David Archuleta dons a loincloth and handcuffs in this musical of biblical proportion
From the stage of American Idol to the theatrical boomtown of Ivins, Utah, David Archuleta bares his soul (and his chest) in a new production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Featuring music by Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice, Joseph premiered on the West end in 1973 and didn’t jump the pond to Broadway until 1982.
Several successful revivals have been produced over the years, including ones with David Cassidy and Donny Osmond.Related: 5 stage shows that had audiences gagging over full-frontal male nudityArchuleta will be singing his way through the Old Testament in Webber and Rice’s Joseph, based on the story from the Book of Genesis.
The show’s Act 1 finale, “Close Every Door” depicts a shirtless, jailed Joseph yearning for freedom and a land of his own. In some ways, the character parallels the singer’s journey as he openly explores and defines his queer identity, singing:“Anything I’ve really accomplished in life has come from doing things I don’t feel comfortable doing,” the singer told The Salt Lake Tribune. “I would’ve been fine if I was created as a rock in the desert, sitting still and basking in the sun.
