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Printer-Friendly ModeCast, story create enjoyable Oliver!
April 3, 2006 —
Whether you have read the book or not, you are probably familiar with the story of Oliver Twist, the young orphaned boy created by Charles Dickens in 1838 for his novel of the same name. Oliver lives in a workhouse with other children his age until he so bravely utters the infamous words, "Please sir, I want some more" at mealtime, whereupon he is sold, runs away, joins a band of pickpockets, and eventually ends up in the home of a wealthy man who may or may not be a long-lost relative.
The SVSU theatre department has taken this tale and brought it to the stage in Oliver!, the musical adaptation of Dickens' novel. Directed by SVSU Assistant Professor of Theatre Richard B. Roberts Jr. and featuring music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, Oliver! is a thoroughly enjoyable trip through the streets of 19th Century London.
The production enchants from the moment that 21 adorable ragamuffins march to the stage for their gruel, and it remains strong.
But while the name of the musical is Oliver!, he really just serves as a catalyst, allowing for the tale of London's seamy underbelly to be told. If you pay attention, you will see that Oliver often winds up pushed to the background as seemingly more important characters take center stage. These include the old Jew Fagin (Chad Baker), his brutal ally Bill Sykes (Nathaniel Kovalsik), and a boy criminal known as the Artful Dodger (Travis Hugan). Throw a sultry mistress named Nancy (Ashley Pfenninger) into the mix, and one may forget there is an Oliver at all.
Dickens wrote Oliver Twist to bring attention to social evils of the time, including the treatment of children in the workhouse and the recruitment of children for criminal activities. Therefore, most of the characters are untrusting, bad people. This tends to show somewhat in the musical, though Fagin is actually quite a likeable character on stage and Hugan's Artful Dodger may be the most enjoyable part in the production.
The only character who manages to come close to showing off his ill nature is Bill Sykes, a role that seems quite natural to Kovalsik, for better or worse. But the show would be quite morose if everyone were evil. What fun is a musical full of black-hearted criminals? Although, I must admit, my favorite song remains "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two."
Oliver! will have one more weekend of shows, Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts. Tickets are available at the box office at (989) 964-4261. Cost is $15 for general admission and $12 for students.