OLIVER! JR. Begins June 18 At WYO PLAY

The streets of Victorian England will come to life when Tandem Productions and WYO PLAY present the musical “Oliver! JR.” at the WYO Performing Arts & Education Center June 18-21. This show marks the 30th anniversary of youth musicals under Tandem Productions and WYO PLAY, celebrating decades of support from the community.

Based on the novel “Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens and adapted from the full-length musical by Lionel Bart who wrote the book, music and lyrics, the show follows a trusting young orphan named Oliver Twist who dreams of finding where he truly belongs. The young boy eventually falls in with a friendly gang of pickpockets and their leader, Fagin. Oliver quickly discovers he is not fit for a life of crime and discovers the life he was meant to live all along.

“This is a well-known story with a lot of lessons kids can relate to in some way,” said Grace Cannon-Wallace, director of WYO PLAY. “Belonging is an important theme that so many youth struggle with, and this musical explores the idea in a way that’s fun, engaging and sure to entertain our audiences.”

The WYO PLAY production will feature a cast and crew of more than 60 local students in grades two through nine who will rehearse the production for a mere 7 weeks. Tyler Rogers will lead the cast and crew as director, with music direction by Arianna Thurow.