“Food, Glorious Food!” From the moment a group of orphans belts out the song while dancing on and off the wooden table-tops, the musical Oliver! at Studio East keeps the audience engaged.
The degree of professionalism and the coordinated choreography on complicated numbers makes it hard to believe that the cast of 37 is all ages 8-17. The cuteness factor aside, even the youngest performers joyfully move through the dances, songs and dialogue with hardly a misstep or a flubbed line. The older teen actors embody the pomposity of Mr. Bumble, the shrewd flirtiness of the future Mrs. Bumble and the cringing duplicity of Fagan with flawless originality.
I’d recommend giving your children a synopsis of the original Charles Dickens story, Oliver Twist, before taking them to this Lionel Bart musical. It’s easy to follow little Oliver’s journey from the orphanage to Fagan’s lair of juvenile pickpockets, but his capture by police, trial and shelter in the rich lady’s home is glossed over so quickly that it’s difficult to figure out how the little boy gets from place to place. The second act is more intense as Fagan and the mean Bill Sykes kidnap Oliver from his new home and plot to keep him from returning. Assure more sensitive children that it will have a happy ending – for Oliver, if not for the “bad guys.”
The joy of the performance is the timeless musical numbers, including “I’d Do Anything” and “Consider Yourself.” The capering, leering Fagan and charming, energetic Artful Dodger – with a passable English accent – add humor. For young audiences, Nancy’s songs about her love for the unlovable Bill Sykes could have been shortened or eliminated.
This musical is recommended for children ages 8 and older. However, the row of 3-to-7-year-olds sitting in front of us were all attentive and appreciative throughout the rousing first act. I brought an almost-5-year-old, and by the second act it was getting too long for her (“Is she going to sing that same song again?” she asked of a reprise of lonely Nancy’s paeon to love.) In the second act, Sykes strides menacingly around the stage threatening people, banging his stick very loudly on the table, and finally shooting Nancy. My friend preferred to watch that scary man on the video screen in the lobby. I think ages 6 and older would be a good guideline, as long as you know your child’s attention span and tolerance for villains.
Don’t think of Oliver! as a children’s show only. It’s a family performance that’s just as enjoyable for adults. Studio East invites all of us to “Consider ourselves one of the family” and join them for a rousing good time.
