Go
Go Go Joseph
NARRATOR:
Joseph's
luck was really out, his spirits and his fortune low Alone he
sat, alone he thought of happy times he used to know Hey dreamer!
Don't be so upset Hey Joseph! You're not beaten yet
Go Go
Go Joseph you know what they say Hang on now Joseph you'll make
it one day Don't give up Joseph fight till you drop We've read
the book and you come out on top
Now
into Joseph's prison cell were flung two very frightened men
BAKER
& BUTLER:
We
don't think that we will ever see the light of day again Hey
Joseph! Help us if you can We've had dreams that we don't
understand
NARRATOR:
Both
men were servants of Pharaoh the king Both in the doghouse for
doing their thing One was a baker, a cook in his prime One was a
butler, the Jeeves of his time
JOSEPH:
Tell
me of your dreams my friends, and I will tell you what they show
Though I cannot guarantee to get it right, I'll have a go
NARRATOR:
First
the butler, trembling, took the floor Nervously he spoke of what
he saw
There
I was standing in front of a vine I picked some grapes and I
crushed them for wine I gave it to Pharaoh who drank from my cup
I tried to interpret but I had to give up
JOSEPH:
You
will soon be free, my friend, so do not worry any more The king
will let you out of here, you'll buttle as you did before
NARRATOR:
Next
the baker rose to tell his dream Hoping it would have a similar
theme
BAKER:
There
I was standing with baskets of bread High in the sky I saw birds
overhead Who flew to the baskets and ate every slice Give me the
message -- like his would be nice
JOSEPH:
Sad to
say your dream is not the kind of dream I'd like to get Pharaoh
has it in for you, your execution date is set Don't rely on all I
say I saw It's just that I have not been wrong before
NARRATOR:
Go Go
Go Joseph you know what they say Hang on now Joseph you'll make
it one day Go Go Go Joseph you're doing fine You and your
dreamcoat -- ahead of your time
Pharaoh
Story
NARRATOR:
Pharaoh,
he was a powerful man With the ancient world in the palm of his
hand To all intents and purposes he Was Egypt with a capital E
Whatever he did he was showered with praise If he cracked a joke
then you chortled for days No-one had rights or a vote but the
king In fact you might say he was fairly right-wing When
Pharaoh's around, then you get down on the ground If you ever
find yourself near Rameses -- get down on your knees
HANDMAIDENS:
A
Pharaoh story, a Pharaoh story
NARRATOR:
Down
at the other end of the scale Joseph is still doing time in jail
For even though he is in with the guards A lifetime in prison
seems quite on the cards But if my analysis of the position is
right At the end of the tunnel there's a glimmer of light For all
of a sudden indescribable things Have shattered the sleep of both
peasants and kings Strange as it seems, there's been a run of
crazy dreams And a man who can interpret could go far -- could
become a star
HANDMAIDENS:
Could
be famous, could be a big success
NARRATOR:
Could
be a star!
Poor
Poor Pharaoh
NARRATOR:
Guess
what? In his bed Pharaoh had an uneasy night He had had a dream
that pinned him to his sheets with fright No-one knew the meaning
of the dream What to do? Whatever could it mean? Then his butler
said
I know
a bloke in jail Who is hot on dreams, could explain old Pharaoh's
tale
NARRATOR:
Pharaoh
said fetch this Joseph man I need him to help me if he can
CHORUS:
Poor
poor Pharaoh, what'cha gonna do? Dreams are haunting you, hey,
what'cha gonna do?
NARRATOR:
Chained
and bound, afraid, alone Joseph stood before the throne
JOSEPH:
My
service to Pharaoh has begun Tell me your problems, mighty one
Song
of the King
PHARAOH:
Well I
was wandering along by the banks of the river when seven fat cows
came out of the Nile And right behind them fine healthy animals
came seven other cows, skinny and vile Well the thin cows ate the
fat cows which I thought would do them good But it didn't make
them fatter like I thought a monster supper should Because the
thin ones were as thin as they had ever ever been This dream has
got me baffled, hey Joseph, tell me what it means
C'mon
you know that kings ain't stupid But I don't have a clue So don't
be cruel Joseph You gotta help me now I beg of you
I was
standing doing nothing in a field out of town -- I saw seven
beautiful ears of corn They were ripe they were golden but you
guessed it right behind them were seven other ears -- tattered
and torn Then the bad corn ate the good corn man they came up
right behind yes they did And Joseph here's the punchline it's
really gonna blow your mind -- flip your lid Because the bad corn
was as bad as it had ever ever been This dream has got me all
shook up, treat me nice and tell me what it means Hey hey Joseph
won't you tell me what this crazy dream really means
Pharaoh's
Dream Explained
JOSEPH:
Seven
years of bumper crops are on their way Years of plenty, endless
wheat and tons of hay Your farms will boom, there won't be room
To store the surplus food you grow After that, the future doesn't
look so bright Egypt's luck will change completely overnight And
famine's hand will stalk the land With food an all-time low Noble
king, there is no doubt What your dream is all about All these
things you saw in your pajamas Are a long-range forecast for your
farmers And I'm sure it's crossed your mind What it is you have
to find Find a man to lead you through the famine With a flair
for economic planning But who this man would be I just don't know
Stone
the Crows
NARRATOR:
Pharaoh
said --
PHARAOH:
Well
stone the crows, this Joseph is a clever kid Who'd have thought
that fourteen cows could mean the things he said they did?
Joseph, you must help me further; I have found a job for you You
shall lead us through this crisis -- you shall be my number two
NARRATOR:
Pharaoh
told his guards to fetch a chisel from the local store Whereupon
he ordered them to cut the chains that Joseph wore Joseph got a
royal pardon and a host of splendid things A chariot of gold, a
cloak, a medal and some signet rings Joseph -- Pharaoh's number
two Joseph -- Egypt looks to you Seven summers on the trot were
perfect just as Joseph said Joseph saw that food was gathered
ready for the years ahead Seven years of famine followed.
ADORING
GIRLS:
Joseph
how can we ever say All that we want to about you? We're so glad
that you came our way We would have perished without you
PHARAOH:
Joseph
we are the perfect team Old buddies you and me I was wise to have
chosen you You'll be wise to agree We were in a jam Would have
baffled Abraham But now we're a partnership it's just a piece of
cake
ADORING
GIRLS:
Greatest
man since Noah Only goes to shoah
JOSEPH:
Anyone
from anywhere can make it if he gets a lucky break!
NARRATOR:
This
could be the happy ending, perfect place to stop the show Joseph
after all has got about as far as he can go But I'm sure that
Jacob and his other sons have crossed your mind How had famine
hit the family Joseph left behind?
Those
BROTHERS
(Reuben sings lead):
Do you
remember the good years in
Those
Do you
remember those wonderful parties? The splendour of Canaan's
cuisine Those extravagant, elegant soirees The gayest the Bible
has seen It's funny but since we lost Joseph We've gone to the
other extreme No-one comes to dinner now We'd only eat them
anyhow I even find I'm missing Joseph's dreams
Those
It's
funny, but since we lost Joseph We've gone to the other extreme
Perhaps we all misjudged the lad Perhaps he wasn't quite that bad
And how we miss his entertaining dreams
Those
The
Brothers Come to
NARRATOR:
So
back in
BROTHERS:
For
the famine has caught us unprepared We are thin, we are ill, we
are getting scared It's enough to make anyone weep We are down to
our very last sheep We will starve if we hang around here And in
Egypt there's food going spare They've got corn, they've got
meat, they've got food and drinks And if we have the time we
could see the Sphinx
NARRATOR:
So
they finally decided to go Off to
BROTHERS:
Mighty
prince, give us something to eat!
NARRATOR:
Joseph
found it a strain not to laugh because Not a brother among them
knew who he ws
Joseph:
I
shall now take them all for a ride After all they have tried
fratricide
Grovel
Grovel
JOSEPH:
I
dreamed that in the fields one day, the corn gave me a sign Your
eleven sheaves of corn all turned and bowed to mine I dreamed I
saw eleven stars, the sun and moon and sky Bowing down before my
star -- and now I realize why
How do
I know where you come from? You could be spies Telling me that
you are hungry -- that could be lies How do I know who you are?
Why do you think I should help you? Would you help me? Why on
earth should I believe you? I've no guarantee
BROTHERS:
Grovel,
grovel, cringe, bow, stoop, fall Worship, worship, beg, kneel,
sponge, crawl
We are
just eleven brothers, good men and true Though we know we count
for nothing when up next to you Honesty's our middle name Life is
slowly ebbing from us, hope's almost gone It's getting very hard
to see us from sideways on
Grovel,
grovel, cringe, bow, stoop, fall Worship, worship, beg, kneel,
sponge, crawl
JOSEPH:
I
rather like the way you're talking, astute and sincere Suddenly
your tragic story gets me right here
BROTHERS:
This
is what we hoped you'd say
JOSEPH:
All
this tugging at my heartstrings seems quite justified I shall
give you what you came for and lots more beside
BROTHERS:
Thank
you, thank you, cringe, bow, stoop, fall Worship, worship, beg,
kneel, sponge, crawl
NARRATOR:
Joseph
handed them sackloads of food And they grovelled with base
gratitude Then, unseen, Joseph nipped out around the back And
planted a cup in young Benjamin's sack When the brothers were
ready to go Joseph turned to them all with a terrible stare and
said No! No! No! No! No!
Who's
the Thief?
JOSEPH:
Stop!
You robbers -- your little number's up! One of you has stolen my
precious golden cup!
NARRATOR:
Joseph
started searching through his brothers' sacks Everyone was
nervous, no-one could relax Who's the thief? Who's the thief? Is
it Reuben? No! Is it Simeon? No! Is it Napthali? No! Is it Dan?
No! Is it Asher? No! Is it Isaachar? No! Is it Levi? No! Who's
the man? Is it Zebulun? No! Is it Gad? No! Is it
JOSEPH:
Benjamin,
you nasty youth, your crime has shocked me to the core Never in
my whole career have I encountered this before Guards, seize him!
Lock him in a cell! Throw the key into the
HANDMAIDENS:
Each
of the brothers fell to his knees
BROTHERS:
Show
him some mercy oh mighty one please He would not do this, he must
have been framed Jail us and beat us, we should be blamed
Benjamin
Calypso
BROTHERS
(Napthali sings lead):
Oh no
-- not he How you can accuse him is a mystery Save him -- take me
Benjamin is straighter dan de tall palm tree
I hear
de steel drums sing dere song Dey singing man you know you got it
wrong I hear de voice of de yellow bird Singing in de tree dis is
quite absurd
Oh yes
-- it's true Benjamin is straighter dan de big bamboo No ifs, no
buts Benjamin is honest as coconuts
Sure
as de tide wash de golden sand Benjamin is an innocent man Sure
as bananas need de sun We are de criminal guilty ones
Oh no
-- not he How you can accuse him is a mystery Save him -- take me
Benjamin is straighter dan de tall palm tree
Joseph
All the Time
NARRATOR:
And
Joseph knew by this his brothers now were honest men The time had
come at last to reunite them all again
JOSEPH:
Can't
you recognize my face? Is it hard to see? That Joseph, who you
thought was dead, your brother, is me?
BROTHERS:
Joseph!
Joseph! Is it really true? Joseph! Joseph! Is it really you?
Joseph! Joseph!
Jacob
in
NARRATOR:
So
Jacob came to
Any
Dream Will Do
JOSEPH:
I
closed my eyes, drew back the curtain To see for certain what I
thought I knew Far far away, someone was weeping But the world
was sleeping Any dream will do
I wore
my coat with golden lining Bright colors shining, wonderful and
new And in the east, the dawn was breaking And the world was
waking Any dream will do
A
crash of drums, a flash of light My golden coat flew out of sight
The colors faded into darkness I was left alone
May I
return to the beginning The light is dimming, and the dream is
too The world and I, we are still waiting Still hesitating Any
dream will do
Give
me my colored coat, my amazing colored coat! Give me my colored
coat, my amazing colored coat!