MONMOUTH — The coat was amazing, the costumes colorful, and the performances polished, but the most remarkable aspect of Immaculate Conception School’s production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” was that all 142 students were involved.

“Every child from kindergarten through eighth grade will participate somehow, some way,” promised Alisa Ramer, director and accompanist, prior to a matinee performance on March 12. The production also filled Monmouth College’s Dahl Chapel and Auditorium that evening and the following night as well.

Kindergarteners and first-graders occupied the first three rows of the theater, joined the singing in the chorus numbers, and held up cutout sheep and other props when appropriate.

For everyone else there was time on stage or work on the technical crew. That meant weeks of practice, often fit in around other schedules, to bring to life the Old Testament story of Joseph and his 11 brothers as told through the contemporary music of Andrew Lloyd Weber and Tim Rice.

“The brothers are pretty much the basketball team,” acknowledged Leo Ramer, Alisa’s husband.

As with spring productions now taking place at schools around the Diocese of Peoria, a community of volunteers came together to make costumes, paint sets, apply makeup, and make sure the actors were seen and heard.

After the final bows were taken by the large cast on Thursday afternoon, Mrs. Ramer — a music and fine arts teacher at Immaculate Conception School — addressed the crowd one more time.

“This show is all about dreams,” she said. Turning to the stage and congratulating the student actors on a job well done, she added: “This was just mine.”