Darleene BarrientosInstead of spending time in front...

Darleene Barrientos

Instead of spending time in front of a television, some local boys

and girls have practiced singing and dancing all summer for a

Technicolor adventure.

About 125 children, ranging from 7 to 18, from Burbank, Glendale

and around Los Angeles County will present Andrew Lloyd Webber’s

musical, “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Friday

through Sunday at The Alex Theatre in Glendale. The production is the

culmination of seven weeks of training through the Burbank Summer

Show Camp.

“As far as we know, this show has never been done with this big a

company,” said Erin Workman, who will play the narrator. Workman is

one of 20 adults playing roles, including Joseph and his father.

Campers spent the summer taking classes in dance, music, acting,

computers and video production with professionals. The program is

sponsored by Burbank First United Methodist Church and run by

directors Darrell and Jenny Bishop.

The camp has been a resounding success with several of the

children. This year is Thalia Alvarez’s third in the camp.

Thalia, 10, said her best friend’s mother told her mother about

the camp.

“I like it, it’s fun,” Thalia said, as music played loudly from a

tape while the teens playing Joseph’s brothers and sisters-in-law

practiced dancing. The Glendale girl is part of the chorus. “I get to

dance and sing and go in circles for [Joseph’s] coat.”

In turn, Thalia’s mother told Natalie Renteria’s mother about the

camp. Natalie, 11, of Glendale, will be on stage Friday for the first

time.

“I’m going to dance and sing,” Natalie said of her role as a

chorus member. “I haven’t done this before.”

Emily Clibourne, 14, said she participated in many theater groups

when she lived in Chicago, but Show Camp is more fun because of all

the children involved.

“There are so many people,” said Emily, who lives in Burbank.

“It’s really cool there’s so much of a range [of ages]. It’s more

fun with so many people.”