Common Sense Media Review
By Kari Croop
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
UK singing contest stays true to family-friendly musical.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 8+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In the Broadway-inspired singing competition ANY DREAM WILL DO, 12 hopefuls compete for the coveted title role in a West End production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Webber himself sits in on the proceedings, with British TV personality Graham Norton stepping in to host. In addition to singing songs from the show, finalists perform pop songs in front of a panel of judges that includes peformers John Barrowman and Denise Van Outen, vocal coach Zoe Tyler, and producer Bill Kenwright.
Is It Any Good?
Serious fans of musical theater -- and of Joseph in particular -- will appreciate the Brits' no-frills approach to this high-stakes talent search, which shuns the sideshow antics typical of U.S. TV talent competitions, instead focusing on the seriousness of the task at hand. (For starters, you won't see anyone auditioning in a chicken suit.)
But even though it's popular, widely performed, and generally profitable, Joseph isn't everyone's cup of tea. It famously incorporates a mishmash of musical styles -- from country to disco -- and also evokes a famous story from the Bible. So if you don't like the show or its songs, Any Dream Will Do probably won't do. For others, it's a dream come true.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how a series like this helps the musical's producers promote their show and sell more tickets. Why open up the field to amateurs instead of hiring a professional actor?
Why do contestants have to sing pop songs in addition to songs from the show? Do you think the finalists the judges chose are the best candidates for the part?
Parents and kids can also research the biblical story of Joseph and his coat of many colors, upon which the musical is based.
TV Details
- Premiere date : March 31, 2007
- Cast : Andrew Lloyd Webber , Graham Norton , John Barrowman
- Network : BBC America
- Genre : Reality TV
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 6, 2020
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