NORWICH – There’s an old adage in the art of acting that warns against sharing a scene with animals or children. While you won’t see any farm animals on stage this weekend, there certainly will be plenty of kids. “It’s a great family show,” laughed director Mark Sands from amid the throng of youngsters clamoring for his attention backstage at a recent rehearsal.
The NHS Musical Club will present “Oliver,” the musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens tale “Oliver Twist,” on Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 and Sunday afternoon at 3 in the high school auditorium.
One of the more unique aspects of staging “Oliver” as a high school musical is that it doesn’t necessarily involve all high schoolers. Aside from the title character, there’s a legion of young orphans and pickpockets dotting the stage. Of the 37 students in the cast, Sands said, about a dozen are middle schoolers.
Mixing the older kids with the young has been quite a challenge for the Norwich cast. How to describe the experience? “Pandemonium,” junior Chris Kappel, who plays Fagin, said in a word. But, he added, involving the (even) younger generation is essential in building the team. “It’s exciting because we get to incorporate them sooner and expand who’s involved in the club,” Kappel said.
At the forefront of that younger generation is sixth grader Tyler Roberts, who at the precious age of 11, has landed the leading role of Oliver, the orphan who wants nothing more than to be loved. Tyler’s theatrical aspirations are even younger than he is. “I always wondered what it would be like (to perform on stage), and my mom said it would make my winter go by faster, so I went for it,” he said of auditioning for the high school play.
Tyler’s gone for it, all right, earning the praise and respect of his older co-stars. “Tyler’s really improved as an actor,” said junior Robert Harris, who plays Oliver’s surrogate brother, Jack Dawkins, aka the Artful Dodger. “It’s really impressive to see him grow into it.”
Harris himself has grown comfortable in his role as the crafty Dodger. “He’s kind of a bad kid,” he said, “but it’s not his fault. It’s how he was always trained to be.”
Mr. Bumble can’t help how he is either, according to senior Galen Morehead. “He’s very loud, demanding and obnoxious,” he said of his character, the pompous orphanage manager who dispatches Oliver into the clutches of his first caretakers – who also happen to be undertakers. Hayley Chwazik-Gee and Ethan Steers, 10th graders and professed best friends, play the appropriately-named Sowerberrys. “We practiced being creepy,” Steers said. “We love entertaining people,” said Chwazik-Gee, hoping that their macabre number “It’s Your Funeral” draws a few laughs.
After getting a few laughs as Professor Henry Higgins in last year’s “My Fair Lady,” Junior Chris Kappel tackles another leading role this weekend as pickpocket impresario Fagin. “He tries to come across as a caring grandfather-type figure, trying to keep the peace among the orphans,” Kappel said, all a cover for his nefarious criminal nature. “The status of this character is so different than Higgins,” he said. “Fagin’s kind of a creep, actually.”
Kappel was a late coming into the cast of “Oliver,” but he’s no stranger to the show. Just about six years ago, when he was a wee lad, Kappel played the role of The Artful Dodger in another local production of the musical. “I have only very vague recollections of playing Dodger,” Kappel said. “Fagin’s far more interesting.”
Interesting is one word to describe the show’s signature couple, Bill Sikes and his girlfriend Nancy. Dysfunctional is another. Senior Katrina Daoud plays the saucy Nancy, a woman from the wrong side of the tracks and a heart of gold. “I feel sorry for her,” Daoud said of the put-upon Nancy, who suffers more than her fair share of misogyny at the hands of her boyfriend, Bill Sikes. “She’s kind of blinded by love,” Daoud said of her character, “but he doesn’t love her as much as she thinks he does.”
Poor Nancy operates out of a misplaced sense of loyalty, but Daoud hopes she can show the audience her inner strength. “All her emotions run deep on the inside,” she said, adding that she wants the audience to feel for Nancy as she reaches out to help Oliver. And that’s exactly what Daoud herself loves about theater: “Being able to move someone else is amazing, to show that passion. There’s nothing like being on stage.”
Fagin, Dodger, et al may be the criminal element in “Oliver,” but it’s Bill Sikes who draws the most ire – both from the characters and the audience. Tenth grader Matt Robinson plays the much-reviled thug. “He’s just a nasty, mean guy,” Robinson said, adding that his role is the antithesis to his real-life personality. “People like me!” Robinson asserts. Not so much for Mr. Sikes. “I really have to try to get in his head before I go on, to find that place he’s coming from,” Robinson said.
After a couple months in a grueling rehearsal schedule, the cast of “Oliver,” like any other show, really pulls it all together in the home stretch. “It’s getting down to crunch time now,” Robinson said of the last week of practice. “It’s going to be a phenomenal performance.”
Sands agreed. “The leads are really starting to come through,” the longtime director said. “We definitely have some standouts this year.”
“People can expect to see a really, really good show,” Harris said, hoping people will turn off the TV for a night to come to the NHS auditorium to see a live performance.
And for those who think they know “Oliver” from watching the movie, think again. “The stage show is actually a lot darker and I think we show that,” said junior Erin McMahon, who portrays Widow Corney. “It’s like a revival of a classic,” she said, “but you’ll really see something different.”
Tickets for “Oliver,” with book, music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, are $5 general admission and are available at First Edition, Service Pharmacy and at the door before the show.