Oliver!
“Oliver! is truly a masterpiece and shows off the talents of Lionel Bart at his best. As one reviewer put it, “With this show, the audience whistles the tunes as they COME IN to the theatre.”
The curtain opens on the sinister interior of the workhouse with a bare dining table. Pale-faced wretches can be seen peering through the bars of the door at the back. The door opens and the boys file in to the table singing “Food, Glorious Food”. Widow Corney, who runs the workhouse, and Mr Bumble, the parish beadle, enter to serve gruel to the boys. Alone amongst them Oliver takes the bowl to Bumble and asks, “Please, Sir, I want some more.” Bumble is outraged. Oliver must go and so he hawks Oliver through the streets of London singing “Boy For Sale.” Oliver is sold to Mr Sowerberry, the undertaker. Alone, plaintive and surrounded by coffins, Oliver sings, “Where Is Love?” He runs away and meets the Artful Dodger who sings “Consider Yourself At Home”. Oliver is taken to a hideout to meet Fagin and the apprentice thieves – they welcome Oliver with “You’ve Got To Pick a Pocket Or Two”. Nancy, Bill Sykes girl, and Bet arrive and sing “It’s A Fine Life”. Next morning Oliver goes with the boys and is arrested by the police, not for picking pockets but simply for looking guilty.
In Act 2 Nancy sings “Oom-pah-pah”. Fagin’s boys tell of Oliver’s arrest by the police but that, as he has been found to be innocent, he is now safe in the house of a kindly, rich gentleman. Fagin and Sykes despatch Nancy to get Oliver back. Meanwhile, Oliver has become a well-cared for little lad. Seeing London street-traders from his bedroom window he sings “Who Will Buy?”, a plea that his good fortune will become permanent. However, outside the house he is captured by Nancy and she returns him to Fagin. Fagin sings “Reviewing the Situation” and thinks of going straight. Bumble and Mrs Corney, now married, discover that Oliver is the heir to a rich family and try to get him back. A regretful Nancy plans to return Oliver to his benefactor. She is fearful of Sykes yet sings, “As Long As He Needs Me”. Sykes stalks and kills her, grabs Oliver and, after a chase, is shot dead. Oliver is restored to his benefactor who, as it turns out, is his own grandfather. Fagin, now minus the boys, home and money, reprises “Reviewing the Situation”.
MARK HENNESSY, DIRECTOR
JASON CELAYA, CHOREOGRAPHER
DAVID DYER, MUSICAL DIRECTOR/CONDUCTOR
JAMIE ESPELAND, ASSISTANT CHOREOGRAPHER
CAST OVERVIEW
Oliver Twist - Kyle Donalson
Artful Dodger - Parker Donaldson
Fagin - Curt Haws
Bill Sykes - Rhett Breedlove
Nancy - Sage Albrecht
Mr. Bumble - Greg Allen
Widow Corney - Jocelyn Moore
Mr. Sowerberry - Scott Kosiba
Mrs. Sowerberry - Kim Buchanan
Charlotte - Megan Anspach
Noah Claypole - Jaxon Buchanan
Bet - Jamie Espeland
Mr. Brownlow - Ian McCusker
Old Sally - Spoken
Mrs. Bedwin - Mae Oram
Adult Ensemble - Logan Bing, Tillie Dibben
Quartet - Sabrina Donalson, Adrianna Ruby, Chayla Saxton
Fagin’s Gang/Orphans - (Children Ensemble) Reuben Allen, KaLee Bohnet, Miranda Bousman, Eva Collins, Zeman Collins, Adrianna Daniels, Noah Daniels, Delaney Day, Travis Donaldson, Mia Haws, Adrienne Jones, Nolan Orm, Sydney Wise, Konner Ziegler
Dr. Grimwig - Matt Daniels
MUSICAL NUMBERS
1. Food, Glorious Food – The Boys
2. Oliver! – Mr. Bumble, Mrs Corney, Oliver, Boys
3. I Shall Scream – Mrs Corney, Mr. Bumble
4. Boy For Sale – Mr. Bumble
5. That’s Your Funeral – Mr Sowerberry, Mr. Bumble, Mrs Sowerberry
6. Where Is Love? – Oliver
7. Consider Yourself – Artful Dodger, Oliver, Crowd
8. You’ve Got To Pick a Pocket or Two – Fagin, Oliver, Boys
9. It’s a Fine Life – Nancy, Bet
10. I’d Do Anything – Artful Dodger, Nancy, Oliver, Bet, Fagin
11. Be Back Soon – Fagin, Artful Dodger, Oliver, Boys
12. Oom-Pah-Pah – Nancy, Company
13. My Name – Bill Sikes
14. As Long as He Needs Me – Nancy
15. Where Is Love? (reprise) – Mrs Bedwin
16. Who Will Buy? – Oliver, Chorus
17. It’s a Fine Life (reprise) – Bill Sikes, Nancy, Fagin, Boys
18. Reviewing the Situation – Fagin
19. Oliver! (reprise) – Mr. Bumble, Mrs Corney
20. As Long As He Needs Me (reprise) – Nancy
21. Reviewing the Situation (reprise) – Fagin
22. Finale: Food, Glorious Food/Consider Yourself /I’d Do Anything – Full Company
