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Show 'Oliver7: bright moments amid the routine by Rick Brough Considering the Egyptian's current cur-rent landlord is Randy Fields, maybe it's appropriate that "Oliver," presented by Park City Performances, Perform-ances, goes down like a chocolate-chip chocolate-chip cookie. It has some great chips maybe some of the best moments I can recall from a musical directed by Don Gomes. But the batter in the rest of the cookie is average. It's all right, but nothing to savor. Most of us are vaguely familiar with the outlines of Dickens' tale Oliver's progress from the orphans' workhouse to a London gang of boy pickpockets, where he finds friendship from young Nancy, brutish violence with Bill Sykes and finally salvation with kindly Mr. Brownlow. Even if the play's named after Oliver, the central role is the elderly old thief Fagin. And the production is fortunate to have Judd Funk in the role. The play never really springs to life until he comes on, with his wheedling charm and long fingers meditatively pawing his face. Funk moves with a jaunty rhythm that doesn't seem to be written into the score. He also has an agile, strong voice for the songs. He has some marvelous vocal tricks, and our only complaint is that he tends to use them at the same place in every chorus, which robs him of spontaneity. spon-taneity. But the flaw is minor. Barbara Bramble, who plays Nancy, is another of the snow's highlights, delivering her songs with zest and professionalism. And she plays the role capably. But her interpretation looks too much like a routine female lead. Nancy is a tormented character-torn character-torn between accepting her lot in life and hating it and Bramble has the ability to play the character with a taut anguish. But for some reason we don't see it. It would help the play a great deal if Nancy's tragic dimension were there. It would prepare us for the musical's somewhat downbeat ending. Larry Sheldon, who has played kindly or noble characters in past musicals, accomplishes a remarkable transformation as Sykes. He is a big brutish and merciless physical presence. However, Sheldon has a voice that is not as well suited to the brutish, growling thief. His dialogue sometimes some-times doesn't have a convincing ring as if Sykes were a , character who blustered more than he delivered on threats. The two lead young roles are well cast, physically, with the brothers Ballard. Daniel Ballard is properly woeful and afraid under the harsh hands of a succession of adults. David Ballard as the Artful Dodger has his best moments in the second half of the play puffing in panic after losing Oliver, or bluffing his way through an arrest. "Oliver" is written as if the author, Lionel Bart, was conscious that he had to get his child actors off to bed early. Most of the work for the kids' chorus comes in the first half of the play. In "Food, Glorious Food" the first number, the kids go through the song with a brisk pace and some simple choreography. But after that the first half of the play gets increasingly sluggish. The kids' chorus isn't polished (we don't ask them to be) and boisterousness can make up for that. But director Gomes doesn't maintain a high energy level. The kids tend to fade into the background, upstaged by Fagin and Nancy or drowned out by the band. So when they come out front for a moment in a number like Nancy (Barbara Bramble) looks impressed by the singing (or mouth) of chorus member Karen Clark, right. "Oliver" is written as if the author, Lionel Bart, was conscious that he had to get his child actors off to bed early. Most of the work for the kids' chorus comes in the first half of the play. "Anything," the stage seems listless and half empty. The first half of the play also sufters from cramped staging. In the , "Oliver" song, everyone seems to be afraid to move around. And in a ; song where the workhouse super-,; visor, Mr. Bumble, is selling Oliver, in the street, Bumble moves around hardly at all and sings the song to Oliver! The second half of the play is another matter. It begins with the lively bar number, "Ooom-Pah-Pah!" The adult cast bursts out like a hopped-up football team after half time. It is one of the finest moments ever from director Gomes and the actors of Park City Performances. Michael Kinney's multi-level stage is used to best effect here, with Nancy clogging above the merriment. merri-ment. Later Sykes descends from the highest portion, and the comic consternation of the bar patrons is delightful to watch. The high level on the stage also helps to create one more good moment. It represents the second-floor second-floor bedroom of Brownlow's house where Oliver is finally safe and secure above the fray, and tended by an angelic Mrs. Bedwin. (When she burst out into "Where is Love," I even got a catch in my throat! ) In spite of all this, a pacing problem persists through the play. A slapstick episode in Act I and the pursuit of Sykes in Act 2 are perfunctory and don't engage us. The pace is frequently laborious whenever the cast has to drift out for a street scene and one quick scene was thankfully dumped after opening open-ing night! Another general problem is that the actors' accents mangle their dialogue. In the supporting cast Jackie Craigle and Bob Toy are funny as the Sowerberrys, an undertaker couple who buy Oliver. Toy is properly eccentric as a sour, scatter-brained husband. Craigle begins in a style that looks like a delightful variation of the Wicked Witch of the West. But sadly she doesn't sustain that tone through her entire part. Bill Tatomer brings his tenor voice to the part of Mr. Bumble, the workhouse "parochial" governor. It takes him a while to warm up to the part, but he's quite humorous in the latter half of the play. Linda Martin also has some nice moments as Bumble's bride, the Widow Corney. But her timing doesn't emphasize the contrariness of the "helpless" woman who can turn the tables on her man in a second. When Bumble pursues Comey in the "I Shall Scream" number, both actors could do more to underscore the irony that it's really the widow in pursuit! Ruth Ann Fitzgerald has a fine short role as a dying old midwife with a sin on her conscience. It's the best bit of acting I've ever seen from her. Van Martin as Oliver's benefactor, Mr. Brownlow, is squarish squar-ish but likable. Mike Robinson as Dr. Grimwig has the eccentric energy to make a good character, and would have gotten more laughs if the director had guided him on timing his lines with the right bounce. Lee Bass as Mrs. Bedwin has a reassuring presence and a nice voice. Chris Eisenberg (Noah Clay-pole) Clay-pole) wasn't as irritating as he should be, but brought all the pomposity required to the role. Nikki Matthews and Ann J. Johnson didn't have much chance to leave an impression in their short roles. The lighting direction by Milo Marj was splendidly evocative in the places where it had to be introducing introduc-ing Bill Sykes or focusing on dying Old Sal. Rachel Mueller's choreography choreo-graphy was never less than capable and a joy to behold in the "doom Pah Pah" number. Jeanne Anderson did a fine costuming job with small-town resources that were likely not great. The small band under the direction of Don Gomes was able, but it's my persistent notion that under any director this kind of musical ensemble doesn't sound really good. It's always on the verge of being unwieldy. "Oliver" has a lot of "chips" but much of the ordinary too. This is a congenial show if you're predisposed to like the story, the cast or the music. But it's not quite able to sell itself to you. The musical continues on Dec. 13-i 3. Tickets are $4.50 and $5.50. ( jf . A -I : ; v ';'"' r"" ' ' : - V ; ' . :.Y' ':- . ' '"'' i :.- - - .Si-. .-. . .-::f!li J - -.:-..-.- ....J Bill Sykes (Larry Sheldon) terrorizes a patron at the Three Cripples Inn. |