![\"Brian](\"https:\/\/www.presstelegram.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GRG-L-THEATER-COL-0625-02-1.jpg?w=620\")
<\/p>\nLong before \u201cCats,\u201d \u201cEvita,\u201d or \u201cThe Phantom of the Opera,\u201d a young British writer struck theatrical gold with a musical about a dreamer in a colorful coat.<\/p>\n
What began as a modest 15-minute cantata written for a London school in 1968 steadily grew into a full-length phenomenon, launching the remarkable partnership of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber and setting the stage for one of musical theater\u2019s most successful collaborations.<\/p>\n
That irresistible early hit comes to life when \u201cJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat\u201d comes to Long Beach from July 10 through July 26 at Musical Theatre West, bringing its infectious energy, larger-than-life storytelling, and nonstop parade of musical styles to Southern California.<\/p>\n
Loosely based on the biblical story of Joseph from the Book of Genesis, the musical follows the favored son whose prophetic dreams earn the jealousy of his eleven brothers.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Brian Justin Crum as Joseph in Musical Theatre West\u2019s production of \u201cJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,\u201d on show through July 26, 2026. (Photo courtesy of MTW).\n<\/p>\n
Show Caption<\/p>\n
1 of 1<\/p>\n
Brian Justin Crum as Joseph in Musical Theatre West\u2019s production of \u201cJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,\u201d on show through July 26, 2026. (Photo courtesy of MTW).\n<\/p>\n
Expand<\/a><\/p>\n Sold into slavery and seemingly abandoned, Joseph\u2019s unwavering faith in his dreams ultimately leads him from prison to the palace, where his gift for interpreting dreams changes the course of a nation.<\/p>\n But biblical drama is only part of the appeal. \u201cJoseph\u201d is one of musical theatre\u2019s most gleefully over-the-top shows, embracing a playful, almost camp, sensibility from beginning to end.<\/p>\n Rice and Lloyd Webber pack the score with stylistic pastiches \u2014 pop, rock, country, calypso, French ballads, Elvis-inspired rock \u2018n\u2019 roll \u2014 creating a musical revue disguised as a Bible story.<\/p>\n The show is also famous for featuring two of musical theater\u2019s biggest marathon performances.<\/p>\n Joseph (played by Brian Justin Crum) is onstage for much of the show, requiring a charismatic leading performer with both vocal stamina and emotional warmth. Equally demanding is the Narrator (played by Daebreon Poiema), who serves as storyteller and driving force, carrying the audience through nearly every scene with a powerhouse vocal performance.<\/p>\n Be sure to grab your tickets soon, as this one is sure to be popular. Visit musical.org<\/a> for tickets and showtimes.<\/p>\n LBSC<\/p>\n Few comedies have aged as gracefully as Oscar Wilde\u2019s \u201cThe Importance of Being Earnest.\u201d<\/p>\n Long Beach Shakespeare Company embraces that timelessness with a new production opening July 10, blending the play\u2019s 1880s Victorian setting with the colorful aesthetics of the 1980s New Romantics movement to create a playful collision of two eras known for their extravagance and flair.<\/p>\n The story follows the charmingly deceptive Jack and Algernon, who invent alternate identities to escape the burdens of respectable society \u2014 only to find themselves tangled in romance, family revelations and increasingly absurd complications.<\/p>\n Beneath its sparkling dialogue and outrageous humor lies Wilde\u2019s sharp critique of social conventions, class expectations, and the performative nature of identity.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a fitting production for a company dedicated to Shakespeare, especially considering Wilde\u2019s famously complicated relationship with England\u2019s greatest playwright. Wilde often dismissed Shakespeare\u2019s near-sacred reputation with characteristic irreverence, poking fun at the Bard\u2019s cultural dominance and criticizing what he saw as excessive reverence for his works.<\/p>\n Yet despite those barbs, Wilde\u2019s own plays share much with Shakespeare\u2019s comedies: mistaken identities, romantic misunderstandings, memorable wordplay and an abiding belief that human folly makes for an excellent evening of theater.<\/p>\n Long Beach Shakespeare Company\u2019s production celebrates those connections while offering audiences a fresh visual take on one of the English language\u2019s greatest comedies.<\/p>\n Head to lbshakespeare.org<\/a> for tickets.<\/p>\n Rod Briggs Gallery<\/p>\n The exhibition \u201cBefore & After: Photographic Transformation\u201d opened June 21 at the Long Beach Creative Group\u2019s Rod Briggs Gallery, exploring nearly two centuries of photographic experimentation.<\/p>\n Today, the art of photography is incredibly accessible. With a few taps on a smartphone, anyone can erase backgrounds, remove distractions, or transform an ordinary snapshot into something surreal.<\/p>\n But long before filters and AI-powered editing, photographers were finding inventive, complex ways to manipulate their images by hand.<\/p>\n That rich history is the focus of \u201cBefore & After,\u201d which showcases how artists have stretched the medium beyond simple documentation into imaginative works of art.<\/p>\n An image by artist Nick Capito, which will be featured at the Rodd Briggs Gallery\u2019s \u201cBefore & After: Photographic Transformation\u201d exhibit. (Courtesy of Nick Capito\/Rodd Briggs Gallery).\n<\/p>\n Show Caption<\/p>\n 1 of 1<\/p>\n An image by artist Nick Capito, which will be featured at the Rodd Briggs Gallery\u2019s \u201cBefore & After: Photographic Transformation\u201d exhibit. (Courtesy of Nick Capito\/Rodd Briggs Gallery).\n<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.presstelegram.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/GRG-L-THEATER-COL-0625-01.jpeg?w=620\")
<\/p>\n