I saw on R&H's website that the children's chorus is optional. Has anyone here done or seen a production of Joseph where no children were used? If you have, what did they do for the parts where the children are supposed to sing?

I've never seen a production without children myself, but the Original Broadway Cast Recording doesn't use them. The female ensemble sings their music instead. It gives the show a slightly different sound, but it still works perfectly well.

That's interesting, who was the Narrator supposed to be in that production.

The Narrator was the late, great Laurie Beechman. She wore a pseudo-Middle Eastern costume instead of the now-standard Sunday school teacher outfit.

Here's a video of that cast performing at the 1982 Tony's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CKXCFPaZfE8

That's what i meant, in most productions a Female narrator is supposed to be a Teacher with the children as pupils, whilst in the case of the original British productions the Male narrator was supposed to be God with the children as angels.

The most recent revival, starring American Idol's Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo, does not use a children's chorus, and I have to say I liked the show better without it. It ran so much smoother, and the Narrator was far more involved in the actual show which was wonderful.

When I was in it, we had no children. The narrator was telling the story to the audience.