By Mike Ramsey
Tony Award-winning Lionel Bart was a “triple threat” when he wrote the book, music and lyrics for Oliver!, now playing at The Ziegfeld Theater in Ogden. Charles Dickens’ timeless characters from his book Oliver Twist come to life like you have never seen them in this sometimes raucous, sometimes scary, and mostly heart-warming story. Oliver! premiered in the UK’s The West End in 1960 and has since had several Broadway revivals and was adapted to film in 1968 when it won six Academy Awards including Best Picture. The musical has always been one of my favorites as I quoted it throughout my childhood, “Please sir, can I have some more?”
Oliver! follows the life of the orphan Oliver Twist, admirably played by Declan McAlhany, as he gets pushed from moment to moment by almost everyone he meets. He escapes the orphanage and ends up as buddies with The Artful Dodger, portrayed nicely by Brogan Wright, and several other orphaned boys. The boys are forced into a life of thievery by the sometimes-cruel Fagin, masterfully done by Randy Barton, and Oliver takes a liking to a beautiful but tough Nancy, performed by the talented Erica Choffel. Nancy’s mean and scary beau Bill, played intensely by Tyson Alred, steps in to give the play enough conflict for two plays and the outcome is for the audience to experience. Oliver meets some lovely characters along the way including Widow Corney(Abby Payne-Peterson), Mr. Bumble (Jerry Costner), Mrs. Sowerberry (Kristin Parry), Mr. Sowerberry (David Boice) and Mr. Bownlow (Andrew Cole).
As I walked in to the theater, a nice employee told me how much the cast had worked on this show and I could tell. I could feel the energy they have and was very much entertained by their comedy, their sincerity, their talent, and their camaraderie. As far as the singing goes, Choffel as Nancey, McAlhany as Oliver, and Payne-Peterson as Widow Corney steal the show with their beautiful voices. “As Long As He Needs Me” is one of my favorite show tunes and Choffel executes it amazingly. McAlhany’s “Where Is Love” comes from the heart and is so easy to enjoy. The comedic parts are funny, and the scary parts are frightening, and with both in his repertoire is Barton’s Fagin, which is as good as any that I have ever seen. There are a couple of dramatic scenes where the shouting and screaming perhaps start too soon, not leaving enough of an arc for the audience. Other than that, the show plays well. Overall the accents are not overbearing and are just enough to remind us where we are playing. The show has a couple of scenes that may be not suitable for little children, but other than those, the show is very fun for the family.
Directed by Hugh Hanson and music directed by Kyle Lawrence with choreography by Bryan Andrews, Oliver! is a delight. The ensemble is attentive and where they are supposed to be and appear to be having a great time. The production team does a good job in bringing Dickens’ England to life, lighting, set design, and the costumes are nicely done.
My hat’s off to The Ziegfeld Theater for producing such a fun and entertaining show. Oliver! has a sweet message, enough exciting bits to keep even the easily bored from getting antsy, and will give those who see it something to talk about on the ride home. Keep bringing in the talent, Ziegfeld players, and we will be back.
The Ziegfeld Theater presents Oliver! Book, Lyrics, and Music by Lionel Bart
The Ziegfeld Theater, 3934 S. Washington Blvd, Ogden, UT 84403
August 10 – September 1, 2018. Fri-Sat 7:30 PM, Sat matinee 2:00 PM
Tickets: $17-19
Contact: 855-ZIG-ARTS
Ziegfeld Theater Facebook Page
Oliver! Facebook Event
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