Who’s ‘Amazing’ and Not

Celebrity notes on the latest edition of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” at Pasadena Civic Auditorium:

Patrick Cassidy, in the title role, sings well--no surprise to L.A. theatergoers who have heard him tackle Sondheim. But his look is what sells this performance. With his six-pack abs and chiseled chest lovingly displayed through most of the show, topped by his rouged cheeks and curly mane, it’s no wonder his brothers (no, not David and Shaun--we’re talking about Joseph’s biblical brethren) are jealous of this pretty boy. While they tended the flocks, he was apparently working out at an air-conditioned gym.

Deborah Gibson, formerly pop teen queen Debbie Gibson, narrates with excessive perkiness. The timbre of her voice is right for this score, but her slight lisp on sibilant consonants is a tad distracting. Her stretch pants and glittery top are garish--and therefore fit right in with the tone of this first effort by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Third-billed is the Osmond Brothers 2nd Generation, a reference to six young male Osmonds (sons of Alan, a brother of Donny and Marie). A female Osmond is also on the cast list, and yet another Osmond is an assistant stage manager. It’s sheer hype--the onstage Osmonds are random chorus members, for the most part, and don’t perform as a group. More deserving of the billing are Eric A. Martsolf as the Elvis-like Pharoah and Michael Bartoli as the faux- French sophisticate in the score’s cleverest number, “Those Canaan Days.”

BE THERE

“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Pasadena Civic Auditorium, 300 E. Green St. Tonight-Saturday, 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m.; Sunday, 7:30 p.m. $21-$56. (213) 365-3500. Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes.