Consider yourself
Goodspeed presents a fine ‘Oliver!’
The title might be “Oliver!,” but this well-known show whose main character becomes a pickpocket is, you might say, stolen by a scoundrel named Fagin. The role of Fagin is a juicy one in the musical adaptation of Charles Dickens’ novel “Oliver Twist.” In the first-rate revival now at the Goodspeed Opera House, he enjoys added oomph because he’s played by Donald Corren, who owns the stage whenever he’s on it.
Fagin, a cunning adult who leads a group of child thieves, looks like (if you’ll pardon the expression) the dickens. He’s a vision in a raggedy long coat and fingerless gloves. He is ever-so-slightly stooped, as if it’s a stance developed from a long history of scurrying away from trouble he has created.
But, underneath his dirty face and halo of straggly hair, Corren’s eyes sparkle with devilish glee. Corren perfectly conveys Fagin’s seedy charisma; you can understand why the kids would follow him anywhere.
He’s a fine singer, too, nuancing the comic moments in the quick patter of “Reviewing the Situation” and riding the infectious melody of “You’ve Got to Pick a Pocket or Two.”
That said, Corren is just a linchpin in an all-together strong show.
This “Oliver!” is helmed by Rob Ruggiero, who has created some sheer-genius productions at Goodspeed, including “Carousel” and “Show Boat.” He is a master of tone, and that’s particularly vital with “Oliver!” This musical is a challenging amalgam: serious subject matter flecked with dry humor and powered by a jaunty score (“Consider Yourself,” “I’d Do Anything”). This is not the kind of shiny and cheery piece that that other musical about an orphan, “Annie,” is.
Indeed, in his novel, Dickens was offering social commentary about the plight of poor children in early 19th-century London who were sometimes used as laborers and treated horribly. He contrasts that with adults who are well-off and self-involved. Oliver is orphaned and then finds himself in all sorts of bleak situations, including having to work for an undertaker before he finds a home of sorts among the group of child petty-criminals led by Fagin.
It might not seem like obvious fodder to be transformed into a musical, but Lionel Bart managed to devise a compelling and, yes, entertaining work. He created the book, music and lyrics for the show, which opened in London in 1960 and became an Oscar-winning movie in 1968. It was Bart’s only real hit in the U.S. (although James Bond fans know Bart’s song “From Russia With Love.”)
Casting about
As the title character, the orphan who faces one ordeal after another, Elijah Rayman exudes sweetness and genuineness in the Goodspeed version. With his innocent look and unaffected manner (no showbiz kid affectations here), Rayman creates instant rooting value for his Oliver. Rayman, who is 9, leads a group of talented kids as Fagin’s gang.
The Artful Dodger, as wonderfully portrayed by 13-year-old Gavin Swartz, is a perfect complement — Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn all wrapped into one. He’s just a rascal.
EJ Zimmerman, portraying the abused Nancy, puts angst, passion, hurt and love into singing “As Long As He Needs Me,” and she sells it all the way to the last row. Of course, in the modern world, a woman’s staying with a man who hits her is fraught, but Zimmerman provides peeks into Nancy’s complicated emotions.
Nancy’s boyfriend is the menacing Bill Sikes, played here by the magnetic Brandon Andrus. He looks like a mountain of a man onstage, in his long leather coat and tall hat, and he glowers with a seriousness of intent. That dangerous spirit is tempered a bit by few romantic, almost playful moments between Bill and Nancy.
As for the choreography by James Gray, it is clever and neatly fits the storyline and setting. A few particularly eye-catching theatrical moments: Long ribbons extend from the ceiling to the stage, and the performers each take one in hand, circling as if they are creating their own maypole, during “Who Will Buy?” There’s a cute conceit for “I’d Do Anything,” where the actors create a version of a carriage ride — kids holding a sheet overhead to serve as the canopy, and others twirling handkerchiefs sideways, as if they were wheels going round.
The choreography and staging make excellent use of the set designed by Michael Schweikardt. That set recalls a certain era of prison, with its flights of steps, scarred brick walls and high-upand-dirt-fogged windows. But there is something about the design that is cool; the vibe is earthly and theater-otherworldly at the same time.