Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Broadway hit musical Oliver, won’t require purchasing an airline ticket to New York City this fall. Instead, theater-goers can see the musical in the Silverton High School Theater.
Center State Director Don Kelley is producing the musical by Lionel Bart, based on the novel by Charles Dickens. It tells the story of a young orphan boy falling into a company of thieves in mid-19th century London.
Show times are 7:30 p.m. Oct. 1, 8 and 9 and 2 p.m. Oct. 2 and 3 at the Silverton High School Theater. Tickets are $6 for students through 12th grade, $10 for adults. They are available at The Purl District, Seven Brides Brewery and West Coast Bank in Silverton; Mount Angel Shopper/Out Town in Mount Angel and at the door.
Proceeds will benefit Silverton Area Community Aid, the nonprofit food pantry serving residents of the Silver Falls School District, and an agency helping victims of domestic violence.
More than a 100 people are involved in the show, including a cast of more than 60, an orchestra conducted by Tim Duffy, as well as carpenters, artists and costumers.
“It is a most ambitious production,” Kelly said. “It includes not only a large group of talented individuals but the high school theater allows us to be far more technically complex.”
This is the first show Center Stage Productions of Silverton will have at the new theater, that Kelley helped design. “Working in the new high school theatre is gratifying, but challenging,” Kelley said.
He added he has a talented cast of actors and musicians including 10-year-old Spencer Plant as “Oliver,” Paul Zollner as “Fagin,” Stacie Groom as “Nancy,” Paul Carter as the “Artful Dodger” and Tim Kelley II as “Mr. Bumble.”
“The cast has the ability to fully entertain an audience for two hours while bringing them to a personal experience of the Dicken’s tale,” Kelley said.
