[NEohioPAL] Review of "Oliver" at Porthouse Theatre, revised

[Bob Abelman via NEohioPAL]

Porthouse delivers a Carnival cruise line 'Oliver' 

 

Bob Abelman

Cleveland Jewish News

Member, International Association of Theatre Critics 

 

 

The works of Charles Dickens were written in various shades of grey, reflective of the dark and despairing world of 19th century London that was his milieu.  In his stories, the marginalized and displaced masses eke out a vulgar and uncivilized existence while mustering some sense of humanity when push comes to shove and shove results in survival.   

 

His novel "Oliver Twist" - written in 1838 and featuring the tribulations of a forgotten boy lost in London's shadowy underbelly - is of that world.  However, the musical "Oliver" - with its infusion of Lionel Bart's upbeat songs and revisionist script - is a softer and kinder variation on this theme.    

 

Still, since its premiere in the West End of London in 1960, a successful run on Broadway in 1963 and the 1972 film, many stage productions of this beloved musical dare to bring to the surface the depths of darkness, complexity and emotion that Dickens intended.  

 

They offer a damaged Nancy, the fallen young woman caught in a tumultuous relationship with the evil Bill Sykes.  Her featured torch song, "As Long As He Needs Me," is a desperate plea rather than a romantic anthem.

 

They serve up a truly psychotic Bill Sykes, whose "My Name" is a warning and not just a musical calling card.

 

They deliver sardonic Sowerberrys, the couple who purchase Oliver from Mr. Bumble's orphanage while singing the dirge "That's Your Funeral."  

 

Fagin, in these productions, is the lowly outcast depicted in the novel - "the Jew," as referenced by Dickens - which is a designation reinforced by way of a melancholy violin solo in his "Reviewing the Situation."  Fagin's relationship with his band of child-thieves - who are sewer rats rather than adorable urchins - is more Stockholm syndrome than paternity. 

 

The Porthouse Theatre production of "Oliver," under Terri Kent's direction, is not of that ilk.  

 

For more of this review, go to: http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com

 

 

For more of this review, go to: http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com
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