MIDDLETOWN - First let me begin with Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which will be stopping on its tour of North American at The Bushnell from Oct. 14-19.

       One of the most enduring shows of all time, Tim Rice and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s first musical is the irresistible family-friendly show about the trials and triumphs of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son. This all-new production features Diana DeGarmo--no stranger to the musical theater--as the narrator and her co-star and husband Ace Young as Joseph. This is a delightful retelling of the Biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colors. With songs you will know but don’t know you know, this is a wonderful way to get the family to the theater.

       Joseph was the first Lloyd Webber and Rice musical to be performed publicly. With productions both here and in London, it wasn’t until 1982 that this musical opened on Broadway and ran for 747 performances. The latest touring production, and there have been many, is the one that will stop at The Bushnell this fall with a story based on the Biblical story of Joseph found in the Book of Genesis. Nominated for Best Musical and many other awards, this is a terrific show with a simple story to tell. Suitable for all ages, I urge you to look into seeing Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Visit www.bushnell.org for more information and tickets.

       The other strong male role is easily one of the best-known plays and the most complex and discussed in all of theater history--Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Need I say more? Certainly one of the most produced of all of Shakespeare’s works, no one should be unaware of the complexity and layers that is Hamlet and no one should miss a chance to see it.

       Under the direction of Darko Tresnjak, the artistic director of The Hartford Stage Co. this production is in excellent hands. I had the privilege of meeting with Mr. Tresnjak a few weeks ago to get a bit more inside information on this production and, of course, Hamlet in particular.

       I wish now that I had taken more than one semester of Shakespeare in college. I congratulated him on his multiple Tony Award-winning production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (and his win as well as Best Director of a Musical) running on Broadway to sold-out audiences and we sat down to talk. Well, he talked as I asked questions and learned.

       Certainly one of the most complex roles in the theater world, I was told there were many versions of Hamlet. Three to be exact, depending on the text that you read and use. Darko is doing a combination of all three versions that make the most sense to him.

       â€�"Shakespeare had the greatest affection for Hamlet” hesaid. â€�"There is nothing less theatrical than a complicated young man and Hamlet is young.”

       He also confessed that this character has â€�"the most complex, interesting mind anyone has put on stage. Nobody has captured it better than Shakespeare in Hamlet.”

       Setting the play in Elizabethan times means the costumes are costly and time consuming to make. But Tresnjak believes this is best for productions of Hamlet.

       It was a wonderful talk that we had and I did learn much about Shakespeare and his work in general. I thank him again for his time, his energy and for enlightening me just a bit more for what I’m in for come October.

       Hamlet will be at Hartford Stage Oct. 16 through Nov. 16. The greatest playwright of all time and his greatest play coming to The Hartford Stage Company. Why would you miss it? Visit the Hartford Stage online for tickets and more information.

       Jeffrey LaGrange can be reached at jefflagrange@yahoo.com .