Curtains open this week for student production Oliver!

by Savannah Harris
Vanguard Staff Writer

March 27, 2006 —

The SVSU Theatre Department will be presenting Oliver!, the musical rendition of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist over the next few weeks. The play is being directed by Ric Roberts, Jr. and will premiere Friday.

Oliver! is the story of a young orphan boy who battles adversity and strife at every turn. The story takes off when little Oliver, being coerced by some of his fellow orphans, asks for a second helping of food at dinnertime.

This seemingly small act sends Oliver's life whirling out of control as he is sold to a mortician because of his insolence. Oliver runs away and seeks out someone who can help him. He joins a band of pickpockets and is wrongly accused of a crime against an English gentleman. Chaos ensues as one of the greatest literary works comes alive on the stage.

The book was meant to raise awareness about the deplorable workhouses in which many children were forced to work. Dickens wrote it as a satire of his time, a time that he believed was wrought with social evils. The play simplifies the story quite a bit, but does not lose any of the charm.

The show features the music and lyrics of Lionel Bart. Bart was the first person to adapt a Dickens' novel for music. Oliver! has been on stages around the world since the 1960s, but it was revived in 1994. The show has always been a crowd favorite because of its humor, suspense and the always-adorable Oliver himself.

The show will begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday as well as April 7 and 8. It will also be performed at 2 p.m. on Sunday and April 9. The show will take place in the Malcolm Field Theatre for Performing Arts.

Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for senior citizens and students. Tickets are available at the Box Office inside Curtiss Hall. For more information, visit the Theatre Department's Web site at www.svsu.edu/theatre.

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