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MONDAY February 23, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels December 8, 2003 Camelot's 'Oliver!' a charming good time Neither flu epidemic nor weather can stop the show By Roberta Kent Tidings Reviewer This is Camelot Theatre Company's big closing number for the 2003 season and was planned long before Livia Genise and friends took over the former Actors' Theatre. "Oliver!" is just the kind of show that Managing Artistic Director Genise has promised in the future: Fine material, done well. "Oliver!" is a good romp. It's the story of a plucky orphan who triumphs over hard times in Victorian London's underworld to find a home and family. As directed by Genise, this production is filled with talented, enthusiastic kids and embellished with polished performances by the adults. There are perky, witty songs by composer Lionel Bart and lively choreography by Audrey Flint. But "Oliver!" has always been a play with an edge. Let's not forget that Oliver's first refuge is with a gang of underage thieves presided over by a stereotypical Jew named Fagin. This is after being raised in the workhouse, starved and beaten, and then sold into bondage as a "child mourner" for an undertaker. "Oliver!" for all its engaging characters and music, is about exploitation, poverty and violence. Somehow, author Lionel Bart took Charles Dickens' social conscience and managed to give it charm. Camelot Theatre Company's production focuses mostly on the charm. A lot of the narrative material appears to have been compressed or cut, so we pretty much jump from song to song, learning about our characters and plot from the musical numbers. The classic story line is well-known. Oliver (Jeffrey Star alternating with Rose Marston) is branded as a troublemaker by Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney (Robert Chase and Dianna Warner) when he asks for more gruel. He is sold to undertaker Sowerberry and his wife (John Litton and Cassandra Lind) but runs away. On the streets, Oliver is befriended by the Artful Dodger (Elias Alexander) and taken back to a den of child pickpockets presided over by the equally exploitative, but decidedly more benevolent, Fagin (Daniel Grossbard). The other denizens of the underworld, the earthy Nancy (Ren�e Hewitt) and the violent, bullying Bill Sykes (Scott Honeywell), have a vested interest in turning Oliver into an accomplished thief. When it looks like Oliver has been found and adopted by his long-lost grandfather Mr. Brownlow (Ralph Burgess) and his kindly housekeeper Mrs. Bedwin (Dotti Isom), the thieves kidnap the boy. It's only Nancy's decision to rescue Oliver from a life of crime that saves the day. The really bad get their comeuppance and the charmingly bad saunter off to pick another pocket another day. Director Genise announced before the opening that her cast had been decimated by the flu and it was apparent that a lot of the actors were in less than optimum condition. Notwithstanding this, the performance level was extraordinarily high by a cast too numerous to mention one by one. Pianist Jennifer Schloming presides quite remarkably as the "orchestra." The minimalist set design by Charles Couraud is effective and the costumes, coordinated by Dianna Warner and Dotti Isom, were equally so. It is interesting to note that author Lionel Bart was born in London in 1932 as Lionel Bieglieter, son of a working class Jewish tailor. He no doubt experienced a lot of the world of "Oliver!" first hand. Bart became famous in the 1950s, writing pop music and composing the theme song for "From Russia With Love," the James Bond movie. "Oliver!" was written in 1960, won a Tony Award in 1963, was turned into a film and swept the Oscars in 1968. "Oliver!" is certainly not your usual Christmas fare in the Rogue Valley - there's that edge after all - but this is a production worth seeing and supporting. It is popular material done beautifully by an enthusiastic, talented and dedicated group of artists. Go see "Oliver!" As the Artful Dodger sings, you'll "consider yourself part of the family." DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Site Search: A new improved archive search is coming! Look for it in mid-February! .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - ODOT Road Cams