Donny Osmond’s Pharaoh Story

Way way back a few decades ago, Donny Osmond starred as Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and this year he’s set to star as the Pharaoh in the UK tour. We took a look back at his history with the show.

Donny Osmond’s connection with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat began in 1992, when he first appeared as Joseph at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto. That performance kicked off a record-breaking run, and between the years of 1992 and 1997 Donny played the role an incredible 2,000 times, in productions across the US and Canada. He also appeared as Joseph in the 1999 film adaptation opposite Joan Collins, Richard Attenborough, and Maria Friedman.

This year, 27 years after his last onstage appearance as Joseph, he is returning this time to n a UK stage, playing a very different role. Yep, this time Donny’s not donning the dreamcoat, but the Pharaoh costume. Stone the crows, indeed.

As a former American teen idol who found fame singing with a group of his siblings, Donny’s well placed to take on the role of Pharaoh. The show’s Elvis-inspired character whose ‘Song of the King’ is more “all shook up” than “any dream will do.” Appearing for a limited run engagement at the first stop on the UK tour, Donny will play Pharaoh at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 3 – 29 December – an experience even Joseph the great dreamer might not have imagined.

Ahead of his first performance, Donny said:

“I always knew I would return to Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Having starred as Joseph in over 2,000 performances in this magical musical, I am now ready to channel my inner Elvis and assume the role of Pharaoh in Edinburgh starting this December.”

Donny helped bring Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat to an American audience, but this will be his first UK appearance in the show. It’s also fitting that the first stop on the tour is Edinburgh, which is where Joseph made its premiere as part of the Edinburgh International Festival  back in 1972.¹  4 years after Joseph was initially presented as a 15 minute ‘pop cantata’ at Colet Court School in London in 1968² – which was the first of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s shows to be publicly performed –  

So it’s fair to say that Joseph itself has a long history, and it’s a show that continues to bring joy to audiences after decades of performances all across the world.

Coming to see the new UK tour? Here’s a few Joseph facts to whet your appetite…

1. To date, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat has played in over 80 countries worldwide.

2. Joseph’s coat typically spans amazing 12 metres and weighs 20kg.

3. During the upcoming UK tour, Donny Osmond will play the role of Pharaoh in Edinburgh only.

4. Joe McElderry, who has also previously played the role of Joseph, plays Pharaoh at select other venues on the tour.

5. The UK tour is currently set to play 24 venues across the country.

6. The Young Acting Company features 30 children, who perform as part of the choir in the show.

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