Chicago Tribune - Not Recommended
"...I don't doubt the director, Alan Souza, wanted to do something fresh and postmodern. But why bother with a show that you clearly do not respect? Shorn of all heart and emotion, "Any Dream Will Do" is sung to security guards, I kid you not. Frankly, that put me in mind of a recent awful Vegas shooting incident, which is not where you want to go. Bad. Bad. Bad."
Chicago Sun Times - Highly Recommended
"...The score (with sensational arrangements by Bukowiecki) is still a playful melange of pop styles (rock, country western, klezmer, calypso and more), but it now has shed the feeling of a Sunday school cantata for kids and become winningly adult."
Daily Herald - Somewhat Recommended
"...At times, Souza's version seems to reflect a disdain for the material, soaking a sweet story in Sin City spectacle. It's fun in parts, but it's definitely not the "Joseph" fans have come to love. So if you're expecting a show akin to the long-running '90s production starring Donny Osmond at the Chicago Theatre or one of the more recent suburban revivals, think again."
Chicago Reader - Somewhat Recommended
"...This changeover gives Souza and company plenty of excuses to tart up an already tarty production. The best part of it is Christina Bianco, who brings her YouTube act as a vocal impressionist to her role as narrator, belting out Rice's serviceable lyrics in the style of pop-cult divas like Britney Spears, Celine Dion, and Cher."
Let's Play at ChicagoNow - Somewhat Recommended
"...We somewhat recommend this musical for entertainment purpose only, but maybe it would have been better when Joe got to his bedroom in Las Vegas, could have just gone to sleep."
Around The Town Chicago - Highly Recommended
"...Over the years, time after time, I am asked, “how can you see a play over and over and then write a review”? My answer has always been that each director brings something different to the production, and with a new cast, choreographer and set, anything can happen. Tonight’s opening at Drury Lane Oakbrook, is probably the PERFECT example of this. They opened ” Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat:. the Tim Rice/Andrew Lloyd Webber show that brought both of these geniuses to the world’s view. Here is something that has been around for decades and that Chicago area theaters have done and done and done…how can you do this show and make audiences feel that this is something worth viewing?"
Chicago Theatre Review - Highly Recommended
"...But it’s this unique concept and its supreme execution that almost steals this production away from the catchy Webber score. Alan Souza’s inventive staging and Grady McLeod Bowman’s flashy Las Vegas show choreography, coupled with electropop and hip hop dance moves and acrobatics, that’s the star of this production. The cast skillfully executes each song and every move with confidence and beauty, making this production as much fun as any musical show you’re likely to encounter. So Go! Go! Go and see this entertaining, highly imaginative revisionist production, filled with toe tapping songs performed by a multi-talented cast who offer a message that’s so relevant today. From a Western-inspired “One More Angel in Heaven,” to Joseph’s melancholy “Close Every Door,” from a beautifully harmonized “Those Canaan Days” to the infectious “Benjamin Calypso,” audiences will leave the theatre reminded that “Any Dream Will Do.”"
Chicagoland Theater Reviews - Not Recommended
"...The show is awash in Las Vegas references. There are cameo appearances by Cher, Wayne Newton, Bette Middler, and the like (what, no Rat Pack?), all their unexpected appearances unnerving Joseph though he still manages to take a selfie photo with each celebrity. Viewers not hip enough to recognize the cadre of contemporary Las Vegas female singers must fend for themselves."
Chicagoland Musical Theatre - Highly Recommended
"...Joseph's brothers, led by Paramount's 2017 Sweeney Todd, Paul-Jordan Jansen, as Ruben, and ensemble, led by Lexis Danca as Potiphar's sexy wife, are flawless in their vocals and execution of Grady McLeod Bowman's magnificent choreography, never better than in "One More Angel in Heaven." Colte Julian is terrific as Godfatherly Jacob, Wayne Newton-esque Potiphar and a surprising Pharaoh. (You were expecting Elvis?) The other members of this stellar cast are E. Clayton Cornelious, Nick Cosgrove, Darcy Jo Wood, Anthony Avino, Nathaniel Braga, Tony Carter, Jed Feder, Nathan Fister, Alejandro Fonseca, Brad Giovanine, Rachel Hafell, Julia Klavans, Kevin Nietzel, Nich O'Neil, Lindsay Loretta Prerost, Cara Salerno, James Monroe Stevko and Anthony Sullivan, Jr."
Chicago Theater and Arts - Highly Recommended
"...The first thing to know about the 'Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat' production at Drury Lane Oakbrook is this isn't the Sunday School version. Unlike the customary fare from the west suburban playhouse, it's not even family-friendly entertainment."
Picture This Post - Recommended
"...Though this writer did miss some of the charm and feel-goodness of the original, leaving the sands of Israel in favor of a modern setting is quite enjoyable. The ambiguity of what's real and what's a dream gives us another level to think about. It's fun, fantastical, and overall hilarious."
NewCity Chicago - Not Recommended
"...This production wouldn't be acceptable in any era, but in 2018 when the conversations around inclusion, diversity, feminism and trans rights have never been louder or more accessible, how do these artists justify themselves?"
