Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber went on to big things — creating “Phantom of the Opera” and “Cats” among them — but he even did impressive work as a teen.

In 1967, the then-19-year-old and collaborator Tim Rice (who didn’t do so badly himself later, as lyricist for “The Lion King”) were commissioned to write a work for a British prep school. It was a 15-minute piece that was such a hit, they later expanded into a full-fledged musical in the form of the hugely popular “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

“Joseph,” which is sung-through, calls upon sounds ranging from Elvis-era rock to Calypso as it tells its version of the Biblical tale of Joseph and the coat of many colors.

“Joseph” is currently out touring the country, and the production plays the Garde Arts Center on Friday night.

"Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat," 7:30 p.m. Friday, Garde Arts Center, 325 State St., New London; $38-$56; (860) 444-7373, gardearts.org.