This Weekend: Live Musical Theater, Complete with Eight-piece Orchestra, All for $7

DIY Teen Theatre members have been working five days a week for the past six weeks on their fourth annual summer show, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

All that hard work is about to pay off as the 41 young actors in grades three through nine perform in the adaptation of the well-loved Bible story at 7 p.m. Friday, July 27; 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, July 28; and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 29 at Visitation School, 851 S. York Road in Elmhurst.

DIY Teen Theatre, , 17, allows teens and younger kids to work together with minimal adult help to bring a musical to the stage. They plan and budget for the show, obtain the production license, run auditions, teach music and dance, create costumes, sell tickets and take care of hundreds of other details involved in producing a live musical.

And for a ticket price of only $7, available at the door, attendees will get live theater complete with an eight-piece orchestra conducted by Abi Arnold, 18.

Knudsen chose Joseph not only because it's funny, but for the range of musical styles the actors get to perform—everything from country and hillbilly to disco-frenzy and Rock 'n Roll Elvis-style.

“My dream role has always been the Narrator in Joseph,” Knudsen said. “So it is fun for me to teach other actors how to portray that part just how I would play it.

"People don’t realize how funny this show is. It’s an opportunity for everyone to show off their comedic talents, as well as performing non-stop song and dance.” 

Along with Alex Mimlitz, 17, Delena Obermaier, 16, and Matt Johnson, 18, Knudsen leads a cast of 41 children in grades three through nine. They appear in multiple roles and bring to the stage as many talents as there are colors in Joseph’s amazing coat.

“These kids are not just adorable, they work really hard,” choreographer Caitlin McManus, 18, said. “They learn challenging dance routines with great energy and a natural sense of fun.” 

The show brings the Bible story to life in a way only Broadway can, co-Director Delena Obermaier, 16, said. "It's just magic."