"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" goes to Turku!!!

These are Larry and Bonnie Slade.  Bonnie directed the production.  They lived with us for five weeks while the cast practiced.  And Larry played his guitar and sang in the program.  He is holding one of our many advertising posters.

 This picture is from our "Canaan Days" song.... All of Joseph's brothers and his father, reminiscing     about the "good old times".  I had a solo part here..... with a French accent!

 This is sweet Sister Pendleton, one of our best Sister missionaries, with Sister Elisabet Kinnunen, our pianist.  She was amazing.  She made the electronic keyboard do magical things!!

 Some (not all) of our female chorus girls.  They really got into the play, and were much more expressive than our male chorus!!  They were wonderful!

"Joseph" (Pirkka Hyssälä) with the children's chorus.  They were so cute, and Joseph was incredible!

 Sister Bunting, an amazing young missionary, who "cued" the children's chorus with their parts!

 This was our "Pharoah" aka: Elvis.  He was nothing short of magical!  He really got into his role!

 The whole play was set in the scene of a Sunday School classroom.  This is one of the blackboards in the back of the class, which I had decorated.  Tuomas Kiikko decorated the other one.

 There was a part in the play where road signs were held up on sticks, showing the direction and distance to certain locations.  These are the back sides of the four road signs.

These are the front sides of the four road signs.  I drew these, and tried to put some "character" into the pointing hands.  ("H:ki" is an abbreviation of "Helsinki".)

 This is Joseph in the last scene, with his royal garments as well as his coat of many colors.  (Pirkka Hyssälä) .... I can't even imagine a better "Joseph" than what he was!  He was so expressive, and so creative with his own part, and even added great ideas for other parts!  He was nothing short of marvelous, magical, and magnificent!


And below is our incomparable Elvis (Pharoah), Veli-Pekka Huhtala.  Martha constructed his collar and his apron.  He got more applause and laughs than anyone else.

 This is "Jacob" (Jurkka Vuorela), one of our very best friends.... one of the sweetest, kindest, lovingest men I've ever known.  We have so much in common with each other!

 The coat of many colors.  Pretty sweet!  She (Sister Järvenpää) did a great job on it!  We got as many people as possible from both Turku wards involved in the musical.  This included inactive members and nonmembers, too.

 This is our amazing director, Bonnie Slade,  getting psyched up for the first showing of the musical!

 This is our amazing behind the scenes master of all trades:  my own sweet Martha!  She's adding her finishing touches to the place before the show started.  She made almost all of the scenery and lots of the costumes.  Not to mention snacks for the practices and moral support and recruitment of players!

 Some of Martha's decorations and scenery.  She would still be making more decorations, if we hadn't stopped her in order to begin the performances!  She always wanted to add just one more touch!

The other side of the stage... once again, you can see "Gammy's" genes coming through Martha!

 Joseph in the last scene, in his regal outfit as well as his dreamcoat.  Our two narrators on each side.  They were Emmi Hiltunen and Marina Kiviniemi.   Emmi leaves next week on her mission to Lyon, France.  Marina is an inactive member who has been an opera singer.

 Marina Kiviniemi.  A wonderful voice!  And LOTS of personality in her role as narrator!  Fantastic!

 One side of the stage, decorated by (you guessed it:  Martha!)  You can't see the little white lights which adorn the top of the colored tapestries.  But they were a perfect touch when the lights were out.

 Other side of the stage.  The band sat in front of the far right side: drummer, guitar, base, saxophone.

 Another of Martha's magical creations:  The crown bestowed upon Joseph as the Pharoah's #2 !

 Corn props made by me and some of the young single adults.  The "Visa card" was made by Martha.

 Another shot of the corn... which was part of Joseph's dream, which made the brothers angry!

 Joseph's regal attire.  Arm bands, collar, apron.  Made out of "this and that" by our amazing Martha!

 The other blackboard in the Sunday School Class... drawn by Tuomas Kiikko, who will leave in December on his mission to Sweden.  One of our favorite young men.  He and his brother, Aleksi, who is serving in England on a mission, have promised to visit us in America someday.  Their younger brother, Arttu, is a gifted guitarist, who played in our band.  Bonnie Slade is trying to arrange a tour for him in the USA.

More decorations for Joseph's dream.  Sun, moon, and stars constructed by Martha.  I didn't get pictures of them, but Martha, Larry Slade, and Bonnie Slade also constructed twenty beautiful and unique headbands to be worn by the female chorus.   Lots of time, talent, and love!!!

We had hoped to get maybe 50 people in attendance:  family and friends of cast.  But we brought the house down with standing room only both nights.  We originally set up 235 chairs, but had to add another 25 or 30 when the crowds rushed in.  Lots of inactive members and tons of non-member friends and workmates of our ward members!  It was a raging success!!  We will be eternally grateful to Bonnie and Larry Slade for their investment of time, talent, and finances in order to produce such a successful musical!!  Thank you so much!!!  We love you dearly!