Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat

A week from yesterday, I went to the Rep, a theater in downtown Little Rock, and saw Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a retelling of the Bible story that includes contemporary figures and cultures. For example, Potipher was an Italian gang leader, Pharaoh was Elvis, and Joseph's brothers changed roles from cowboys to Frenchmen to Jamaicans.

This modernized version started out well, I thought. But things started to fall and fast. They mentioned God maybe once in the entire play. Joseph was given credit for all of the amazing things that happened. When in prison and ask by the cup bearer and the baker, the scantily clad Joseph replied, "I don't if I can, but I'll give it a try." The same thing happened when he was brought before Pharaoh and asked to interpret more dreams.

Genesis 41:16 - "Joseph answered Pharaoh, 'It is not in me[interpreting dreams];God will give Pharaoh a favorable answer.'"

After the dream was interpreted, Joseph told Pharaoh to appoint someone trustworthy to be in charge over the food. As he asked who this person might be, he turned to the crowd and pointed at himself behind Pharaoh's back.

Joseph was represented as prideful and selfish. In the world's eye's, he was a good guy that bad things happened to, but who could make a different if "given a chance." They took a great story filled with God's power and glory, and polluted it with false credit, self-proclaimed honor, and inappropriate dress in order to "modernize it."

Christians, beware. Beware of the world. This is what the world thinks of the stories that build our faith. Be careful of misrepresentation. We should have screened the play before we saw it, but I think God used this play to show me that I can never let my Christian morals take place only in my church life. Carry them with you everywhere. Keep your guard up. The world is dangerous to Christians. I only named a few of the problems with the play, and they were still enough to cause serious damage. The world will try to take glory away from God.

Here is the scary part: People were laughing. They thought it was funny. They thought that the mockery of our God, the God of the universe, who could obliterate everyone with a single word, was a great, humorous way to enjoy the evening. That is the danger. It's a lie. It is a lie used by Satan to draw people away from God.

I would strongly advise and caution all Christians against seeing this play. Even if it's free. Even if you have already bought your tickets, don't go see it. Like me you might say, "But I don't want to waste the money," or you might make up another excuse. But what's more important: excepting that it's bad and that you blew some money because of ignorance or going to see it anyway and damaging your soul?

Matthew 7:15 - "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves."