BWW Reviews: Musical Theater Heritage's OLIVER! Steals the Hearts of Kansas City

It amazes me how a musical performed with little or no scenery, props, or costumes, and on a small intimate stage can become one of the preeminent shows of the season. That is exactly what Oliver! accomplished on opening night Saturday December 6 at the Off Center Theatre in Kansas City. This achievement speaks volumes to the creative team of Musical Theater Heritage that labored to near perfection.

Sarah Crawford, the Artistic Director of MTH, directs and provides musical direction for the show, which runs through December 21. The team of George Harter, Executive Director and Founder, Chad Gerlt, Executive Producer, Shane Rowse with lighting design, John Hileman with sound design, Robin Harman, Nick Perry, and Kylor Greene stack the deck with Oliver! coming up with a winning hand.

Oliver! a British musical, with music and lyrics by Lionel Bart, is based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist. The play opened in London in 1960 and on Broadway in 1963. With a simplified plot over the Dickens original, Oliver! takes a more comical look at characters such as Fagan, who still a villain, is more humorous and loveable than that of the Dickens character.

Twelve year-old Jordan Haas is fabulous in the title role of Oliver, an orphan in a workhouse and sold to a funeral home he escapes to the mean streets of London. There he meets the Artful Dodger, magnificently played by Fisher Stewart, who takes him to Fagan's house, where he is to learn to pick pockets for a living. A run-in with the law takes Oliver to the house of Mr. Brownlow, played by Andy Garrison, a wealthy elderly man. He is kidnapped by Nancy and taken back to Fagan's house where he must face the wrath of Bill Sykes, played by Samn Wright.

Kip Niven gives a powerful performance as Fagan, the kindhearted yet miserly leader of the orphan pickpockets. Jay Coombes as Mr. Bumble and Nancy Nail as the Widow Carney are delightful to watch. Tabitha Carroll as Bet (Nancy's younger sister), Steven Eubank as Noah, Adam Henry as Mr. Sowerberry, Emma Mae Marston as Charlotte, Samantha Barboza as Mrs. Bedwin, and Andrea Boswell-Burns as Mrs. Sowerberry give wonderful performances in supporting roles.

Shelby Floyd steals the show as Nancy, the older member of the Fagan gang that is in love with Sykes, a brutal burglar whose abuse she endures in the name of love. Floyd comes to the role over-flowing with energy and vocals that leave me begging for more. Always charismatic, in Oliver!, she gives one of the best performances of her professional career.

Musical Theater Heritage enlisted 26 child actors as orphans to join the highly talented ensemble of Donna Dandino, Sarah Morrissey, Marshall Hopkins, Bryan LaFave, Leah Miller, Mindy Moritz, Andrew Schmidt, and Paul Thomas. Accompanying the talented cast is Conductor Jeremy Watson on piano, Rachel Fuentes on cello, Ben Cooper on trombone, Michalis Koutsoupides on violin, Erik Blume on reeds, Brian Wilson on bass, and Joel Pruitt on percussion.

MTH offers a grand incentive to introduce young people to musical theater. With every adult ticket purchased for right or left seating a child's ticket is free. Bring an unwrapped toy of $10 or more for their Toys for Tots campaign and receive one free ticket for every two people. Purchase tickets by calling 816-545-6000, at the Off Center Theatre box office, or visit the Musical Theater Heritage website. Photo courtesy of Musical Theater Heritage.

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