Oliver!

Download Show Flyer| Click here to Purchase Tickets | Sept. 11 - Oct. 18, 2009, Directed by Jim Crino  Ticket Prices: $30/adults, $28.00 Student/Senior.

Join us for this Tony Award-winning musical!

Hailed the world over as one of the best-loved family musicals of all time, Lionel Bart's Tony Award-winning musical Oliver! opens Friday, September 11 at Lakewood Theatre Company and continues until October 18, 2009 with the following performance schedule:  Thursdays - Saturdays at 7:30 PM (note NEW TIME); Sundays at 7:00 PM on September 13, 20 & 27 and Sunday matinees at 2:00 PM on September 20, Oct 4, 11 & 18.

The theatre is located at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego. Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $28 for students and seniors and are available through the Lakewood Theatre Box Office at (503) 635-3901 or order online at www.lakewood-center.org.

Oliver! based on Charles Dickens' classic novel, Oliver Twist, chronicles the adventures of the orphaned boy Oliver (Shea Mackinnon) as he escapes his bleak workhouse existence, journeys to London, and is taken in by a gang of apprentice pickpockets working for master thief Fagin (Jay Horenstein).

When Oliver is falsely accused of exposing the gang by the frightening Bill Sykes (Colin Wood), he begins to realize he has more friends than he thought.

Composer Lionel Bart debuted Oliver! in London in 1960; the first time the story had ever been told in a musical format. It was an instant hit, and after transferring to New York in 1963, it became one of Broadway's longest-running hits.

Oliver!, with music, lyrics and book by Lionel Bart, was nominated for 10 Tony awards and won three: Best Composer & Lyricist; Best Conductor & Musical Director; and Best Scenic Designer. The show's unforgettable songs include "Food, Glorious Food," "Consider Yourself," "Where is Love?," "You've Got to Pick a Pocket or Two," "I'd Do Anything," "Oom-Pah-Pah," and "As Long As He Needs Me."

The Cast & Crew

Starring in the production are Shea Mackinnon as Oliver, Jay Horenstein as Fagin and Marissa Neitling as Nancy. Featured in the cast are Mary Stewart as Widow Corney, Jeremy Southard as Mr. Bumble, Tanner Ward as Artful Dodger and Colin Wood as Bill Sykes.

Making up the large ensemble are veteran Portland area musical performers: Don Stewart Burns, Rosemary Brownlow, Andrew Aicher, Benjamin Farmer, Bonnie Littleton, Bryce Earhart, Catherine Aicher, Charlie Wilson, Cole Jackson, Dennis Fitzpatrick, Dylan Earhart, Evan Abeling, Hayley Rousselle, Kevin Minkoff, Kylie Clarke Johnson, Kisky Holwerda, Megan Carver, Micah Klatt, Natalie Zuniga, Samuel Wade, Sophia Shotola, Soren Carr, Sydney Farley, Wendy Abeling and Zac Woodworth.

Scenic design for Oliver! is by Alan Edward Schwanke, the musical director is Eryn Vercammen, vocal coach is Doug Webster, lighting design is by Jeff Woods, costume design is by Margaret Chapman, wig design is by Jane Holmes, properties are by Felix Kelsey, sound design is by Dan Hallberg. The stage manager is Neil Taylor and choreography is by Erin Shannon. The show is produced by Kay Vega.
 

Director's Notes

Welcome to our performance of Oliver! - the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. As a young child my parents took me to see the screen version of Oliver! Soon after I had the album! I learned all the songs and I knew all the lines! I will never forget one particular image. While attempting to flee an angry crowd, the gang leader, Fagin, trips and drops all of his ill-gotten treasures into the moss-green waters of a very deep swamp like puddle. The rubies, emeralds and sapphires were dazzling as they sank into the lush green algae. Fagin thrusts his hand into the slime only to find the jewels gone for ever...and five minutes later he dances off into the sunrise with Dodger in tow! The end! - Wait just a minute. Fagin does what?

Now, let's flash forward to about six months ago. I had all six versions of the show on CD! I lost the album a long time ago. I still knew all the songs! I knew most of the lines! I still hadn't read the original book. That's right! I said it. Until I started my research I had never read Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist. So I did and here is what I learned:

Stealing is bad
Being nice is good
Mistreating children will probably get you not so great adults
Fear can make you do bad things to people you love
Great people can come from really humble places
Faith in unknown goodness can get you through a lot
Being prosperous and being greedy are not the same thing
People are not always what they seem to be
Sometimes great pain is loudest when there is no sound
Forgiveness is only half of salvation
All too often very little good comes after the words "You should..."
More often good things happen after the words, "What if..."

Good people should win
Bad people should get punished

My thanks to Kay, Andrew, Erin, Eryn, Neil, Alan, Jeff, Margaret, Kurt, Rod and the cast, crew and orchestra of Oliver!  And I love you, Doug, Liz, Lucky and Tilly. Okay, and the birds too.

Ticket Information

The theatre is located at Lakewood Center for the Arts, 368 S. State Street in Lake Oswego. Ticket prices are $30 for adults and $28 for students and seniors and are available through the Lakewood Theatre Box Office at (503) 635-3901.

Download Show Flyer| Click here to Purchase Tickets | Sept. 11 - Oct. 18, 2009