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Chandler teens star in Limelight’s returning ‘Joseph’

BY KATY SPRINGER GETOUT Contributor

When Limelight Performing Arts produced “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” in 2016, the show earned a slew of honors including the National Youth Arts award for “Outstanding Production.”

Six years later, the theater is bringing the show back to the Mesa Arts Center.

The musical will be on stage Aug. 4-14 and will feature an epic cast of nearly 50 performers ages 6-21 – including 12 kids and teens from Chandler.

Set in biblical-era Canaan and Egypt, “Joseph” brings the age-old story of Jacob and his sons to vibrant new life.

When Jacob gives Joseph a magnificent coat of many colors, his 11 brothers become so consumed with jealousy they sell him into slavery in Egypt. But because of Joseph’s prophetic gift for interpreting dreams, he ascends from lowly house slave to Pharaoh’s key advisor – and soon redeems the brothers who betrayed him.

Despite its weighty themes, the production is upbeat and full of comic relief.

With lyrics by Tim Rice and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, it features colorful characters and costumes, modern choreography and a range of music and dance styles – from country western and calypso to bubble-gum pop and a Pharaoh who sings Elvis.

“It’s colorful, inspiring and hilarious,” said Marie South, who, along with Limelight’s artistic director, Emma England, is directing the show.

Westley Caryl, 14, is having a great time with his character.

“I play the role of Judah, who is one of the younger brothers,” he said. “He is very laidback and silly, but not the brightest out of his brothers.”

Zoey Hart, 15, is part of the ensemble. She says “Joseph” is not your average production.

“There are no scenes, only singing and dance numbers, which isn’t super common in musical theater,” said Hart. “The hardest part for me is making sure I remember every single detail because if you forget the smallest piece of infor-

Chandler cast members in Limelight Performing Arts’ presentation of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” include, from left: Maddie Gillispie, Mia Mcfarland, Josh Boenzi, Camryn Taylor, Meredith Woodward, Kayla King, Alex Hinkle, Violet Mclen-

nan, Zoey Harr, and Claire Willes. (David Minton/GetOut Staff Photographer)

See MUSICAL on page 35

Left: Rich aromas and tasty dishes await visitors to Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine in Chandler. (Jill McNamara Photography) Right: Madhavi Reddy owns Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine near

Chandler Fashion Center. (David Minton/GetOut Staff Photographer)

New Chandler restaurant enhances Indian cuisine

BY SRIANTHI PERERA

GetOut Contributor

Chandler Fashion Center.

Consider an average dinner: The Dum Jackfruit Biryani comes in a pot sealed with a crust of dough, which is cut by the server to release a tantalizing whiff of spicy yellow basmati rice nestling underneath. The cover prevents the air from leaking, retains moisture and helps the rice to absorb the flavors of jackfruit and spices while steaming.

The basmati and the jackfruit are layered and slow-cooked to perfection. The dish pairs deliciously with Old Delhi Butter Chicken and a raita – or yogurt – mixed with dabs of avocado and sprinkles of boondi (balled chickpea flour sweetened and fried).

Feringhee (translates to “foreigner”) is the brainchild of Madhavi Reddy, who has created an elegant restaurant to showcase food from the diverse regions of India. The dishes are traditional

MUSICAL from page 34

mation, it can make or break the show.”

The 90-minute production certainly is demanding, as every word in the musical is sung, every scene is choreographed, and every performer plays a key part in bringing the story together.

“The ensemble is central to this production,” said South. “Most productions rely on a couple of leads to carry the show, but ‘Joseph’ isn’t like that. Every person on stage is important to the story, and that means every one of our performers needs to be a true triple threat.”

“Joseph” isn’t average in other ways, too.

“We threaded color through every aspect of this show,” said South. “For example, many of our set pieces look beige on the surface, but they’re lit from within and bring out that technicolor quality when we turn the lights on.”

Ashlynn Taylor, 15, plays one of the narrators.

“Playing the role of narrator requires a lot of memorization,” she said. “There are three narrators, and we often sing in three-part harmonies, which can be challenging to learn.”

But the performers are up for the challenge – and they’re having fun along the way.

“I’ve always enjoyed the rehearsal process,” said Ava Wright, 15, one of the narrators in “Joseph.” “I have always found it so satisfying to slowly watch all of our time and effort make its way to finally being ready for opening night.”

Of course, no production of “Joseph” would be complete without a Children’s Choir.

“I wanted to be a part of Joseph because it is performed on a big stage and tells the real bible story in a fun way,” said 11-year-old Alyssa Sherwood. “The Children’s Choir gets to be on stage a lot of the show and has some special parts.”

The group of youngsters is critical to the production, as they add new layers to every scene and song.

The directing team and cast are eagerly anticipating the audience’s response.

“At the heart of this show is a powerful message of love and unity that will resonate with children and adults,” said England. “The cast’s hard work and incredible passion will be evident in the top-notch quality of this performance.”

Added Caryl, “I think the audience will love the big dance numbers like the hoedown or ‘Song of the King.’ Even just in rehearsal, you can tell that these are complete showstoppers.”

Chandler thespians in the production and their roles include: Westley Caryl, Judah, 14; Madeline Gillispie, ensemble, 16; Eli Greenberg, children’s choir, 9; Zoey Hart, ensemble ,15; Kayla King, Potiphar’s wife, 18; Violet McLennan, narrator, 12; Remington Rathbun, ensemble, 18; Whitney Sherwood, children’s choir, 9; Alyssa Sherwood, children’s choir, 11; Ashlynn Taylor, narrator, 15; Camryn Taylor, apple dancer/ensemble, 15; and Ava Wright, narrator, 15.

Tickets for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” are $16 plus box office fees and are available at the Mesa Arts Center box office, at MesaArtsCenter.com keyword “technicolor,” or by visiting ll-pa.org. Group discounts are available.

If you go:

What: Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Who: Produced by Limelight Performing Arts When: Aug. 4-14 at the Mesa Arts Center Tickets: MesaArtsCenter.com, keyword “technicolor” or ll-pa.org

INDIAN from page 34

but served with contemporary flair to elevate it from mere street food or offerings from sidewalk cafes.

“In the US there’s not much appreciation for Indian cuisine – there are fine dining in other cuisines, but not Indian cuisine,” she said. “I went a little above and beyond.”

Initial research in the Valley indicated a paucity of such establishments. “We thought we have to bring Phoenix up to that level. That was the interest for me to create one,” she said. “It wasn’t an easy journey for me; it was hard.”

The pandemic took its toll on planning and executing her intricately developed business; the restaurant took more than three years to come to fruition.

Reddy teamed with Sujan Sarkar, a creator of two modern Indian restaurant brands, and Karan Mittal, a young chef hailing from Delhi and with international experience and culinary honors.

Feringhee’s menu features sharing plates, such as Masala Ricotta Kulcha (fava bean and gooseberry pickle); small plates such as Tandoori Shrimp with Bengal kasundi (a dipping sauce with mustard seeds and dried mango), lime caviar and mint chutney; and large plates such as Goan Swordfish and Kashmiri Lamb Shank.

The well-stocked bar includes dozens of spirits, 65 types of wine and 20 varieties of beer, some of which are brewed locally and others as far away as India or Belgium. The cocktails are handcrafted using regional ingredients of India.

Patrons are encouraged to savor, sip and linger.

“We start from sharing plates and enjoying the atmosphere. It’s not just ‘eat your dinner and go,’” Reddy said.

With a lot of specialized ingredients that are locally sourced, Feringhee prefers its diners to make advanced reservations. Currently, it is only open for dinner, from Tuesdays to Sundays, and weekends have been busy. Reservations will help to avoid turning away walk-in customers, with the extra time useful to plan resources, and the overall experience would be better for guests, Reddy said.

“We want people to have a journey of whatever the cuisine we have, that’s the goal,” she said. “It needs some experience, that means it needs planning.”

Because of the restaurant’s desirable location near the Price Corridor and its many corporate offices, lunch may be introduced at a later date. There is also a plan to hold musical evenings.

Reddy, a Chandler resident, has been in the United States for more than 20 years. Her first foray into the restaurant industry was with Pastries n Chaat, an Indian bakery and restaurant serving casual fare, once a chain concept with six outlets across the Valley, and now operating only in Tempe. Feringhee’s location was one of the Pastries n Chaat outlets.

In 2020, Reddy also established a grocery store, Saffron, with branches in Scottsdale and Phoenix and Peoria to come.

Married to a physician, Reddy has a “day job” as a business analyst in a prominent bank. She’s also raising two teenage daughters who are nearing college age.

Where did she draw the inspiration to launch into the restaurant industry?

“I grew up in a farming community, and my father was a landlord,” she said. This was in Telangana, located in the south-central stretch of India, in a city called Karimnagar.

Bountiful harvests of produce, lavish servings of food, gatherings and festivals were the mainstays of her life, growing up. The family farm grew rice, corn and peanuts and nurtured fruit orchards.

“It was all about food in our house: produce, food, welcoming people, it’s like a festival every time, people came over,” she recalled.

Naturally, her passion was to study agriculture, so she obtained a bachelor of science in agriculture and a degree in business administration. Then, life happened, and she moved to Arizona in 2001 and married soon after.

Her liking for produce lingered.

“I always had the passion of bringing something to the Valley, doing something to the community,” she said. “I host social events at home, it was always there in me, to bring stuff to the community. What I miss back home, I want to bring to the community.”

Creating Feringhee is perhaps the next best thing to returning to her roots.

She chose to paint the walls in sky blue and a shade of soft mustard in the color of unpolished rice. An enormous mural of a bedecked face of an Indian woman holds a prominent spot in the décor. Chandeliers, glass mirrors and the attending Oriental opulence beckon.

“As soon as they walk in, I want them to feel Indian,” she said, of her diners.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating of it.

What’s for dessert?

Chandler is far from the coast, but there’s no harm in indulging in a fantasy with eyes closed. The dessert was inspired by far away Chennai, which is a south Indian coastal city famous for its swaying coconut palms.

It is called Tender Coconut Panna Cotta; elaneer (tender coconut cream), berries, toasted flakes of almond and coconut and passion fruit sorbet. The melt-in-the-mouth concoction is served inside a polished coconut shell sitting on a rope of coconut fiber.

“It’s based on a personal memory when I was in Chennai,” Mittal said. “Elaneer payasam is the soft malai (cream) of the tender coconut. They used to make a payasam with freshly pressed coconut milk with some condensed milk and with malai on top. That was super delicious.

“We created that memory.”

Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine is at 3491 W. Frye Road, Chandler. Details: feringhee.com