A new twist on ‘Oliver!’
Voorhees Theatre Company’s take on the classic musical aligns with its initiate to include adults in shows.
Sounds of children uttering Charles Dickens’ dialogue echoed throughout the theater of Voorhees Middle School.
The performers, who are predominantly young students from across South Jersey, were rehearsing for Voorhees Theatre Company’s upcoming production of Lionel Bart’s Tony-award winning musical “Oliver!”, running from Oct. 27 to 29 at the Voorhees Middle School, located at 1000 Holly Oak Drive.
Based on Dicken’s iconic novel, the timeless tale follows an orphaned boy, Oliver Twist, who escapes his neglectful caretaker and braves the streets of Victorian England where he finds acceptance among petty thieves and pickpockets led by the elderly Fagin. When Oliver is captured for a crime he did not commit, he is taken in by the kindhearted victim, Mr. Brownlow. But Fagin, along with his sinister sidekick Bill Sikes and sweethearted Nancy, attempts to kidnap Oliver, threatening the orphan’s prospects of finding a family.
Although the cast is primarily composed of adolescents, the show includes adults — both young and old.
“We chose ‘Oliver!’ because it offers a lot of roles for a lot of different ages,” said Karen Nicholson, a VTC board member and “Oliver!” producer, who is also playing the role of Old Sally.
More than two decades ago, the company began as part of the Voorhees Community Education and Recreation Department of the Voorhees Township Board of Education. In 2002, the theater program separated, establishing itself as a nonprofit entity.
However, it was just in the past five years that VTC started encompassing adults into its fall musical productions, as cast members began outgrowing the program and found themselves returning to the troupe for roles.
“(‘Oliver!’) has wonderful roles for young actors, old actors, medium actors and an awesome ensemble,” said Sandi Makofsky, director and choreographer and resident director of the Voorhees Theatre Company. “We’ve been growing over the last couple of years, and it was time to do something like this for everybody.”
With its dark themes and soprano vocal ranges, this production offers a scope of technical and emotional challenges.
“I learned a lot of singing techniques, because Oliver has to go high and use his head voice a lot,” said Gavin Gershon, 11, who plays the role of Oliver Twist. “I learned a lot of how to master that.”
The company originally produced the show in 2008. However, since the musical’s revival on West End in 2009, VTC is performing this particular London version, which includes slight alterations to the songs and scenes.
Of course, one colossal component that went unchanged is the classic cockney accents.
Along with essential thespian tasks such as hitting high notes and remembering cues, a chief challenge of this production has been teaching pre-teens how to tackle Victoria English slang.
“This play is special, because you’re learning a new language and how to speak. And you can’t act how you would act in New Jersey,” said Ethan Kauffman, 13, who plays the role of Charley Bates. “(The language) is very hard to learn, because if you do it wrong, then it sounds off and you don’t sound like the characters you’re supposed to sound like.”
But, mastering a foreign jargon is not the only lessons being drawn from the show, as “Oliver!” is overflowing with lessons oriented toward youngsters in particular, like seeking validation from peers, finding one’s self and realizing the significance of family.
“I hope (the audience) takes away the message behind the story — that you should know where you’re going, you should be aware of the people you’re around, and make sure you keep your loved ones close,” Kauffman said.
“Oliver!” is running from Oct. 27 to 29 the Voorhees Middle School, located at 1000 Holly Oak Drive. Show times: Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 28 at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 29 at 2 p.m.
Tickets are $15. They can be purchased online (voorheestheatre.org) or at the box office. VTC can be reached at (856)-206–3554.
